Collecting Children's Classic Books

What is the allure for a children's book collector? For some it's the superb illustrations, for others, the well-written stories. Adults may continue to reflect with sentiment, affection, and even awe on the books they read as children. When they were read to us, we would ask Mom or Grandpa to "please read it again".

A best bet for the collector is the classic stories - the one's we have all heard of, and hopefully have already read. Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, illustrated by John Tenniel, was first published in 1865. Shortly after it was printed it was withdrawn by the author because he was disappointed with the quality of the printing. Only a few copies kept by Carroll escaped the fate of the rest, which were destroyed. The copies still remaining today are considered extremely rare.

Another story well-known to children is Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit (1893). The author created all the drawings, which continue to enchant today. Many children learned to read with the stories of Peter Rabbit and developed a kinship with Mopsy, Flopsy, and Cotton-Tail.

Kate Greenaway was a shy and often ill child with a talent for drawing. She started her career designing Christmas cards and Valentines. Her self-illustrated stories evoked fragments of childhood memories - rural England, pretty gardens, and frolicking children in idyllic settings. The Victorians loved her works, as we do today. Her first picture book, Under the Window (1878), was an immediate success not only in England, but in the rest of Europe as well.

Few stories are more popular than A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928). These books were illustrated by Ernest Shepard, whose black and white drawings helped make the stories a success. Shepard also illustrated Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, created in 1908 as bedtime stories for Grahame's son. This masterpiece introduced us to conceited Toad, sympathetic Water Rat, shy Badger, and other small animals residing along a riverbank.

Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (1911), Kidnapped (1913), and Robinson Crusoe (1920) were all first illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. The illustrations in these books created a demand that delighted Scribner's, the publisher. Wyeth also illustrated The Boy's King Arthur (1917) and Robin Hood (1917) with colorful, life-like paintings. All of these titles are eagerly sought after today.

Children's illustrated books is such a rewarding field of collecting, so rich in scope - it could be daunting for a beginner. My suggestion would be, start with a book you knew and loved as a child and build from there. And don't just lock your newly found treasures away. Read them to your children, or your grandchildren. Hopefully, they'll be asking you to "please read it again".

~ Evelyn

Beautiful ANTIQUE DINNER RING Circa 1890

We just added a stunning diamond dinner ring to our site! It has a platinum setting and a 1.5 carat center stone. In all, there are 17 diamonds, creating a beautiful dome. This special piece is a true antique, dating from about 1890. We are asking $12.500.00 for this beautiful ring. Make this beauty a part of your life, to enjoy and to hand down as a family heirloom. Ring size is 7½.

More Antiques Care Tips

Never touch the surface of a daguerrotype or an ambrotype. The perspiration will stain the image.

To clean wax from glass candlesticks, scrape with a wooden stick, then wash off the remaining wax with rubbing alcohol.

To remove white water stains from wood, put a piece of blotter paper over the spot. Press with a warm iron. The spot should vanish. If it doesn't, rub it with lemon oil.

If you receive a package of glass antiques during cold weather, let it sit inside for a few hours before opening it. The glass must return to room temperature slowly or it may crack.

If a piece of paper becomes stuck to the finish of a dresser top, soak the paper with mineral oil. Let it sit a few hours, then rub with a rough cloth. Repeat until the paper is removed.

To remove dirt or pencil marks from a vinyl doll, wrap doll so only the marked part shows. Rub mark with solid vegetable shortening and place doll in the sun for the day.

Stains on porcelain can be removed by soaking in a mixture of two tablespoons of Polident denture cleaner in a quart of tepid water.

Stained glass windows are more stable than they look. Small cracks in the glass, even a bowed window, is usually not a problem. Cracked solder joints between pieces of glass should be repaired.

A hair dryer set on cool can be used to blow the dust off very ornate pieces of porcelain.

Enjoy these tips, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS Everyone!

