Tennis sometimes a collectibles theme

#Middlebury #Antiques #Tennis

There have been many studies on why people do or don’t collect. Do they hoard to replace something that was missing in their life – a loving parent, perhaps? Is it an obsession, like gambling? Or is it interest in research on history or art and the emotions they create?

Many decorators in the 1950s and ’60s included a cabinet in the living room or dining room to hold a collection of ceramics, glass or miniatures. Today, fashionable rooms are often decorated with only a few large paintings or wall hangings and one large colorful work of art or antiques on a large table. Does that mean we are too busy to want to search for and buy special collectibles?

This pair of wrought iron chairs made with crossed tennis rackets and a ball of iron for the back didn’t sell, perhaps because they were old but repainted. They had been estimated at $1,200 to $1,800.

Many collectors search for reminders of their earlier lives – a sport, a color, a love of gardening. A memorable sale by Morphy Auctions included a collection that belonged to a famous woman, a tennis historian and author. She had cameo pins picturing a woman with a tennis racket, wicker chairs with the backs woven in the shape of crossed rackets, dishes picturing tennis-playing rabbits, and of course, old tennis balls, gut-strung rackets and even a skirt lifter shaped like rackets, used to hold a women’s skirt up while playing in the 1890s. The sale proved there were others who like both tennis and collecting enough to buy unopened cans of 1930s tennis balls for $1,200 and a tennis player weathervane for $11,000.

Q: Some of the toys in my collection of iron cars and trucks may be later reproductions. Yes, fakes. How can I tell if they are old (pre-1910) or new?

A: Look carefully at the wheels. If they have fewer than eight spokes, they may be new. Another clue: There is a slot in the tubular axle that goes from wheel to wheel. The iron toy is not riveted but is screwed together. Since you know you have both old and new toys, you can try the easiest clue: Run your hand over the bottom. Old iron has a smooth finish; reproductions are rough. The iron feels almost like concrete.

Current Prices
Lladro, angel, brown, afro, seated, wings, barefoot, singing, playing lute, 4 1/2 inches, $20.
Shelley art deco pitcher, basin, light blue band, line decorations, diamonds, fans, c. 1935, 13 3/4 inches, $75.
Smith Brothers cracker jar, silver plate mouth, cover and handle, melon lobed, opaque white, flowers, c. 1880, 5 1/4 x 2 3/4 inches, $110.
Mt. Washington toothpick holder, milk glass, fine rib, square rim, flowers, c. 1880, 2 1/2 inches, $150.

Tip: Don’t store paper collectibles in the trunk or glove compartment of your car. The heat may harm them. If you are on a long buying trip, don’t keep putting the papers you buy in the trunk. Mail them to your home or office and avoid exposing them to prolonged heat.

For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com.

© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.