Favorite piece?

[zabet]

If out of the stuff you collect,
you had to name 1 favorite piece
that you could not part with....
what is it? Post a pic if you
have one.

I collect glass and have a vaseline
glass Saturn Lamp from the 1939 World's
Fair. It is the one piece I would not
part with. I will try to post a pic
later.

:hi:

[grasswire]

1. great topic...

...but I'll have to think about this. I've sold so very many things that I wanted to keep. Selling is, after all, the point of the bidness. The 18th century letters and documents -- I wish I could have kept that group. The piece of sheet music that financed a new computer, too. The postcard collection from early 1900s all written from a son to his mother as he traveled Canada & northern U.S. as a traveling salesman -- that was very sweet, but it's gone.

Now I'll have to think about what find I've kept and wouldn't part with.

[zabet]

2. Alas, I have sold many

treasures I would have loved
to have kept but, that would
only work if I was rich and
lived in a warehouse sized home.
;)

[demgrrrll]

3. Great topic. I regret selling a Sadie Irvine Figural Newcomb Duck

Needed the money for a down payment on my first house. I regret selling an Arthur Baggs piece of Marblehead.(more Down payment money!) I sort of regret selling a whole set of chintz china too cheap when chintz was at it's peak and I did not know what chintz was! Not too many regrets for a 25 year career.

My favorite pieces are all of the art pottery I kept, I have it in a big empire glass case, love to look at those pieces. I bought a lot of mission pottery, love that too. I have some art work I would not sell, loads of advertising tins and signs we will not sell. I think everything else is fair game. Love the business. Love the hunt.

[Vinca]

5. I love art pottery, too. Last year I sold some SEG pottery that broke my heart,

but the bills have got to be paid. I've found Marblehead, but never Newcomb. Someday . . . I also love the hunt.

[zabet]

8. Love the hunt myself.

Especially when you really
score a good piece at a sweet
deal. ;)

[Vinca]

4. Quite a few years ago I fell in love with the cats on a calendar.

The artist was Geoff Tristram from Great Britain and, on a whim, I located an email address for him and inquired about the availability of any original paintings he might have for sale. The really dumb thing is that I was pretty broke at the time, but I decided life is short and I needed to give myself a present. He had about 4 paintings left from the series and was kind beyond words in selling me one at a very good price. I really treasure it. The kitty in my watercolor, Marina, was on the original calendar I bought and has been on several since. It would be very difficult to part with her.
http://www.porterfieldsfineart.com/GeoffreyTristram/marina.htm

[zabet]

6. Oooooh, that is gorgeous!!

Love the kitty. You can never go
wrong with good original art works.
:thumbsup:

[demgrrrll]

7. I love that piece and what a great idea to contact him directly.

[pipoman]

9. I too have sold many items I would like to have back

but "not part with" is key here as I tend to tire of looking at things then sell them and buy something new to look at.

This jug however is special to me. We have many pieces of Red Wing pottery (mostly birch leaf) but this jug was bought by my dad back in the 1970's. I remember well going to an evening consignment auction with him and my mother. The auction was going late and I was pretty young maybe 6 or 7. My dad asked a friend of his to buy this jug if it sold for less than a certain price (I don't remember). The next day this woman came by our house and delivered the jug to my dad. It still had a corn cob plugging it and there was water in it. My dad died in 2000 and my mother gave me the jug a couple of years ago.

The jug itself isn't ultra rare, it is pretty scarce though. It is in really good condition with no chips or cracks. Waconda was a natural mineral spring in North Central Kansas. For centuries it was believed by Native Americans to have healing properties and it was a sacred place. Later a sanitarium was built there. In 1968 the Corps of Engineers dammed the Solomon River creating a reservoir which completely flooded the spring...a wonderful landmark lost forever. The jug originally contained water from the spring. A link to the story: http://www.glenelder.com/waconda_springs.htm

[Stinky The Clown]

10. I have three pieces I'd likely never part with

I actually have many, many more, but these three are particularly special to me.

