Antiques– Adopt an Antique Shop Pet

This week’s column features photographs of some of the cats and dogs that are waiting in the local antique shops for someone to give them a new home. The shops are always well stocked, because dog and cat collectibles – whatever the economy or current fads — are always popular.
If you are out browsing the shop these days doing some early Christmas shopping, start noticing the dogs and cats. They make neat gifts, stocking stuffers, and delightful additions to your wrapping and decorations.
The obvious collectibles are the figurines, and Staffordshire dogs, pottery King Charles spaniel figurines, sometimes called “fire dogs” for their use in pairs by the hearth or on the mantel. Regal and stately, they were popularized by Queen Victoria in the mid-19th Century, and are still part of traditional English-style décor today. Also Staffordshires are being collected now just for fun, in singles and in various sizes and styles,
Old Staffordshire dogs aren’t marked. Other quality figurines are marked, however, and some that are well known for their animal figures include: Mortens Studios (paper label), Goebels, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Royal Dux, and Bourne Denby Derby. There are also scads of inexpensive and irresistible figures in the shops, including adorable miniatures made as accessories for model train sets and dollhouses.
Figurines are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cat and dog collectibles. Look for artwork, postcards, books, toys, banks, Christmas ornaments and jewelry, like cufflinks, charms, pins and pendants, as well as scarves, ties and silk hankies.
Any of these collectibles, or others like door stops, boot scrapes, bookends, etc., that are also a dog or cat collectible are crossovers, or double collectibles and therefore more valuable.
If you would like to have your cat or dog collectible appraised, or anything else for that matter, bring it in to the Teaberry Marketplace on Route 9 in Clermont on Nov. 3. I’ll have more info in the next column. In the meantime, you might want to drop in there and ask them in person. (They’ve got “pets” to adopt, too.) Oh, and did you know you could also get a very yummy lunch there?
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of The August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton.
7. (Warhol): Books on cats and dogs make wonderful stocking stuffers, and you can find them in antique shops for from $1 on up. This is a Warhol first edition, so it might cost anywhere from $20-$35, but you can find subsequent editions, and many other books on pets for much less in local antique shops.