Hi!
Yet another crazy week here in the Desert. Sales galore and some fun finds! Also, I just found out that I will be on eBay Radio with Griff on Tuesday, November 20th at 1 pm Pacific. We will send a reminder email that morning with links! Always a fun time with Griff and Lee.
- Lynn Recommends The Queen’s Boot Camp in a Box!
- Special Announcement: Another opportunity to learn from eBay business expert Joel Elad
- Feature Article: 2nd half of American Pottery Article–Thanks, Linda!
- The Queen’s Update: Our 37th 100 Best Story from YOU
This ezine is published once a week.
November 15, 2007, Volume III, Issue 44
Dear fellow eBayers,
Remember that Fake Roseville that I bought a few weeks ago? Well, at that same sale, I picked up 9 African items for $80. Once I realized the Roseville was fake, I wasn’t very motivated to list the African stuff. But, I figured “what the heck?” I have nothing in it and I need my dining room table back in time for Thanksgiving. Well, guess what? Some of it has turned out to be quite good!!
Check out these three pieces that seem to have quite a lot of interest.
Carved woman. Click here.
Shell piece. Click here.
Tribal mask. Click here.
The moral of this story is that just because some items you buy at one sale aren’t very good, doesn’t mean there aren’t other great things there! My point is just to get them listed!
AND the best way to get your items listed and get them listed quickly is to follow the Dralle Method that I teach at my Live eBay Boot Camps. I am so excited to announce that the New Boot Camp in a Box is ready to ship!!! It is incredibly informative and full of hours of fun learning that you must check out in the Lynn Recommends section.
Another very important thing to remind you of this week is that eBay is having another SALE. I just had a feeling about this. So, from November 6th until December 12th, the gallery is free! Yes, I said FREE!!!! I always use the gallery–so it is my goal to list at least 1,000 items in the next 5 weeks and save myself $350. I challenge you to list above and beyond your usual rate by using the Dralle Method.
Oh, before I forget, I want to update you on what the cranberry shades and the Playmobil sold for last week.
Remember what I said about this one? “In the old days of the shop, she would have gotten $125 (at least) for this one.” Well, it ended up selling for $56.75, or 45% of my estimate of the shop’s price.
Click here for more information.
And what I said about this one: “And probably $65 for this one.” Well, it went for $35.09, or 54% of my shop estimate. Very interesting!
Click here to learn more.
Grand total, $91.84! Not bad for a $6 investment and I am happy to report that the true antique shade did bring in about $20 more than the newer shade! I am glad that I was wrong about that prediction.
I had high hopes for these Playmobil sets–even though the boxes were in terrible condition.
They didn’t go as high as I had hoped, but for a $2.00 investment, the $54.70 total wasn’t so bad. AND, three of them got shipped to France. “Ooh La La!” as my kids say and my grandmother would have said!
Indian set $12.21
Firemen set $20.50
Doctor & Nurse set $9.99
Construction Workers $12.00
Grand Total: $54.70
One last pointer! Don’t be discouraged if you are at a garage sale or in a thrift store and the sellers have eBay pages printed out all over the place showing what their items will sell for on eBay. I used to just walk away from these sales, but not anymore.
Case in point, at the sale where I got the two cranberry shades, they had eBay printouts on every table! And this past weekend, I was at a sale where the gentleman had an eBay printout next to a Franciscan set that he was asking $180 for. It was all scratched up and his pricing was extremely optimistic. BUT, next to that set was a stack of nine plates by Swid Powell for only $1 each. They looked interesting and guess what…they were a serious score!
Click here to see how high one plate/charger is going for. And eight of them all got bids within the first hour. The ninth plate had a chip (that I didn’t notice until listing time) so we will see if it sells.
And this brings me to this week’s feature article. It is the second half of Linda’s wonderful article on American Pottery (eBay ID cajunc). The more knowledgeable we are about a wide variety of items, the better we are equipped to deal with the changing garage and thrift store markets. There are still a ton of bargains to be found out there–Just keep learning and you will keep being successful on eBay!!!
Finally, I have started selling manufacturers’ new items under a new user ID. Check out my auctions at SmashinBeauty. You can get some great deals on brand new cosmetics. I was fortunate enough to work with Jen Cano from HammerTap on our new item strategies. It was a lot of fun and I learned a ton! Watch for a feature article coming up soon about this super research tool.
