Life
Modern furniture took flight just after WWII ended
This rocking chair was auctioned to raise money for a group that preserves modern residential architecture.
Life
Pie safe protected 19th century desserts from vermin, mold
The collector can often find new uses for items such as this one whose purposes have become obsolete.
Life
This 20th-century stool looks like a 19th-century relic
The influence of ancient art is clearly seen in this Empire-style stool, which sold for $1,250.
Life
This star-spangled tray advertises a long-forgotten soft drink
The tray proclaims the drink “The King of Phosphates,” a reference to an ingredient used on soda fountain…
Life
Flammability makes this papier-mache lantern a rare survivor
Halloween items like this pear-shaped one were popular in the United States in the 1930s to the 1950s.
Life
Morbid paper-pushers would appreciate this spooky gadget
The bronze paper clip adorned with a skill sold for $625 at an antiques auction.
Life
The devil made somebody pay $250 for this novelty pitcher
The Royal Bayreuth item recalls bygone times when religious authorities deemed playing cards as sinful.
Life
These spooky owls dressed up fireplaces in the 19th century
Decorative andirons, whicd held logs off the fireplace floor, recently sold for $660 at an antiques auction.
Life
Tips for estimating an unsigned vintage quilt’s true age
If you can see dark spots in the quilt when held up to a strong light or sunny…
Life
Puzzle jugs challenged drinkers to do it right — or make a mess
The drinker had to know which holes to cover and which to drink from in order to draw…
Life
You can’t afford a Rolls, but you might be able to buy figurine
A reproduction “Spirit of Ecstasy” sold at auction for $210. The car goes for a whole lot more.
Life
This patriotic tchotchke is ready to celebrate Labor Day
Billed as a Victorian item, the 20-flag holder may predate the first Labor Day in 1882.
Life
Worthless as medicine — but valuable as an antique
Turn-of-the-century quackery makes for amusing collecting. But be careful — there may be poison in those “medicine” bottles.
Life
This elegant porcelain bowl has a lowly function: table scraps
The European and American equivalents had it even worse. They were used in bathrooms.
Life
Most people today would not recognize this rope twister
Is it a kitchen gadget — perhaps a fruit or vegetable peeler? Some kind of grinder or chopper?…
Life
Odd Fellows iconography adds to this carved shelf’s value
Fun fact: The Odd Fellows is believed to have originated in medieval trade guilds, with “odd fellow” meaning…
Life
Antique toys taught children about their stations in life
This miniature tin factory, which suggested to kids where they might spend most of their adult lives, sold…
Life
‘Make-do’ mirror from a frugal era is prized today
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” These were words to live by…
Life
Cribbage boards have sailed the seven seas for centuries
One from the 19th century made of whalebone, ebony and mahogany recently sold for more than $500.
Life
19th century farm families’ butter prints are coveted folk art
One example with a flower-and-heart design recently sold at auction for more than $5,000.