Guide to Purchasing Antiques
Guide To Purchasing Antiques
By Sue Jan
Antiques are a great way to adorn your rooms. But there are several things to consider before you buy that rare antique item that you have been looking for so long.
Antiques can be any collectible item that has aesthetic value and is approximately 100 years old or even more. Grand clocks, pianos, jewelry items, vintage fashion, silverware, ivory or Faberge eggs are just some examples of desirable antiques. People have their own particular preference for different antique pieces, such as antique clock or antique Chinese porcelain etc.
The first thing to consider is the originality and history of the antique you intend to buy. As rare antiques come at higher prices, you would not want to be fooled by fake replicas. Many antique sellers often put up retouched items for sale. But antiques look best when they are not refurbished though you should not buy items with defects. It is the originality that makes an antique item precious.
Before buying you must do proper research on the antique item. The internet is the best place to do research on antique items as it can provide valuable information regarding global antique prices and the history of antique items. You should also be careful about antique reproductions. If you are new and have not done proper research, it will be difficult to tell the difference between a reproduction from the original. Antique pieces should show some wear and tear and these small details are something to look out for. If the item looks flawless than it probably is not an authentic antique.
The best places to buy antiques are at antique auctions. Buying from a reputable auction house or an antique store will ensure that the antique collectible is genuine, as it should also come with certificates of originality. To get that coveted item you should visit the antique auctions regularly. Garage sales are also a good place to buy as you may often get rare antiques at a very cheap price, but do make sure that it is original. Though the internet is a useful source of information, this is not the case when buying antiques online. A first hand look at the antique product is not possible on the internet and the website photos often hide the defects and deficiencies.
Proper care and maintenance should be taken to preserve antique items for ages. When buying an item, gather information about proper antique storage and antique preservation methods. Items should be kept in moderately humid and cool places. Direct sunlight should be avoided. The antiques should be handled carefully. Excessive cleaning sometimes ruins the originality of the antique.
First-time buyers can also buy general antique guides for research and guidance on starting their antique collection. Guides on specific antique items are also available.
About the Author: For more on Antiques, visit antiques-chest.info. Susan also enjoys writing on a wide range of topics at home-and-family-hub.
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Decorating Styles Using Antiques
Decorating Styles Using Antiques
By Mr.Andrew Caxton
Antiques can really make a house look impressive and sophisticated if you know what you are doing. However, there is a chance that you can get it wrong so you do need to research beforehand so that you know you are getting it right and that your home will benefit.
Have you ever thought about using antiques to brighten up your home? Some people consider antiques to be a little dated and they would never think of having them in their own home; however they can add a sophisticated touch without looking too imposing.
How to Make Antiques Work for You
Antiques are generally associated with old houses. However more and more people are starting to use them in their modern homes as they find that they can really brighten up the living space. You can purchase antiques from a number of different places and it is even possible to find them at your local flea market. So what classes as an antique?
Well generally an antique is old. It may sound obvious but people do still wonder just how old something has to be before it is considered an antique. The best way to find out how old something is is to take it to a valuer. They will be able to tell you what period it is from which will tell you its age. They should also tell you how valuable it is and antiques are usually fairly valuable!
So once you start to realize what an antique is, it is then that you will be able to find various different things for your home that will add that little antique look.
The various antiques you can pick up include ones which are in perfect condition, but sometimes people prefer something which shows its age. Perhaps something with a slight missing detail to it will suit your home more? Perhaps you are looking for a antique wardrobe or an antique chest of drawers? It seems to be common these days to have an antique chair or unit to go in the living room too. You can pick these various items up from an antique auction and generally the dark wooden antiques are the ones which most people prefer.
One of the main things to keep in mind is that antiques do have the ability to look good in a modern setting, but they also have the potential to look ugly. You should never buy something just because of its antique status. If you do this you run the risk of putting an antique in your home which brings down the tone of the room. People will walk in and instantly be drawn to the ugly, antique in the corner. So, ensure that it looks good and that it will fit in with the rest of the interior design.
Overall with antiques it is easy to get it wrong but if you spend time researching you have the ability to make your home look fantastic. Spend time looking around and going to antiques fairs if you can as well as auctions. Know what is in and what isn’t and also get a feel for what would go well within your home. Antiques can look good but you do have to know what you are doing.
About the Author: Andrew Caxton contributes adding content to http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com . For additional information on interior design or decorating styles subjects have a look at his web.
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Our Deli Was All In Bloom in Winter
Thank you to the Blooming Bonnets for having lunch with us again on Thursday January 12! You ladies looked marvelous, as pretty as any bloom Shakespeare e’re wrote a sonnet for!
Blue Ridge Readers Book Club Shout Out
Thank you Blue Ridge Readers Book Club for having breakfast and lunch with us on January 10th! We thoroughly enjoyed your company while you met here to discuss your latest book! Come back for your next meeting please!
Homemade Meatloaf Sandwich! Yum!