Recent Additions at Hourglass Antiques & Collectibles

New this week is a set of Frankart chariot horse-head bookends from 1934. With manes flying and nostrils flaring, they cry "Art Deco" in a bold way! They are a golden color over gray metal, and have developed a fine bronze patina over the years. They're marked, "Frankart Inc. Pat. Appld For" on the base. According to the "Collector's Guide To Bookends", these are considered very hard-to-find.

Another rare find is our Royal Copley "Stuffed Animal" elephant planter. Reminiscent of the poem, "The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat", these pieces have prominent 'seam stitching' and colorful patterns. This fella is off-white with lime green polka-dots and has his original foil sticker. He's circa 1940's and in excellent condition.

Also seldom seen is our Doranne of California circus elephant cookie jar. She's decorated with curlyQ swirls and wears a ruffled collar. With her trunk pointed straight up and her ears straight out, it's hard to believe she's survived in such great condition.

We've also added an amber Depression glass beverage set in the "Old English" pattern, a milk glass swung vase with hand painted Magnolias, a circa 1880 hand painted glass oil lamp, a pair of intricately carved cinnabar urns on wooden stands, a Lenox Belleek mug with dragon handle, Nippon, Czech, and German porcelain, and miscellaneous Barberiana.

Our special this month is a coupon for $15. off any order of $55. or more, or $40. off any order of $150. or more. These are good through October 15, 2005, and can be used with regular priced AND sale merchandise! We back all purchases with a 7-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. So kick off your shoes and pay us a visit real soon!

New Additions at Hourglass Antiques & Collectibles

We've just added 15 vintage purses, including a carved Lucite box purse with allover cross-hatching. Even the bottom and handle are cross-hatched. And it's in excellent condition! Another purse we're proud to offer is an 800 silver fine mesh purse with bottom fringe. It's origin, judging from the hallmarks, is probably London, England, circa 1890. Other purses include Corde', Whiting & Davis Alumesh with Bakelite frame, tapestry, hand beaded, and tooled leather.

Royal Doulton's "Pomeroy" pattern was produced from the original Davenport engravings of 1793. The rims are slightly scalloped and fluted with an intricate flowers and fruit border. When there is a center motif, it's of a floral bouquet in an urn which sits on a wall. Doulton made this pattern in several styles, including all blue, all red, blue or red with multi-color border & no center design, and red with multi-color floral center. We've just listed several pieces of this latter style. What's interesting is that the center floral of the dinner plate differs from the center floral of the bread and butter or the soup bowl ~ each center is different. We have dinner plates, flat soups, bread and butters, tea plates, and cream soups and saucers.

Our glass hat selection has just grown from five to nineteen. We've added Fenton opalescent, cranberry optic, Blenko crackle glass, a black glass advertising, and others in milk glass, crystal, amber, and green.

We've created a new category named "Johnson Brothers" under the main heading "Dinnerware". This was to accommodate the newly added "English Chippendale" china. This pattern features an allover red design of Cabbage Roses, stems & leaves, and other blossoms on a white ground. The rims are scalloped and embossed. This is a popular pattern because it resembles the chintz designs so in demand today. We have dinner plates, bread and butters, fruit bowls, cups and saucers, platters, sugar bowl and creamer, and a wonderful round covered vegetable.

Other new items include Wade whimsies (nursery rhyme characters and wild animals), advertising playing cards (airlines, cruise ship, and Joe Camel), and a 7-piece pattern glass berry set in amber (ca. 1892). Everybody's heard of the Poky Little Puppy, but how many Poky figurines have you seen? We have one! Wouldn't he look cute displayed next to your childhood Golden Book?

Our Anniversary Sale is ongoing, and although newly listed, the items in the preceding paragraph are all marked down. The sale marks our 14th year in the antiques and collectibles business. Including internet auctions, we've satisfied over 1000 online customers, and hundreds before that locally. We back all our items with a money-back satisfaction guarantee. So visit our shop soon! Sale ends August 31st.

Antiques Care Tips

I promised you more tips to care for your antiques, so here we go.....

Large, old paintings look great above a mantelpiece, but if there is a working fire beneath, damage from heat, smoke, and dust can be damaging.

