Posts Tagged ‘website’

Being that Gin-For’s Odditiques has the most information on WG pottery I’ve ever found, I chose the above heading.  Besides – “West German Pottery, Art Pottery, Porcelain, Glass, Paintings, Corporate Cats, Life and Death, Puns and Giggles” seemed a bit lengthy. You’ll see what I mean when you get there, so I’ll stick to the main subject.

Ginny and Forrest collect, buy and sell West German Pottery, one of the rare collectibles that has a relatively short and definite period of production – 1949 to 1990. They boast of one of the finest selections of WG pottery in the U.S. and I don’t doubt it.  Addicted to auctions and antiques since 1991, they began focusing on W. German pottery about 1997.  A few years later, they created the ginforsodditiques.com site and began to share their still growing knowledge of the field, including makers, marks, quality, buying, glazes, values and more.

Lots and lots of excellent photos (oh, happy day!) of marks and pottery categorized by company, color, size and more.  They’ve even kept their sold items online (with bottom marks) to help you with identification, along with added notes referring to designers, glazes, shape numbers, etc.

Not content with just facts and photos, informed and practical articles on collecting WG pottery, values, etc. – Gin-For’s Odditiques created a running commentary through their Facebook page where collectors meet up to share their finds, ask questions, and make new friends.  Forrest and Ginny continually update their website, every time I visit there’s something new.

And, as I said earlier, a whole lot more.  You MIGHT be able to go through the West Germany pottery in an evening if you skip dinner and TV and your regular bedtime. But you’ll definitely have to come back again and again if you want the full monty.  A combination of wit and wisdom, you won’t regret visiting http://www.ginforsodditiques.com/.

Tell ‘em I sent ya’
Victoria

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