Y’all come out for lunch at The Gap Deli at the Parkway in Fancy Gap, VA today. It’s a little chilly outside, but the sun is shining and the meatloaf sandwiches are warm!! They’re on special for $5.50!!! See you there!
Dining Out Tips–Our Deli Fits!
The author of the following article suggests eating at a deli instead of a fast food place–well we have your deli! While our portions are filling, they are not overly gargantuan as many restaurants like to do these days. Our perfect portions are priced right for the budget too! We have wholesome bread choices, lean deli cuts and veggies too! Try one of our fantastic salads or priced-right lunch specials!
10 Tips For Dining Out
By Meri Raffetto
There is no doubt about it; Americans are eating in restaurants more often than ever before. In 1970 Americans spent just 26% of their food dollars on restaurant meals. Today we spend 46% of food dollars on eating out. This is likely the result of a fast paced lifestyle and more convenience of restaurants. What have also grown are restaurant portion sizes. The average restaurant portion size is large enough to feed three adults! Furthermore, studies have found a direct association between eating out and higher caloric intakes. This is important to know since obesity rates have doubled in the past 20 years and currently 65% of adults are obese.
This doesn’t mean you have to forego eating in restaurants. This may not be realistic for many people’s lifestyles. Instead, become more aware of what you are ordering and how much is on your plate. Here are 10 tips for dining out.
1. At lunch, opt for a deli sandwich with vegetable soup or side salad instead of a burger and fries. You can find these items in your local deli or supermarket.
2. Avoid specialty breads on sandwiches such as foccacia, baguettes or rolls, and choose whole grain bread instead.
3. Avoid anything mixed with heavy sauces or mayonnaise. (a tuna or egg salad sandwich in a restaurant may have more mayonnaise than you would add at home).
4. Get your salad dressings, sauces, and gravies on the side.
5. Eat half or even a quarter of the regular entrée or split the meal with a friend. Remember, most restaurant portions can feed 3 adults.
6. Share one dessert.
7. Skip the extra cheese on anything you order.
8. Choose lean meats such as chicken, turkey, or fish. A turkey sandwich in place of a roast beef sandwich can save you 100 calories and 10 grams of saturated fat.
9. Go easy on stuffed entrees- they’re often loaded in fat and calories.
10. Avoid “super-sizing” combo meals. They may be an economic value but they can add up to 1800 calories for one meal!
The average American adult is gaining 2-3 pounds a year. That amounts to eating just 20 – 30 extra calories than your body needs each day. It really is the “little things” that put on excess weight. Where can you save a few calories?
© Meri Raffetto RD, 2004
About the Author: Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She specializes in weight management and cardiovascular nutrition and offers online programs to help people reach their health goals. For more information visit http://www.reallivingnutrition.com.
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Holiday Hours
The Gap Deli will be closing early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Our regular winter hours will be 11-5 seven days a week!
Have you heard our radio commercial on WBRF98.1FM? Thank you Stevie Barr for picking your banjo and sending a shout out to The Gap Deli at the Parkway! When you get back from your tour with country music star John Berry, please stop by for lunch! We would love to have you over!
How To Create A Winter Garden? Stop by our Garden Shoppe!
Winter official begins in less than a week! Is your garden ready for it’s winter look?
How to Create a Winter Garden
By John Schofield
Winter-flowering plants are invaluable for brightening the so-called dull season of the year. Winter-brightening shrubs and trees with colorful barks and stems look superb on their own, but when other plants are positioned around them, their season is extended and the display improved. Here are a few combinations of plants that will bring added cheer to your garden.
Associations for early winter
With the richly-colored leaves of autumn a blurred memory, color in a winter garden is always welcome. For an unusual combination of white and purple – which is especially attractive in the low and fading light of a winter afternoon – plant the deciduous tree Satixdaphnoides (violet willow) near a group of silver birches. Prune young shoots of the willow hard back in early spring to encourage the growth of colorful stems for the following winter.
Try a combination of Hamamelis mollis ‘Pallida’ (Chinese witch hazel), with pale yellow flowers faintly flushed claret-red at their centres, with a grouping of Erica carnea ‘King George’ planted in front. The rose-pink flowers of the erica associate well with the outstandingly beautiful flowers of the hamamelis, which are borne on leafless branches. Train Jasminum nudiflorum (winter-flowering jasmine) against a north-facing wall and plant Erica carnea ‘King George’ in front.
Plan a winter-flowering border
Easy access and direct viewing are most desirable when planning a winter-flowering garden. Borders are best positioned beside a patio or in a secluded but accessible corner, and if a garden seat is placed near the plants it makes them an even greater asset to the garden.
Associations for mid-winter
Once Christmas has passed and the days begin to lengthen once more, the garden becomes a place of increasing cheer. Plant the evergreen Helleborus niger (Christmas rose), bearing saucer-shaped white flowers, with white- or pink-flowered winter-flowering ericas (Ericd carnea) in front of it. Use varieties such as ‘Springwood Pink’ (rich pink), ‘Springwood White’ (white) or ‘Winter Beauty’ (rich pink). Grow the yellow-flowered Jasminum nudiflorum (winter-flowering jasmine) on a north-facing wall with a rose-pink form of the evergreen shrub Camellia sasanqua in front.
