There are two types of antique dealers. One the one hand, there are the dealers who love their merchandise dearly and are thoroughly convinced that a finer and more unique lampshade/art print/shaving mug never existed. These are the charming dealers who are delightful to talk to; full of information and anecdotes about each and every item. Generally, however, these are also the dealers whose prices are just a little too high, as the dealer is convinced that their item is truly special.

Signed in pencil, signed in the plate, what does all of this mean? The way a print is signed and it’s impact on the value of the art causes a great deal of confusion. You will see prints that are unsigned, signed in the plate, stamped signature, estate signed and signed with a blindstamp. There are no hard and fast rules about how an artist should sign their graphic art. It is more important to know what the normal procedure was for the time period and what the normal practice was for that particular artist.

My friend Kellie sat in my living room bewildered, “I have a living room piled high with my mother’s things that no one else wanted! I didn’t want them either, but someone had to keep them so I brought them home.” Kellie is going through the difficult process, along with her sisters, of moving her mom to a 24 hour care facility.

“What kind of things,” I asked.

“Her report cards from grade school, school projects and papers, old photos . . .” the list went on.

Along with the warm temperatures and sunshine of summer, many antique and collectible groups and clubs hold their annual conventions in the summer time. The yearly events bring together people from all over the world who may have only one thing in common, their love of a particular collectible or antique. With the widespread use of the internet some people have been chatting about their collections in online groups and clubs and will get to meet people for the first time in person face to face.

My last submitted article was about the restoration of our former home built in 1927. It was a labor of love and a huge learning experience. (We learned that we never wanted to take on a project like that again!)

I collect and sell many vintage vanity accessories, and have noticed that one of the most frequently asked question I receive on these items is: "What are Hair Receivers?"

Well, as the name suggests, they received hair!

Restoring a home built in the 1920’s and updated once in the 1950’s could have been overwhelming, but my husband and I rather enjoyed it. Not having to live in it while it was being restored probably helped too. We were the third family to own it; the original owners built it in 1927 and sold it in the 1950’s to the next family who updated it.

Metal Furniture & Accessories

Summer has officially arrived with the Solstice occurring on June 21^st and it's time to start living outdoors! Summer is the season to relax, entertain and dine alfresco and an ideal opportunity to start thinking about the yard as an extension of your home.

I knew when I walked down the steep narrow stairs and saw the dozens of baby shoes hanging from the rafters—not for sale—just hanging there, that Downstairs at Felton Antiques was a different kind of store. It was January, 2008, zero degrees, and we had just arrived in Boston in our RV to spend a few months. Little did I know that frigid day that I would not only be shopping in a collector’s haven, but would be starting a wonderful new relationship with a place and a person.

The history of French porcelain begins in 1768. A woman from the village of Saint-Yriex La Perche, near Limoges, discovers a soft white clay that she later uses to to bleach her household linens. Researchers identified this substance as kaolin. A long sought after material that is responsible for the flexibility, stability, and impeccable iridescent transparency of fine porcelain. The discovery of kaolin in France announced the arrival of the industrial and cultural importance of Limoges porcelain.