Common Sense Antiques: Cleaning Wood Furniture

Common Sense Antiques: Cleaning wood furniture
March 24, 2009
by Fred Taylor
www.furnituredetective.com

Well, you bought it, got it home, lubed the drawers, leveled the doors and it looks great doesn’t it? Doesn’t it? Maybe it needs something to brighten it up. Maybe it needs refinishing – and maybe it doesn’t. Before you spend a whole lot of money to get a piece refinished, try some good old fashioned elbow grease and common sense with a little bit of information and guidance.

First, you must determine if the existing finish is sound. Does it show signs of water damage, such as white rings or shadows on the tops and legs? Does it show excessive exposure to direct sun such as flaking, peeling and discoloration or bare spots? Is the finish crazed or alligatored? If the answer is yes to any of the above, pass on the rest of this article and call someone you trust to discuss a new finish. If the finish appears sound but just dull stay tuned.

The first step is to clean the piece. Be sure to remove all hardware such as drawer pulls. You don’t want water and cleaner to puddle up around them.

Remove mildew with a solution of one capful of bleach in a quart of warm water. Wipe off the mildew and dry the piece with a clean cloth. Clean the piece with soap. Murphy’s Oil Soap is a great cleaner. Just follow the directions on the package and go to it. Use water to rinse the soap but DO NOT let it sit on the furniture and be sure to dry the piece when you are done. Don’t let it “air dry.” Be advised that Murphy’s Oil Soap and other organic cleaners such as Flaxsoap from Sherwin-Williams are just that – cleaners. They will remove dust, dirt and general grime and grunge but not years of abuse from oil based furniture polishes. This “greasy kid stuff” must be removed with a more powerful cleaner such as mineral spirits, also known as paint thinner.

Yes, paint thinner. The chemistry is totally different from the finish and mineral spirits will not hurt any solvent based finish such as lacquer, which is the finish on almost all factory finished furniture since 1900, provided that the finish is sound as described above. The exception to this is oil finished Scandinavian furniture, which requires a whole different maintenance routine.

If the finish is sound and if it is solvent based, clean with spirits and a soft cloth such as a T-shirt or diaper (cloth only) until the rag comes up clean. When you are done, the results should look like a total disaster. The piece should look dull, dirtier than when you started, and streaky. This is the residue of the spirits so don’t worry. Buff it with a dry cloth after letting the spirits dry for 30 minutes. This should improve the appearance slightly but don’t overdo it.

Now that you have cleaned dirt and oil from the finish, it’s time to shine it up. Use a little Jubilee Kitchen Wax, the white cream, on a damp, clean cloth. Apply it as if you are waxing your car, except don’t work so hard and don’t let the wax dry. Follow immediately with a dry soft cloth and buff the Jubilee to a mellow sheen. Severe cases may require two coats of Jubilee and sometimes it doesn’t work at all but it’s worth the effort to find out. If it does provide a benefit, don’t overdo it! A piece should only be waxed once or twice a year and left alone after that. Dry dusting with a soft cloth adds to the “patina” of an older piece after years of loving care. Lots of good furniture is ruined every year by “overlove.”

Send your comments, questions and pictures to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 or e-mail info@furnituredetective.com.

Visit Fred’s website at www.furnituredetective.com. His book How to be a Furniture Detective is available for $18.95 plus $3 S&H. Send check or money order for $21.95 to the address above.

Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, Identification of Older & Antique Furniture ($17 + $3 S&H) and a bound compilation of the first 60 columns of “Common Sense Antiques by Fred Taylor” ($25 + $3 S&H) are also available at the same address.

For more information call 800-387-6377, fax 352-563-2916, or e-mail info@furnituredetective.com.

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Valuable Items That Slip Through the Cracks

Valuable Items That Slip Through the Cracks
by Robert Timmons (03/17/09).
http://www.worthpoint.com

When it’s time to liquidate a family estate what are the first things we think of as having value. The dinning room is our first thought for its silverware, crystal and that special dinner ware that you only saw on holidays. Then we hurry into the bedroom and locate the jewelry boxes. After that it’s the furniture, lamps and perhaps those favorite paintings, or pottery.

Traditionally the values have always been highest in these areas and often the other items are over looked. I’m talking about the stuff you find in the back of the chest of drawers, in the closets, on the tables, shelves and throughout the kitchen. Pocket knives, lighters, buttons, old postcards, kitchen gadgets, the old appliances, shop tools, linens, toys, books, record albums, medicine bottles, luggage, costume jewelry, clothing apparel, photo-albums, holiday decorations.

The list is unending because these items are not as important as the fine silver, china or the heirloom desk, but they were part of our everyday fabric of life. You might be surprised to find that all those miscellaneous items can have collectively quite a value.

Here are just a few examples of items that are often overlooked for value:
Pocket Knives:

This is a nice vintage double blade pocket knife marked "IMPERIAL PROV. RI U.S.A." on the 2.2" long blade, with a crown above the mark, the other blades are 1.25" long.

