What's Hot on Today's Market

As anyone who has been involved in this hobby is well aware, today's market is quite different than it was several years ago. The better examples in the well-established fields continue to appreciate, but as we all know, those items are seldom found on our garage sale and flea market rounds. So let's focus on glassware, pottery, toys, ect., that this venue generally has to offer. Because there is such plethora of this type of merchandise still available, applying the simple law of supply and demand, it only reasons that values will soften somewhat. At the same time, Ebay is a great place to turn your finds into cash fast, and those lower prices are enticing new collectors, so the future looks good, and value can only go up.

Look for trends, sort them out. To do this, you will have to spend some time in study and research. (as I mentioned earlier) Attend shows, talk to dealers and fellow collectors. Read trade papers and magazines, and check out the 'antiques and collectibles' isles of your bookstore. Watch for new books on any subject. Sometimes this is all it takes to get one off and running.

Linens! Vintage aprons, brightly patterned tablecloths, and tea towels, do well. If you Google for vintage tablecloths, you will see that those with especially interesting and colorful designs are bringing very high prices. Those with states themes are selling very well, and towels with Black Americana designs bring top dollar. Aprons that have been handmade and commercially made ones with original tags are among the best.

Dolls will always be hot, and Barbie dolls are still stealing the spotlight. There are always new books on Barbie dolls and Barbie collectibles and continue to do well in holding value. My daughter is 15 and has stored 100's of her old Barbie dolls in the attic. I hope this Barbie trend continues until she reaches my age! Shirley Temple dolls and related memorabilia, Madame Alexander dolls, Nancy Ann Storybook dolls, and Knickerbocker Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls are strong on the market. Strawberry Shortcake is doing well, especially the earlier editions. Watch for Mattel talkers (Chatty Cathy among them), Dawn dolls, Ideal dolls, and celebrity dolls, Steiff teddy bears and animals are always good.

American dinnerware continues to do well. Lines that reflect the mid-century high style concept by designers such as Zeisel, Schreckengost, and Russel Wright top the list, but more traditional lines by chinaware companies like Hall and Homer Laughlin are close behind. Lu-Ray by Taylor, Smith and Taylor; many of the popular lines by Metlox, Franciscan, Vernon Kilns, and the Royal China Company; The Western lines by Wallace; the lovely hand painted patterns by Blue Ridge; and the charming primitive lines of Watt, Purinton, and Pennsbury are all very collectible. Although Ebay has caused Fiesta collectors to be reluctant to pay high book for anything other than mint condition items with no factory flaws or signs of wear, except for very common items, Fiesta remains a good seller, and discontinued colors from Post86 Fiesta are sometimes prefered over vintage. There is a lot of interest in the lines made by Bauer. Marcrest made stoneware in a brown glossy glaze in a pattern called Daisy and Dot, and evidence strongly suggests this is well worth picking up. Top marked restaurant ware with logos of railroads, hotels, or branches of the military is often being bought not only as nostalgic souvenirs but for actual use in the home.

Among ceramic items, several companies' wares are basically strong; though prices may be down from their high of a few years ago, interest is still there. That group would include the wonderful figurines by Ceramic Arts Studios, Kay Finch, Brayton Laguna, Will-George Florence Ceramics, Max Weil, Hedi Schoop, and Howard Pierce. High style designs made by Glidden, Sascha Brastoff, and Royal Arden Hickman appeal to those whose tastes run toward mid-century modern. There are several more designers, each of whom conveyed diversified personal vision through their creations; Dorothy Kindell, Matthew Adams, Brad Keeler, and the Cleminsons, among others; watch for items that carry these signatures, as they continue to be popular. You often see small pieces of Noritake and Nippon on garage sale tables at prices that allow for a good profit margin. Do your homework to assure that you are buying "the real deal" and not fakes.

Roseville, Weller, and Rookwood - probably the giants among the American pottery companies produced wonderful vases and pots that will never go out of favor. Of course, there are many others. Hull, Shawnee, Haeger, McCoy, Brush, Cowan, Muncie, Van Briggle, and Abingdon are marks to watch for. If you find a piece of pottery with the mark of any manufacturer, American or otherwise, you would do well to buy it up at garage sale prices.

