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Martin Swinton - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
The 10-second biography:
• Hosted Let’s Talk Antiques on
The VoiceAmerica Channel
• Expert authority on antiques
• Teaches courses on antiques
• Appraisals specialist
• Estate sales consultant
A lifelong lover of all things old, Martin was born in Toronto, Ontario and spent time as a child in Malaysia. Martin learned to restore furniture when he was a teenager, has worked at an auction house and owned an antique shop for ten years.
Martin is an appraisals specialist, conducts estate sales and enjoys ... [More]
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- Antiques - Wood Basics
[Reference-and-Education] Oak, mahogany, walnut, pine, rosewood, maple, elm; you may have some or all of these woods in your home. But, do you know how to tell the difference among them? In this month's column, we'll talk about the different kinds of wood that are regularly seen in antique furniture and some common decorative treatments.
- Antiques - What You Need to Know to Get Started
[Home-and-Family] Do you think that provenance is a region in France? Do you think that patina is an antipasto? Do you ever wonder what the difference is between original finish and original condition?
- How to Care For Your Silver
[Home-and-Family] Silver is beautiful but it can tarnish quickly. This sometimes puts people off collecting it. Don't let it deter you. Here are some tips to help you enjoy your silver.
- The Do's and Don'ts of Shopping For Antiques at Flea Markets and Garage Sales
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews] The flea market and garage sale season are always popular. Here's what you need to know to make your next flea market or garage sale outing a success.
- Painted Country Furniture - How to Tell the Difference Between Reproductions and Antiques
[Home-and-Family] Can you tell the difference between a real painted antique and a painted reproduction? Good quality reproductions serve their purpose. You just want to make sure that you know what you are getting. Here are some tips to help you tell them apart.
- Antiques and Reproductions - Can You Tell the Difference?
[Home-and-Family] Can you tell the difference between an antique and a reproduction? Does it really even matter?
- High Ho Silver
[Home-and-Family] Second only to gold as a precious metal, silver has always been cherished. Shimmering and chic, silver is always an elegant addition to any home. Sterling, Sheffield Plate, silverplate, German Silver, hallmarks - there's lots to take in. Here's what you should know.
- The History of Christmas Ornaments
[Home-and-Family:Holidays] You've poured the eggnog, turned on the Christmas carols and starting trimming the tree. You look at an ornament and think that it's shaped like an onion. The next one is pear shaped and another one looks like an egg? You think hmmmm... maybe there's a pattern here. And you'd be right. This month, we'll talk about the history of ornaments, what to look for in vintage ornaments and their symbolism.
- Thomas Chippendale and His Legendary Chairs
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] Chairs crafted by Thomas Chippendale were dazzling examples of quality furniture in their day. Today, they remain extraordinary examples of antique furniture. Chippendale style, ball and claw and ladder backs, there's lots to know. Here's your guide to one of the world's most celebrated chairs.
- The Nuts and Bolts of Vintage Tin Toys
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Before Game Boy and Play Station, there were tin toys. During their heyday, these whimsical toys amused children for hours. Today, these toys have great nostalgic appeal. Here's your guide to tin toys.
- A Christmas Tradition - Vintage Ornaments
[Home-and-Family:Holidays] Traditional hand-blown glass Christmas ornaments never seem to go out of style. There is something special about them: pulling them out year after year and smiling at the memories they bring back. Putting up familiar Christmas ornaments is one of the rituals that make the holidays special.
- Think Vintage For Your Garden
[Home-and-Family:Gardening] Container gardeners take note. Tired of clay pots? Think vintage, because when you do, there'll be lots to choose from. Most likely vintage items will be worn and chipped which will only add charm to your garden.
- Go Vintage When Decorating Your Hearth
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] With the weather cooling, it's time to put on the fireplace. Curling up near a cozy fire is a wonderful winter pastime but you'll need the right tools to tend your fire. Vintage fireplace accessories can add just the right atmosphere to your decor. Here's what you'll need to keep your fire aglow.
- Antiques, Collectibles, & Memorabilia - Do You Know the Difference?
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] The world of antiques can be confusing. What's the difference between an antique and collectible? Aren't collectibles and memorabilia really the same thing? In this month's column, I'll de-mystify these terms, so that you'll be appropriately armed for your next antique adventure.
- Vintage Costume Jewellery Sparkles Again
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Collectible-Jewelry] Men and women have worn costume jewellery since the Romans developed the ability to cut glass imitations of precious gemstones. Jewellery was worn to enhance appearance, display wealth and affirm love, friendship and loyalty. The reasons for wearing jewellery remain the same today, but the popularity of styles changes. Vintage costume jewellery is experiencing a revival these days as sparkling vintage rhinestone brooches are roaring back in style. Here are a few things you'll need to know to help you pick out the right pieces.
- Holiday Gift Ideas For Antique Lovers
[Home-and-Family:Holidays] Holiday gifting giving can be difficult. Here are some ideas to make your shopping easier this year.
