Archive for the ‘Wandering the Web’ Category

Jim Sneed’s website — All About Old Toys (http://www.oldwoodtoys.com/) — is constantly growing and evolving.  Originally Judy’s Old Wood Toys, the name change came about to reflect the inclusion of metal toys.  400 pages of articles, more than 4200 photos, over 50 toy company histories — most contributed by researchers, collectors and family members of old toy companies.  You’d think that would be enough, but a planned merger with Richard Mueller of Antique Toy Collections (http://www.antiquetoycollections.info) later this year will more than double the scope of information.

New information is added daily to what is already the largest collection of Schoenhut circus photographs on the Web and the best Humpty Dumpty circus identification guide.  Collectors have contributed photos of some amazing collections that are a feast for the eyes.  Several museum collections are included.

Well-written and informative articles are categorized by subject and include photos, catalogs and advertisements, original and current estimated prices, dates produced, measurements, and more.  A vast storehouse of information on the companies and their toys.  ‘Dating your wooden toys’  along with a guide for researching your toy is invaluable.

Want to sell your collection?  Need repair or restoration service?  Need professional photos taken?  Jim covers all these subjects and offers several services.  You can sell your toys through his website or set up your own toy shop.  He also buys toys and has a ‘toys wanted’ list.  Many, many links with a summary of each, saving you a lot of time.

Visit All About Old Toys (http://www.oldwoodtoys.com/), you’ll find it very user friendly and easy to navigate.  Be sure to bookmark it — always something new — you’ll want to go back again and again.

Tell ‘em I sent ya’. ~ Victoria

For those of you who collect carnival glass (or wish you did), the go-to website for information is David Doty’s Carnival Glass Website at http://www.ddoty.com/index.html.  No registration or membership required, David graciously shares his information with all.

Over 1600 pages and 4000 photographs covers more than 1100 patterns including estimated prices.  Indexed by name, shape, motif, and maker, the chances are you can identify your piece even if you start out clueless.  Using the Google site search, you can quickly narrow down specifics from even the vaguest beginning.

Overlapping categories make navigating this site a breeze.  Besides the indexes mentioned, a comprehensive list of categories can take you right to information you need; back patterns, maker marks, edge treatments, colors, tumblers, vase identification, lighting, ashtrays, common geometric patterns, novelties,  rarities, whimsies, oddities, and a whole lot more.

What’s a swung vase?  The Illustrated Glossary can answer that and more.  New to Carnival Glass?  There’s a special section just for you.  History of carnival glass, how it’s made, contemporary carnival glass, fakes, price trends, upcoming events, and even helpful information on buying a digital camera.

The photos are excellent – close-up with all the detail.  A great deal of the information within this site can be used as reference for any type of glass.  Visit http://www.ddoty.com/index.html and consider making a donation.  For less than the cost of a carnival glass book, you can help keep this website going strong, continually providing more and updated information.

Visit, see and learn.  Tell ‘em I sent ya.  ~ Victoria

“Yes, please,” I respond to the waiter holding a gargantuan pepper mill.  Like a rite of passage, everyone at the table stops momentarily to watch this pungent spice make its way to my ceasar salad.  While dried ground pepper has been around since antiquity, the peppermill we’re familiar with was created in 1842 by Peugeot of France.  Available now as manual or electric, made of ceramic, wood, acrylic, metal, etc. they all have the same basic inner workings.

Wood peppermills, specifically those designed by Jens Harald Quistgaard and made by Dansk Designs is the focus of Todd Pederzani’s website (http://www.tpederzani.com/pepper/Main_Page), although some other companies are covered.  The 1997 movie Peppermills starred Kate Walsh as a compulsive thief – but only of peppermills.  After viewing Todd’s site, can’t say as I blame her.

One would think a piece of wood made into a peppermill would have limitations, but the endless variety of unique and stunning designs defies that theory.  A separate section for variations of the grinding mechanisms and pepper fills is included.  Each mill shown has a load of information: description, maker, designer, mechanism, material, pepper fill, production dates, dimensions, and type.

More photos can be seen at GargoyleMT’s Flickr Set ‘Peppermills’.  There’s several salt and pepper shaker collector organizations, but none solely for peppermill collectors, that I could find.  Perhaps it’s time for these wood beauties to have their own cheerleading squad.

Do you collect insulators?  Interested in starting a collection?  Do you know what an insulator IS?  Those knobby things you’ve encountered are as varied and unique, as the part they played in our history. 

With the invention of the telegraph, it became apparent that something was needed to keep the wires from grounding out.  The first insulator consisted of a rag soaked in beeswax and, as you might imagine, wasn’t very reliable.

Next came glass, then porcelain, and later rubber, plastic and composite materials.  Hundreds of designs were created, along with all the accompanying paraphernalia, that gradually connected an entire country.

Rick Soller has done an admirable job of pulling all this information together in a no-nonsense, ‘just the facts, ma’am’ website at http://www.collectinginsulators.com/.

Hundreds of photos in over a dozen categories; patents from all over the world; classification systems; advertisements; commemorative, private issue, and novelty insulators (don’t miss Finland’s).  Books and display ideas for the collector.  A very long list of companies that made, bought, sold, etc. can be a potent source for identifying markings on insulators and related items.