First is a pen and pencil set. I started collecting fountain pens in the late 1970s. Back then, pens could be had almost anywhere for a few bucks for the proverbial Box-O-Pens. Most dealers put all the pens found in furniture drawers and jewelry boxes and such into boxes and sold them when they had accumulated enough. There was little competition and even less information on the hobby. One pen that always eluded me, however, was the one I wanted the most. The 1938/39 Eversharp Coronet. This is now acknowledged to be the most over the top Art Deco pen ever made. Here is an internet picture of a set identical to mine. Mine is actually an assembled set, the pen, pencil, box, original papers, and inner and outer packaging all purchased separately. By the time I found the pen in the late 1990s (the last part of the set I acquired) the price was well to the north of $1,000. I actually paid almost nothing for it, instead working a trade of a few other items I had owned for years and getting the Coronet in exchange.



The next item is a 1937-39 Hamilton Linwood. In its prime, Hamilton was every bit the equal of Rolex and other brands who are now more famous. This model was their most Art Deco item and competed with the famous Gruen Curvex. It is very long and very curved. While many Curvexes are worth more today, this was actually the better watch. It was available with a choice of three different movements: a 17J 980, a 19J 982, and the very highly finished 19J 980M. Mine, when found, had a trashed 982. I originally had a 980 transplanted as I already owned a watch with the movement in great shape, but with a crappy case. I later found another trashed case with a non-working 982M. The movement was complete, however, and needed only a cleaning, oiling, and adjusting to be put right. The watch is one of four I wear in regular rotation and keeps perfect time.



The last of the three items is a Gruen Pan Am from the 1940s in Rose Gold. It is the middle watch in the internet picture, below. The Pan Am watches all had 24 hour dials. Here's a brief history:

Below: A selection of Pan American models. Left to right: an early (I believe) model with a 28mm yellow gold-filled case and a rose gold dial; the Pan American Ace (30mm gold-filled case); Pan American Official with 31mm rose gold-filled case and white lugs; a woman's model in yellow gold-filled (19mm x 28mm across lugs); the Pam American Challenger (24mm x 31mm).

Starting about 1943, Gruen produced a series of pilot's watches with 24-hour dials for Pan American World Airways. During the war, the airline dropped all commercial operations and flew exclusively for the U.S. military. Pan American's network of bases and airports in the Pacific and Asia became a valuable military asset.

The Pan American wristwatch models all have sweep seconds (still fairly unusual in the 1940s), Arabic numbers for 1-12 around the outside of the dial, and an inner chapter ring with the numbers 13-24. There was still a glamorous mystique to aviation and airplane travel in the 1940s, and Gruen ran several ads showing pictures of their pilot's watch with the famous Pan American Clipper flying boat. The watches were supplied only to the airline and were not actually available for civilian use—the ads were run to create customer awareness of these watches, which Gruen had big plans for once the War ended.

Finally, an October 1945 ad announced that the Pan American line would go on sale to the public. The company believed that postwar consumers would make increasing use of 24-hour time, especially for airline travel. They also reasoned that, having just come through a major war, many people would have become accustomed to military time and could easily make the transition. Gruen published several articles in their dealer newsletters praising the advantages of dials indicating "the 24 hours of the air-world day," and advising retailers to stock up on Pan Americans to meet the anticipated demand.

Gruen offered the Pan American in a number of models and variations, in Guildite, gold filled and solid gold cases, for both men and women, and with a variety of lug and case shapes. There were two-tone versions and versions with square cases and dials. There were a variety of dials as well, but just like the original pilot's watches, they all share common features: a 24-hour dial with an inner 13-24 chapter ring and a red sweep seconds hand. As was the practice with the Curvex and Veri-Thin lines, "Pan American" was part of each watch's name: Pan American Challenger, Pan American Eagle, Pan American Navigator. The round watches use the excellent VeriThin 420SS movement. Although the public did not adopt 24-hour time as enthusiastically as Gruen had anticipated, during the late 1940s these watches seem to have been very popular, as they are fairly common on the vintage-watch market today.

I actually have quite a few of these, including the one I would never part with and an identical watch that isn't in as nice shape as my keeper. I actually use the lesser watch in my regular rotation and keep the near mint one on ice.

My other two regular watches include a very large 3 register Chronographe Suisse in rose gold and a my own military watch, a Helbros (not marked as such), dated Oct. 1966.

