Month: September 2017

During an appraisal event recently, I got a chance to see something very special in the vintage toy category – an old Buddy L toy Cement Mixer. It was very rusty and dirty, so it took me a few minutes to find the labels on the piece to help identify it. The lady who brought the piece in had no idea what it was and said it had been out in the yard and then moved into her garage for a number of years. Little did she know what a buried treasure she had found!

Fred A. Lundahl owned Moline Pressed Steel Co. in the early 1900’s. The company was in the automobile parts business, but started making metal toys in 1921. He made toys for his son out of scrap metal and turned that into a business. They made pull toys, small trucks and other work vehicles, and large vehicles children could ride. Buddy L was considered a pioneer in the steel toy field and held contracts with Marshall Fields and F. A. O. Schwarz. The company was sold during the depression.

Earlier toys are generally higher quality and built to last. They are very desired by collectors and can bring a high price. The toys made later are still valued and sought after. Values depend upon rarity and condition. Even though this lady’s toy was in very rusty condition, it is still collectible and very valuable. I encouraged her to clean up some of the dirt and dust, but to be very careful about any other restoration of the toy. NEVER try to repaint an old metal toy (or wooden toys). It may look prettier, but it will destroy the value. I felt quite confident her toy was made prior to the sale of the toy line, which was in the 1930’s, dating her piece to the 1920’s. I appraised the piece to be around $700. Needless, to say, I recommended she find a better place to store the toy from now on!

Any old toy, especially made prior to 1900, is collectible. Always try to keep its original condition and labeling. If there is a box, make sure to keep the box and the toy together. That will increase its value. Early cast iron banks, cap guns, horse drawn carriages, pull toys, tools, figures, trains, and animals are sought after collectibles. If you are seeking to buy these items, just be careful of reproductions. Most toys of age will have a certain patina, show signs of wear, have older construction methods, and older types of paints that cannot be used today (lead).

We happen to have a Buddy L toy truck listed for sale on https://collectiblesclearinghouse.com/collections/toys/products/1940-buddy-l-metal-toy-baggage-truck

For those interested in learning more about Buddy L toys, they have a museum. Here is the link to their website: http://www.buddylmuseum.com/

If you have collectibles you would like to consign with Seasoned Life Transitions, please contact us. There is a contact link on the blog or you can email us from our website: www.seasonedlifetransitions.com . You can call our toll free number 866-653-9669.

One of the hottest trends in bringing older furniture back to life is refinishing it with a rustic look. There are now tons of stores selling brands of chalk paint and even offering classes for the do-it-yourself people. Although chalk paint is the trend right now, you will not find many professional furniture re-finishers using it.

In my studies with Asheford Institute of Antiques, I learned, in great detail, various methods of repairing and restoring furniture. They provided great instruction on adding an antique finish to certain pieces of furniture. This method should only be used on old wooden furniture that are not true antiques. You can increase the value of natural wood furniture that has already lost much of its desirability due to prior poorly executed refinishing, being out of date, or damaged by stains or deep scratches.

Some call this method antiquing or shabby chic, which is a little rough around the edges and results in a look that is more similar to unrestored antique furniture. Here is what you will need:

1. Medium and Fine Sandpaper
2. Flat White Paint for the basecoat
3. Any flat pastel or white paint for the final coat
4. Tube of raw (burnt) turkey umber oil (oil paint)
5. Turpentine
6. Clear Waterproof Flat Varnish
7. Paint and Varnish Brushes
8. Soft Clean Rags
9. Boiled Linseed Oil
10. Pumice Powder

You will need to first completely clean with soap and water the piece of furniture. Sanding is the next step, but it is not necessary to completely remove all the old finish. Sand just enough to allow the base coat of paint to adhere. Always use a flat white paint for the base coat due the the fact that old dark stains will bleed through any pastel shades. If the finish is very dark, it may require more than one coat of the primer paint. The final coat of base paint must be allowed to dry completely before any further steps or decoration. You can check for any tackiness to determine when it is dry. It is important the final coat be smooth, which may mean a little more light sanding.

You can add decoration (monograms, added carved elements, painted artwork, metal or other materials) to the piece at this stage, if desired. Oil paints, such as an artist’s paint, would be used for decoration. If you hand painted some decorations, it may take days for the oil paints to completely dry. In some cases, it might take two weeks. You must be patient in this stage to get a good result.

