Five Gifts this Mother’s Day — With A Collecting Twist!

With Mother’s Day looming, the traditional gift is, of course, flowers. Be different! This year, celebrate the special day for your mother with collectibles and vintage items all depicting or decorated with images of flowers.

Mother’s Day in America was the brainchild of a woman named Anna Jarvis. She started a campaign for an official holiday honoring mothers in 1905, the year her mother died. The first significant celebration of the holiday was in 1908, when Jarvis held a public memorial for her mother in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia. It became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later campaign against the holiday because she thought it had become too commercial.

Here are Kovels’ suggestions for Mother’s Day gifts that combine both the love of collectibles and flowers.

Jewelry — Flower pins are always in fashion. If your mother likes a flower garden, she would like a flower pin.  You can choose pins made from semi-precious stones like turquoise or colored glass or plastic.  Pins can be modern or more classic.  Pins with makers names on the back are the best investment.

Joseff of Hollywood figural pin, hand holding a bouquet of flowers, gold tone metal with 4 square raised jewel-tone crystals, 3 3/4 in., $438.  Photo: Ripley Auctions

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Figurine — Buy a decorative figurine or a ceramic flower. Prices are a bargain right now.  They can look beautiful as part of a flower arrangement display.  Choose a figurine or flower that will remind your mother of her family.

 

Boehm porcelain flower, Just Joey Rose, limited edition, 1981, 5 x 12 in., $212. Photo: Bruce Kodnar Galleries

 

Meissen figurine, Boy Gardener No. 25, marked, 4 3/4 in., $313.  Photo: Taylor & Harris

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Picture frame — Take a photo of your mother’s favorite garden and choose a picture frame that fits the picture. Pick a frame that compliments the garden, perhaps a red frame if you have a lot of red tulips or a yellow frame for a garden of daffodils.  You can always paint the frame to match the garden.  If your budget allows, buy a sterling silver frame.  Make sure the back of the frame has what is needed, an easel back or hanging ring, to display it properly.

Silver photograph frame, baroque style, relief decoration, entwined flowers, figures of people and animals, green velvet back, marked “W.C.,” England, 7 1/4 x 5 1/4 in., $100. Photo by Antique Arena Inc.

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Vase — On Mother’s Day, bring your mother a vintage vase full of cut flowers. The vase can be modern or traditional.  An undecorated vase is better for mixed flowers and a decorated vase can hold just leaves or branches as well as flowers. Don’t forget to cut the stems and put them in a glass of water for a short time to “cure” them before you put them in the vase. They will last longer.  Don’t forget to put water in the vase, too!

Kosta Boda Tulip vase, hand painted glass, marked Kosta Boda, signed Ulrica Hydman, 8 in., $54. Photo by District
Auction. 

 

Midcentury modern art glass vase, iridescent blue shaded to silver, 9 1/2 in., $38.  Photo: Donny Malone Auctions

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Or, best of all, treat your mother to a special Mother’s Day gift that she can use year-round: a subscription to Kovels.com where she can learn more about her treasures and keep up with collecting news. Use our special Mother’s Day coupon MOM10 to save $10 on the annual subscription.

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