This is a nice vintage double blade pocket knife marked "IMPERIAL PROV. RI U.S.A." on the 2.2" long blade, with a crown above the mark, the other blades are 1.25" long.



The gold washed exterior of this vintage pen knife is elaborately engraved with fanciful scroll and floral work. The smaller of its two blades is marked "Keene New York M.I. Germany."

The gold washed exterior of this vintage pen knife is elaborately engraved with fanciful scroll and floral work. The smaller of its two blades is marked "Keene New York M.I. Germany."



To see this to see this Imperial knifeon GoAntique.com, click here. To see this Keen knife, click here;

Some of the old collectible pocket knives were made by companies like Case, Keen, Buck and Kabar and should not be overlooked. These little knives may be stuck back in a drawer or in old storage box. These are just a few of the collectible makers of pocket knives, which can bring in a tidy little sum: a Keen knife with two blades, the longer of which at 3.5 inches, can bring $45.00; A vintage Buck #301 with three blades, $30; An old Case XX pocket knife with two blades (2.25″), $40.

Not too many people smoke anymore, but the cigarette lighters are very collectible; especially when they are from a well known company or famous designer. Everyone knows Playboy and its classic black-and-white “Bunny” design. The Ronson pocket-style Bunny lighter from the 1950’s is priced from $14 to $18. Ronson makes a slim, classic-style pocket lighter that many companies have used to promote their products, from Coca Cola to power tools. These lighters can sell for $5 to $25.
Pocket Lighters:

Zippo United Fruit Co SS Talamanca Ship Lighter.

This lighter is in very good condition, with only minimal scratching. This item comes with it's original box, which is in good condition also. The box does have some wear, including very slight soiling and edge wear, and a tear in the paper as you can see from our photos. This item is marked Patent # 2032695, indicating that it dates pre-1950s.

Zippo United Fruit Co SS Talamanca Ship Lighter. This lighter is in very good condition, with only minimal scratching. This item comes with it's original box, which is in good condition also. The box does have some wear, including very slight soiling and edge wear, and a tear in the paper.



A Vintage 1959 USS Independence (CVA 62) Town & Country Zippo Lighter. Zippo is Used with wear. Basically, common wear for a lightly used Zippo.

A Vintage 1959 USS Independence (CVA 62) Town & Country Zippo Lighter. Zippo is Used with wear. Basically, common wear for a lightly used Zippo.



To see this Zippo/SS Talamanca lighter on GoAntique.com, click here; to see this USS Independence lighter, click here.

Zippo also made commercial lighters for advertisements and they, like the Ronson, have various collectible prices in today’s market. A simple but classic Zippo Army Lighter can sell for 32.50, and more if the lighter has military emblems or regimens on the outside design. We had at our not too long ago an original Zippo issued from the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. We sold it for $55 retail, and it went out so fast that it may have been worth a quite a bit more.
Costume Jewery:

Silvertone music theme cufflink set with a G clef and musical notes motif.

Silvertone music theme cufflink set with a G clef and musical notes motif.





This vintage cuff link and tie pin set is made by Swank with June birthstone.

This vintage cuff link and tie pin set is made by Swank with June birthstone.



To see these musical cuff links on GoAntique.com, click here; to see this Swank/June birthstone set, click here.

One of the other areas of value is in the old jewelry box, after you clean out the good stuff—the diamond rings, gold and silver watches and so forth. What is left is the costume jewelry, cuff links and tie tacks. Basic assortments of costume jewelry made of different metal, glass or plastics can go for $65 to $125, depending on the age and styles. Sometimes even higher amounts for special pieces with designer names like Eisenberg, Weiss, Hobe and Miriam Haskel, just to name a few. A nice 2′-inch brooch by Weiss with imitation pearls sells for $15 to $20. A collection of rhinestone jewelry by Weiss and Kramer can sell for $60 and higher. A nice Hobe brooch, $17.50. A rhinestone ring, signed Hobe, for 27.50. A Eisenberg Ice brooch for $52.50. A Swank sliver with blue stones, cufflinks and tie bar could be valued from $5 to $7.50. On average, the cuff link sets can sell for $2 to $10, depending on the style and age.

These are just a few of the things that slip through the cracks. In most houses, if we go into the kitchen or the garage, we would find a small fortune. We tend to keep the old coffee pots, gadgets and small appliances. There are rows of price guides in bookstores today to help place current values of just about everything ever made for the consumer markets, from decades and decades back. Before you haul all those boxes off to the trash, do a little research. You may find that you have enough value there to take that Caribbean cruise.

Robert Timmons is a general Worthologist.

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Happy Birthday, Barbie

Happy Birthday, Barbie

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Vintage Clothing: To Buy or Not to Buy, That is the Question!

Vintage Clothing: To Buy or Not to Buy, That is thd Question!
by Sharon Maxwell - Yamamoto (11/17/08).
http://www.worthpoint.com/



Royal blue beaded cardigan.





This is a guide on how to choose vintage clothing, how to wear it, what to avoid and WHY to collect it.

