Top 10 Collectibles for 2017
Join us as we start the new year off with a bang by listing 2017’s hottest collecting prospects for country decorators, which range from antique schoolhouse furnishings to vintage serveware to old garden-related goods.
From antique kitchen goods and alarm clocks to vintage postcards, globes and more, our list of the year’s hottest collecting prospects includes something for every taste and budget.
Gathering and displaying collectibles is a cherished part of country decorating, but many beginners don’t know where to start. After something sparks your interest, what’s the next step? How do you stay on budget? How do you determine the good deals from the not so good? Fear not: With imagination and an open mind—and open ears ready to learn—aspiring collectors can acquire items they’ll be proud to display, finding enjoyment adding pieces and upgrading collections along the way. Get a jump-start by contacting a collectors club, talking to pros at antiques shops and shows, or reading up online or at the library.
To help inspire budding and veteran collectors alike, we’ve compiled 10 of the top treasures that are now trending or up and coming in the marketplace. These picks won’t break the bank, but they will contribute great old-fashioned style to your home. Several are vintage favorites bordering on becoming full-fledged antiques, such as globes, picture postcards, alarm clocks, tin tea trays and brown stoneware. Some are nearly forgotten relics of the 20th century, including bulb forcers, ironstone cake stands and glass jelly molds. And, some—German zinc animals and old vegetable-shaped planters, for instance—have been sought by a few collectors but have otherwise been flying under the radar. The items appear here in no specific order of popularity.
Ready to embark on a new collecting adventure? Read on—our top 10 collectibles for 2017 are a great place to start!
1 Bulb Forcers
Coaxing spring bulbs to bloom indoors during the winter became popular in the late 1800s. All one needed was the right kind of bulbs, the appropriate containers, water and cool temperatures. The Peter Henderson & Company gardening catalog of 1900 offered a half dozen different pinch-neck vases called “hyacinth glasses,” which are now known as bulb forcers. Placed in the neck of the vase, the hyacinth bulb grew roots into water poured into the base and, within days, a spike shot upward and soon bloomed. The owner of these pieces collects mostly hyacinth bulb forcers. “The early ones are English, but we have an unusual one we believe is of French origin based on its opaline glass,” the collector says in reference to the example at left. Amethyst bulb forcers tend to be more abundant than other colors, the collector adds. “Based on our experience, the price range is $35 to $95 apiece, with some rarer ones fetching more.” Reproductions exist and bulb forcers are still being made, so would-be collectors are advised to buy from knowledgeable dealers.
2 Globes
Next to the American flag hanging above a chalkboard, the most commonly found fixture in any classroom or school library was a globe of the world. These three-dimensional scale models of Earth helped children first visualize that the world is a sphere. The earliest terrestrial globe known to exist was made in 1492, coincidentally the same year Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. Antique maps have been avidly collected for many years; the related globe may now have its turn.
Globes most often found for sale are from the 20th century. If a copyright date is not found on a globe, then its age can be estimated by the style of its base. For example, a claw-footed cast-iron base is an indication the globe is older than one having a base fabricated of sheet metal. Names of some countries, such as Czechoslovakia and Burma, have changed through the years, which can also determine a globe’s age. The globes most often found today are the softball-size coin banks manufactured in the mid-20th century by toymaker Ohio Art, such as the one at the bottom of the page that belongs to collector Susanne Poole. These pressed-metal lithographed banks sell for around $20. Larger 20th-century desktop globes can be found at auctions for less than $100.
3 Picture Postcards
Receiving a postcard 100 years ago was much like getting a text message today: a short missive from a friend. Collecting postcards has been an affordable hobby for decades. The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago marked the first time postcards were printed as souvenirs in the United States. Visitors mailed cards depicting scenes from the world’s fair to friends back home, needing only a 1-cent stamp. The craze grew after Congress passed an act in 1901 allowing private publishers to produce postcards. Another milestone occurred in 1907 when the U.S. Post Office allowed correspondence to be written on the address side of a postcard. Until then, the sender could write a message only on the front of the card. With expanded telephone service, the popularity of postcards waned shortly before World War I.
