Dear Lee,

Some of you have asked how collecting has changed during our years of hunting for antiques. What were our best investments? How did we decide what to buy? How did our tastes change? So occasionally I will tell you stories about my finds and fiascos.

The very first antique I ever bought was a fancy mustache cup that said “Love the Giver” next to a 3-D gold rose. I was about 6 years old and visiting Niagara Falls with my parents. They gave me a quarter to spend for souvenirs and I finally, painfully, spent a nickel to buy the cup. It is still on display in my bedroom—and it’s probably worth about $50 to $75. But remember, the value of money has changed since I was 6. A nickel back then now has the buying power of 77 cents.

I was in college when I made my next memorable buy. I was making silver dishes and jewelry at the time and wanted a piece of silver by Hester Bateman (England, 1708-1794), a famous woman silversmith. I found silver sugar tongs with bright cut decoration at a shop on Charles Street in Boston. The dealer sold it to me for the discounted price of $25. But who uses sugar cubes today? My tongs would probably sell for about $200. Adjusting for inflation, I didn’t do too well—$25 back then is $272 today.

The week of our wedding, my mother, who was arranging flowers for the tables, decided we needed a large vase for the head table. We went to a thrift store in a small town nearby and found a golden glass shell-shaped vase that went well with the yellow bridesmaid dresses and yellow flowers. We bought it for $10. Today that vase is in my library near two others also made by Loetz (see our sale report on silver overlay in this issue). The vase is valued today at about $2,000. Inflation alone would bring it to just $82.

So I have enjoyed our purchases—each brings back memories, each has been useful over the years and each was an emotional choice, not an “investment.” Remember the Kovelism—Buy what you like!