| Tips for searchers
Two Great Falls collectors, Mark McCaffrey and Dorene Woody, have some advice for those starting out in the pursuit of antiques.
Like what you buy.
Dont buy antiques as an investment. Their values might go up, but there are no guarantees.
Buy quality and condition. Cracks and chips diminish value.
Watch for reproductions. In furniture, check materials inside and underneath. Know original markings and materials used in other items.
Go to museums to study authentic collections.
Stick with reputable dealers.
Study. There are no shortcuts.
If youre unsure of an items value, get an appraisal before you sell it.
Check www.replacements.com for gaps in a collection of dishes.
Clocks get collector all wound up
DECATUR - Tom Williams makes plenty of time for his passion, but putting that love into words isn't so easy.He prefers to show you.So enter exhibit one, a stunning silver-cased pocket watch made by the Illinois Watch Co. headquartered, once upon a time, in our very own Springfield. It's the "A. Lincoln" model and made in 1919. The back of the watch is glass to better display the mechanism that pulses like a mechanical heart inside. Brass plates covered in elaborate damascened decoration hold tiny cogs turning on tinier axles that spin in holes lined with 21 ruby jewels.The deep red gems show up under the glass like blood vessels and were chosen not only because they look good, but their unyielding surfaces take countless lifetimes to show any wear. The result is a thing of beauty that is a joy forever and will keep reliable time for nearly as long."Does that help you?" asked Williams, 51, who had been asked what fascinates him about antique clocks and watches, the collecting passion of his life.
SF police recover $1 million painting, other stolen valuables
(01-22) 17:23 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco police say a 42-year-old man has confessed to masterminding the holiday heist of millions of dollars of artwork and antiques from a Presidio Heights home. Burglary Inspector Denise Fabbri said that James Reem, a San Francisco man, confessed last week to gathering a group of thieves who were able to steal several valuable antiques, including a book of etchings, coins, furniture and a John Singer Sargent portrait of a gray-haired woman valued at over $1 million. The painting, along with a smaller portrait and two antique chairs are now being stored safely in the Hall of Justice where burglary detectives continue their investigation. According to Fabbri, a scheme to burglarize the Jackson Street home of Robert Kendrick began in September when Reem snuck into the mansion and stole jewels and other small items.
Wood restorer masters what could be
Niall Bourke has an odd way of taking a seat. He faces it and places his right knee in the middle of the chair, then puts one hand on the arm and the other on the back. Gently, he rocks his body to and fro. If the chair wobbles, it will need to be re-glued and clamped. If not, he'll look more closely to determine when and where it was built, what wood was used and how the piece was crafted.
Bourke knows his stuff. He studied carpentry in school in Limerick, Ireland, and then in the mid-'80s moved to Greenwich, England, where he learned to restore wood paneling in the homes of aristocrats. Today, in a Culver City, Calif., workshop, he restores antiques, builds custom designs with aged lumber and specializes in applying a high-gloss French polish technique to furniture for dealers, decorators and customers with family heirlooms.
Historical Society nabs rare collection from 1850s magician
Neatly tucked inside his ornate, hand-carved trunk, Albert Walker kept the tools of his trade: magic wands, brass rings, decks of cards, a book on hocus-pocus, a fancy curtain and nine wooden puppets. But the Glastonbury magician and ventriloquist, who performed for audiences in the 1850s while in his late teens, also left behind nine diaries that span from 1856 to 1865, recording his life in fascinating detail. Walker tells of his work on the family farm, his careers fixing clocks, working at a spoon factory, making cigars and repairing shoes, as well as his beloved mother's suicide. He even wrote of his membership with "The Wide Awakes," a young men's political organization whose members wore long black robes and held torch-lit rallies for candidates. It's a rare and detailed glimpse into one man's life during the 19th century, said Susan P.
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