Popular Show Is Back In Kent

What exactly is a repurposed antique? Simply described, it’s an antique object that retains its original form and integrity but has been “repurposed” for a new use. Take, for example, an iron or wooden gate—add a simple base and a piece of glass and you have a wonderful coffee table; a perfect way to fulfill a 20th-century need with a 19th-century antique. Alan Cunha and Wayne St.John of Cunha St. John Antiques in Massachusetts have taken the art of “repurposing” to new heights. “We are always looking for unique antique objects that have a form, shape or details that make them interesting for how they look rather than what they were. Take, for instance, lenses from early automobiles from the 1920s. Their wonderfully detailed glass and subtle golden colors have the makings of great decorative objects. We have stands hand crafted for them and, grouped together, they make a statement.” Fletcher Copenhaver Fine Art always seems to find the most interesting late 19th- and early 20th-century art on frequent trips to Paris. This show is no exception. A favorite is a charcoal drawing of a cat by Jacques Lehmann (1881-1947), who worked under the name of “Nam.” Nam was a friend and illustrator for the great French writer, Colette, who said of his drawing of cats: “There are no cats more cat than the cats of Nam.” In the world of antiques, patrio­tic themes are always popular. Jeff Bridgman will be returning this year with a dramatic booth fil­led with antique American flags and early painted furniture. He will feature a won­derful 13-star flag made for the 1876 Centennial of American Inde­pendence with hand-sewn stars in a medallion pattern. Of course, antiques are not just to hang on the walls or decorate a room. There is a special pleasure in antiques that are not only beautiful but also enjoyable to wear. Nula Thanhauser’s booth is always crowded with customers trying on chic hats from the ’40s and ’50s or vying over the beautiful vintage evening bags that are her trademark. This year one of her favorites is a faceted Austrian crystal frame hand built by Hobe with a pastel paisley beaded textile, circa 1940. J. Austin jewelers, dealers in fine antique and estate jewelry, will fill their display case with antique jewels, including an Edwardian rubies, diamonds and pearls necklace, with platinum top and 18k gold back, circa 1915.

Antique Maps and Rare Maps as Investments | Value Investing

One of the more common questions our clients ask us is, will my rare antique map increase in value? When I am asked this questions, I generally answer “Yes, but it is a long term position”. A more comprehensive answer requires a deeper understanding of the rare map trade in specific and the vicissitudes of the antique trade in general. While it is easy to chart auction results or dealer catalogue values for specific map, such an analytical approach ignores a number of important factors, such as condition, restoration factors, colorization factors, etc. It also fails to take into account various factors ranging from the economy to vogue periods for certain items.

Antique dealers in general are in the unique field of art speculation. The job of a dealer is to find and identify an item that can be acquired at a reasonable price, kept for a period of time, and then resold at a significantly higher price. In doing so the dealer looks for pieces that may be undervalued by analyzing buying trends, his or her particular clientele, availability of similar pieces on the market, the overall trading activity at any given time, the historical importance of the item, and finally, perhaps most importantly, makes an aesthetic judgment.

Like many business, the rare and antique map trade has a fashion all its own. Certain maps and regions come into vogue and out of vogue frequently. In the 70s and 80s maps of Texas became extremely desirable pushing prices for this material well beyond similar maps of similar areas. Today Texas maps are still extremely desirable, but the bubble has burst and the rampant price increases of the 80s are no more. In fact, some Texas maps may have slightly decreased in value since the height of their desirability.

Today maps of Chinese and Indian cities are experiencing a similar price bubble as affluent collectors in Beijing, Shanghai, Bombay and Delhi enter the global marketplace. The price tenacity of maps of these areas remains very much in question. Though highly desirable now, one can only speculate on how global economic factors and general interest trends will affect this market. Like a savvy stock market investor, an antique map investor would have been wise observe the rapidly growing Asian economies and recognize an opportunity. Such an investor would have been able to snatch up these maps ten years ago when they were both common and easy to acquire and sell them today at a high profit. One might see a similar opportunity today with regard to maps of Russia, which are just beginning to see dramatic rise in interest.

Collecting antique maps, an introduction to the history of cartography

Imperfect volumes of atlases and other books are therefore the source for most of the maps available to collectors today. Antique dealers ...

Antique map price record & handbook, including sea charts, city views, celestial charts and battle plans. For 1999 - 2000

The reason for presenting what some may regard as disparate information in a single context is that dealers and auctions are both sources of antique maps ...

The Map Catalog, Every Kind of Map and Chart on Earth and Even Some Above It

It is held at the Bonnington Hotel, Southampton Row, London WC1 4BH; admission is free Antique Map Dealers Following is a select list of antique dealers and ...

The New law journal

Mapsellers comment on such examples: "The antique map trade is now firmly established. In the London area there are several reputable dealers wishing to ...

Antique maps, sea charts, city views, celestial charts & battle plans

Individuals interested in auction prices can request catalogs from the auction dealers listed in the dealer directory. Sometimes the same map appears with ...