“Hunting Insulators in the Wild” gives advice on what equipment to take, supplies you’ll need, and advice on everything from navigation to treating snakebite. For those of you who prefer not to take snakebite into consideration, Rick has insulators and related items available for trade, and links to other sources.  For the beginning or experienced collector, there’s a listing of collecting clubs (many with photos of their respective patches).

 If you’re not already familar with insulators, the related items will prove surprising – you may have seen some of them and had no idea what they were.  Flat, long, skinny, flared, wall tubes, suspensions, and radio strains. 

If you’re a collector, visit http://www.collectinginsulators.com/index.html. Or if you’re just curious.  Or if you found something really strange looking in Uncle Harry’s garage. 

Tell ‘em I sent ya’ ~ Victoria

You might not collect railroadiana, but you’ve probably stumbled across it several times.  Restaurantware, locks, holloware, lanterns, badges, buttons, keys, marbles, etc.  Marbles?  Yep – and I’m not even going to explain that one.  Visit www.railroadiana.org and find out for yourself.  A vast storehouse of information, each collectible has its own page with history, uses, materials, photos, tips for collecting, and more.  You’ve seen wax sealers used to secure papers, did you know the railroads used lead sealers for security?
        While you’re there, check out RR names.  With three different ways to search the database, it just doesn’t get any easier than this.  If you always wondered why great-grandma’s silver pitcher was engraved with AR when her name was Prudence Merriweather, may be it stands for Ashley River Railroad.
        Railroadiana does not give appraisals, but has a comprehensive section on how to find out what it’s worth, along with advice on breaking up a collection, and selling online.  A Q&A board, along with general FAQs and a separate FAQs about fakes, can go a long way to identifying and dating your piece, be it a dinner plate, key or postcard. 
        Restoration and preservation tips (with a huge section specifically for lanterns), including sources for parts and supplies, is just as valuable for the non-railroad item.  Speaking of which, there’s a NOT railroad page for some frequently misidentified items.  Many, many photos, articles, calendar, links and a lot more – continuously updated. 
        A must-bookmark for the railroadiana collector, a great reference for collections that may intersect, and downright interesting for everyone.  The basic idea behind this non-commercial, all-volunteer website is collectors sharing their knowledge to better preserve railroad history – and it’s working exceedingly well.  Visit www.railroadiana.org and I’m sure you’ll agree.

Tell ‘em I sent ya’ ~ Victoria

We’ve all seen a piece – that rich brown color, little flowers, wavy lines, dots.  Western Stoneware produced this old fashioned stoneware with a Pennsylvania Dutch design known as Daisy and Dot in the 50s and 60s.

A few years ago, while browsing in an antique shop, Rita Pence spotted a cookie jar identical to the one she remembered from her childhood.  That cookie jar turned into a collection which resulted in www.mar-crest.com – her website devoted to this vintage stoneware. 

A herculean gathering of photos from her personal collection and contributors, combined with history, vintage ads, photos, reminiscences, an index of pieces, photos, original boxes, marks, and more.  Did I mention photos?  Very good ones.  And you can enlarge them, which my aging eyesight really appreciates.

An absolute must for the newbie, while the seasoned collector is sure to find unexpected surprises.  “Was there ever a ‘covered Marcrest butter dish?  Can I use it in the microwave?  Where can I get a grease pot to match my salt and pepper shakers?”  A separate section has six different style cookie jars with detailed descriptions.  The index (once again – with photos), the result of a great deal of time and effort, is the answer to the Mar-crest collector’s prayer.

Visit Rita’s website at www.mar-crest.com, leave a message, ask a question, contribute a photo.

Tell ‘em I sent ‘ya ~ Victoria

I admit it – I’m a computer junkie. I can go online for a quick answer to a simple question and end up exploring for hours. “Wow, I didn’t know that” is my mantra. In Wandering the Web I’ll be sharing some of my discoveries with you.
Remember taking an easy class in school and referring to it as ‘Basket Weaving I’? Little did we know that in Japan, learning the art of weaving bamboo takes decades. And the results are astounding.

The TAI Gallery in New Mexico represents contemporary Japanese bamboo artists. Their website at www.textilearts.com is a visual feast of bamboo art. Not content to be just another pretty face, TAI offers a wealth of information – history, artist biographies, artist signatures, an appendix, etc.

Image courtesy of TAI Gallery Copyright 2009

“Historically, bamboo was used in every aspect of daily Japanese life. Applications for bamboo included its utility as a construction material, in fencing, fish and animal traps, bows and arrows, fly-fishing rods, farm and garden tools, furniture, various kitchen implements, musical instruments, religious articles and, of course, baskets. At one time there were thousands of bamboo artisans throughout Japan who supplied all these necessary articles. From that pool of talent, a few nineteenth century Japanese bamboo basket makers emerged to create original, indigenous works of art. The first known Japanese bamboo artist who started to sign his work was a son of samurai Hayakawa Keigoro, Hayakawa Shokosai I (1815-1897). Shokosai’s groundbreaking stance as an artist led other bamboo artists to begin to value their own creativity.”

Instead of gas – use your keyboard – and visit the TAI Gallery in New Mexico at www.textilearts.com.

Or, as luck may have it – Miami. TAI Gallery is an exhibitor (Booth #B54) at the 20th Anniversary Art Miami (art-miami.com) December 2nd thru 6th.

Tell ‘em I sent ya’ ~ Victoria