Overcleaning plated silver wears through to the base metal over time. Sheffield plate should not be replated, while electroplate can be. Liquid dipping solutions are not recommended for tarnish removal.

A wall-hung textile should be backed with linen and hung on a wall that is flat and free from moisture, an not facing a window. Hang with the warp running verically to take the strain, as the wefts tend to stretch and distort.

Vintage hats should be gently shaken out regularly. Dust can also be removed by using a blow dryer set on cool. Never leave hatpins in as they leave rust marks and holes. Store in acid-free boxes. While replacement feathers can be found, some are from extinct species, so look for spares at antique shops or markets.

Never set the time on an antique clock by moving the hands backward. Before moving a pendulum clock, the pendulum must be removed or locked in place. Tall case (Grandfather) clocks should be screwed to the wall, as they are top heavy and could topple over.

Never keep old metal toys in a kitchen or bathroom; humidity hastens the natural degradation of the tinplate or diecast alloy. It's best to display them in a glazed cabinet, using sachets of silica gel to control humidity.

Never display pewter, lead, or diecast collectibles in an oak cabinet. The acidic atmosphere will cause decay.

Until next time......

Hourglass Antiques is celebrating our 14th Anniversary!

We are celebrating our 14th anniversary this August, and we want to include YOU! The Big Anniversary Sale begins July 15th and runs through August 31st. Don't miss this event!

Bill and Evelyn Mancino started their antiques & collectibles business in August of 1991. They had been collectors themselves for more than fifteen years when Bill retired from his executive sales position at a major computer firm. His dream, and Evelyn's too, had always been to have an antique shop. But first, they decided, they should get their feet wet by becoming part of an antique mall.

The first mall they became involved with was Tri-City Antique Mall in Largo, Fla. They rented a 12' x 12' space up front with a window. To describe their feeling at this time as 'excited' would be an understatement. Next they opened a 10' x 20' store in the newly opened Floriland Antique Mall in Tampa, and another smaller space in South MacDill Antique Mall. They would go on to be part of two more malls, including Lyon's Head Antique Mall in Holiday, Fla.

By 1999, only one of these malls still existed ~ Lyon's Head. Bill & Evelyn were left with plenty of inventory, and not many options to display it. Their hope of turning their home, built in 1926, into a shop was dashed in 1998 by the local zoning board. That's when they turned to the internet. They became a part of TIAS, The Internet Antique Shop, and have not regretted it for a moment.

With over 1,000 items sold and 665 customers satisfactorily served, Hourglass Antiques is proud of their record at TIAS. They have over 2,500 items on display, ranging from perfume bottles to walking sticks. The anniversay sale will involve the entire store, with discounts up to 50%!

Happy Fourth of July to everyone in the U.S.!

We're having a Sizzlin’ Summer Jewelry Sale! All costume jewelry and fine estate jewelry reduced 15%-30% through July 15th. Don’t miss this event!

This sale includes fine estate jewelry with gemstones, pearls, and cameos in 14kt & 18kt gold, vintage signed and unsigned costume jewelry, and sterling gemstone jewelry.

We've been providing quality antiques and collectibles for over 14 years and have hundreds of satisfied customers. In addition to jewelry, we offer English, European, and Japanese porcelain, art pottery, art glass, Depression glass, carnival glass, vintage prints, perfume bottles, figurines, American dinnerware, advertising collectibles, ephemera such as magazines, postage stamps, and postcards, teddy bears and other toys, all types of books, kitchenware, quilts and dresser scarves, barbershop items, vintage clothing and accessories including handbags, hats, shoes, and spectacles, Black Americana and other memorabilia, watches, furniture, LP's and 45's, and much more!

In addition to a wide range of collectibles, we offer a 7-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. Returns are accepted for any reason, as long as the item is in the same condition as when we shipped it. Quality customer service is a high priority at Hourglass Antiques!

We add to our inventory on a regular basis, so each visit will bring new opportunities for you to add to your collection. Our homepage has a "Newest Additions" link for viewing items added within the past 60 days. We encourage questions, offers, and special requests. So come visit us soon!