KINGS RANSOM ANTIQUES HOME

Antique brass is a beautiful material that is often left un-restored because it lends a deep, rich color and tone to old objects. The antiquing occurs when oxygen reacts with moisture and other elements in the air to tarnish the surface of the metal. While some prefer the look of polished metal, the patina and wear of antique brass is actually more valuable when it is intact because polishing literally rubs away layers of the original metal, which can potentially damage it and weaken it. Therefore, if you own any antiques, it is important to know how to care for old brass and keep it in the best condition possible.

In optimal conditions, brass will begin to patina within a few years of being finished, and will gracefully age for hundreds of years until the brass is antiqued. The optimal conditions for brass to properly age are mild temperatures and moderate humidity in non-coastal areas. The salt and humidity in the air in coastal cities can deteriorate brass as such a rapid rate that it can fall apart within just a few years. This is one of the reasons that antique brass items found in ancient cities near coastal regions are as fragile as dust balls, while brass that has aged properly in drier regions retains its structural integrity while still achieving the beautiful rich brown and red color that so many antique collectors have come to love and appreciate.

Caring For Antique Brass

Cleaning and conditioning antique brass improperly can destroy it, especially when you want to retain the natural beauty of this material. There are many chemical agents on the market which are specifically marketed to keep old brass in prime condition, but they really don’t stand up to the challenge. Caring for antique brass is a simple and delicate process which doesn’t require any harsh chemical additives or treatments.

To clean antique brass, you should only use warm, soapy water and a microfiber cloth to remove surface dust and grease. Elbow grease is not required, because even the slightest bit of friction between the fibers in the rag and the brass can scratch away surface patina, which will allow oxygenation to occur at deeper levels in the brass. Once tarnish is allowed to reach deeper in the brass, the antique can crumble away. Do not use regular wash cloths, brushes or paper towels, as they are too abrasive to gently remove surface grit.

Preserving Antique Brass

To lock in the patina and condition your antique brass items, you can gently apply olive oil or linseed oil to your brass with a microfiber rag. Brass sealants that are sold at hardware stores work great for new brass, but when you are dealing with brass that is more than a couple of decades old, it is important to use the most gentle methods possible or you will risk destroying the antique finish on the brass. Olive oil will penetrate microscopic pores in the brass, keeping oxygen and moisture from reaching inner layers of the material. Linseed oil works the same way, but is a bit more aggressive and expensive, and is often used to treat steel tools. Olive oil has been used for thousands of years, dating back to at least ancient Rome, to preserve brass from wear.

What first catches the eye about the Lenox Versailles china pattern is the richness of colors in its design. It is surrounded by multiple bouquets of colorful flowers in hues of blue, green, red and pink. There’s also a heavy gold presence led by the gleaming gold trim. The raised enamel adds a sense of touch that is pleasing as well. The creamy ivory middle is classic Lenox and allows space for the food without detracting from the design.

The Versailles name is taken from the Palace of Versailles, famed site where the Treaty of Versailles gets its name from. The palace is world famous for its sheer opulence, bordering on decadence. Its three hundred and fifty rooms were built in four separate building campaigns and renovated numerous times. It remains today as a symbol of ancient royal might and splendor.

Before the construction of the Palace, there was a small royal hunting lodge. This structure would become the core of the new palace. Louis XIV, king of France had a great interest in the city of Versailles and so commissioned the architect Louis Le Vau, landscape architect André Le Nôtre, and painter-decorator Charles Le Brun to expand and renovate the lodge to meet his grand expectations. And so on down the ages it was expanded and enlarged to each kings desires until the end of the monarchy in France, when it was turned into a museum which is how it remains until this day.

It is unknown how this china pattern got its name, whether it is copied from a china service at the palace or maybe from a design of the palace itself. Regardless, it surely lives up to its name with its sense of style, richness and extravagance.