- Recycle Vintage Furs
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Fashion-Style] Vintage is all the rage in fashion from sparkling costume jewellery to those old fashion stoles grandma used to wear. The influence of fur is being seen in fashion and home decor. Here are a few things you'll need about buying vintage fur.
- Pass the Salt - It's a Hot Collectible
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] Part of the attraction of any collectible is the story that surrounds it, and salt-cellars have a tale to tell. Here's what you need to know about this condiment collectible.
- Vintage Enamelware Takes Us Back
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] Enamelware is a trip down memory lane. White jugs with blue trim and laundry tubs with red trim all bring us back to a simpler time. It's a part of the farmhouse country look.
- Five Mother's Day Gift Ideas
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Gifts] Need help this year coming up with a gift that mom will like? Here are some suggestions.
- Trash Or Treasure - Assessing Your Possessions
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] One personal junk is another personal treasure. Never is that more true than when you are doing a spring clean up.
- Carlton Ware - A Colourful Collectible
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] These vibrant collectibles are as charming today as they were when they were first introduced. Origin.
- Antique Furniture 101 - Drop Leaf Table to Whatnots
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] Here's a reference guide of some popular items you might have come across but were unsure of what they actually were. Drop leaf table.
- 8 Tips to Identify Antiques
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Want to know if your furniture is as old as you might think? Here are some tips to help you identify an antique.
- Carnival Glass - Like the Colours of the Rainbow
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] Carnival glass is pressed glass that has undergone an iridized treatment to its surface. Newly formed hot pressed glass is exposed to sprays, fumes and vapors from heated metallic oxide. This process results in a beautiful lustrous coating forming on the glass. It is often described as looking similar to the rainbow colours that appear on a soap bubble. Photographs of carnival glass do not reveal this magical effect.
- 12 Tips to Buying at Auctions - How to Get the Best Deal
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Auctions can be great fun to attend. You can get in on the bidding or just watch the action. But, before you start bidding, make sure you know how to get the best buy. Keep these tips in mind at your next auction.
- Lladro - A Porcelain Marvel
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] The first Lladro figurines can be traced back to 1953 to a small workshop in the rural village of Almacera, Spain near Valencia. Three brothers: Juan, Jose and Vincente Lladro founded the company. Besides the figurines that define the company now, the brothers crafted jugs, vases and decorative plates. A Professional Training School, the Grant Centre for the City of Porcelain, was founded in 1962 to train the next generation of craftsman.
- Selling Antiques & Collectibles Online - What You Need to Know to Get Started
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Auctions] You want to sell your antiques or collectibles online but before you get started there are a few basics that you need to know. Online auctions from eBay to uBid.com to Yahoo! Auctions are becoming a more common venue for sellers of everything from teddy bear collectibles to antique armoires.
- Buying Antiques Online - What You Need to Know to Get Started
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] Before you buy a treasure online, there are a few basics that you need to know. From eBay to uBid.com to Yahoo! Auctions, their numbers are growing, and are becoming a more common venue for buyers of everything from vinyl collectibles to dining rooms. The good news is that prices on online auctions can often be quite reasonable. But, there are a few things you'll want to consider before buying.
- Missing Dinner Plates - Six Tips to Completing Your China Pattern
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] You've inherited Aunt Martha's china set or you've broken your tea pot, now what do you do? Here are some tips to help you fill out your china pattern.
- From Brass to Tin - How to Care For Your Antique Metals
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Caring for your antique metal items requires know-how. Each metal has its own particular characteristics and requires its own brand of tender loving care.
- Forget the Tie - 5 Unique Father's Day Gift Ideas
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Fashion-Style] Father's Day is just around the corner. Here are some gift ideas sure to put a smile on dad's face.
- 10 Tips to Care for Your Antique Ceramics
[Home-and-Family:Gardening] To care for your antique ceramics you need a gentle touch and they’ll last you a long time. This month we’ll give you some useful tips to help you care for them.
- 10 Tips to Care for Your Antique Glassware
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] Antique glassware needs a gentle hand. This month we'll give you some useful tips to help you care for your antique or modern glassware.
- The ABCs of Ceramics
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Ceramics can be delicate and decorative or unrefined and utilitarian. Bone china, porcelain, stoneware and earthenware - this month we’ll review them all.
- The Arts & Crafts Movement for Beginners
[Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] If you like clean, simple, oak furnishings, you’re likely an Arts & Crafts aficionado. In this month’s column, we’ll talk about the history, the early champions and the variety of disciplines within the Arts & Crafts movement.
- How to Care for Your Antique Furniture
[Home-and-Family] Central heating is the worst thing to happen to antiques. A warm inside and cold outside makes life comfortable while wreaking havoc on antiques.
- The Six Worst Mistakes You Can Make When Shopping for Antiques
[Home-and-Family] Buying antiques can make a dent in your wallet, especially if you don’t know what you are doing. The novice buyer can overpay for an undervalued piece. Here are some things to avoid the next time you are antiquing.
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