First of all, what is vintage clothing? Some people differ on the definition, but generally, if you look it up, you will find this:

“Vintage clothing is a term for garments originating from another era. Generally speaking, clothing older than 25 years is considered to be vintage, though opinions vary on this definition. Many sellers of vintage clothing consider even more modern pieces to be ‘vintage,’ provided that they are particularly representative of the era in which they were made.”

I tend to agree that 25-years-old and older constitutes “vintage”… until I do the math and realize that the clothes I wore in my “heyday” are now included within this timeframe. Personally, I classify clothing from 1970 and older to be vintage, until we go backward far enough to become “antique.” All too soon, those clothes I still have from the 1980’s will truly be vintage, and then I myself will have become “antique!”

There are several avenues one can explore in the search for vintage clothing, the most common being estate and garage sales, vintage clothing and thrift stores, and the ever-popular online auction sites, the latter being the largest and most convenient venue for buying and selling vintage items. No matter where you go, there are a few things you need to know in order to be able to discern the difference between trash and treasure.

First, unless you have the skill and time to spend refurbishing a vintage piece, avoid things with stains, holes, fraying of seams and linings, or missing parts (beads, sequins, buttons, etc.). Above all, if you get a whiff of mothballs, run the other way. No amount of washing or dry cleaning will remove that smell. The same goes with smoke, unless it’s very faint and you are not bothered by it. Fur, in particular, will never let go of unpleasant odors, so don’t buy something with the promise that “dry cleaning will take those stains and odors right out.” If a seller/shopkeeper tells you that, run, or click out of that site—nobody can truly know if a dry cleaning will remove a stain and old; “vintage” stains never come out, in my experience. Mild yellowing can be soaked out, but be prepared to change the water over and over many times, for about a week, using many scoops of Biz. All that work, and there is still no guarantee of success.


A leopard pattern coat and outfit]



So, if you are set on we`ring your vintage clothing as soon as you buy it, in addition to the aforementioned, look for the following things:

• Items with no wrinkles in the linings, indicating the item may never have been worn.
• Crisp labels, with no stitches out, again an indication that an item was very gently or never worn.
• All buttons and hooks/eyes sewn tightly, not hanging, yet another sign of an item being new/old.
• Linings not hanging below the outer garment fabric (eliminating the need to re-hem).

Fit is very important when debating whether or not to buy a vintage garment. If it’s too tight and you buy it just because it’s adorable, you may very well tear it under the arms or across the back shoulder seams due to the fabric being old and possibly not as strong as it was when it was new.

Many people look at vintage clothing and say they like it, but can’t imagine themselves wearing it. My answer to that is that there is no special time or occasion to wear vintage; these things are meant to be enjoyed, and one need not be wearing vintage from head to toe in order for it to make sense. My idea is to wear simple, well-fitting, understated clothing as the basis for the outfit, such as a black or neutral skirt or pair of slacks with a simple top or sweater. A fabulous vintage beaded cardigan, swing coat, fur jacket, collar or boa, along with a pert little vintage hat and special purse, can be plenty to identify you as a lover of vintage clothing and draw lots of attention and compliments. A vintage brooch and earrings and pair of glasses or lorgnette (for menu-reading), or using a vintage compact and lipstick can make one stand out at the dinner table as well.

You don’t have to be a size 2 to wear the above-mentioned items, but lucky you if you are! “Wiggle dresses” are all the rage now, but sadly, I have a bit too much “wiggle” to wear those vintage dresses. That is why I specifically concentrate on outerwear and accessories to satisfy my vintage appetite.



A lorgnette with chain.


As far as knowing what to “collect,” do your homework and look, look, look BEFORE you buy. True collectibles will be clearly indicative of an era, such as the sharp shoulders and fitted silhouette of the 1940’s, the swing coat of the 1950’s, the ring collar of the 1960’s, all things that will make people recognize that what you have is truly vintage and prompt them to say, “they don’t make ’em like that anymore!” You may see an item you like, then discover that it’s everywhere and not really unique, so don’t make impulse buys unless your gut tells you it’s special. If you buy everything you see that you like, you will end up with a lot of very ordinary things and not have money for the big special one that is probably around the next corner.

Everybody wants a bargain, and sometimes you will hit the jackpot and pay next to nothing for something fabulous, but there are times when you will understand that a high price must be paid for the uniqueness of an item in mint condition. If it makes you feel like a star when you put it on, fits like it was made for you and makes the other people around you say “OMG,” you MUST buy it! There are times to bargain and times when you should just pay, grab it and run before somebody else does.

Lastly, people ask WHY we should wear/collect vintage clothing. I think that by acquiring and caring for a vintage item, we honor the person who carefully kept the beautiful treasure for so many years. For me, there is a sadness as well as happiness in collecting these things. I always silently apologize to the original owner for taking her precious things, but then I promise in my heart that I will guard and care for her treasures and show the world the beauty of the past by wearing and using them. Vintage clothing is history, and we must study it, collect it, and never forget it.

Sharon Maxwell-Yamamotot is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage clothing and accessories.

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