In glassware, Depression glass, carnival glass, and of course elegant glass ever endure. Kitchen glass finds a ready market, Anchor Hocking's Fire-King in particular. You will often see good Fenton at garage sales; L.G. Wright, Blenko, and Westmoreland are certainly worth your time and investment. Colored glassware, especially Jade-ite, ruby red, forest green, and Delphite Blue have been favorites for years and are still good choices. Crackle glass by Blenko and other companies are very collectible.

Costume jewelry signed by noted designers can sell for prices as dazzling as their appearance. Watch for names such as Trifari, Hattie Carnegie, Napier, Coro, Haskell, and Lisner. Well done unmarked rhinestone jewelry continues to have worth, and Bakelite/Catalin plastics often sell in the same price range as fine jewelry. Even unsigned high quality jewelry can turn a good profit for you. Quality cuff links and those with a particularly interesting design are well worth buying.

In the advertising field, character collectibes maintain a high profile. The advertising category features some of the most popular stars of the advertising world - Mr. Peanut, Elsie the Cow, Old Crow, Poppin' Fresh, Mr Bib, and Campbell Kids. Coca Cola items are plentiful, and there are thousands of collector's for them. They may prefer vintage items, but even interesting post-1950's Coke memorabilia sells well. Pepsi Cola, Hires, Orange Crush, Nehi, and 7-Up have their own devotees.

In addition to those we have already mentioned, here are other areas where you will see considerable interest right now:

American Indian Relics

American Pottery (besides those mentioned in the previous paragraphs), anything of quality that is marked or has good lines

Automobilia

Bottles, especially dairy bottles, figurals, barber bottles, and soda bottles with painted labels

Black Americana

Cast-iron figural items such as bookends, doorstops, doorknockers, trivets, and bottle openers

Breweriana, A few to mention; Bud Light, Budweiser, Miller, ect.

Cat & dog collectibles - especially Shafford black cats. Fenton is also great too.

Children's books, especially Little Golden Books, Dick and Jane Readers, Big Little Books, and series books

Christmas Ornaments and lighting; The older the better. Series Hallmark ornaments are good too

Clocks, especially motion clocks by Haddon, Mastercrafters, Spartus, Lux, and United

Clothing, hats, and accessories, anything vintage, preferably from the forties through the seventies; vintage denims in particular

Cookbooks

Compacts and ladies' purse accessories

Corning ware and Visions Cookware

Czechoslovakian glass and pottery

Fishing tackle and lures - rods and reels, tackle boxes, catalogs and vintage advertisements

Fountain pens

Furniture by Heywood-Wakefield and all well-known Fifties Modern designers

Gas station memorabilia

Glass candlesticks

Golf collectibles

Granite ware

Guardian ware

Halloween collectibles

John Deere collectibles

Ladies' fine handkerchiefs

Lamps, especially Aladdin, those with 1950s styling, motion lamps, and TV lamps

LP records with great or interesting covers, including jazz

Lunch boxes

Made in Japan ceramics

Marbles

Model Kits - Aurora, Monogram, MPC, and Revel

Musical Instruments - Vintage guitars are HOT

Paintings and prints

Patriotic and homefront collectibles

Perfume bottles - watch for those marked Czechoslovakia

Photographica - from cameras to hand-painted photographs

Pocketknives

Pyrex with colorful designs and solid-color treatments

Quilts

Racing collectibles, especially NASCAR

Radios - character and novelty related, transistor, and those made of colorful Bakelite and Catalin

Railroadiana

Salt and pepper shakers - the more unique the better

Sewing collectibles and buttons; Singer Featherweight sewing machines

Silver-plated flatware

Singer Featherweight sewing machines

Soda pop memorabilia

Sports collectibles

Toothpick holders

Wall pockets

Watches - character related, advertising, and of course the better American-and European made examples

Wicker furniture

Zippo lighters

8mm boxed films with great graphics on the boxes, especially horror films

For right now, these areas seem sluggish; ashtrays, old spice shaving mugs, Beanie Babies, bubble bath containers, California Raisins, Fast-food items, Norman Rockwell items, Jim Beam bottles, collector plates, and brown-drip dinnerware. There are always exceptions, however. In every field, their are rarities that are always desirable, and we all need to be aware of them, if we are going to take full advantage of all the opportunities garage sale and flea market shopping have to offer. Remember, the most important factor to consider when buying any of these items for resale is condition. If they show more than just a little wear or are damaged more than a minimal amount, don't waste your time on them at any price. Today's collectors are more discerning than ever, thanks again to the internet and the preponderance of supply over demand. Condition is all-important.