Judith Miller's Antiques and Collectables Blog

I Love New York - Antiques

Judith Miller — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:20:13 +0100

The iconic advertising campaign that was instituted by New York back in the 1970s is still a powerful piece of branding. . .it's a bit like a marketing equivalent of a collectable! I say this because a friend recently told me she was planning a trip to New York and was going to investigate visiting some antique shops. She also told me that the I Love NY web site has some useful links on antiques. You can find it HERE ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.

Celebrity Mementoes the New Antiques?

Judith Miller — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:45:39 +0100

There's an article in today's Daily Telegraph entitled Art Sales: the market for celebrity memorabilia. It starts by making a statement and then asking a question. The annual auction market for rock and film memorabilia has grown from about £200,000 in 1982 to £20 million today. Are celebrity mementoes the new antiques? Well of course the mementos are not the new antiques, they are by and large just another area of the collectables market. There is no doubting the rise in interest as can be seen by the increasing amount of space given over to such things in the new Miller ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.

Collecting Embroidery Transfers

Judith Miller — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:51:36 +0100

Sue from South Wales has emailed me to tell me about her interest in collecting embroidery transfers. She attached these images. The first one showing the two cats is by a company called Weldons and dates February 1912. The second shows 2 transfer booklets and a page from a womans magazine plus a transfer. These were often given away free with magazines. The third picture shows a vintage transfer of a crinoline lady which are still very popular with collectors today. This transfer is dated 1931 and given away with Good Needlework Magazine. The transfers were u ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.

From Powell to Poole Via SE21

Judith Miller — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:19:51 +0100

Just wanted to give you some advance warning of a new glass and ceramics fair that promises to be an exciting event for London. Called SE21 it is to be launched at Dulwich College in the light-filled modernist setting of the Christison Hall on Sunday 28th March 2010. This event with up to eighty exhibitors represents a new concept in specialist fairs, bringing together antique and contemporary glass with ceramics from both the secondary market and directly from the artists themselves. Visitors will be able to browse all types of decorative and collectable glass and ceramics; from Powell to ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.

Hot Desks and More!

Judith Miller — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:13:57 +0100

My Financial Times article this week is all about desks and writing accoutrements. Called 'On the Write Lines' you can read it HERE ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.

The Digital Revolution Continues – Now I'm on Facebook!

Judith Miller — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:30:55 +0100

Now that I've got to grips wiith the gentle art of blogging I thought it was high time that I took the next step and started a Facebook page. I know for some people that is an easier way of keeping up with things. You will find my facebook page HERE ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.

Chinese Vase That's The Real Thing

Judith Miller — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:19:43 +0100

In another story of an amazing piece of undervaluing a Chinese vase thought to have been worth under a £100 has sold for close to £100,000 at an auction at Sheppards Irish Auction House in Durrow. County Laois, Ireland. The 12-inch porcelain vase was mistaken for a replica Imperial vase by the auctioneers. The auction began with an opening bid of $70, before two dealers then started bidding in multipules of a thousand. It was all over in a few minutes and a London dealer, Richard Peters, made the winning bid. Mr. Peters said that the market is "filled with fakes and f ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.

Miller's Really Can Make You Money!

Judith Miller — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:10:04 +0100

Mark Hill has just posted a fabulous story about a lady who bought a Poole plate in a Winchester charity shop for just a pound and then found out, thanks to Miller's Collectables Price Guide, that it was worth far more. In fact the plate was sold at auction for £1,760. You can read the rest of the story HERE. Have you got any Poole pottery that may have gone up in value since the closure of the factory in 2006? You can check out the latest prices both on our web site and in the new edition of Collectables. If you have a story about how Miller's has helped you make money, please email i ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.

Reclusive Fashion

Judith Miller — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:43:56 +0100

Things have been more than a triffle hectic this week as we moved office over the weekend from Canary Wharf to Shaftsbury Avenue in the heart of London's West End. While there were many attractions about working in CW it is exciting to be back in Central London. The first thing I noticed this morning in my inbox was news of a fashion exhibition with a difference. I've said before how much of a growing interest there is in collecting vintage clothing so an exhibition in Milan will undoubtedly attract many visitors. It will also be very appealing because all of the clothes belonged to the legen ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.

Hotel de Cep, Beune, France

Judith Miller — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:47:44 +0100

It's at least heading to that time of the year when we all start thinking a little bit more about getting away, especially this year as the weather has been so ghastly in Britain. There are a lot of hotels that have antiques as part of their decoration to help create an attractive ambience. I've mentioned some on the blog before; the Inn at Whitewell in the Forest of Bowland springs to mind. I've just had an email from a friend mentioning that he had stayed at the Hotel le Cep, Beaune in Burgundy. As he says in his email. "This family hotel is a gem. All the rooms are traditionally furnis ... Read this full article on the Miller's Blog.