Stuart Lonsdale Explains the History and Design of Gouda Pottery

In this interview, Stuart Lonsdale talks about Gouda pottery, focusing especially on the designs and the artists’ markings. Based in England, Stuart can be contacted via his website, Gouda Design, which is a member of our Hall of Fame…. (continue reading)

The Right Snuff: Decoding Chinese Snuff Bottles

Vincent Fausone, Jr. discusses Chinese snuff bottles, especially focusing on their history and production. Based in San Francisco, California he is a member of the Bay Area Snuff Bottle Collectors and the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, whose website is a member of our Hall of Fame.

In 1978, I found a snuff bottle and didn’t know what it was. It intrigued me, so I bought … (continue reading)

Daile Kaplan of Swann Auction Galleries on Collecting 20th Century Photographs

Daile Kaplan talks about collecting 19th and 20th century photographs and photobooks. Daile is Vice President and Director of Photographs at Swann Auction Galleries in New York. She appears regularly as a photograph appraiser on the Antiques Roadshow, and is also featured in a series of short videos on fine photographs for Swann Galleries. Daile can be contacted at dkaplan@swanngalleries.com or via her website, www.popphotographica.com, which features items from her personal … (continue reading)

Hitting a Home Run with Baseball Cards

Ben Henry discusses baseball card collecting, the different types of baseball card collections, where to buy cards, and who collects vintage baseball cards. Located in Boston, Ben can be reached via his Baseball Card Blog, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

I started collecting in 1986. If you’re in Boston and you’re a baseball fan, the Red Sox may take over your life. They take over your life in a way that … (continue reading)

Getting Lost in Strathearn Art Glass Paperweights

In this interview, Richard More talks about collecting art glass paperweights, including the history of the Ysart family, other popular Scottish paperweight producers, and the different paperweight designs available. Located in Kansas, Richard can be contacted via his website, Richard Mores Paperweight Photo Albums, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

In 1998, while going through my parents’ estate, my wife and … (continue reading)

David Lance Goines Discusses Perfect Poster Design

Berkeley, California-based David Lance Goines talks about what makes an effective poster, the history of poster design, the influence of Japanese woodcuts, and the importance of simplicity. He can be reached via his website, http://www.goines.net.

I don’t collect posters. I don’t collect anything. I started making posters one at a time by hand in high school just for specific events, basically got going when I was a freshman. I still make them today, but they’re printed on … (continue reading)

Bowes Curator Howard Coutts on Meissen, Staffordshire, and Sèvres

Howard Coutts discusses collectible china, dinnerware, and art pottery, focusing on ceramics as a work of art, the major manufacturers, and the materials used to make various types of pottery. The Bowes Museum’s Ceramic Collection web site is a member of our Hall of Fame.

I’m the curator of the ceramics bit of the Bowes Museum. It’s a big museum with 30 galleries of which three or four are devoted to ceramics alone. Within Britain, … (continue reading)

Railroadiana Collectors Preserve the Days of Train Travel

In this interview, Sue Knous discusses railroadiana collecting, the various types of railroad collectibles and memorabilia, and the best ways to get involved in the hobby. Based in Colorado, Sue can be reached via her website, Railroad Memories.

My husband Bill always loved trains and my grandfather had been an executive with the Denver and Rio Grande here. We opened up a little store in Georgetown, Colorado and sold railroad stuff. The Georgetown Loop Train was in … (continue reading)

Coca-Cola Collector Explains Why Things Go Better With Coke

Bobby Liao discusses collecting Coca-Cola commemorative bottles and other memorabilia, and discusses vintage Coke advertising items and the history of the company and its bottlers. Based in Palo Alto, California, Bobby can be reached via his website, Bobby’s Coca-Cola on the Web, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

I started collecting Coca-Cola in 1994. The World Cup soccer games were being hosted at the Stanford Stadium and I saw Coke bottles commemorating … (continue reading)

The Birth and Evolution of Victor Victrola Antique Phonographs

Paul Edie talks about collecting antique Victor Victrola phonographs, including inside and outside horn models, the history of the company, and the evolution of the phonograph machines in general. Paul can be reached via his website, The Victor-Victrola Page, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

When I was around 10, my grandfather passed away, and my dad brought home his Victrola and stuck it under the stairs in the basement. He didn’t want … (continue reading)

From Ambrotypes to Stereoviews, 150 Years of Photographs

Jack and Beverly Wilgus discuss photograph and camera collecting, from daguerrotypes to contemporary photographs to their very own camera obscura. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, they can be reached through their website, Collection of Collections, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

We both come from families that had collections and we both had collections as children. Jack lost his when his grandmother threw them out at one point. His grandmother collected china … (continue reading)

The Force of Collecting Star Wars Cards

In this interview, Paul Holstein talks about collecting Star Wars cards, from finding obscure cards to completing and grading full sets.

I was 10 when the movie came out and I went to the store and bought a couple of packs of Star Wars cards. But I ended up trashing all the cards I had when I was a kid, and in my collection today I have none of the cards that I had then. They all went … (continue reading)

Les Pauls, Strats, and Other Cult Guitars

In this interview, George Gruhn talks about collecting vintage electric and acoustic guitars. A well known author, dealer, and frequent contributor to Vintage Guitar magazine, George is based in Nashville and can be reached via his website at http://www.gruhn.com.

I started out primarily as a collector and the business aspect of it evolved over time, almost by accident. I didn’t start out with the intention of being a vintage guitar dealer. As a college student, Mom and … (continue reading)

American Cut Glass, From Flint to Brilliant

Barbara Meek talks about the history of cut glass, the patterns, and the major turn-of-the-century manufacturers. Barbara is the president of the Florida (Sunburst) chapter of the American Cut Glass Association, which is a member of our Hall of Fame.

I started collecting cut glass when I was about 18. My sisters were married, and during the summer, I would go out and stay with them in the Midwest and work. That was back in the … (continue reading)

19th-Century Photographs, from Daguerreotypes to Cartes de Visites

Wes Cowan talks about collecting 19th Century photographs, including daguerreotypes, CDVs and stereoviews. Cowan, who appears as an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow and is a regular cast member on the PBS show History Detectives, is founder and owner of Cowan’s Auctions, Inc. in Cincinnati.

I’ve always been interested in antiques. As a kid, I collected a variety of stuff – fossils, rocks, … (continue reading)