In several of my previous blogs, and in my book 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, I’ve commented that the marketplace will always adopt to the conditions its presented. Right now, in the Antiques and Fine Art Markets, we’re presented with various venues, along with their associated fees, that today, have risen to unheard of levels. For example, today you find Auction houses collecting close to 50% of an item’s value in commissions and fees. They collect this amount by “double dipping” – collecting, what I consider, out-of-line- fees from the seller, and then charging the buyer a fee for the privilege of buying. I don’t know about this, but I have to ask myself this: When did auction houses become part owner of your inventory or your personal belongings? Last time I checked, my real estate agent was collecting 6% or less from the seller, and the buyer certainly didn’t have to pay a buyer’s fee for the privilege of buying.

This is just one example of what’s happened within industry, but the point is this: There is only so much people will take before they “revolt.” Lately, I am beginning to see the marketplace adapt to the conditions its been presented with lately, and people are beginning to rumble.

Business who have thrived on eBay in the past, are heading for the exit doors today, finding alternative sales formats due to eBay’s escalating fees. It can’t be too far down the road that people will revolt against the fees charged at auction houses, as well. I believe a shakeup is imminent, and ideas that have been germinating are now just sprouting.

31 Club and its programs for our industry is part of this shakeout and is sprouting a new venues, where both seller and buyer will benefit by lower fees and no buyers premium. A company who makes money on the back end after having provided a service, rather than on the front end.

There is no question in my mind that the Antique and Fine Art markets are going to have a shakeout, however the bigger question is this: What form will replace the existing way of doing business? I believe it will be a model similar to what we are creating at 31 Club, and a place where you can do the majority of your business on one site. 31 Club is a company you can partner up with and one that has been formed to assure your success before thinking about themselves. For these reasons and many more, I believe that the formation of the 31 Club is a glimpse into the future of this industry.

I believe companies like Blackwells Live Auction and Antique Associates at West Townsend are companies whose pages you might want to explore, among others. If you become aware of companies who are shaking off the unreasonable ways, or you might be one of these companies yourselves, please send us an email and let us know. We’ll be writing about this approaching shakeout over this coming year and want to include those who are in step with the changing times.

Jeremy has assured me he hasn’t even begun to create the most exciting site on the web for us, and we have begun discussions conducting having our own auctions. Wouldn’t that be great to have fees for services that don’t require you to declare them as half owner of your belongings.
Your ideas about how we might improve services to members are welcome and encouraged. Please e-mail us at info@31corp.com or give us a call at 847-784-8544

In past blogs, I have suggested that you back up the truck and fill it with anything pertaining to this year’s election. With election day only about 2 months away, time is running out to gather what you can now if you plan on cashing in later. With the selection of Sarah Palin as VP, now it isn’t just a pot of gold you’re looking for but all of Fort Knox. Whoever wins, history will be made in this election. Don’t know what Fort Knox is? It’s where all of this country’s gold is stored.

Because I have been so blessed and seen so much over my lifetime, few things really get me very excited anymore. But I can tell you this: The events of this year’s election have caused my heart to really pump. Who needs to watch night time TV programs when this year’s election is splashed across the screen nightly, and it holds more drama than a screenwriter can pen without creating a believability problem? History will be made come this November. Will you have the memorabilia from it?

In a past blog, I wrote that I thought Barack Obama was one of the most appealing candidates to come on the political scene since Ronald Reagan. Although I won’t be voting for him, my opinion hasn’t changed, because our views of the world are still miles apart. However, I do think he believes in everything he’s shared with his audience.

I haven’t written about John McCain yet, but his views are more closely in line with the ones I hold than Obama’s views are.

I figure if Obama wins, it will change politics to a more socialistic environment rather than a capitalistic one, like I personally favor. An Obama win could erase the racial stains this country has had for over two hundred years. That’s something to get excited about, however, if it supresses the individual entrepreneurial effort in this country, it can prove devastating. Either way, I think this election will prove to be one of the greatest historical events in my lifetime.

