How do you know you haven’t already passed on that special piece? Every time someone finds a treasure, you can be sure that many people have passed on it because they didn’t know what it was or because they were afraid to take a chance. Our goal is not to let either of these excuses stop us from reaching our financial goals in the Antique and Fine Art Busness.

This week, a gentleman called me about a pair of Oriental vases he thought might be a great buy if he could acquire them. His potential customer had e-mailed him about the pair.

I asked him what the customer was asking for them.

“Nothing yet,” he said. “They want to know what they’re worth.”

“Are you going to be paid to do the appraisal,” I asked him?

“I don’t think so.”

“Why don’t you respond to the email saying you’d be interested in the vases, if they’d give you a price. You could also state the vases could possibly be worth $500 up to many thousands depending on their history.”

With his knowledge in this area, it might be well worth the risk of investing $1000 to $1500 in this pair. If he is wrong, the chances are he will still make a profit. But what if he’s right? Then the rewards could be a profit of $20,000 or more. No, he isn’t sure which of these scenarios will play out, but he can’t be hurt very much by either of them. I am hoping he gets that call and the price they ask for the vases is reasonable.

Some of you will remember when I entered an antique shop close to my home and was told they had nothing for me that day. Still, I asked, “Are you sure?”
” I do have a painting here, but it’s sold,” the shop owner told me. This gave me an opening.

“May I see it,” I asked?

He took me to the back of the shop where I laid eyes on a wonderful early painting of two little girls skipping rope.

“What did you get for this wonderful painting,” I asked?

“Twenty-five thousand dollars,” he proudly stated.

I asked if he’d been paid for it, and he told me the painting was on hold and he hadn’t been paid yet. Now the door was wide open for me, so I ask him if he’d call me in a couple of weeks if he hadn’t been paid. Sure enough, two weeks later I got that call. I purchased this painting for $16,000. I didn’t really know what it was worth because I wasn’t familiar with the artist, Frederick Morgan, but I was willing to gamble that its value was at least $16,000.

The advantage that you have over me in these situations is that the 31 Club is there to help determine values. Did I know that this would turn out to be a great find for me? Absolutely not. But, it was. This painting later sold at Christie’s for $115,000. What would the results have been if I had said I wasn’t interested because I didn’t know what its worth was or I didn’t know the artist.

I could tell you many more stories like these, but the important thing to remember is that if the price seems right on a piece your looking at, take the chance. You won’t always make a fortune on every piece, but I’ll bet your decisions will be correct most of the time, so little mistakes are just learning experiences. This is why 31 Club Members just learning the business start with a trading account of only $100. That’s so their mistakes won’t cost them big while they’re learning.

When you buy something, sell it as quickly as possible. This should not take longer than 3-6 months. This way, you will have your money back in circulation to move on to your next purchase, win, lose or draw. Don’t hold on to marginal items trying to get more for them than the market will bear. Turn, Turn and Turn your money over and over until one day you wake up and the world is yours.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

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Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle’s Strategic Business Plan.

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LINK: 31 Club Article July, 2007

“Go West Young Man.” I’ve heard this expression all my life, but it takes on a new meaning when looking for antique and collectible treasures that seem “out of place.” Items made in California but found at an estate sale in Vermont would be considered “out of place,” and these out of place items stand a very good chance of being bought right and sold for a decent profit to a West Coast collector.

Kay Finch pottery is a good example of this. To me, these look as if they were made by a child out of common ceramics material, but to the collector, they are fabulous works of art. Finch started making her humors animals in the 1930’s and opened her studio in the 1940’s. Her work was considered so unique at the time, there was a ready market for anything she produced. After World War II, cheap foreign imports caused a lack of interest in the more expensive pieces she produced in her studio, and soon after her husband’s death in 1961, she closed her studio. Over 700 designs were produced from her studio, and when it closed, she continued to work for many more years for other companies.

