Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Antiquing Part II

No, I was not able to find any reasonably priced crocks or jugs. I'm beginning to believe that all the ones I'd purchased anywhere from $5 to $20 is now a price of the past. Once the living room is finished they will have to go back.

I was able to add another picnic basket to my collection. I love the new height, Mick thinks it's to high. The one on the bottom is the new one. The best part, besides the price, is inside there is a carrying tray. I took the tray out and it's now on the top of our kitchen table.

The decorating rule of "odd numbers" applies to my stack of four baskets. You do know that when decorating a group of items should always be in odd numbers? Do you think there is such a thing as a picnic basket for one? I need one small basket for the top. Also, the third basket up from the bottom was a wedding shower gift from Liz's mother. Would a basket of 28 years be considered an antique?

Lots of questions today, of which I need answers.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

No, an antique is 50 or more years old. You, therefore, are an antique. The basket is not. My rules of decorating say that there are no rules. I'm sure they make baskets for one, and I'm sure you will find one!

lilpoppy said...

Something has to be 100 years old to be considered an antique. I like the height of the baskets but one more will be pushing it.

The Mad Tern said...

We used to have a nice old wicker picnic basket that would have gone with yours, but we gave it away. I have seen a basket for one. One of K's best friends owns it. She will sell at the right price, but you'll have to come and pick it up!

When did the "antique standard" change from fifty to one hundred? My definition of antique is "anything that someone will pay too much to own, just because they consider it old." By my definition, I will NEVER be an antique, because nobody would pay to own me.

lilpoppy said...

Some reading material that I found, so GEL-OH you are just vintage!

“A true antique would be at least 100 years old,” says 2nd Time Around Antique Mall owner Claudia Reese of Twin Falls, Idaho, who has been studying and selling antiques for 20 years. “But in the 21st century this term is also commonly used when referring to collectibles that aren’t that nearly that old,” she notes. In 1930 the United States Customs Bureau, which was then a part of the Department of Commerce, officially defined an antique as anything made before 1830. This date was selected because historians regard it as the start of the American Industrial Revolution in New England. In1966 that law was changed so that items that were 100 years old would be officially classified as antiques and could come into the United States duty free. Now an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, the U. S. Customs Bureau has rigid laws on importing antiques. Their strict guidelines apply to a variety of antiques ranging from historic documents to art to textiles to jewelry. If your travel plans take you out of the country and you plan to buy old items, or if you’re thinking about purchasing an antique in another country and having it shipped directly to your U.S. address, it is important to study U.S. Customs Bureau guidelines carefully to avoid serious consequences. There are also geographic and regional differences that influence whether an item is considered an antique or not. In China, where many artifacts that are thousands of years old are readily available in antique shops, American antiques seem new. The first American furniture was made by the colonists in the early 17th century. Because of wars and the ravages of nature, there are few pieces of what is known as Pilgrim or Puritan furniture available from this era. High demand keeps the prices high, but examples are available at top shops and malls throughout New England. So, anything made during the late 1800s would seem “new” by comparison to these dealers and collectors. Wyoming and Idaho didn’t even become states until 1890, so items made before that time certainly seem antique to western dealers and collectors. Age is relative. The age of dealers or collectors also influences their opinion about what’s old. Most of us think of antiques as things an older generation had. We remember the things our parents and grandparents used in their homes when we were children as antiques. But that varies greatly according to our age. A thirty year old woman will not have the same memories of grandmother’s kitchen that a woman in her sixties will have. In the 21st century, most American antique dealers and collectors use “near antique,” “almost antique,” or even “antique” to describe items that are 75 to 99 years old. Vintage items are usually regarded as things 25 to 74 years old which means they were made in the 1940s through 1970s and a lot of people can remember growing up with them. Anything newer than 25 years is generally labeled as a collectible.

Leigh Leigh said...

I agree that you should follow the odd number rule when decorating. It just always makes it look better. I think you can get away with one more small one. Can a see a picture from the front?

Anonymous said...

Don't cover up that nice floor with all that old "stuff".

Anonymous said...

Just think of all the old papers and mail and stuff you could "hide" in those baskets!