That old maverick, John McCain startled the world by not selecting who everyone anticipated as his running mate, but a woman that few had ever heard of. Yes, I wanted a woman on the ticket, but Sarah, who? That sentiment only lasted until I learned more about her and then heard her speeches. I do believe a superstar had been born many years ago and finally made it to center stage. Her election alongside John McCain will be a milestone for women in this country.

 But, aside from the tangible changes toward progress — electing the country’s first African American President or the first Woman Vice President — in the end, it will be only one party who will lead us across an unknown threshold. Whoever wins will define how that change will shape who and what our nation becomes in the years ahead. What will we change to? Who will we become? The direction this changes takes us might very well prove to be a huge marker in the life of our country, for better or for worse, and it might have the power to seal our fate.

 Having said that, I believe the stark difference in the candidates will make the Election of 2008 equal in historical importance to that of George Washington and of Abraham Lincoln. So, load up on memorabilia.

I don’t usually like to end a blog on a sad note, however I cannot end today’s blog without acknowledging the passing of Ralph Kovel. The entire Antique Industry has truly lost a great and passionate friend. We at the 31 Club, send our condolences to the entire Kovel family and offer up our prayers for each one of them during this time in their lives. We ask our club members to remember Ralph Kovel and the Kovel family in their prayers, as well.

Steuben Cintra Bowl is offered at 31 Gallery & Marketplace

by Daryle Lambert

Steuben is one of my favorite glass companies and because the mark is often difficult to find, these fantastic pieces are often overlooked by dealers. If you are prepared and have a comprehensive knowledge of the different patterns in Steuben, this won’t happen to you and the next story of a great discovery of Steuben may well be yours.

Steuben Can Be in Marked Several Ways:

An acid etched clover-like mark with a ribbon running through it with “Steuben” written in the ribbon. This mark was used from 1903 – 1932.

The same clover-like mark in relief with “calcite” written on the ribbon. This was used from 1915-1932. These marks are rather small and can be easily overlooked.
Steuben also used “Aurene” or “Steuben Aurene” on its pieces from 1904 – 1932. Often you will find lamp shades with these marks.

All Steuben should have ground pontils (The bottom circle where the glass rod is snapped off from the pieces and polished smooth.)

Steuben should ring when you flick it with your finger nail. All good crystal will ring like this, and this simple test is a good test of quality.

The great thing about Steuben is there was a lot of it made so your chances of stumbling upon it are pretty good. Steuben also made many different types of glass, and in the early days, much of it was colored. Today, the modern pieces are usually clear.

Steuben was founded by one of the true pioneers of Art Glass, Frederick Carder. If you find pieces with “Carder” marked on them, you have found a real treasure. Not too long ago, I found a Steuben piece in a basement and purchased it for $20. I still have it, because my wife wouldn’t let me sell it until now, and today it is listed in our market place.

To give you an idea on some of the values of Steuben, these listings from Kovel’s Price Guide will help. Candlesticks - alabaster stem and green foot $1610; Figurine - Excalibur, sword in stone $2100, Lamp - Acanthus Leaf $2415. I have no idea why Kovel’s didn’t list more expensive items in their book, but rare Steuben pieces can bring tens of thousands of dollars.

If you’ll spend some time getting acquainted with Steuben Glass, you’ll be able to spot this fine glass. I especially recommend studying the more rare pieces.

In our Blog a few days ago, our 31 Club Member, Julie, shared a photo of her great Steuben find. Today, it is offered in our Gallery & Marketplace. You can see it here.

Julie did one of the things I think is most important to do to be successful in the Antique, Fine Arts and Collectible business. She bought multiple items. One ended up being the real shining star, while the rest are far above average. The Steuben will sell quickly and more than recoup all of her investment from the entire lot she purchased. She can take some extra time getting a fair price for the others without having her money tied up.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Art, Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills with FREE MENTORING from Daryle Lambert.