This week we have another great story about the things you all have sold on eBay. This week’s story is a great tale of a Japanese tin toy (and another cat!)
Here’s to Successful eBaying!
Lynn Dralle, ‘The Queen of Auctions,’ Creator of the best-selling eBay Boot Camp in a Box and Boot Camp in a Box Lite.
Check out these emails that I just got from one of our Live La Quinta Boot Campers:
Hi Lynn,
It is Judy from the La Quinta Boot Camp. I just finished my 100th listing this week! Yippee! Last week I did 98! It is a lot of work but it really seems to be paying off.
I also have well over 200 items in my store. It seems like I am shipping every day, which is a good thing. And..if you have time, check out my bulldog auction. It is ending today and if it goes any higher, I may send you a story for your newsletter. I am having a great time! Thank you one more time for being such an inspiration! …Judy (salesbytrudy)
Lynn,
FYI the French Bulldog ended at 79.00!
I also wanted to tell you that I had a huge day yesterday. I sold 16 items totaling $286.89! Thanks again, and again, and again, and again!!!!!
Judy
P.S. I forgot to mention that I only paid $1 for that Bulldog…Judy
I am not going to show you the bulldog because I want Judy to submit a story to us for one of the ezines! But it just goes to show you how powerful these three-day events are and how they can change your life!
Emails like that give me goosebumps and help me to see just how powerful the Dralle Method is for those who put it into practice!
The La Quinta Boot Camp footage is finished and we have put together an incredible introductory package for you. There are so many bonuses it will make your head spin. I know it is making Carmen’s, Mo’s, Lee’s, and my mother’s heads spin–trying to put it all together in time to ship out this week. Click here to learn more. This offer expires soon, so don’t delay or make excuses!
This new Boot Camp footage is totally up-to-date; showing the new sell your item form and changes that I have made to my system. I am really excited to announce the “on-sale” special promotion details today. What are you waiting for? It is time to change your eBay business and your life…right now!
Remember, I am an eBay Certified Service Provider. eBay lets me put their name on all of my products. And I offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I want you to be as successful as I am. Click here.
And remember, if you order before midnight tonight, you will receive a bonus auction critique by me including up to ten minutes by phone discussing your auction! This is so valuable in helping you to see how to fine-tune your auctions for maximum sales. Click here to learn more.
All Queen’s Court members receive a 15% discount on all of my website store merchandise. That includes Boot Camp in a Box!
I am excited to announce that My friend Joel Elad and I will be doing a teleseminar on Tuesday night, November 27th at 5 PM PST, 8 PM EST. It will be an ‘Ask Campaign’ so you can submit your questions ahead of time and I will pick the best ones and the ones that are asked the most. Click here to learn more and to ask your question.
Joel and the gang from eBay Live!
Joel is the author of eBay your Business and is an expert on many things that I know nothing about! Too Cool.
Books that Joel has authored:
So fire away with questions about types of businesses, licenses you should have, how to get yourself set up, and more. In addition, Joel is a whiz at buying travel at bargains on eBay. Every time I run into Joel at an eBay event he has gotten some incredible travel deals on eBay. Joel is also the lead instructor for the Learning Annex in SF, LA, San Diego, and NY. This is one teleseminar that you will not want to miss.
This teleseminar and transcript are free for Queen’s Court Members and is your extra gift this month. If you are not a member of the Queen’s Court and would still like to listen in, receive the download, and get the transcript, we do have a special introductory rate. Click here to sign up.
Even if you can’t make it to the call, drop by and ask your question here. The more questions we have, the more we’ll learn on the call.
‘Identifying American Pottery – Look at the Bottom! part II‘
by Linda Richard, eBay ID cajunc, a guest columnist for The Queen of Auctions
(You can find the first half of this article in ezine volume 3, number 42, here.)
THE FOOT
The shape, glazing, and markings of the “foot” or base surface of the piece which makes contact with a supporting surface (ie – table or shelf) can be as revealing as the color and texture of the clay.
Many pieces of pottery have a dry rim around the bottom edge, known as a dry foot. See figure 18.
figure 18
Others have a completely dry or unglazed bottom, and still, others have wedge shapes on the bottom. Royal Copley frequently used bars across the bottom. See figure 19.
figure 19
American Bisque used the wedge shapes routinely, so that is always my first guess on a piece with a dry wedge foot. Figure 20.
figure 20
Companies using a dry foot include most of the Ohio companies and some Stangl of New Jersey.
