Wendy Salisbury

China, Porcelain, Delft: Good in the Cabinet, Better for Your Wallet

China, Porcelain, Delft: Good in the Cabinet, Better for Your Wallet

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Open any cupboard in any home and you’ll find tableware of all shapes and sizes. Shelves groan with ornaments of cats, clowns, and cottages; many homes today have something made of china. But what the owners of these fine artifacts don’t know is that antique china, delft, and porcelain have become highly collectible over the last few years…so much so that those dusty dishes on your shelf may be worth a lot more than what you paid for them many years ago. So collectible has antique china become that a rare, 500-year-old cup decorated with a hen and cockerel sold in 2014 for $36.3 million to a Shanghai-based billionaire; he shocked his counter bidders by drinking tea from it right there in the auction room.

Exotic, Collectible Rugs and Carpets for Every Budget

Exotic, Collectible Rugs and Carpets for Every Budget

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As a child, I ran roughshod across our Chinese carpets without a thought for their value. When my sister and I divided up the family home, I let her take our parents’ deep-piled prized possessions. I’m rather regretting that now… Authentic rugs and carpets from the Eastern world have strong collectible value, regardless of changing trends in fashion. Authentic pieces add an exotic touch to any home, whether hung on the wall or (as their creator intended) laid on the floor.

Stringed Instruments: A Piece of History and a Path to Profit

Stringed Instruments: A Piece of History and a Path to Profit

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Vintage violins—as well as looking great—can appreciate in value year on year. If you’re the lucky person who found the priceless Stradivarius in the attic or paid $2 million for the 1968 Stratocaster played by Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, you probably don’t need to read this article. If, however, you fancy turning your den into a string museum or emulating the Hard Rock Cafe’s wall of fame, then read on.

The Beauty of Bakelite: Strong Potential in Retro Plastic

The Beauty of Bakelite: Strong Potential in Retro Plastic

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Tell someone you’re collecting polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride and they may raise an eyebrow. Tell them you’re collecting Bakelite and you should get a smile. This robust plastic found uses in all manner of everyday appliances. Manufacturers of domestic goods, jewelry, and even weapons embraced its flexibility. Once upon a time, it could be found in almost every home across the U.S. And that’s good news for aspiring collectors. With the rebounding value of vintage goods, Bakelite is now very much in demand once more. This is a great time to dust down that old TV set and root that old phone set out of the attic. The beauty of collecting Bakelite is that an item of real value could be just lying around in a cupboard or basement, waiting to be found.

Unlock the Value in War Memorabilia

Unlock the Value in War Memorabilia

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Remember that old medal your grandfather used to own? Check if it’s still around…it may be worth something. Last year’s centenary of the start of World War I and this year’s 70th anniversary of the end of World War II have ignited interest in war memorabilia as an appreciating collectable. Good-quality artefacts from the American Civil War, Vietnam, and the two World Wars are becoming scarcer, so if you have a penchant for military mementos, now’s the time to stand to attention. Items to look out for include uniforms, weaponry, gas masks, field equipment, and medals.

Coca-Cola Bottles: Cool Collectibles with Rising Returns

Coca-Cola Bottles: Cool Collectibles with Rising Returns

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Doesn’t coca-cola always taste better when drunk from a glass bottle? Much of coca-cola’s cachet is all about the bottle… and those early bottles are now worth a lot more than the drink they once contained. So are the original, old bottles worth collecting? The short answer is yes. With a huge interest in coca-cola memorabilia of all kinds, the basic bottle still holds the most appeal. Although early bottles are the toughest to find, as they were only manufactured for a limited period, they will produce the best rewards. One was offered recently on eBay for $11,000.

Everyone Wants a Piece of Movie Magic

Everyone Wants a Piece of Movie Magic

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Movie memorabilia has long fascinated fans, and there’s a ready market for film-related items that can see their value skyrocket as the years pass by. This makes them tempting investments—and you don’t have to be rich to get in on this market, either. If the guys in the Props Departments at MGM could have foreseen what their rubber, plastic, and glued cardboard creations would eventually be worth, I’m certain they’d have kept them all themselves. These imaginative inventors designed and crafted the stuff that dreams are made of: sentimental artworks that now appeal to serious investors as much for their nostalgia value as for the excitement generated in owning a one-off appreciating asset.

The Secrets of Old Boxes

The Secrets of Old Boxes

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Isn’t there something rather seductive about a closed box, its lid just begging to be opened, taunting us with the promise of secrets held within? We all harbor an inner Pandora—the so-called “first mortal woman” who couldn’t help but open the box. Mythology tells the tale of Jupiter—or Zeus as the Greeks know him—sealing up all the world’s ills inside a great casket. He entrusted this vessel to his messenger, Mercury, asking him to take it to the ends of the earth. After an arduous journey and exhausted by his efforts, Mercury stopped to rest and laid the box at Pandora’s feet. He asked her to look after it for him but warned her not to open it.

Look for Rare Remnants from the Spanish Civil War

Look for Rare Remnants from the Spanish Civil War

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As an antiques enthusiast, I like to ask dealers with different areas of expertise what’s hot and what’s not. A Spanish buff told me recently that Spanish Civil War memorabilia, once considered inappropriate and politically embarrassing, has now become collectible. Spain doesn’t have a great tradition of preserving reminders from its recent past. The Civil War was a complex and tragic period in the country’s history that divided families and set brother against brother.