Do you feel the ground shaking and hear the sound of distant thunder? That’s the sound of the coming stampede of Ebay sellers making a mass exodus to other sales venues.

Ebay has, once again, presented changes in their venue, many of which I predicted months ago, that will be sending a good portion of their sellers elsewhere to do business, leaving their stockholders in a long holding pattern, or perhaps experiencing new lows.

Starting last ast year, and much to my dismay, I started predicted eBay would lose a good portion of their market share to their competitors. It looks like this will continue to occur as the company implements their most recent changes. (Links to articles I’ve made eBay predictions are below.)

You see, eBay forgot who got them to where they are, and it wasn’t the buyers. They’ve spent entirely too much time trying to please the buyers, when it was the sellers who helped build the company. In my opinion, it may be too late to salvage their position in the marketplace now or in the future.

Since eBay has continued to raise the percentage they take on completed sales, I predicted eBay would discontinue listing fees altogether, and stated it was in their best interest to do so. Today, they’ve dramatically cut listing fees but have not eliminated them. Most sellers don’t mind paying a little more if their items sell, but if they don’t sell, they take a direct loss which isn’t acceptable.

While from time to time, the company runs special days offering sellers no listing fees, I still predict the time when eBay permanently offers no listing fees will be just around the next bend. However, by then, it will be too late to bring back those who’ve been grazing comfortably in another company’s pasture.

In their effort to make up for lost revenue and please their stockholders, other changes the company made will prove to be a big turn off to its sellers. Like the increase in fees for their PayPal services and their insistence that this is the only way to pay for fees when doing business with them. Forcing customers to use only the programs they provide will prove to be a mistake in the future. It’s cheaper for their sellers to go elsewhere and use other merchant account providers with more reasonable fees. No, the public isn’t going to let eBay make up their loss in revenue in this way.

Any reduction in fees will prove to be beneficial for those of us who use eBay to sell our wares, but the other restrictions I believe will be rejected in the market place. It may prove that eBay has, for too long, underestimated the intelligence of the customers who helped build them.

Ebay’s efforts to swing in the direction of retail sales by emphasizing fixed price selling is about four years too late. Companies like Amazon are not likely to surrender their market share to eBay without a fight.

What eBay might do next in their effort to increase revenue, will be to charge for their completed sales information. I predicted in an earlier article and I stand by it. Time will tell.

To re-establish their growth pattern, eBay will have to reinvigorate their seller base, and that isn’t going to be easy. In fact, they might have to reduce profits for a while to build future sales volume. This might very well put eBay stock in a lengthy holding pattern and create new stock lows. 

As I have stated in the past, what is bad for eBay can be good for us in the antique & collectible business. So, when they have specials, take advantage of them, like listing several items on free listing days. Try not to get caught in the traps they set like reserve price auctions and the other gimmicks they state will bring you greater returns but actually cost you more. “Keep it simple” is a good rule to use here. If you haven’t looked into other sales venues, this would be a good time to do some research.

Keep Skip McGrath and his newsletter close to you because I think he has the pulse of what eBay is doing down to a tee. You will find his many great resources available on our site. Don’t forget our friend the “ The Auction Rebel – Gary Hendrickson” as he demonstrates his method of being successful on eBay.

Ebay made a change in my life, and for that I am very grateful, but they’ve been very slow to change with the markets. They might have thought they were invincible. But, none of us are. I still hope it isn’t too late for them. They’ve been a tremendous help to me and my family, and I thank them for that. God protects the humble, but if we try to do all things ourselves and even go down the wrong path, He allows for that too. I believe eBay has gone down the wrong path.

LINKS to my Previous eBay Article Predictions:

10/02/07 Will eBay Remain King of the Hill?
01/30/08 eBay Serves Scrambled Eggs
02/14/08 Is Ebay Running out of Juice?
03/25/08 eBay Fighting Hard in Wrong Direction

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

Get FREE MENTORING.

