Antiques: At the Stone Harbor Show… The Bargains Started at the Front Door

The ladies of the Women’s Civic Club of Stone Harbor have been doing good things for their community for years, and now they’ve done yet another good thing. This year, admission was free to their annual Fourth of July weekend Antique Show.
The front door was just where the bargains began. The score or so of dealers inside seemed poised to make deals of their own. And the items they were offering were some of the most desirable items on today’s antiques market. Dealers filled the auditorium and lined the corridors of the elementary school with a wide as-sortment, from quilts to decoys, fine porcelains and toys, neat art work to hundred year old dolls.
Enjoy the photos I took, and remember that the prices I quote are the price tag prices, just a starting point at this show. If you missed it, shame on you. Promise yourself to catch it the next time.
P.S. I really want to do another mailbag column soon, but the last five emails I received had no photos. Please send photos. No matter how good you think your descriptions are. I still have to see the piece. If you don’t know how to email photos, bring your item or a photo of it into my shop.
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. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to aschwerdt@cmcherald.net.
2. (ROYAL BONN): Hand painted and artist signed, this stunning Art Nouveau Royal Bonn vase ($795) waited to be car-ried home by a tasteful new owner. For now she will be content to hang out with the other beauti-ful things exhibited by My Partner and Me from Mantua.
3. (DECOYS): Jersey shore decoys were avail-able from Gordon Schell from the Yellow Garage in Mullica Hill. The broadbill drake on the left ($785) was carved in the 1870s by J. King of Manahawken. The Atlantic Brandt ($695) was carved by Lester Ortley of Loveland Town.
4. (STERLING): There is some silver you just don’t think of melting down and Irene Shelton of Mt. Laurel brought lots of examples, like (l-r): Strawberry forks in the 1915 “Ivanhoe” pattern by Whiting (12 for $275); an elaborately chased berry spoon simply marked “sterling” ($250); a rare set of grape shears ($165); and a set of six gold washed ice cream spoons in the 1884 “Arlington pattern by Towle ($300 for 6).
5. (SARAGUIMINES): I hope someone realized what a bargain these French majolica fruit plates were at $30 each from Theresa Brogan Antiques. They are early 20th Century Saraguimi-nes.
6. (CHINESE ADS): Items from the Chinese Republic (1911-1949) are turning collectors’ heads these days. This poster from the 1920s would certainly turn heads, and so would the rest of the collection of Chinese ad-vertizing art at the Wis-teria Way booth. They were bargain priced at only $35 each.
7. (RUBY COCK-TAIL): Local show dealer, Henrietta Mik, can always be depended on to have something flashy and modern, and she didn’t disappoint with this 1930s Cambridge ruby glass and chrome cocktail set tagged at $225.
8. (BEACH TINS): Paul Hamelberg of Point Pleasant Antiques brought this colorful collection of tin litho beach toys. The shovels were priced from about 25 to $50, and the pail at about 40 to $185. Other sand toys were higher priced, especially if they crossed over to character collectibles, like the Popeye and Olive Oyl teeter-totter on the upper right (about (350).
9. (OYSTER DISHES): Oyster dishes are always popular at the shore, so Theresa Bogdan brought these hand painted Limoges exam-ples, and priced them at bargain prices from about $85 to $125.
10. (CHINTZ): With everyone looking to add color to their décor these days, English bone china in “Chintz” style patterns are still in vogue. This collection was brought all the way from Malverne, Long Island by Peter Wolffe of Night Owl An-tiques. The Royal Winton bowl on the left was tagged at $95, the rest, including the Shelley cup and saucer on the right were similarly bargain priced at $32-$38.