The following is a list of many of the pieces created in the Lenox Versailles china pattern during it’s fifteen year run:

12″ Chop Plate (Round Platter)

All Purpose/Cereal Bowl

Bread and Butter Plate

Coffee Pot and Lid

Coupe Cereal Bowl

Coupe Soup Bowl

Cream Soup and Dessert Saucer Set

Creamer

Cup and Saucer Set (Footed)

Demitasse Cup and Saucer Set (Footed)

Dessert Plate/Cream Soup Stand

Dinner Plate

Fruit Dessert Bowl

Fruit/Dessert (Sauce) Bowl

Gravy Boat and Underplate

Gravy Boat with Attached Underplate

Luncheon Plate

Mug

Oval Serving Platter

Oval Vegetable Bowl

Round Covered Vegetable Bowl

Round Vegetable Bowl

Salad Plate

Salt Mill and Pepper Mill Set

Sugar Bowl and Lid

When dealing with guitars, antiques, or any collectible for that matter, there is a fine line between appraisal value and what the actual item is worth. The word “appraisal” gets thrown around quite a bit, and most of the time the “appraised” item in question has false perception tied to it.

There are many resources for appraisals, and seldom is there such a thing as a free appraisal. When you get an item appraised, you are being sold an appraisal. Appraisals are a service, and most of the time there is a fee for this service. That being said, this discussion in no way, shape, or form intends to discredit anyone who provides appraisal services.

There is a huge difference between appraisal value and actual market value. Let’s use a 1960 “burst” Les Paul for example, say in 60% condition. There are resources out there, appraisers and price guides, that would consider this particular guitar to be worth upwards of $100,000. In actuality, this guitar could sell for $60,000. That’s a 40% difference in price.

People can be misguided when it comes to appraisal price. If a luthier (or any appraiser) puts a $100,000 appraisal on said guitar, again, that’s appraisal price, not market value. The guitar, again in 60% condition, most likely will not sell for the appraisal price, and the price realized will most likely be considerably less.

Most people with these appraisals seem to think that their items are worth the same amount liquid as they are appraised. Unfortunately, the market value of these items is almost always less than the appraisal. Think of an appraisal as an insurance policy. Let’s say that you had a flood or a fire in your home and your guitar was destroyed or damaged beyond repair. If you were to provide a copy of that appraisal to your insurance company, that will most likely be the amount you will receive for replacement. When it comes to market value, these instruments simply don’t sell for your appraisal value.

You can even do some research yourself. Say you have an old Fender Telecaster in fair shape with a $15,000 appraisal. Next, try to find a comparable guitar with the same specs, and see if you can find one that actually sold for your appraisal price. The outcome? You won’t find one. There could always be a diamond in the rough that might sell for close to appraisal price, but most of the time it will sell for upwards of 40-50% less. That is the reality of appraisal value compared to market value.

There are many collectors of vintage salt shakers today. Collecting is an interesting business, especially if one is dealing with readily available items such as the salt and pepper shakers. If you want to join others in this business, this article will be very useful to you. When dealing with old stuff, you ought to plan yourself. Shakers, especially the designs that emerged in the nineteenth century are very, very old and are grouped among the Victorian Age items.

So, you can start collecting the salt and pepper shakers based on their time of construction. It is easier to collect quickly and effectively following this kind of plan. Secondly, you may want to consider using the very old American manufacturers as your guiding light. There are many companies existing such as the Fiz & Floyd. Be sure to search each brand’s information because this can help you know what shoppers feel about its shaker product line.

Each brand will have a wide range of vintage shakers and it will even be difficult to distinguish the best ones. Another factor to base your search upon would be the design of shakers. There are many designs available but they are all compressed into five groups including nodders, huggers, minis, stackers and hangers. Well, if you are collecting shakers for the first time, you may want to use the Internet to search information about any of the above categories.

Would like to know other ways to search? You can simply read all there is about the vintage salt shakers just to get familiar with them. If you want a short cut, you can visit various online stores that are seriously in this business. Look through their product categories for antique salt and pepper shakers and view the images. Most of the times, a short description and product features will accompany the image.

Even so, you cannot find enough history about these old treasures without making an effort to search for it. If your plan is selling collectibles online as well, you may want to sell an older shaker with all its history, if possible, to make it more interesting to the shoppers. It is advisable to join a collecting club because it will be easy to gather information from other members.

These clubs are available on the Internet too. As you view various images, you will realize that these items boast various themes because their source is not only the U.S. Some will come from the most cultural oriented communities in Asia such as Japanese, particularly the porcelain styles. What is more, a few of these items will feature famous themes such as the Santa Clause for Xmas, King and Queen, Indian Chief, and even animal themes.