Plant the bulbous and purple-flowering Crocus imperati beneath Hamamelis mollis (Chinese witch hazel). It creates an attractive combination of purple and golden-yellow. This crocus naturalizes well in grass, but a large number of them are needed to create a dominant display.
Associations for late winter
With winter’s worst weather fading and spring waiting to break, this is an exciting and bright time in the garden. In some areas, however, the perfidious nature of weather slows things up, and some of these combinations of plants will appear in early spring, rather than late winter.
- The tuberous-rooted Eranthis hyemalis (winter aconite), with its lemon-yellow flowers, is ideal for planting under silver birches.
- Naturalize the bulbous Crocus chrysanthus in large drifts under silver birches.
- Plant Primula ‘Wanda’, with dark red-purple flowers, around Rhododendron x praecox, which reveals rose-purple flowers.
- Plant the bulbous, bright royal-blue Iris histrioides in front of the late winter or early spring-flowering Forsythia suspensa, which reveals bright yellow, pendulous flowers. The forsythia is ideal for planting against a sunny wall, which encourages earlier flowering.
- For a plant combination in a woodland garden, try a white-flowered form of the bulbous Erythronium dens-canis (dog’s-tooth violet) with the deep-blue and bulbous Scilla bifolia. Plant each in dominant clumps.
The winter-flowering jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) offers a colorful background to other plants throughout much of winter, and none is more deserving than the well-known Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’, which we are now instructed to call ‘Ima-shojo’. It has blush-pink flowers that last longer in cool, partial shade than strong sunlight, and combine perfectly with the yellow of the jasmine.
About the Author: Folding doors
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Fenton Carnival Glass, Informational Article
Fenton Carnival Glass
By Ross Bassette
The popularity of collecting Carnival Glass has resurged in recent years. Contemporary pieces are readily available at cheap prices. However, the vintage Carnival Glass is really what is popular with collectors. To offer you some useful information on this American art form, I will discuss the history, manufacture, and value of this colorful art glass.
Carnival Glass History
In the late 19th century, Tiffany & Company and Steuben Art Glass produced a costly hand-blown iridized glass that was very popular with their wealthy clientèle. This glass was hand made and commanded extremely high prices. In 1907, the Fenton Art Glass Company began to mass-produce a high-quality and low-cost iridized glass, similar in appearance to the items crafted by Tiffany and Steuben. The Fenton iridized glass was available in numerous colors, including a unique red. Fenton was not the only manufacturer of iridized glass, but it was the largest producing the colorful glass in over 150 patterns.
Due to the economic hardships of the Great Depression, iridized glass lost its popularity. The inventory of this glassware was subsequently deeply discounted and commonly given away in cereal and supermarket promotions. In addition, the glassware was given away in carnival games, hence, the subsequent name Carnival Glass.
The popularity of iridized glass resurged in the 1950’s with collectors and antique dealers and it was during this period that this glassware gained the name Carnival Glass. Today, Carnival Glass is still manufactured by Fenton, and several other companies.
Other Carnival Glass Manufacturers
Fenton, Northwood, Imperial Glass, Westmoreland and Dugan are just a few companies that have manufactured carnival glass. Some of these manufacturers stamped their pieces with a distinctive mark. However, most other manufacturers did not mark their goods leaving some vintage pieces impossible to authenticate. Today, because of high manufacturing costs, few of these manufacturers still remain.
What Is Carnival Glass Worth?
The vintage Carnival Glass manufactured early in the twentieth century is, by far, the most valuable, and sought after pieces. Color and condition play a large role in determining value. Chips, cracks, mold marks, repairs reduce the value. If an item is a rare color like aqua it is of more value than an item in marigold that is plentiful. The red Carnival Glass manufactured by Fenton is very rare, and often commands a very high price. Carnival Glass punch bowl sets, because they consist of multiple items, sell for a premium if complete with all pieces.
Traditional venues such as flea markets and antique shops have been the primary source for vintage carnival glass. Today, take a look at eBay for thousands of listings of both vintage and carnival glass at great prices. Remember, one persons trash is another persons treasure.
It is so ironic that at one point in time Fenton Carnival Glass was so common, it could hardly be given away. Today, some vintage pieces sell for thousands of dollars. However, if you spend some time looking for this beautiful glass, you are likely to find some real bargains.
About the Author: Ross is a collector of vintage Carnival Glass. If you enjoyed reading this article, please feel free to visit our website, Carnival Pottery Glass and find some great deals on Fenton Carnival Glass.
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The Roads Are Clear! The Sun is Shining!
Y’all come on out to The Gap Deli by the Parkway today in Fancy Gap, VA! There is absolutely NO SNOW on the ground or roads! The sun is shining and we are open for business with a most delicious lunch! Today is Thursday so our special for today is a Grilled Steak Sandwich on a Grilled Bun with Slaw and Tomato, with Chips and a Pickle! Only $5.50! We open at 11am! See you there!