Features
Honoring the dead Dia de los Muertos has colorful traditions, history in both Mexico, U.S.
A row of colorful skulls sits surrounded by marigolds and other flowers. Both have been longstanding parts of the imagery and altar decoration during the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos celebrated every Nov. 1-2. (Image courtesy of Getty) October 2023 Cover...
A Head Above The Rest, Lady head vases brought touch of class to one’s home
Lady head vases can be found for sale online, with prices for more common pieces ranging from $10 to $100. (Image courtesy of eBay)September 2023Cover StoryA Head Above The Rest Lady head vases brought a touch of class to one’s homeby Corbin CrableThey added a dash of...
Fifty years of ‘Discovering’ began with a modest ‘guide’
Discovering front page images collage by Patti Klinge August 2023 Cover Story Fifty years of ‘Discovering’ began with a modest ‘guide’ by Ken Weyand After spending a decade as a copywriter (and later copy chief) in the advertising art department of The Kansas City...
A modern style Art Deco movement was elegant but accessible
This 1931 Packard Model 840 Dietrich Convertible Victoria was the centerpiece of an exhibition on the Art Deco movement at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO. The exhibition, “American Art Deco: Designing for the People, 1918-1939,” ran July 2022...
Tupperware: An American icon
A housewife hosts a Tupperware party in the 1950s. (Image courtesy of Click Americana)June 2023Cover StoryTupperware: An American iconby Corbin CrableThey’re durable, they’re colorful, and they’re cherished hand-me-downs that have survived decades in your kitchen and...
Fill ‘er up! Oil and gas collectibles remain popular with collectors
A metal sign advertising Mobilgas from the company that would later become Exxon Mobil. The company used the mythological winged horse Pegasus on most of its advertising and logos. (Image courtesy of eBay)May 2023Cover StoryFill ‘er up! Oil and gas collectibles...
Item tied to former Kansas mayor, his family
Wallet Photo by Jonathan Duran on UnsplashOctober 2023Everything Old Item tied to former Kansas mayor, his familyby Corbin Crable Last weekend I enjoyed my first visit to Merchant Square in Independence, MO, where I had the pleasure of interviewing Jace Sanders, the...
Items crafted in Occupied Japan were designed to kick-start postwar economy
Photo by Tianshu Liu on UnsplashSeptember 2023Everything Old Items crafted in Occupied Japan were designed to kick-start postwar economyby Corbin Crable Made in Japan If you’re a collector of ceramics and porcelain, it’s likely that you’ve checked on the bottom of...
Happy 50th anniversary, Discover Vintage America
As the years rolled on, the cost of color printing became more affordable, and four-color printing became the standard. The printing process has become more streamlined as well, with digital files now being sent to our printers in Breese, IL, where the magic happens....
Goodbye to a longtime colleague
Photo by Christelle BOURGEOIS on Unsplash July 2023 Everything Old Goodbye to a longtime colleague by Corbin Crable Honor to dedicate this issue to ... Just because we know that death is a part of life, that acknowledgment never makes that loss any easier when it...
Anniversary is a time to remember days, people past
Photo by Lucas Law on UnsplashJune 2023Everything OldAnniversary is a time to remember days, people pastby Corbin Crable50th anniversary This year includes a couple of very special occasions that are near and dear to my heart. The first, we’ll celebrate with all of...
Good luck finding these long-gone jobs
Photo by Leon Seibert on UnsplashMay 2023Everything OldGood luck finding these long-gone jobsby Corbin CrableGas Station Attendants It’s about that time of year when people pack their bags, gas up their cars, and hit the road on a summer vacation or road trip. Our...
The history of animal cracker containers and other tins
April 2022 ANTIQUE DETECTIVE The history of animal cracker containers and other tins by Anne Gilbert Chances are that you or someone in your family have eaten animal crackers and loved every bite. Perhaps you are even a collector of the tin boxes they came in....
Collectible old pewter came in many forms
March 2022ANTIQUE DETECTIVECollectible old pewter came in many formsby Anne Gilbert You might be surprised to learn that many items of 17th and 18th centuries still come up for sale at modest prices. Also, there are many collectors around the world, including...
Trendy autograph collecting needs careful research
February 2022ANTIQUE DETECTIVETrendy autograph collecting needs careful researchby Anne Gilbert While many once- popular collectibles are languishing, nothing seems to stop autograph collectors from spending big bucks. The question is, are their purchases...
Feast your eyes on delicious antique custard glass
October 2024 Good Eye Feast your eyes on delicious antique custard glass by Peggy Whiteneck Custard glass is creamy ivory or pale-yellow pressed glass that was popular in the late 19th and very early 20th centuries. It was used in tableware made by some English and...
The heyday of glass lampshades
September 2024Good Eye The Heyday of Glass Lampshadesby Peggy Whiteneck Most of the lampshades made before the late 19th century were glass globes for oil lamps. Sometimes these would be produced in colored glass for both the lamp base and the shade. But most shades...
Snagged in the Web?
August 2024Good Eye Snagged in the Web? by Peggy Whiteneck Whether we’re collectors or dealers, most of us will come across items for possible acquisition that we haven’t seen before and about which we may know little or nothing beyond a gut intuition that it’s...
Mission impossible – The International Quilt Museum heist
July 2024Covering Quilts Mission impossible – The International Quilt Museum heistby Sandra Starley Imagine being let loose in the most amazing quilt museum in the world and getting to pick out any quilt to take home. Well … This was my most recent quilty...
Want a break from quilting? Try a new bag (Bag making 101)
June 2024Covering Quilts Want a break from quilting? Try a new bag (Bag making 101)by Sandra Starley Quilted bags, totes, and fabric pouches of all sizes are having a moment. Why not join in on the fun? As I have mentioned several times, giving yourself a...
The Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench pattern, Part II
May 2024Covering Quilts Make it modern: The Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench pattern, Part IIby Sandra Starley As I mentioned last month, if you have not been making butter or repairing wagons, you may not be aware of the history behind the classic Churn Dash or...
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Old ‘slate-board’ from the 1800s made learning a bit easier
May 2024Vintage Discoveries Old ‘slate-board’ from the 1800s made learning a bit easierby Ken Weyand While today’s parents and teachers fret about how youngsters are too dependent on smart phones, I was tickled to find an “education tool” from another age in the back...
Old magazine brought back memories of the 1950s
April 2024Vintage Discoveries Old magazine brought back memories of the 1950sby Ken Weyand Like many 15-year-old boys in early 1950s rural America, I was caught up in the popular culture of the times. In those heady days before the Internet killed off or reshaped...
Old geography textbook taught my ancestor the ‘basics’
March 2024Vintage Discoveries Old geography textbook taught my ancestor the ‘basics’by Ken Weyand A small and very old textbook turned up recently in the back of a bookcase. I thought it might have been something I had acquired from an antique shop, but it turned out...
‘Christmas By Design: Private Homes Decorated by Leading Designers’
November 2021Books for Collectors‘Christmas By Design: Private Homes Decorated by Leading Designers’By Patricia Hart McMillan and Katharine Kaye McMillan Everyone could use a bit of escapism during the holidays. Take a break from the rigors of entertaining for...
‘Victorian Costume for Ladies, 1860-1910’ (2nd Ed.)
October 2021Books for Collectors“Christmas Through the Decades”By Linda Setnik As the world neared the 20th century during the late Victorian Era, a chapter in the history of women’s fashion was about to come to an end. With a renewed interest in Victorian...
