Features

Curated articles that explore the rich intersections of history, craftsmanship, and collecting culture. These long-form pieces are your gateway to learning something new, seeing the familiar in a fresh light, and connecting with the past meaningfully.
/ Features
What better illustration for this 1950 Buffalo, New York pennant than — a buffalo?

Souvenir Travel Pennants: Rally ‘Round The Flags

By Donald-Brian Johnson A pennant to make sure honeymooners didn’t forget their visit to New York’s Niagara Falls. They fluttered ...
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/ Antiques Peek, Features
This Grand Teton National Park poster was the first created by WPA artist Chester Don Powell at a time when the artists were not allowed to sign their work. This example was salvaged in the 1970s by Doug Leen while cleaning out a barn at Grand Teton National Park where he worked as a seasonal park ranger. Three originals are known to exist.

The Significance and Nostalgia of the WPA National Park Posters

By Jessica Kosinski There is something magical about the bold lines and vibrant colors of vintage National Park posters. These ...
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/ Expert Insights, Features, Picking with Rob Wolfe of American Pickers
The Vintage Water Decals of America’s National Parks

The Vintage Water Decals of America’s National Parks

by Ron Wolfe of American Pickers In the world of vintage collectibles, few items evoke the spirit of adventure and ...
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/ Features
Glamping Gear and the Creation of the National Park Service

Glamping Gear and the Creation of the National Park Service

“50 Nifty Finds #12: Glamping Gear.” U.S. Department of the Interior. Last modified January 30, 2023. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/50-nifty-finds-12-glamping-gear.htm. The word “glamping” ...
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/ Features
Old Faithful erupts before a crowd of onlookers in Yellowstone National Park, 1946. Yellowstone was preserved as the world’s first National Park in 1872.

From Past to Present: The Story of National Parks in American History

Article by the National Park Service, nps.gov Welcome to a journey through time as we explore the rich history and ...
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/ Features, vintage accessories
Vintage Accessories that are Trending Today

Vintage Accessories that are Trending Today

Reprinted with permission from Wardrobe Shop, www.wardrobeshop.com Vintage accessories have become all the rage once again, thanks to the change ...
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/ Features, vintage fashion, vintage men's fashion
At right: Inspired by a late-1940s motorcycle jacket from Mr. Lauren’s personal collection, this 1970s vintage jacket is made from vegetable-tanned cowhide with a black-over-brown hue. Distressed finish achieved through a multistep process that allows the piece to continue to age with wear. Padded shoulder and elbow patches. Café racer–style stand collar. Fully lined with twill. Selling online for $2,290 at uncommon-threadz.com

Vintage and Men: Show Your Style, Gentlemen!

By Judy Gonyeau The craze for vintage continues to rev up the popularity of reclaimed goods, regardless of if the ...
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/ Features, Keli Goff, vintage fashion, Vintage Living
Stephen Burrows 1971 dress coat color block yellow purple green rainbow designer vintage.

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

This article was inspired in part by the original Town & Country feature, “Dress for Success: Keli Goff on Collecting ...
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/ Features, Toy Cars, Toys From The Attic
The Minic Streamline Sports was as English as can be, despite being loosely based on the Chrysler Airflow of the 1930s.

Ragtop Summer: Taking a Look At Convertible Toy Cars

by Douglas R. Kelly Here in New England, winter loosens its grip reluctantly, often over-staying its welcome deep into the ...
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/ Antique Marketplace News, Features, vintage fans, Vintage Living
Original 1918 Menominee Stationary "Clamshell" Desk Fan

Vintage Fans That Define Summer Décor

There’s something undeniably nostalgic about the slow, rhythmic hum of a vintage electric fan. Before central air conditioning became standard, these elegant ...
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/ Features, history of Ice Cream
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 ...
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/ Antique Glass, Antique Marketplace News, Expert Insights, Features, glass disease, sick glass
Understanding Glass Disease

Sick Glass and Ways to Deal With It

Content from Antiques Arena, antiquesarena.com. Used with permission.  Edited by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor, Journal of Antiques Glass, a material ...
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/ Antique Marketplace News, Antique Shows, Expert Insights, Features, Vintage Living
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 ...
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/ collecting instruments, Features, music memorabilia, vintage instruments
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.

Collect the Orchestra: Instruments of Renown

By Judy Gonyeau, managing editor On February 7 of this year, a 311-year-old Stradivarius violin sold for $11.25 million at ...
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/ Features, 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.

Picture Perfect: Vogue Picture Records

Article and photos by Donald-Brian Johnson Downbeat magazine called them “the discs that sparkle with color.” Gimbel’s trumpeted their “new ...
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/ Antique Marketplace News, Features, Music Trading Cards, Retro Collectibles
Beatles bubble-gum in display box sold for $4,000 in 2019 at Heritage Auctions.

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

By Laurence Carpenter, Music Memorabilia Expert From vintage concert posters to stage-used guitars, music memorabilia has long captured the hearts ...
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/ buried treasure, Features, hidden history
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.

Stories of Buried Treasure: History Unearthed

2,300-year-old bronze statues unearthed in Italy Archaeologists in Italy discovered more than two dozen beautifully preserved bronze statues from San ...
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/ Features, time capsule
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.

Time Capsules

by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate ...
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/ Features, Militaria, Spyware
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 ...
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/ army surplus, Features, Militaria
Woodside’s Surplus City closed after being open since 1946.

The Rise and Fall of the Army Surplus Store

By Brett and Kate McKay, artofmanliness.com You’ve probably been to an army surplus store. They all look pretty much the ...
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/ Antique Marketplace News, civil war enthusiasts, civil war memorabilia, Features, Retro Collectibles
John Sexton

An Interview with John Sexton, The Civil War Collector

by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher When it comes to Civil War memorabilia, John Sexton is the go-to guy. His decades as ...
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/ Features, United States Post Office, USPS
First Continental Congress, 1774 Commemorative Stamp issued in 2024

The United States Postal Service Turns 250

By Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher  During the Revolutionary War, instantaneous communication was non-existent, especially over great distances. News and personal correspondence ...
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/ Features, The Grand Ole opry
Elvis and Hank Snow Grand Ole Opry promotional flyer.

The Grand Ole Opry® at 100: The Church of Country Music

By Judy Gonyeau, managing editor Name any country music star and chances are they are a member of one of ...
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/ Features, Turning 100
Introduced in 1924, the Chrysler Six boasted only 201 cubic inches but its 4.7:1 compression ratio engine delivered 68 horsepower. Chrysler was one of the first to adopt 4-wheel hydraulic brakes and the Chrysler Six also had full pressure engine lubrication. No wonder Chrysler sold 32,000 of them in its first year.

Turning 100 in 2025: 5 Origin Stories

By Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher Behind every major company and brand launched in the early decades of the 20th century was ...
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/ Features, Holiday Traditions, The White House
George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River, which occurred on the night of December 25-26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, was the first move in a complex and surprise military maneuver organized by George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, which culminated in their attack on Hessian forces garrisoned at Trenton.

White House Christmas Traditions

from www.whitehousechristmascards.com This website offers a treasure trove of information on the White House Christmas Cards and how the presidents ...
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