Observed annually on April 9th is National Cherish an Antique Day.
Do you have something special that was passed down from your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents? National Cherish an Antique Day provides us an opportunity to learn the story and the history behind our treasured antiques. It’s an excellent time to record the provenance and preserve it for safe keeping.
Antiques are often cherished because of their personal and emotional connections. Often a colorful story tells how it came into the family making it even more valuable as an heirloom.
National Cherish an Antique Day also recognizes the quality and uniqueness of the items that were made by hand rather than by machine.
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The Pinner Qing Dynasty Vase (justcollecting.com) The most expensive antique that was ever sold was in the year 2010 in the United Kingdom. It was a Pinner Qing Dynasty Vase and was auctioned for $80.2 million. The vase is said to be from the 1740s.
- We all know Michel Jackson as the king of pop, but little do we know that he had a hobby of collecting antiques and his collection was worth more than a billion dollars. Some of his collections included French mirrors, furniture, porcelain figurines, etc.
- The American Philatelic Society (APS) has supported stamp collecting from the year 1886. Now there are about 34,000 people from 110 different countries who are members of the society.
- Some of the celebrities who collected stamps were Amelia Earhart, Charlie Chaplin, President Franklin D.Roosevelt, John Lennon, Queen Elizabeth, etc. President Franklin D.Roosevelt was so interested in collecting stamps that he even drew sketches of the type of commemorative stamps which he wanted the Postal Service of the United States of America to issue in the future.
- If you are interested in collecting antique mirrors, then you can visit the antique mirrors Melbourne (Australia) stores. They have some of the best antique mirror auctions and sales.
- For the French, Wednesday is the day for selling all the old items. The new pieces are introduced on Thursday. So if you are looking for some antique French mirrors then try to shop on a Wednesday.
- The antique Venetian mirror was so expensive; King Henry VIII and France’s Renaissance King, Francis were collectors of such antique mirrors, and it is known that they spend a lot of money on such antique mirrors. The antique Venetian mirror is said to cost as much as the home of an aristocrat would cost or the cost of a naval ship.
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Princess Katherine Henckel Emerald and Diamond Tiara ( Sothebys) The Emerald & Diamond Tiara of French Emperor Napoleon III’s wife, was also one of the most expensive antiques that were sold. It was sold for $15 Million in 2011 at Sotheby.
- What are believed to be mirrors, made of polished obsidian, a volcanic glass, have been found in archaeological sites in Turkey. These very early mirrors date to at least 6000 B. C. Polished copper mirrors dating to about 4000 B. C. have been found in Mesopotamia, while similar copper mirrors dating from about 3000 B. C. have been found in sites in Egypt. Polished stone mirrors have been found in the Americas, and polished bronze mirrors from China, all date to around 2000 B. C. Over the centuries, other cultures made mirrors from polished stone and various metal alloys. With the discovery of glass in the first B. C., the Ancient Egyptians made mirrors of glass backed with silver, while the Ancient Romans backed sheets of glass with hot lead to create their mirrors.
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