March 2005 Hotlines

Russel Wright spun metal pieces are being reissued by HK Designs (www.hkdesignsusa.com). Each piece is stamped with original Russel Wright signatures and the HK mark.

Bright colors are dominating the gift-shop trade this year. Earth tones are second in popularity. (Gifts & Decorative Accessories, December)

If you inherit an antique or collectible and then sell it, you can be taxed up to 28 percent of the profit. Collectibles do not qualify for the lower 15 percent capital-gains rate. If you inherit something you plan to sell, sell it as soon as possible. The value is determined at the time of the person’s death; if the item goes down in value, you can’t deduct the loss. That’s because you can’t take a loss for tax purposes on the sale of personal items. (Bottom Line Tomorrow, November)

What do people most often bring to the Antiques Roadshow TV appraisals? Bibles, crazy quilts, rocking chairs, and Limoges dinner sets, according to the experts on a recent show.

A well-known art appraiser told us she collects vintage eyeglasses, like the rhinestone-studded sunglasses of the ’60s, and figural hot-water bottles from the past century. She has about 200 hot-water bottles, many made of rubber, shaped like animals, nursery-rhyme characters, or other appealing shapes.

Sometimes the room makeovers shown in decorating magazines are impractical. One magazine suggests you buy a vintage birdcage, cut out some of the wires, and make a “postal station.” Bills fit in the slots in the wires, new mail goes inside the cage, stamps fit in the feeding dish clamped to the side, and supplies go on the slide that pulls out to clean the bottom of the cage. Fortunately, the article suggests you clean the cage well with bleach before you remodel it.

Timex Corp., with the best-selling watch brand in the United States, just celebrated its 150th anniversary. The company started in Waterbury, Connecticut, as Benedict and Burnham. It changed its name to Timex in 1969, although the brand name has been used since 1944.

Beware of “ghost listings” on the Internet. A dishonest person will copy the description and picture of an expensive item offered online. The original seller probably sold the item and delivered it to the buyer. But the fraudulent seller takes bids, notifies the person with the winning bid, collects the money, and then does not deliver because there is no actual item at this site. Online auctions are watching for this type of fraud but rarely catch a person who’s listing ghost items. If you are buying from an unknown seller, ask for extra pictures. Only the person who owns the piece can get these for you. For big-ticket items put the money in escrow. Keep copies of all online information and correspondence. (Art & Antiques “Insider’s Guide”)

Frankoma Pottery of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, closed its doors on December 31, 2004. The owner indicated that the pottery was up for sale and that there was a possibility it would reopen if a buyer could be found. Stay tuned.

A traditional twin bed is 39 inches wide. A standard or full-size mattress (the old-fashioned double-bed) is 75 inches long; a queen or king mattress is 80 inches long. Be sure you measure when you buy a new mattress for an old bed.

Put all of your glittery vintage costume jewelry in a big bowl as a “useful” decoration in the bedroom, suggests Country Home magazine (January 2005).

The world’s largest collection of mouse pads belongs to a 10-year-old English boy who owns more than 2,600 pads. The “mouse mats,” as they’re called in England, can be hung as pictures or displayed on a tabletop. An interesting new collectible. (Collect It! November 2004)

Retro designs of the 1950s through the ’70s, slightly updated to look a bit more modern, are influencing new designs for the furniture and decorative accessory markets (Gifts & Decorative Accessories, December). That means that original ’50s to ’70s pieces should be in demand at antiques shops and shows.

Diamonds may fluctuate in value in the years to come because of changes in the world market and sources of supply, the existence of synthetic diamonds, consumer backlash over “conflict” diamonds, and the lack of any organized price and quantity control by De Beers mines. Jewelers are watching the market carefully. Collectors should, too.