By Maribeth Keane and Jessica Lewis

Jerry and Darla Arnold know how to do Christmas right. With thousands of antique Christmas ornaments in their collection, it takes almost two-dozen trees just to showcase a fraction of their bounty every year. Recently, Jerry spoke with us and shared his deep knowledge of German Christmas ornaments in the United States and the variety of materials used to make them—from the embossed cardboard ornaments made in Dresden to the wire-strung glass-bead ornaments of Czechoslovakia.

About 42 years ago, my wife, Darla, went to a very large white elephant sale and found a box of …

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By Kurt M. Semon

This article discusses household silver in the first half of the 18th century, noting its foreign influences in style (especially French) and silversmith Paul Lamerie, of whom the most information has been preserved over time. It originally appeared in the January 1946 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Possession of silver articles has always been considered as a step up on the social ladder; something to be proud of and something to bolster self-respect. Even today we see people, making more money and making it …

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By Evangeline H. Bergstrom

This article talks about paperweights that were created using pinchbeck, or fake gold, noting their production processes and the materials used, and describing some specific examples. It originally appeared in the November 1945 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

An insurance broker picks up his telephone, and recognizes the voice of one of his clients, a woman who is a collector of old glass paperweights. She says that on Thursday of this week she will ship to New York a package containing a number of …

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By Maribeth Keane and Jessica Lewis

Sheila Pamfiloff is such a fan of Miriam Haskell jewelry that she co-authored (with Cathy Gordon) a book on the costume-jewelry legend and her company. For Pamfiloff, the Haskell story is not just about how Haskell almost single-handedly elevated tapestry beading to a fine art, or the fact that she was one of the biggest suppliers of fashion jewelry to some of Hollywood’s most glittering stars. No, Pamfiloff is also impressed by the moxie of this smart businesswoman, who succeeded early on as a woman in a predominantly male world. To learn more about Pamfiloff …

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By Dave Margulius

Ever wonder how Antiques Roadshow really works? How they pick who gets on TV? Whether the people on the show have fun? Whether the appraisers really know what they’re talking about?

As longtime fans, we’d always been curious about Roadshow. So when we were offered backstage passes for the show’s August 2009 taping in San Jose, and free rein to wander the set and talk to whomever we wanted, we jumped at the chance!

A total of 3,200 pairs of free tickets were issued for the 2009 San Jose Antiques Roadshow taping on August 15th (almost 30,000 applied). And …

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By Jessica Lewis

Stephanie Connell gets to play with some of the coolest collectibles on the planet. As an Entertainment Memorabilia Specialist with Bonhams in London, she spends her days casting her critical eye on James Bond movie posters, Beatles merchandising products, and costumes worn by the various actors who have played Doctor Who. In this interview, Connell tells Collectors Weekly which actors are most sought after by collectors, recalls some of the most interesting items she’s ever listed for auction, and explains how a film’s cult status can impact the value of its related entertainment memorabilia.

Ever since I was …

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By Maribeth Keane and Ben Marks

Clay Harrell talks about collecting vintage pinball machines, and his personal road to pinball wizardry, from Gottlieb to Williams to Stern. He can be reached via his website, PinballHQ.com, or check out some of his personal collection.

I didn’t really get into to pinball machine collecting until maybe 15 years ago, but when I was a freshman in college, video games were really big. I went to Purdue University. They had a huge arcade there. I always said that Space Invaders and Pac-Man took so much of my money—money that I really didn’t …

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By Maribeth Keane and Jessica Lewis (Copyright 2009)

Ray Kilinski talks about collecting vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia. He discusses the differences between old and new Coca-Cola items, favorite pieces from his collection, and the hobby in general—from the way people specialize to events held by clubs.

I started collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia back in the early 1970s. I was working the night shift at a company, and as I walked home one morning I took a shortcut through the woods and came across an old abandoned barn. I went inside and saw a stack of old Coca-Cola serving trays from the 1950s …

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By Ben Marks, Collectors Weekly Staff (Copyright 2009)

Frank Maraschiello is the vice president of the 20th-Century Decorative Arts department at Bonham’s, New York. Recently we spoke with Maraschiello about Mid-century Modern design, from George Nelson’s famous marshmallow couch to Eames chairs to the furniture of George Nakashima.

Mid-century Modern used the technology of mass production to produce good-looking pieces of furniture out of the latest materials. A number of these materials became commonplace after World War II, so the idea was to make things affordable. These were not “custom-made pieces.” When you bought a Tiffany lamp, even …

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Anybody who collects vintage 20th-century American music posters is probably aware of Hatch Show Print, a letterpress shop in Nashville that’s been in continuous operation since its founding in 1879. Known for its simple, well designed posters for performers like Johnny Cash, Elvis, Hank Williams, and Dolly Parton, the shop’s history was celebrated in a beautiful book published in 2001 by Chronicle Books.

When I heard that Hatch Show Print manager and chief designer Jim Sherraden was going to be speaking down the street from …

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By Maribeth Keane and Jessica Lewis, Collectors Weekly Staff (Copyright 2009)

Pam Fierro talks about the evolution of vintage swimwear from the 1920s through the 1980s. She discusses the changing styles, famous designers, and the various materials that were used. Pam can be contacted via her blog, Glamoursplash.

I started collecting swimwear in 2000 or 2001. I really like how vintage swimwear looks on people. It accentuates the body as opposed to showing everything off, like the modern string bikinis do. It’s more modest and tasteful, and it helps to accentuate the good things that your body has while covering …

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By Maribeth Keane and Jessica Lewis

Marbeth Schon discusses American modernist studio jewelry, noting its most popular designers, the materials used, and the movement’s rise in popularity. She talks about influential museum exhibits, as well the ways in which designers took inspiration from each other. Marbeth can be contacted via her website, MSchon.com.

My background is in fine art. My B.A. was in Art Education, so I started out as an art teacher. Later, I began working on a …

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