The social platform for antiquers, collectors, and enthusiasts

Features

Keli Goff’s Meaningful Fashion: Collecting Clothing with a Story

Stephen Burrows 1971 dress coat color block yellow purple green rainbow designer vintage.
This article was inspired in part by the original Town & Country feature, “Dress for Success: Keli Goff on Collecting Vintage.” All historical references and subject matter are inspired by ...

Ragtop Summer: Taking a Look At Convertible Toy Cars

The Minic Streamline Sports was as English as can be, despite being loosely based on the Chrysler Airflow of the 1930s.
by Douglas R. Kelly Here in New England, winter loosens its grip reluctantly, often over-staying its welcome deep into the month of April. So when I learned in February that ...

Vintage Fans That Define Summer Décor

Original 1918 Menominee Stationary "Clamshell" Desk Fan
There’s something undeniably nostalgic about the slow, rhythmic hum of a vintage electric fan. Before central air conditioning became standard, these elegant machines stood as the ultimate symbol of summertime relief. Today, ...

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream! The Sweet History of Ice Cream

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream! The Sweet History of Ice Cream
Inspired by a personal essay circulated initially in a 2014 Article “Kitchen Collectibles: Ice Cream Freezers” by Diana Bulls, this article has been updated with verified historical references, expanded historical context, and ...

Sick Glass and Ways to Deal With It

Understanding Glass Disease
Content from Antiques Arena, antiquesarena.com. Used with permission.  Edited by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor, Journal of Antiques Glass, a material celebrated for its beauty and durability, is not immune to ...

The Summer Treasures Trail: A Cross-Country Road Trip Through Vintage America

The Summer Treasures Trail: A Cross-Country Road Trip Through Vintage America
For antique enthusiasts, summer marks the beginning of an exhilarating season packed with opportunities to uncover hidden gems. Picture the quaint fields of New England, where charming local fairs revive ...

Collect the Orchestra: Instruments of Renown

The overall size of Guadagnini’s cellos stays fairly constant, slightly undersized by modern standards but extremely effective for modern soloists. Centuries-old scratches from errant bow strokes in this cello testify to its substantial width in the center section.
By Judy Gonyeau, managing editor On February 7 of this year, a 311-year-old Stradivarius violin sold for $11.25 million at Sotheby’s New York. This is not the auction news you ...

Picture Perfect: Vogue Picture Records

#R714, Doodle Doo Doo shows one of the turntables especially designed so that stores could highlight Vogue records. Rather than being on a standard horizontal plane, the Vogue turntable was tilted. The disc’s picture could then be enjoyed as the record spun. $40-50.
Article and photos by Donald-Brian Johnson Downbeat magazine called them “the discs that sparkle with color.” Gimbel’s trumpeted their “new and wonderful” arrival with a full-page ad in The New ...

The Next Big Hit? Music Trading Cards & the New Wave of Collecting

Beatles bubble-gum in display box sold for $4,000 in 2019 at Heritage Auctions.
By Laurence Carpenter, Music Memorabilia Expert From vintage concert posters to stage-used guitars, music memorabilia has long captured the hearts of collectors. But a new format is quietly gaining traction ...

Stories of Buried Treasure: History Unearthed

The crowns were buried with kings and queens of Poland, who were also grand dukes and duchesses of Lithuania. Found among the royal accessories were insignia made for these rulers’ burial chambers. As Vilnius Archbishop Gintaras Grušas said, “These crowns were not worn while the rulers were alive but were made after their deaths and were intended to be part of their tombs,” per TVP World.
2,300-year-old bronze statues unearthed in Italy Archaeologists in Italy discovered more than two dozen beautifully preserved bronze statues from San Casciano dei Bagni, a hilltop town in the Siena province ...

Time Capsules

Museum of Fine Arts Boston Head of Objects Conservation Pam Hatchfield, right, displays objects removed a time capsule, Jan. 6, 2015, as Mass. Secretary of State William Galvin, left, and Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, second from left, look on at the museum, in Boston.
by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future ...

There Are Spies Among Us: 18th, 19th, and Early 20th Century Military Espionage As Told By its Hierarchy, Spies, and Gadgets

There Are Spies Among Us: 18th, 19th, and Early 20th Century Military Espionage As Told By its Hierarchy, Spies, and Gadgets
By Judy Weaver Gonyeau, managing editor The spies from the earliest days of America may not have had the level of “toys” and methods used by a 21st century James Bond ...