Several companies used stilts for glazing pottery, and the bottom will be glazed over completely with three small marks for the stilts. Haeger and Royal Haeger are often glazed like this. See figure 21.
figure 21
There are also some California potters who used stilts or firing pins for most of their glazing. Metlox was one California pottery using firing pins. See figure 22.
figure 22
Vohann is another example of a glazed bottom with firing pins. Figure 23.
figure 23
RedWing (also Rumrill ) and Stangl used stilts for some of their ware lines. See figure 24.
figure 24
Peters and Reed often have three stilt marks, too, and the old pieces show red clay under the glaze. SO, if you see three little flaws on a glazed bottom, these are not damaged–they are stilt marks or firing pin marks used for the firing process. Examining the bottom for stilt marks may reveal some numbers that may help with identification, too.
THE NUMBERS
For many years, three numbers were used to identify many of the SHAPES for American pottery. Some companies only used two numbers for some of the shapes, and some used four. These are numbers that are in the mold, not handwritten. RedWing and Rumrill are routinely marked with numbers, and sometimes the name. Some of the pieces were also marked with a letter, a dash, then a number – so items marked similar to M-3333 are often Redwing (Murphy Era).
If you see three numbers at a slant on a yellow clay pot, it may be Brush or McCoy. See Figure 25.
figure 25
Three square numbers on a white pottery bottom may be Alamo Pottery, made in San Antonio, Texas from about 1946-1952, or it may be Gilmer, another Texas pottery in business for much longer. Figure 26.
figure 26
Remember to look at Camark and Niloak, too, because they used white clay for much of their production. Note the difference, though. Alamo and Gilmer often have a completely unglazed bottom, while Camark and Niloak may have just a dry foot. Figure 27.
figure 27
The way the numbers are written, the style of number,s and even the number of numbers are all significant in determining the maker of a piece of pottery. It is that combination of details that helps the pottery enthusiast to determine the maker.
THE GLAZE
This article is about the identification of American pottery by the bottom, and it is not my intent to vary from that topic much, but it is difficult to look at the bottom and not see the top—so comment on glaze seems essential here. Once the clay color has been examined, the weight of the pot has been considered, and it has been determined to likely be American pottery, then a cursory glance at the glaze may help with certain identification.
The glazes in pottery went with the fashion of the day, and trends can be noted, although there are lots of exceptions. The era of standard glaze–the shiny brown finish used by Weller, Loy-Nel-Art, Peters, and Reed, and Rozane–was at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Great detail in hand-painting and hand-work including sgraffito with pastels, predominated the next 15 years or so. Think Rookwood and Newcomb. By 1915, much American pottery was a matte finish and early Art Deco shapes. This continued through the 1920’s. Some American potteries went back to shiny glazes in the late 1930s and 1950s, and through the 1960s for many of the companies. Much of the newer Roseville, not a reproduction but 1960s era production, was a shiny glaze, but this started as early as 1937 with Ivory II production. Roseville, for one, had both shiny and matte patterns side by side for many years. By 1947, most of their lines had gone to a shiny glaze. The same general dating can be used for Hull, Weller, and other American companies of the first half of the Twentieth Century. In general, the shiny glaze has not met with the same favor by collectors as the matte glaze pieces. This is probably most evident in Van Briggle and Rookwood. The shiny pieces do not sell for the premium prices of matte glaze pieces.
Some companies typically made certain colors and styles of glazes. Winart Pottery made a drip glaze that identifies much of their wares. See figure 28.
figure 28
Guppys Island Ware of California used a drip glaze. See figure 29.
figure 29
Drip glazes were also common in Fulper, Stangl, and Zanesville pottery. Morton pottery made drip glaze pots and figurines, and it is becoming collectible.
Crystalline glazes were done in early Camark and early Haeger. See figure 30.
figure 30
There are some contemporary studio potters doing glazes with large crystal formations in the glaze – but these early production works were small crystals. See figure 31.
figure 31
Lava or foam glazes were common in VanBriggle and Haeger – the most recognized being Bennington Brown Foam by Haeger. These are a type of drip glaze, but are bubbled at the top and do not form the “drips” of drip glazes.