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.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today.

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

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

I have to admit it to you it took me awhile to even think about the value of antique and vintage furniture again. Those of you who know me know I usually stay away from furniture because of its size, transportation and storage issues, but when I started seeing high quality furniture selling at local auctions for very low prices, I started doing some research, and after yesterday’s blog on furniture, I continued my research.

Even though I think the price guide may be a little high for today’s market I began my research by turning to Kovel’s Price Guide. Boy, did I get some surprises when I opened the price guide. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

I don’t know why, but I was drawn to chairs, perhaps because they still might not test my strength in moving them.

In Kovel’s guide, almost all the illustrated pictures of chairs were listed in the thousands. It was hard for me to find items for less than $300. This got my attention, especially when I am seeing wonderful antique chairs selling for $50. I believe the back of my truck will be holding a few of these chairs in the near future. I’ve stated before that having a copy of Kovel’s Price Guide is often a starting point with any research you do. If you don’t yet have a copy I suggest one today.

Here’s a sample of what is illustrated in the guide: Airline Chair by Kem Weber cantilevered from the 30’s with arms $8960. No bad for a start, but we’re just beginning. Next, a Chippendale corner chair made with Mahogany c.1890, 31”, $1350.

When I turned the page, I couldn’t believe it! A chair I had just seen at an estate sale this past month that had been priced at $2500. The guide states its worth $38,500. What kind of chair is worth this much? It was an Eames chair, called a “pony chair”. The picture is in the guide. It’s covered in a cowhide bought back and seat. This is a modern chair, and we’ve discussed modern furniture in other blogs. We have discussed Arts and Crafts in other blogs as well, so it should be no surprise to you that a Stickley chair is listed at $4400. I’ve linked these previous blogs below.

There is an endless variety of chairs to choose from. I haven’t even mentioned all the chairs like Empire, Federal, French, Hepplewhite, Queen Anne and so many others. Keep your eyes open for the opportunity to purchase the highest quality chairs and those in demand. Some real good money can be made buying these items right.

Way back when I first stated buying antiques, I purchased a set of 12 wonderful bow back chairs with leather seats and a matching table. When my living arrangements changed, these were sold. If I remember correctly, I paid $150 per chair and $500 for the table. They were later sold for $350 a chair and $1500 for the table. The sad part about this is that today, I believe the chairs would bring $1000 each and the table, $15,000 - $20,000. But, the money has got to keep moving.

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.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today.

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

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

TODAY’S PHOTO is a Charles Eames (1907-1978) 1946 side chair

LINKS TO SOME OF MY FURNITURE BLOGS:

Modern Design Furniture

Furniture

The prices of high quality paintings, pottery and art glass are on a tear. So I got to thinking, if this is so, there’s probably something out there dragging its feet in these markets. Turns out, it’s good antique furniture.

I thought the days of me hauling around chests, tables and chairs where over at my age, but the high quality pieces are a real bargain right now, I may have to reconsider. In fact, I have told you before that if an item was larger than a bread box, I wasn’t very interested, but I may have to eat my words today.

The more auctions and estate sales I attend the more I am sure that there is big money to be made in antique and collectible furniture today. I’ve seen high quality furniture selling cheaper than I can believe. At an auction I attended last week, I saw a beautiful empire chest made of tiger maple sell for a mere $200.

Why this sudden reversal? In my opinion, we live in a disposable society. The days of the ancestral home are disappearing for many people. Families move around from home to home every few years, and family members divide up moving to other states and even other countries, disposing of furniture along the way and buying new “disposable furniture” to fit their new home. But, there will always be those who will be seeking high quality antique furniture.

In the markets I’m attending, I see early chests selling for $100 to $200 when a few years ago they would have brought $1000 or more. The same with antique tables I would have loved to have purchase ten years ago for $500, now are bringing in only $150 at auction.