Although she is best know for her animal ceramics, many of which were modeled after her own animals, nothing was beyond her range, including people. Collectors today are willing to pay almost anything for her one-of-a-kind pieces, and you can find over twenty different marks she used. After sharing a few prices on the early items Finch produced, you’ll probably be on the lookout for items bearing her name. You might even find her items very cheap at a garage sale because they don’t appear to be very valuable. Many of her pieces are “NPA”, which means no price available, or priceless.

Take a look at some of these prices: Best in show Afghan no. 5490 - $3000; Petey the Donkey no. 4776 - $3000; Chinese Princess $6000 (and she is only 3 inches tall) and Grail the Shepherd no. 478 $1500. This is real money for these simple figurines. And, as unattractive as I find them, I must confess, they do make me smile. So, when you’re out looking, remember that it’s so important to be able to see things through other’s eyes. And just because it doesn’t appeal to me, it appeals to someone else, and that’s all that matters.

There is a wonderful book out about Kay and her life called Kay Finch: Biography-Identification-Values by Devin Frick, Jean Frick and Richard Martinez. This book can come in handy. As always, try to locate a second hand copy to be budget conscious.

Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today. Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Continue to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle’s Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers who are making more money than they thought possible.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

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This Hermes Black Leather Handbag sold on eBay for $1,399 May 20, 2008

I love to buy things at sales that could be labeled “out of season.” Christmas ornaments, tins and toys have a tendency to turn up at summer house sales and garage sales and can be excellent buys. These items don’t necessarily have to be vintage or antique to have great resale value, however, when you come across a vintage or antique Santa Clauses, these may be truly great finds.

True Collectors Will Always Pay Top Dollar for the Right Item Any Time of the Year

Many people believe these holiday items lose their value after the holidays, but nothing could be further from the truth. So, as the warm breezes blow, and people bring out their new and old Holiday decorations, true collectors and dealers are on the lookout. You see, the true collectors, dealers and bargain hunters have no seasons when it comes to valuable items. Collectors will always pay top dollar for the right item no matter what the season. Let this summer season play into your hand.

Clothing, Handbags and Accessories

As garage doors and front doors in your area open to the public to shop, know that clothing and accessories can be great collectibles. Many will pay handsomely for the right designer dress, vintage dress, handbag or piece of costume jewelry and fall/winter items bring in the most money. Prepare yourself by researching on the Internet. Take a look at some books at the library or at the bookstore. Know some of the construction details of designer handbags so you’ll be able to spot “the real McCoy” from the ‘Knockoff.” 1950’s and 1960’s clothing, accessories and furniture styles are big trends now and in demand now, so keep your eyes open.

Great Buys Are Great Buys – Even If They’re Not Classified as Antique or Collectible

The sun shines, the weather warms and for some reason, people think it’s not going to snow anymore. Look in the garage and see if there’s any good mechanical equipment, like a good snowblower. Acquired at a bargain price, it can be resold for a good profit. Buying and selling with the 31 Club plan doesn’t only have to pertain to antiques and collectibles. Maybe there’s a great generator lurking in the corner or a fabulous set of tools. I once bought a great generator for $250 and sold it for $1,500. In my book, that qualifies as a great buy, even if it wasn’t an antique or collectible. If a true bargain comes your way, by all means, take advantage of it.

Winter sporting equipment may come your way at very reasonable prices over the spring and summer. I’ve written on these types of items before, so browse back through the archives. Sporting equipment can put some unexpected money in your pocket.

I’ve even bought and sold cars that would qualify to be part of our plan. When I was in college, I found a car sitting on a used car lot in Beaver Dam, Kentucky. It was a 1953 MG TD. They didn’t know what they had, only figured someone could get it serviced to get it working properly. I bought it for a pittance, and they were glad to get rid of it. I was certainly glad to be its new owner. I drove it for a while, but sold it after my son was born. Besides needing a car with more room, I needed some money! I sold the car for a great price to a lawyer who wanted to restore it and made myself $2,000. Back in 1960, that was a lot of money.

Take advantage of the large number of garage sales, yard sales, and house sales popping up this season. And, always be on the lookout for a real bargain, even if it’s not an antique.

Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today. Rub elbows with like-minded 31 Club Members, and Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to Make High Profits and Continue to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles. Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

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Robert Woods Painting 36 x30 Framed. Oil on Canvas. 1 of 2 Woods paintings available for sale at 31 Marketplace. $12,500.

Correction: Well, I did it again. In my enthusiasm over our new antique, fine art and collectible marketplace, I rushed our announcement before it was actually ready to be announced. You see, I’m not a genius in the techie world, and I misunderstood what Jeremy, our tech advisor, was telling me. Most of you probably know that I’m rather technologically challenged, so this should come as no surprise to you.

I knew I could list, but I didn’t understand that it wouldn’t be live until Sunday. So, yesterday, I spent a lot of time listing new items to our marketplace that will be viewable on Sunday. Another 50 are waiting in the wings.

31 Club Member Makes a Great Collectible Find with Huge Profit

The market aside, this was a special day in many ways. First, I received a call from an interesting young lady by the name of Laura R. She traveled over 200 miles to attend an auction because the paper stated this auction was all day long. When she arrived at the house, she was surprised to see so many oriental items she knew nothing about. She didn’t want to return empty handed, so she bought several Buddha and Hindu items. Her gasoline bill was larger than the amount she spent on these items. She figured that you can’t buy much for $35 these days, so she took her chances.

Since she wasn’t too excited about the items upon returning home, Laura waited a couple of days before she listed them on eBay. Are you setting down? As of this date, she’s received over $3,000 for this little box of goodies. Her first item sold for $1,840, the second for $450 and the third for $250. , as of this date she has received 0ver $3000 for this little box of goodies. The first one she sold brought $1840, the next $450 and the third $250.

Believe it or not, I think that she might even have a few more of these items to sell. If she had been in the Million Dollar Race she would have completed over six steps in the race on that one purchase alone. I know that some of you have stories that match this one, so please send them in so I can publish yours.

31 Club Associates Program in Action, Bidding on Fine Art Paintings

The next call I received was from William, a club member who spotted some wonderful Robert Wood paintings that will be at an upcoming house sale where he lives. Since this purchase will be out of his budget range, he’s going through the Associates Program to make a bid on these paintings. That means he’s partnering up with 31 Club in a cooperative effort to purchase these pieces. 31 Club will handle the bidding, and if we are successful in acquiring them, 31 Club will handle the re-sale. A very handsome percentage of the sale will go to William just for spotting them and calling us.

By working with the 31 Club you, too, can advance to the higher end items by simply simply taking advantage of the Associates Program.

Whether it’s pottery, glass, paintings or whatever you spot that is beyond your budget, by calling us and purchasing with the help of the Associates Program, you’ll start accumulating money for your account.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your antique & collectible treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!

Example of Walrath Pottery valued in the thousands of dollars.

This past weekend, I saw Rosville and Weller pottery well overpriced and wondered how anyone could turn a profit if they purchased these pieces at those prices. This seems to be the norm today, and the reason why so many dealers are having a hard time selling their inventory. At the Arlington Show I attended last month, it seemed to me that items such as Grueby, Newcomb and Rookwood were priced out of sight. I wonder if perhaps these pieces are being purchased by dealers at prices too inflated for today’s markets.

The secondary market should set the prices for us to use as a guide when we purchase, and if we find pieces priced even beyond that, where can we hope to go with them? Yes, the best are bringing record prices, but that isn’t so when it comes to the medium or lower priced items.

A new name that might bring you great returns, should you find a piece is Frederick Walrath. Walrath was an exceptional potter and his work is coveted by the most serious collectors of American Art Pottery. Walreth died in 1920, and his better vases can easily command five figures and his less serious pieces will bring in the hundreds. The pieces I’ll be discussing are the ones he produced in Rochester, New York, however he did work at one time for the Newcomb Pottery Company of New Orleans.

His work is marked Walrath Pottery” with a mark that looks like a cross bow between the two words. This is the kind of item that most people will pass, or have very little knowledge of what its true value should be. When you find a special piece of Walrath, this is the time to be patient and check all your connections before pricing it on the market. Here is where you can really compound your investment. While others are struggling to break even on the more known pieces like Roseville, Weller and Van Briggle, you will have your money ready for those special pieces of Walrath when the opportunity presents itself. Patience will be your guide to success.