Mottled glazes were most often made by Ohio potters–Burley-Winter, McCoy, and Zanesville come to mind. Figure 32.
figure 32
OTHER IDENTIFIERS
Camark used a cutting tool that left what I call “saw marks” on the dry foot of their pots.
I have been able to identify several Camark pieces instantly by the saw marks. See figure 33.
figure 33
Nemadji has a distinctive look, done almost in mission style like the swirl clay potters. Figure 34.
figure 34
Haeger often looks as if it has a “seam” in the middle of the glazed bottom, and that helps in the identification of any Haeger or Royal Haeger that is not otherwise marked. Some Weller has a distinctive three-part seam at the bottom. See figure 35.
figure 35
Purinton may have a seam with an unglazed foot. See figure 36.
figure 36
Some Dryden has a flat unglazed bottom, and that along with the sandy clay helps identify older Dryden, even if the mark is not readable.
Vitreous china was made by many of the American potters, and it is best known as restaurant ware. It is usually white clay with a very hard, high-fired finish. Much of the Alamo and Gilmer pottery is vitreous, pottery fired at a high temperature in the kiln. Mosaic also did vitreous with white or sandy clay and hard shiny glaze. This pottery is difficult to chip or break and feels like bathtub porcelain. It is usually very heavy, almost the weight of stoneware.
Vontury of New Jersey was also high-fired pottery, and much of the Vontury is done in pastels with impressionistic nature scenes. Figure 37.
figure 37
Most Vontury is marked, but the name is difficult to read unless you know what it should be. See figure 38.
figure 38
Handles were often elaborate on Fulper and Stangl and sometimes Dryden and Morton. Much of the Floraline McCoy line was very plain, Art Deco style pottery, made for the florist trade. Hyalyn also made Deco-style pieces, and often they had cork bottoms. See figure 39.
figure 39
What I call “sloppy” pots were made by Burley-Winter, Zanesville, and sometimes McCoy. These had a glaze that ran down over the edge of the dry foot, oftentimes not trimmed.
VanBriggle did some of these, too, but most of the VanBriggle pottery is marked and not difficult to identify. Figure 40.
figure 40
CONCLUSION
When looking at a piece of pottery, learning to combine the information here will be the most helpful. Check the weight, then the bottom. Check the color, then the design of the bottom – whether a dry foot, flat bottom, wedged base, ridged bottom or stilts. Then, identify the piece by style, glaze, or some other identifier. Confirm your conclusion by checking in a book or the internet. Once you have done this for a few years, you will develop confidence in your skill.
This is just a lightweight review for the identification of unmarked American Pottery. Maybe it will encourage you to try your luck at the identification of pieces on your shelf or in the collectibles malls. It may also give some insight into why some people pick up pottery and check out the bottom. They aren’t dusting the shop or emptying the spiders (or crickets in Texas). They are looking under the pot for answers!
Happy hunting for American Pottery!
About the Author: Linda H. Richard (eBay ID cajunc) has been collecting American Pottery for twenty years and has been an ISA Appraiser for ten years. She is currently pursuing other interests and is not an active appraiser with the International Society of Appraisers. She has contributed to several books and articles. Her husband, Darrell, does the photography and design work for her pursuits.
Thanks for the awesome article, Linda.
Lynn
I am happy to present our 36th story for The 100 Best Things You’ve Bought or Sold on eBay! Look below for a story of a Japanese tin space car that sells for big bucks. Click below to read…
Click here to read the story…
A big thanks to everyone who has already submitted a story! We are looking for more great stories of your eBay adventures. We know there are many great tales out there, so please submit your story along the lines of the stories from the 100 Best Books and a great side story with photos will help. If we use your story, you will receive a $35 merchandise credit on my website and you will have your story featured–along with your user ID–in my ezine! It may also eventually end up in a published book!
By the way, when I mention my ezine readers’ user IDs with links to their auctions–it actually helps their sales! Amazing how that works. Click here for the guidelines for submitting your stories.
eBay PowerSeller and third-generation antique dealer, Lynn Dralle, is the creator of Boot Camp in a Box, the home-study course where you can learn to implement the Dralle Method to maximize your eBay profits.
If you liked today’s issue, you’ll love this step-by-step course that is guaranteed to be the most complete and enjoyable guide to selling on eBay that MAKES YOU MONEY.
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Happy eBaying!!
Lynn
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