Over twenty years ago, I bought a wonderful Armoire for $750 and sold it almost before I got it home for $3500. It was heavily carved with burl walnut panels. I’ve purchased a lot of furniture over the years, but I mention this one today because last week when I was in Owensboro Kentucky, I saw a pieced that was almost identical to this one, priced at $650. That’s just the asking price, and I’m certain I could’ve bought it for $500. It’s still beautiful, and I know even in this disposable society, there’s still someone today who would pay $3000 or more to own a high quality piece like this.

If the market for general mid to lower end antiques and furniture isn’t moving, this trend doesn’t necessarily hold true in the high end markets. For the highest quality antiques and art, including furniture, there’s always a market.

At the 31 Club, we keep our sights on high quality and rare items. And, our job is to buy right.

Well, furniture can be bought right today. Maybe we shouldn’t wait any longer to take advantage of this under priced market. I know the rest of the market will be trailing us as we look into this dramatic change. By the time they realize what we are doing, it will be too late for them to catch up.

Yes, there are disadvantages to dealing in furniture, but like any other market, if the price gets low enough, it’s time for us to step in. We need to re-inform the public that today’s furniture is still mostly plastic or made of composition materials. Most of these pieces will last about two years or three years while hand made antiques have lasted over 100 years. If you’re up to the task of handling furniture, now is the time to make some serious money with the truly high quality pieces.

If I do decide to take the plunge and tip my toe back into the pool of the furniture market, I’ll have to figure out how to transport the items and where to store these fine pieces. I can tell you this — the storage companies are begging for tenants, so a ten foot space will cost you about $100 a month, and the first month is usually free. That gives you time to make a profit to offset the expense.

I will be more than glad to answer any questions that you may have on
furniture, and soon we will have an expert on our “31 Club Panel of Experts”
for you to call.

Today’s Photo: This French period antique double “Chapeau de Gendarme” armoire made of walnut and secondary woods sold on eBay for $15,000. It had hand carved decorative motifs-signed by cabinet maker on center front: 1786 Joseph Bertin.

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

Get FREE MENTORING.

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.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today.

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

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Be cautious of those who tell you where to put your money unless you know where they have theirs.

Many months ago, I wrote a blog and news article stating it was time to sell silver and gold you might have in your possession, not knowing the danger this would place me in. At the time, silver was selling at about $16.00 an oz and the forecast from the silver bugs touted silver would go to $100 an ounce, while the gold bugs were looking for $5,000 an ounce.

Shortly after that, I started getting emails, from “reputable people” in the metals industry, nasty enough to make your hair stand on end and sinking so low as to request the news organizations that ran my articles rescind them. Of course, none of them did. These supposedly reputable people questioned my intellect and even my heritage. “Don’t you know the fundamentals of these markets,” several of them asked? I think they had forgotten the Hunt brothers, or wished to forget them, and I’m sure many weren’t even old enough to remember them.

Again, today, I am recommending you sell all the silver you have in your possession at the price of $12.00 or more. As I write this, the present price is about $12.50. My projections see silver retracing its charts back to $6.00. Oil is retreating like it is being chased by a band of hungry wolves, and while the dollar is gaining its strength, silver and gold are in a free fall.

Like I warned in my blog and articles earlier this year, the people touting these industrial metals, and that is all these metals are today, have been the ones selling them and have the most to gain by their sale. I wrote previously that they would never tell you to sell silver or gold no matter how high their prices went and this has proven to be true.

Today there are companies still touting the purchase of gold, even though the price is plummeting and people are losing their shirts. These metals are no longer a hedges against inflation because they have been replace by currencies that are much easier and quicker to trade. There’s no storage, interest, or shipping to be paid on currencies, either.

If you want to see other investments that have proven themselves over time and whose numbers are continuing to go up, go to www.31corp.com. — Daryle Lambert