Now you can apply a coat of flat varnish to protect the section of the piece with your decoration, and let it dry for 24 hours. When it is dry, you can now add the overtone to the furniture. The formula for a medium-dark overtone is 2 tablespoons of the raw turkey umber, 3 tablespoons of turpentine, 1 tablespoon of clear waterproof varnish, and a drop of linseed oil. Squeeze the burnt umber into a jar, add the turpentine, and mix with a brush. Next, add the varnish and mix well. Finally, add a drop of the linseed oil. The linseed oil keeps the mixture from drying too quickly. Follow those steps to the tea for the right result!

The overtone is applied with a two inch brush and then, using a piece of soft clean cloth, rub off the overtone that you just applied using circular motions. The center or top of a panel should be lighter than the sides. This will leave the darker tones in the cracks and depressions of the piece or any carving. When the overtone is first put on, it will appear dark, but do not worry as it wipes off easily leaving an elegant parchment type of appearance. Wait 12 hours for the overtone to dry.

Once the overtone is dry, you can apply the flat varnish to give protection to the overtone. As the piece ages, this varnish will enhance the appearance of the piece. Doing any type of re-finishing on furniture requires patience. Do not rush it. Try this treatment on a small inexpensive piece to gain experience before tackling a bigger piece.

If you try this, send me photos of your before and after. I would love to see a once loved item become lovable again!

If you ever took any economics classes, you have heard of the laws of supply and demand. If the supply is high and the demand is low, the prices are low. If the supply is low and the demand is high, the prices are high. I am sure many of you have felt the later the last couple of weeks when you went to the gas pump!

We are a couple of years into an ever increasing supply of furniture and other used household items coming on the market and very few buyers. There are many reasons for this, such as, many large retailers offering new, relatively inexpensive furniture in mass quantities. The public will buy these pieces knowing that they are not meant to last a lifetime. It is really like disposable furniture. Another reason is that there are many baby boomers starting to retire and looking to move into smaller homes. They have a large home full of furniture, some of which, was passed down from previous generations. Much of this furniture was well made from well known furniture manufacturers and may have cost thousands of dollars when bought new. When these empty nesters are ready to downsize, they are finding it very difficult to sell the furniture. Many auction houses, estate sale services, antique and used furniture dealers, and even charitable organizations are becoming selective with what they will take and some are even flat out refusing to deal with furniture at all. There is just so much of it out there right now and will continue to be the case for years to come.

So what do you do, if you have a number of pieces to unload?

1. Lower your expectations of what price you can expect to get for even the good quality pieces.  Dining room tables, china cabinets, large bedroom suites, entertainment centers, sofas, recliners, and armoires are the least desirable pieces today. I have personally seen entire sets of dining room furniture (table with extra leaves, 8 chairs, and a china cabinet) sell at auction for under $100 in the last couple of months.
2. Consider donating the pieces to a charity like Habitat for the Humanties or The Salvation Army. The write off value for tax purposes may be greater than selling it outright.
3. Can the furniture be re-purposed in order to make it more desirable with today’s styles and trends? If you have the time and willing to put in a little work, it may pay off in the end. Darker stained woods are less popular right now and a trend towards lighter colors has developed. Antiqued or painted furniture in white, ivory, gray, and even blues and greens is red hot in retail stores and vintage shops. Many dealers are buying vintage 70’s and 80’s furniture cheaply and then doing this rustic treatment and successfully selling what otherwise would have been undesirable for 5-10 times what they paid.
4. Inquire with dealers in your area about any desire they have to purchase your pieces. Smaller items like plant stands, blanket boxes, benches, rockers, secretaries and small desks, drop leaf tables, end tables, coffee tables, shelves, game tables, and the like are easier to sell.
5. Hold your own sale and advertise the pieces in your ads using Craigslist, Facebook, garage sale listing sites, or even phone apps.
6. Hire a professional service or auction house to hold a downsizing sale for you. You will have to pay them a commission, but they do the work and generally have the ability to market the sale on a broader scale. (Seasoned Life Transitions is happy to help with this: www.seasonedlifetransitions.com )

One important thing I must point out about re-purposing furniture. Do not do this type of technique on a true antique unless it has already been devalued by damage or poor restoration. This suggestion is meant for a way to bring life back to an old piece of furniture that otherwise may end up in a junk pile or at Goodwill. There are some Victorian pieces that were mass produced pieces that are acceptable to refinish this way, but be careful about those decisions.