Top Ten Popular Antiques of 2012
Dear Diva Readers,
While I’m out of the office this month as the new year starts dealing with post-fire administration, Christian Davies is writing a Guest Blog on the Top Ten Antiques of 2012 to keep you company! Have no fear… I’ll be back at the helm in no time, but for now you’ll love Christian’s tips which come from over 25 years experience in the antiques trade. Christian Davies is head of a self-named and family-run antiques firm based in the North West of England and has a particular passion for furniture from the Arts and Crafts period. Make sure to visit his site for more antique fun!
Guest Blogger Christian says the Top Antiques Trends of 2012 include:
- Furniture: Antique furniture gives buyers a real investment that has both form and function! For this year, French Neoclassical furniture has been very popular, offering stylish curves and scrolling, with embellished gold details. Space Age pieces too were selling well at auction.
- Glassware: This year, Carnival glass has been free flowing in the auction rooms. With a rather unusual iridescence and offering beautiful patterning, it perhaps isn’t difficult to see why the glassware has been popular with buyers. Originally, pieces of Carnival glassware were given away as prizes at carnivals after its original popularity fell.
- Porcelain: Items made from this popular material are some of the world’s most prized pieces and include richly decorated bowls and vases from the dynasties of Ming of Qing. Dolls crafted from porcelain and Franz-stamped porcelain have sold particularly well this year.
- Coca Cola: Antiques from Coca Cola are enduringly popular. Since its creation, the beverage brand has reproduced its famous scrolling script onto a large number of goods, including kitsch advertisements and trays. These items are very popular in 2012, but the more rare items buyers have been looking for include gum wrappers and cigar labels.
- Jewelry: Jewelry is, this year, being bought not just for wearing, but for home décor. Consider framing great jewlery and hanging it on your wall! Pieces this year have been big, colorful, and eye-catching, and have been snapped up by collectors. Pieces of jewelry inspired by nature have also sold very well.
- Occupied Japan: Following defeat in 1945, Japan was told to mark 50% of goods sent out of the country with ‘made in occupied Japan’. ‘OJ’ items are still on the market today and are selling very well. If you’re after Occupied Japan items, keep an eye out for vases and porcelain pieces.
- Lamps: Selling well in 2012, lamps have made an impact in the auction room. Lamps from the Art Deco era have been particularly popular, especially bronze examples, with beautifully detailed figures holding up the glass lamp shade.
- Bottles: In the United States, collecting bottles has stayed consistently popular for a number of years. 2012 has offered no exception – any bottles from fragrance bottles to branded household cleaning product bottles. Collectors are usually keen, and if you’re looking for bottles to buy, here’s some useful information – the ‘ABM’ mark that you might come across on the bottom of a bottle means that the bottle was created on a machine from after 1903. If you come across a ‘Pyro’ marking, this means the bottle was created after 1935, and stands for ‘Pyroglaze’.
- Toys: Antique toys offer buyers a unique view of life as a child in years gone by. Games and dolls have been very popular this year and so too have teddy bears – the more unusual, the better. If you’re thinking of selling antique toys, try to make sure all labels and boxes are included before taking them to be valued.
- Dolls: As some of the world’s most ancient toys – and also used in rituals – dolls were utilised in some way in every section of society. Originally crafted from clay, bone, ivory, and wood, dolls progressed to be made with a number of different materials, including porcelain, rubber, celluloid, cloth, wax, and plastic. This year, a large number of dolls have been sold, and clothes and accessories for them have, too.
As 2012 is coming to an end, 2013 is likely to have a fair few mainstays from the 2012 list. Furniture is likely to stay high up this list, offering function and form and a real investment for buyers. With a vast variety of pieces, styles, and artistic influences, the trade in antique furniture is unlikely to cease its pace yet.
Until next time, happy antiquing!
The Antiques Diva®
Interesting Top 10 list. I wonder if this would be considered a top 10 list in the UK or also in the USA? I’m curious now to hunt for some “OJ” pieces!
The writer is from the UK, but it’s a global list. Good question!
Great list,good to know that Carnival glass hasn’t fallen to the wayside and is experiencing a resurgance!
I was also surprised to see Carnival Glass on the list. I like it so was pleasantly surprised!