Some of my favorite objects to collect are vintage Christmas ornaments. Below I will link to 3 really hot auctions, all by the same eBayer. My personal view is that all 3 lots should be sold together. I know a lot of novices think they will get more money when they list things separately. Not in this case. A serious collector would want the intact collection and a letter from the owner stating that they came from one estate. Oh, we are talking about vintage mercury glass ornaments that are indented. The indented area includes a small Christmas themed diorama.
Here are Donatello's tips for collecting glass ornaments. Fist, like anything, collect what you like. My wife likes Swedish ornaments, I like mercury glass ornaments that are stenciled or flocked. In December I will look for my favorites with you live. The vintage ornaments are hand blown glass and can be distinguished from the new ones in 2 main ways. First look for a seam. If the ornament has a seam it's not hand blown but was made with a mold. Second, look at the crown on top. The crown on a vintage ornament is silver or steel but never gold. The old ones may look grimy or verdigrised, the new ones look thin and "clean". During the second world war there were no gold or silver colored ornaments because all of the precious metal went to the war effort. War time ornaments are often stamped on the crown with "made in U.S.A." Many of the war year and post war ornaments are painted solid color with metal paint containing mercury, so don't ever lick them! Many 50's specimens are either painted on or flocked with white "snow". Flocking is old, but glitter is usually newer. The largest and best known company was Shiny Brite. Keep in mind that Radko now owns the name and uses it on his brand new creations. Here are the auction links:
Auction 1: 5 ornaments Current Bid $26, $27
Auction 2: 7 ornaments Current Bid $26, $29
Auction 3: 10 ornaments Current Bid $21, $41, $102
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