Antiques an Collectibles-Costume Jewelry.

If i was a piece of Jewelry
Which would i be?
Would I be neither
I am not that old ya see!
Now if i had beauty.
Would someone love me!
Give me a hint...
Would i then have collectivity?

Being Collectible has really nothing to do with age.

That gotta have item put up for sale today can cause a craze. And for awhile be the newest hottest collectible. Most times short lived. But if someone wants it that makes it collectible.

Now in between here i gotta mention Vintage. Some people think vintage has no real age in years. If it not New its vintage. If its not new it is used. Might be Mint in box and not used,used,but from recent past,then it is older,but still not vintage.
Old enough it is highly collectible,still not real vintage.
To folks that have been around antiques and collectibles awhile.We like a bit of age to vintage. Some will say if it has been made during your life time its vintage. Not really so. How old are you?

True vintage has been around for at least fifty years.

Different eras might give rise to different degrees of collectivity to items of different types. And i plan on sharing several types of antiques and collectibles just not all on the same page.

Like WWll the time of war back when in my early days of antiquing an collecting was my parents era. Those days of the 30's 40's Were only highly collectible items,when i was a teen. But today items made back then are at the least true vintage. Some may even border on Antique.

Some people also pry into the vintage category things that aren't made any more.

Now look just because the car company may go out of business here soon does not make a 2005 GMC a vintage car. I will still reserve that title for the 1955 the real vintage cars!! Though the sixty's are fast catching up!

In jewelry some businesses are still making beautiful jewelry today and have been doing so for more then 100 years

Those folks that fall in love with one designer strive to collect all their jewelry the new the old and the very old.

Now we have gotten to Antiques! My favorites. Guess this is why i have not a problem with age. Age gives quality an a certain rare beauty to things that only enhances more the older it gets.

To be an antique to have lived a hundred years with wear a tear and to still be in existence. To have been crafted by hands that cared with each detail in the beauty. To be a gem of an antique even if it holds no real gems at all!!

That my friends is an antique!

And that rare antique that holds real gems is a rarity indeed.

Their was a time when costume jewelry was the rage and real gold and jewels was reserved for only the rich. And their was even a time when the rich were short changed in the metals that encased their jewels. War does that so does recession or depression eras.

Me I never specialized in one designer. I like the rare the odd the unique pieces. Signed or unsigned new or vintage. But i do love that exceptional find a antique!

As soon i get my pictures fixed i will show you some of my favorite pieces!

Here let us discuss a couple designers.

Nearly everyone I think has heard of AVON.
Avon Started its life as the California Perfume Company In 1886 Became AVON in 1939 And still makes beautiful jewelry today. But it don't compare to the vintage Avon of yesteryear.

Weiss (pronounced wice) I think is a little lesser known maker. But in my opinion makes some of the most beautiful quality jewels. Weiss was in business from 1942 till the early 70's.

Must make note here being a signed piece of jewelry does not mean that the piece is made of gold or precious metal of any kind. So don't assume,one must know their precious metals to be sure.

Yet on the other hand some designer jewelry is not signed. Sets were made to be kept together earrings and brooch and necklace. Some designers only put their mark on the necklace maybe. More research goes into say a pair of earrings that are unsigned. If they look like quality they might be part of a set that got broken up.

When looking for signature you need to be sure to look in the most inconspicuous spots too. Some jeweler's placed their marks very prominently others signed in obscure or hard to find spots. And very tiny. That is when the Loop comes in handy.

A magnifying glass or jewelers loop~Is number one on my list.

I pretty much prefer the loop. But if you scour yard sales and flea markets. Be careful a loop can make you look to much like a professional jeweler. Sometimes the increase in price ends up beyond the jewelry's real worth just cause ya look like a jeweler! And those folks don't know what they got is a treasure to you but not the queens jewels!

I know the look of some jewelry so i leave the glass at home.

Books~ A lot of research goes into the hobby of Jewelry collecting. And a lot of books are written. I like the Miller line of Books for almost all my collecting. I find their books the most resourceful.