There are many themes from which collectors can choose. Some enthusiasts look for postcards illustrated by certain artists, and others concentrate on holidays, especially Christmas and Halloween. Many collectors get started by looking for old views of their hometowns. Condition is important: Creases, tears and wear on the corners decrease value. Many cards can be purchased for less than $10 each. The most desirable postcards can cost more than several hundred dollars; lucrative examples include Halloween-themed cards illustrated by Samuel L. Schmucker and published by John O. Winsch, art-nouveau postcards by Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, and real photo postcards of historical figures such as Harry Houdini, Buffalo Bill Cody and Negro League baseball players.
4 Alarm Clocks
The once-familiar sound of a mechanical alarm clock ticking on a night table is vanishing, ousted more often than not by the glow of a digital version. American companies such as Ingraham, Waterbury and Westclox began manufacturing mechanical alarm clocks in the 1880s and continued until being replaced by electric models in the mid-20th century. Thanks to looking like they were made from tin cans—most had nickel-plated cases—these clocks were often referred to as tin-can alarms. Early models stood on short, slender legs; in the 1930s, however, more modern-looking solid bases came into fashion. Early examples were inexpensive, costing as little as 49 cents. When they quit running, they were not worth repairing and therefore were discarded, which accounts for their scarcity today.
The best known of these alarm clocks was the Big Ben, manufactured by Westclox; collector Shelley Price owns a Big Ben clock, seen in the above grouping at far right. It first appeared on the market in 1908 followed in 1912 by a smaller version called the Baby Ben (near right). Westclox introduced many models bearing colorful names such as Bull’s Eye, Jack o’ Lantern, Sleep Meter, Bunkie, Eclipse and Black Bird (which had a black face with luminous numerals and hands). These vintage alarm clocks are regularly priced between $100 and $200 when found in running condition.
5 German Zinc Animals
Americana collectors usually associate cast zinc with weather vanes. On a smaller scale, and far more affordable, are German zinc animal figures, although the name is a misnomer. Antiques dealers often refer to them as zinc or pot metal, but these—like many cast-metal toy figures from the first half of the 20th century—are actually cast lead. Some of the figures are marked “Germany” in the casting. They should not be mistaken for Vienna bronze figures, which, made in Vienna, Austria, beginning around 1850, are well known for their great detail and expressiveness. “These painted lead examples are a crude version of Vienna bronze figures, with less crisp details and seams; they’re a poor man’s Vienna bronze,” notes the owner of these pieces, who collects both. “I bring these out at Christmas to display with antique feather trees.”
Reclining figures seem to be a little more valuable than standing ones, and elk tend to be a little more valuable than comparably sized deer. Prices range from $15 to $65 each depending on size, type and condition. Made of soft lead, the figures’ legs and antlers are easily damaged, which affects pricing.
6 Brown Stoneware
A century before the invention of heat-tempered glass and plastic containers, stoneware was the primary material for food storage. Some collectors spend fortunes for decorated salt-glazed stoneware made starting in the late 1700s and early 1800s by eastern U.S. potters, but a nice collection of later brown-glazed stoneware can be put together at a fraction of the cost. Midwest potteries produced brown stoneware from about the 1870s well into the 20th century. Its brown color was achieved by applying Albany slip, a liquefied coating of extrafine clay from Albany, New York, that was widely used to coat the interiors of crocks. When fired in the kiln, the slip turns glass-like, or vitrifies, sealing the porous clay. In addition to crocks, Albany slip was applied to the exteriors of small and medium-size jugs, jars, pitchers and bowls.
Red Wing Stoneware Company of Red Wing, Minnesota, was a major maker of this ware. Brown stoneware is usually void of decoration, although objects are occasionally impressed with the maker’s name or inscribed with advertising. It does not have the visual impact of cobalt-decorated stoneware, but the chocolate or coffee-brown hues of this utilitarian ware enrich any home they are in, such as Nancy King’s, whose collection is seen here. Brown stoneware remains undervalued. Current auction prices are approximately $25 to $50 for crocks, $30 to $40 for jugs, $15 to $30 for pitchers, and $10 to $20 for jars.