[pipoman]

11. I don't know much about watches

but I have dabbled in pens/pencils some over the years. Nice Wahl Eversharp set. About a year ago I spent some time researching a friend's very cool Mabie Todd combo find. I got a lot of very friendly help over on http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/">The Fountain Pen Network. I still use a Parker 51 from time to time. I think my best pen was a Waterman silver filigree pen. I traded it several years ago for a box of photo postcards. Many years ago I had a guy contact me who had found a carton of these:



Nothing that outstanding other than he had a whole carton of them and they are engraved with the dates 1869-1919. I bought several dozen of them and sold them at flea markets and antique mall booths, they sold well. This is the only one I have left.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. I can't quite make out that inscription ........

.... but it appears it may have been a giveaway pencil. While they're collector items today, they were, in some cases, throwaway trinkets back when they were common.

I have consistently found the pen community to be a friendly bunch, always willing to share knowledge if not pens. I've at least met most of the big dealers, mostly back when they were collectors like me. The pen shows back in the day were all pretty much amateur, with the real trading done at the cocktail hour and not on the show floor.

Combos are an interesting submarket. A friend of mine collects only combos. Another does only desk sets.

[pipoman]

13. I put it away

but they were from the 50th anniversary of a bank in Davenport IA. They are plated not the solid 10k pencils. I think they sold well because they were brand new old stock and I could sell them for $15 or $20 at the time.

That Mabie Todd is a nice combo. David Moak was very helpful and even sent me a copy of his book on CD. http://www.fredmiranda.com/hosting/showphoto.php?photo=55058&sort=1&cat=5173&page=1">Here is a link to my gallery page about the combo if you are interested.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. The Mabie Todd is a dip pen, isn't it. The ventless nib is the giveaway.

Did that hold a plain wooden pencil inserted into the round capped end or was it one that used naked lead that was mechanically advanced? It looks like one that held wooden pencils, but I'm not sure about that.

[pipoman]

21. Yep, its a dip pen and a lead holder.

The bottom pic shows the lead holder. It is sort of a unique patent design, if I would have turned the retractor a little farther the led holder would have come out one more stage, I was just worried about breaking it. There is a patent drawing (and explanation) on the linked page about 1/2 way down the page. I had never heard of Mabie Todd before this one, the solid gold case is extraordinary.

[zabet]

15. Beautiful...

I love the art deco era!
I have a 14kt gold pencil with
floral engraving that I have had
for umpteen years. It is missing
the little screw on end that guides
the lead. :(

[Gonzo Gardener]

14. One thing... only?!

Inherited from my grandmother and filled with functional pieces from my pottery collection, this early 1900's (approximately 1910-1919) claw-foot w/ double curved glass doors china cabinet is my favorite. (It came with a complete set of Mid 19th Century American Haviland Limoges dinnerware... serving platters, lidded serving bowls, gravy boat, plates, cups, etc., several gaudy, gilded, colorful old Nippon trays, candy dishes, other older French Limoges pieces, and a few flow-blue plates and platters. They are boxed and in the attic because I never used the stuff, it was too feminine for my taste, and, frankly, just doesn't look good in such a masculine cabinet.)

:hi:

[zabet]

16. *swoon*

I have a quarter sawn oak fetish!
Absolutely gorgeous cabinet! I have
the bow front empire style in the
quarter sawn oak.

[Gonzo Gardener]

18. Quarter sawn oak does it for me too!

I showed you mine will you show me yours? :loveya:

The single door bow front is a much better design, but I wouldn't trade mine for anything.

[zabet]

19. O.K.

I have the matching 2 drawer washstand with a trifold
mirror. 2 of my fave pieces of furniture.
Sorry - bad pic...

[Gonzo Gardener]

20. Nice...

:thumbsup:

[trusty elf]

22. One of my favorites,

recently acquired at an auction in Stuttgart.

Mid 4th cent. BC nomos from Herakleia.

[NMDemDist2]

23. i paid WAY too much for a bread box like my Grammy had when I was a kid

(and the matching cookie jar) and even though it really isn't the best use of space in my new kitchen, I cheerfully give up the counter space for the nostalgia of the piece

here's a pic in the old kitchen (where it worked well)