Many of us have perused old book sales or flea markets and seen a plethora of old books. But could you potentially unknowingly be looking at a rare book or maybe have one shelved in your personal library? Identifying a rare book can be tricky. Just because you’ve got a 100-year-old book actually doesn’t make it rare. It could just be old! Here are some tips to get started on discerning ... Read More
Rookwood Pottery: An American Heritage
January 11, 2019 Michelle Miller
Rookwood pottery was one of the most illustrious American pottery manufacturers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Winning awards at several international exhibitions and world's fairs, such as the 1893 Columbian Exposition of Chicago and the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, Rookwood pottery also garnered international acclaim. Pottery as an art form blossomed during the ... Read More
A Very Merry (Holt-Howard) Holiday To You!
December 16, 2018 Michelle Miller
Looking for a fresh way to bring that winter magic to your own holiday "tablescape?" How about giving some vintage Holt-Howard holiday ceramic decorations a try! Holt-Howard was a ceramics company that manufactured adorable (and cheeky) kitchenware during the 1950s and 1960s. The company popped with its "Pixieware" line: little imp faces decorated the tops and lids of a plethora of condiment ... Read More
Shopping For Vintage & Antique Silverware
November 21, 2018 by Roie Vokey
There are hallmarks of adulthood: voting, getting a job, and moving out of your parents' home are three that come to mind. But once you've passed those milestones, you start to find more specific, quirky things that make you say, "yep! I'm really a grown up now!" One of those is owning a full set of silverware. I'm not talking about the 4 setting stainless steel Walmart special, I'm talking ... Read More
Hummel Figurines: Finding the Value
November 6, 2018 by Michelle Miller
Who would've thought that a Bavarian nun's charming illustrations of children from the early 1930's would create a collectible craze in the U.S. in the 1970s? The famous Hummel figurines - those small porcelain statuettes starring adorable children - were initially created by Berta Hummel, a German woman who, after attending an art academy, entered the religious life and became a Franciscan nun ... Read More
Identifying Tiffany Lamps
October 23, 2018 by Carrie Gough
Almost all of us are familiar with those colorful dragonflies and butterflies that adorn the famed Tiffany lamps. However, when looking to purchase one, buyer beware! The market is flooded with fakes and reproductions. So if you’re looking to acquire an authentic lamp from Tiffany Studios, here are a few tips you can utilize to ensure it’s the real deal. Note that there are more tips than the few ... Read More
Halloween Collectibles
October 11, 2018 by Michelle Miller
Halloween is a supernaturally fun holiday for children! Spooky decorations, like ghosts, spider webs, and bats trimming bushes and trees, lend homes a decidedly "haunted house" aura. The anticipation awaiting the hunt for the perfect pumpkin to carve into a jack-o-lantern with a wacky or scary face. The excitement of donning costumes and being a superhero, witch, pirate, or princess for the night. ... Read More
Q & A With Founder Carrie Gough
September 21, 2018 by Michelle Miller
How did the idea of What's It Worth come about? I have been a professional fine art appraiser for over ten years. With this, I noticed a consistent "gap" in the market with clients who had inherited a vase, stumbled across a painting, or had been sitting on an antique lamp who had no idea where to go to explore the value. Most of these clients do not need formal art appraisals (AKA appraisals ... Read More
Appraisal Daze: Identifying Your Antiques
August 30, 2018 by Michelle Miller & Carrie Gough
Given the never fading popularity of the PBS hit Antiques Roadshow, we increasingly hear the question "Where can I get my antiques appraised?" "How can I appraise my antiques" You've probably seen at least one episode of the PBS hit show "Antiques Roadshow." With art appraisers excitedly waiting at the helm, people line up in droves to discover more about their beloved antique items or ... Read More
A Quilted History: America and Its Sewn Collections
July 10, 2018 by Michelle Miller
When you think about American collectibles and antiques, cars, rock-n-roll memorabilia, presidential campaign paraphernalia, and Civil War relics are a few things that come to mind. Quilts, however, especially patchwork ones, are an overlooked category, but one that has become recognized as a distinctly and uniquely American form of art. Throughout American history, women were in charge of ... Read More