This weekend was a prefect example of what I am talking about. Thinking I was going to buy several items at a sale I attended, my plan wasn’t fulfilled. I made a pass at several items that would have been good buys at the price I offered, but my offer wasn’t a deal maker. I only purchased one piece from this sale, keeping my other funds in my pocket for another day.

I knew the Rookwood lamp at this sale was exceptional, and I knew I had to own it. But, even as sure as I was that I’d found my treasure for the week, I called a good friend in Cincinnati to confirm my judgment. He assured me that the lamp was a fantastic buy. In my judgment, this piece is very special and should go to auction for the best results. Remember, we aren’t in a hurry because the compounding of our funds will create wealth for us, not the quantity of pieces we buy and sell.
So add Walrath Pottery to your growing list of things to watch for. By now, if you have followed my blog, that list should contain several items that could change your prospective of this business.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Take a look at our Gallery of Fine Art Paintings by Listed Artists, here.

Antique Garden Furnishings: Pair of Lead Figures of Pan, the Greek God of the Woods, offered for $8,500 at Aileenminor.com

Who would have ever thought to check the backyard before going into the house at an estate sale? But after reading this blog, I’ll wager you’ll consider it. The only time I recall prices catching my attention for Garden Furnishings was at some of the Red Barron Auctions in Atlanta, Georgia where there were huge fountains, statues, and urns large enough for a person to hide inside. These furnishings were usually so large, you would have had to own a mansion to use them. Prices were also large, with some items going as high as $250,000 or more. But, naturally, there are much smaller items to be found other than the grand pieces from these great estates of yesteryear.

Garden furnishings have been popular for centuries. I can still see those beautiful gardens in the old movies about the Roman days. Gardens have been the property of the wealthy in Europe for thousands of years. In this country, Since we began to duplicate the lifestyles of the Europeans, the ladies of the South have had formal gardens. If you close your eyes for a moment, you’ll be able to image a Southern Belle, dressed in that large hoop dress with a very stylish hat and parasol walking among a formal garden of her plantation. These images bring back a completely different style than we experience today.

“Snap out of it Daryle, and stop that dreaming,” I just told myself. So it’s to get back to the real world and back to treasure hunting and making money, because there’s some serious money to be made today in Antique Garden Furnishings.

At an estate sale, when you enter the back yard and take a seat on that cast iron bench to scan the property, make sure that bench isn’t a Fern shaped 19th Century 59-1/2 inches long valued at $3,500.

What should you be looking for in that yard? How about a bronze figure like a little boy and girl reading a book by M. Geiss, valued $4,000 or more. Your eyes might then settle upon a cast iron fountain, decorated with birds and leaves. In today’s market, this fountaint might bring $15.000 to $20,000. Urns were always a great part of the beautiful gardens, so how about an 1880’s cast iron urn featuring angels for a mere $25,000. Other items are hitching posts, sun dials, birdbaths, boot scrapers, objects of art, and architectural elements like finials and wall brackets. My, oh my, there certainly are wonderful things besides flowers in a garden. Do some of your own research on the Internet and see what you learn today.

One of my friends told me the story of a sale he attended and after going through the entire house, he completely struck out. That was, until he was leaving and noticed two large green urns on the porch. He returned to the house and asked if the urns were for sale. I guess he caught them off guard, because they told him, “Well, I guess you could have them for $50.” He quickly paid the price, and rushed out, needing some oxygen in the worst way. Like lightening, he managed to get those items into the car. You see, on the bottom, incised twice, was the word “Teco”. Need I say more?

Join 31 Club today. Can you get FREE MENTORING in the Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art Markets anywhere else but here?

You’ll learn Inside the Industry Secrets. We’ll teach you how to make high profits grow your money by leaps and bounds buying and selling only antiques, fine art, and collectibles with the strategized plan found in my 220 page book,31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles. It’s FREE with your membership.

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