10 gift ideas for antiques and collectibles lovers
Here is my yearly roundup of newly published books for the antiques buff or history lover on your holiday gift list. I’ve also added a few antiques and collectibles experiences that are sure to please. With the popularity of action figures and items “Star Wars” related, you may want to pick up Leslie Singer’s “Do You Read Me?: Vintage Communication Toys” (Schiffer, 96 pages, $24.99). The 150 color images feature pictures of Art Deco and futuristic designs from the 1930s through the 1970s. This sleek book, which includes a price list, is the epitome of cool.
There are many price guides on the market, but one often referred to as “the bible of the American trade” is by Judith Miller. Now in its 25th edition, “Miller’s Collectibles Handbook and Price Guide: 2019-2020” (Miller’s, 432 pages, $27.99) has 4,000 photographs with detailed descriptions and price ranges. The heavy-duty paperback is peppered with “Judith’s Picks” and “Quick References,” providing the reader extra knowledge.
Dawn Cook Ronningen’s masterwork “Antique American Needlework Tools” (Schiffer, 240 pages, $34.99) is replete with 750 illustrations showing examples of pins, thimbles, sewing rolls, scissors, templates and needles any collector would covet. Her simple — yet compelling — text make this an easy read.
Decorating ideas galore come from awardwinning interior designer and stylist Joanne Palmisano. Her newest release, “Styling with Salvage” (The Countryman Press, 238 pages, $27.95), has lots of pictures with easily reproduced environments. Whether you are
enamored with country, recycled, vintage, repurposed or traditional antiques and collectibles, you will find your style here. A handy resource list accompanies photos taken by Susan Teare.
Just when you thought you knew everything about our area, along comes “Historic Bay Area Visionaries” by Robin Chapman (History Press, 176 pages, $23.99). This remarkable volume has chapters on people you may not be familiar with — such as Thomas Foon Chew and Juana Briones — along with personalities like Robert Louis Stevenson and Sarah Winchester, who come to life under the author’s pen. An ideal stocking stuffer.
“Selling Dead People’s Things: Inexplicably True Tales, Vintage Fails, and Objects of Objectionable Estates” by veteran dealer Duane Scott Cerny (Thunderground Press, 293 Pages, $14.95) offers a behind-the-scenes look at the multibillion-dollar business of antiques. The true stories here prove the writer’s contention that “people are their things.”
Scholarly and definitive are words that come to mind upon seeing the weighty two-volume hardback set of “Miller’s Encyclopedia of World Silver Marks” by editors Judith Miller and Duncan Campbell (Hachette Book Group, 1,032 pages, $175). If the silver guru on your gift list would like to identify a maker or country of origin (about 70 are included), these books are indispensable.
If a book won’t do, how about honoring a friend with a gift membership in a historical society or a museum? Regional institutions are located around the Bay Area from Walnut Creek to Palo Alto to Gilroy. They do a lot to preserve our communities and depend on you. If you need a suggestion, email me at the address at the bottom of this column.
A truly unique gift is to treat your friend to an antiques show. Your outing can include pickup, admission and lunch. One idea: The St. Christopher Antique Show in San Jose is coming up Jan. 25-27.
For a gift that doesn’t cost money, do what my friend Dan did for me one year. He gave me a handwritten note saying he’d perform a task few of us relish — he’d polish my tarnished silver. I provided the cleaner and sandwiches, and he made those pieces gleam.