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.

October 6, 2015 / America, Features, Firearms, Kentucky rifles, Longrifle, pioneers, Rifles, Ronald G. Gabel, Squirrel rifle

The Kentucky Rifle – America's Own Art Form

By Ronald G. Gabel Why do people collect "Kentucky" rifles? Why are they considered America's rifle? How were they used? ...

September 24, 2015 / Cloth, Features, Handkerchiefs, Hankies, Melody Amsel-Arieli, pockets, vintage

Vintage Handkerchiefs

By Melody Amsel-Arieli Handkerchiefs, also known as hankies, are thin, hemmed cloths carried in purse or pocket. They serve not ...

September 16, 2015 / Bags, Donald-Brian Johnson, Features, Leslie Pena, Mesh, Purses, Silk, Sparkling, Whiting & Davis

Whiting & Davis Purses: The Perfect Mesh

"No single gift is tugging at the heart of a nation of women so appealingly right now as a beautiful ...

September 9, 2015 / Bob Ross, Chanel, Closets, Couture, Features, French, Haute Couture, Jean Patou, Karen Augusta, vintage

Gold in the Closets

Buying and Selling Vintage Clothing at Auction By Karen Augusta & Bob Ross Once overlooked by museums and appraisers alike, ...

August 22, 2015 / Baseball, Basketball, Features, football, Michael Osacky, Sports, sports collectibles

Introduction to Sports Memorabilia Collecting 101

By Michael Osacky Pricing vintage sports collectibles is very similar to other categories of antiques. It's all about condition, condition, ...

August 17, 2015 / Antique Marketplace News, Babe Ruth, Baseball, Expert Insights, Features, Lou Gehrig, Major League Baseball, Marshall Fogel, Maxine Carter-Lome, Mickey Mantle, Retro Collectibles

Collecting in the Big League

Advice for the Investor Collector from Marshall Fogel In an interview with JOA Publisher Maxine Carter-Lome, Marshall Fogel offers serious ...

August 3, 2015 / Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Erica Lome, Features, Hockey, Hockey Memorabilia, Memorabilia, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Olympic Games, Sports, Stanley Cup, The Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leaf

Center Ice

The Growing Field of Hockey Memorabilia, and How to Begin Collecting By Erica Lome Ice Hockey is reaching new levels ...

July 28, 2015 / Anthracite, Bill Thornbrook, clean coal, coal, electricity, Features, industrial steam generators, natural gas, oil burners, power plants

The Art of Anthracite Coal Carving

by Bill Thornbrook A smoldering debate over "clean coal" technology for modern power plants has pitted environmentalists against an industry ...

July 22, 2015 / Advertising, Brand Recognition, Diners, Features, Gas Stations, Hotels, John Mancino, Motels, Signs, Slogan

A Primer for Collecting Advertising Signs

By John Mancino Ask just about any antique dealer what is the hottest thing selling today and most would say ...

July 14, 2015 / Features, Fred Harvey Company, Harvey House, Native Americans, Paula A. Baxter, souvenirs, tourism, Travel hospitality

Fred Harvey Collectibles Evoke Nostalgia for a Bygone Age of American Tourism

By Paula A. Baxter Travel hospitality and tourist souvenirs were the watchword of the Fred Harvey Company, and this Midwestern ...

June 29, 2015 / adult beverages, alcohol, ale, beer, beverages, drink, Drinks, Early Bronze Age, Features, Red wine, white wine, wine

Grape Finds

By Melody Amsel-Arieli Wine, coined elixir of the Gods, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruit ...

June 4, 2015 / Cabinets, Cellarettes, drinking apparatuses, Erica P. Lome, Features, furniture, Mahogany, vessels, wine, wine accessories, wine cooler

Drinking to the Future

Cellarettes in Nineteenth Century America By Erica P. Lome "In the corner [of his grandfather's house] as you enter the ...

May 25, 2015 / Casinos, Features, Layouts, Sheldon Smith, Slot Glass, Slot Machines, Table Games

Casino Memorabilia with Sheldon

Collecting Layouts by Sheldon Smith Slot glass, slot machines and table games, those casino collectibles you never knew folks collected! ...

May 19, 2015 / Alan Greenwood, Amps, Chet Atkins, Features, Gibson, Gretsch, Guitars, Silvertone, six string, vintage

Hand Picking a Vintage Guitar Collection

by Alan Greenwood Mankind has been strumming stringed instruments for more than 3,000 years. By the 1780s, after many evolutionary ...

April 21, 2015 / Chad Smith, Draftsman, Features, France, Glass, glassworks, Jewelry, Lalique, Museum, Rene Lalique, Wingen-sur-Moder

The Story Behind Lalique

The Story Behind Lalique By Chad Smith If you’ve ever looked at a piece of Lalique glass and wondered what ...

April 14, 2015 / Bottles, Features, Ship, Ship in a Bottle, Whimsies

The Wonderful World of Bottle Whimsies!

By Greg Alvey In the antique and collectors market, there are some amazing original and unique works of art which ...

April 7, 2015 / Art, Atomizers, DeVilbiss, Features, Glass, Marti DeGraaf, Perfume, Toby Mack

The Glass Artistry of DeVilbiss

The Glass Artistry of DeVilbiss By Marti DeGraaf and Toby Mack Company History Dr. Allan DeVilbiss, a medical doctor specializing ...

March 19, 2015 / Art, Features, Illustrators, Laurie Norton Moffatt, Norman Rockwell, Norman Rockwell Museum

Telling America’s Story through the Art of Norman Rockwell and America’s Illustrators

Telling America’s Story through the Art of Norman Rockwell and America’s Illustrators Shaping National Conversation on American Illustration Art (1969 ...

March 16, 2015 / Collections, Family, Features, friends, Gary Leveille, Penny Postcards, Postcards, Real Photo Postcards, socialize, socialmedia, vintage

Hunting for Vintage Postcards

Hunting for Vintage Postcards By Gary Leveille Long before cell phones, e-mail, Facebook or Twitter, the penny postcard was an ...

February 3, 2015 / Advertising, Beauty, Ben Hur Bazaar, Calendars, Chris H. Beyer, Coca Cola, Features, Kis Me Gum, Mail Pouch Tobacco, Signs, Victorian Era

Beauty In Advertising

Beauty In Advertising The Alluring Images of Ladies from the Victorian Era by Chris H. Beyer A wise man once ...

January 28, 2015 / Features, Neil Young, Train set, Trains

Neil Young: Sounding Board for Lionel

Neil Young: Sounding Board for Lionel When rock ‘n’ roll icon Neil Young hits the publicity circuit, he doesn’t just ...

January 28, 2015 / Bruce C. Greenberg Ph.D, Features, Lionel Standard Gauge

Lionel Standard Gauge: 1906 – 1940

Lionel Standard Gauge: 1906 - 1940 by Bruce C. Greenberg, Ph.D First Period: 1906 Trolleys and Steam Engines Joshua Lionel ...

January 21, 2015 / Chad Smith, Features, Germany, Shrunken Heads, Travelling

Travels with Chad

Travels with Chad by Chad Smith The blue arrow on Google Maps, which is loaded on my phone, indicates that ...

January 6, 2015 / blackjack, Casinos, Features, roulette, Sheldon Smith, Slot Machine

Larger & More Difficult Casino Items to Collect

Larger & More Difficult Casino Items to Collect by Sheldon Smith If you remember the last time I wrote about ...

January 6, 2015 / Banks, Duro, Features, Mechanical, Missle, Raymond Reines, Rocket, Saving, Spacebanks

Mechanical Spacebanks

Mechanical Spacebanks by Raymond Reines "I believe that this Nation should commit itself to achieve the goal before this decade ...