Checkerboard

April, 2020

Coronavirus Concerns

The Coronavirus outbreak is impacting everybody's lives right now and you are undoubtedly wondering how this might affect our upcoming Convention. 

 

The AAAA Board of Directors discussed this in a conference call meeting on March 23. It was determined that it was too early to make a decision at that time as to whether to cancel the event. The Board will make a final decision in early May. Our hotel has been cooperating with us on this issue and is agreeable to that time frame as a decision point. Your safety will be the Board's primary consideration in its final decision. 

If you wish to go ahead and register in spite of the uncertainty, please feel free to do so by clicking here to register online or here to download a registration form. Any checks received will be retained and not deposited until a decision is made.

In early May, we will let you know if the Convention will be taking place. If it is cancelled and you already registered, you will promptly receive a full refund of your registration fees. We will also cancel your reservations with the hotel. Please note that we will retain any payments made for membership renewals.

We hope you are managing OK during this scary and difficult time.  Above all else, please stay safe and be well. If you have any questions about the Convention, please click here .

2020 AAAA Convention Sponsors

Whether our Convention is held or not, we want to recognize and enthusiastically thank our 2020 Convention Sponsors! Our Sponsors contribute greatly to the success of our Conventions. If you ever get the opportunity, please do whatever you can to show your appreciation to them.

AntiqueWeek

Since 1968, AntiqueWeek has been the indispensable publication for antique dealers and collectors across the United States. With AntiqueWeek’s regional issues (Eastern and Central for regional coverage) along with our National section (national coverage) going to 40,000 + paid subscribers and AntiqueWest’s 20,000 readers our titles are now the most popular antiques newspaper in the USA. Furthermore, a recent readership survey shows that at least 2 people read each circulated copy, making AntiqueWeek’s total readership in excess of 110,000. Therefore, whether you want to attract a local or national audience, we can help you.

 

Location: P.O. Box 90 — 27 N. Jefferson St.

Knightstown, IN 46148-0090

1-800-876-5133

Web Site: www.antiqueweek.com

Antique Trader

Antique Trader has been serving the antiques trade for more than 60 years. It continues to inspire, entertain, and inform its readers through multiple platforms. With a loyal audience of collectors, historians, and business owners within the antiques and collectibles community, the Antique Trader brand serves people via a biweekly print magazine, weekly e-newsletter, website and social media platforms.

Location: Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Phone: 715-318-0379

E-Mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.antiquetrader.com

Chupp Auctions

Chupp Auctions is a national auction house that specializes in antique advertising, farm primitives, salesman samples and country store items. Located in picturesque Shipshewana, Indiana, this auction house is noted for bringing rare and highly desirable antique items to market. 25 years in business and still going strong!

Location: 890 S Van Buren St, Shipshewana, IN 46565

Phone: (260) 768-7616

E-Mail: [email protected]

Heart of Ohio Antique Center

Established in March 1998, Heart of Ohio Antique Center is billed as the largest antique mall in America. Customer service and quality merchandise are the key goals which have kept the Heart of Ohio at the top for over 20 years.

 

Their 116,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility houses 400 spacious, carpeted booths and over 300 optimum view showcases. With thanks to their wonderful dealers, selection has been lauded nationwide, which is why Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine named them “one of the best sources for antiques and collectibles” in the country.

 

Heart of Ohio is a full service antique mall with numerous amenities for their customers. Mo-Jo’s Café offers daily lunch specials in addition to deli-style sandwiches, soups, snacks, coffee and sodas. Their new Highlights Showroom features unmatched, professional displays created by their in-house designers. The Personal Shoppers are on hand to help customers locate items they were unable to find or purchase during their visit. eBay auctions and sales allow for those unable to shop with them in person to shop with them from the comfort of their home. Their professional shipping department is capable of shipping items and orders of all sizes for customers unable to take their items with them at the time of purchase. A roomy TV lounge offers a pit stop for customers on their shopping adventures.

Location: Exit 62 just off I-70 (4785 East National Road)

Springfield, Ohio 45505

Phone: (937) 324-2188

Web Site: www.heartofohioantiques.com

Hours: 9:30 am – 6:00 pm, 7 Days per Week

Indianapolis Antique Advertising Show

The Indianapolis Antique Advertising Show, more commonly known as the “Indy Ad Show”, is one of the nation’s premier and longest running shows in the country. Entering into its 47th year, this event brings in some of the most well-known dealers from across the country who have some of the best advertising pieces for sale on display. 2020 brings new ownership to the Indy Ad Show which runs simultaneously with the Boone County Gas & Oil and the Boone County Vintage Market. Also new for 2020 is the addition of a new climate controlled building that give the show more indoor space for vendors and help the show continue to grow. The Indy Ad Show is an ongoing supporter of AAAA and provides a complimentary exhibit booth at its shows to help AAAA recruit new members.                                                                  

Location: The Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds, 1300 E 100 S, Lebanon, IN 46052. which is conveniently located halfway between Indianapolis and Lafayette on Interstate 65 which is approximately 25 minutes from downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis International Airport. 

Phone: 906-250-1618

Web Sites: www.indyadshow.com; www.boonecountytreasurehunt.com ; www.gatewaygas.com; www.route32auctions.com

Journal of Antiques & Collectibles

The Journal of Antiques & Collectibles, now in its 20th year, is a national monthly magazine for dealers, collectors, and enthusiasts of antiques and antique collectibles. Our editorial mission is to deliver news and knowledge in the form of editorial, advertising, and resource listings to help inspire active engagement between buyers and sellers in the marketplace.

The Journal of Antiques & Collectibles is distributed nationwide to paid subscribers, and made available free of charge at antique shops, shows, flea markets, and auctions. As a result, our readers and social media followers are self-identified buyers, sellers, collectors and enthusiasts of antiques and collectibles. Our editorial is a mix of industry news, resource information, history and marketplace education, curated to appeal to a wide range of readers and interests relating to the antique collectibles market today, and with an eye towards its future. We provide monthly, topic-specific columns written by noted industry professionals, profile interesting collectors and collections, and source feature articles designed to inform and inspire market engagement.

The Journal of Antiques & Collectibles is also the host of the annual Antique Collectibles Show, New Year's Day at The Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA. For more information visit: TheAntiqueCollectiblesShow.com.

For more information visit us at JournalofAntiques.com, Follow Us on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter, Post-Press Update.

Location: P.O. Box 950, Sturbridge, MA 01566

Phone: (888) 698-0734

Web Site: www.JournalofAntiques.com

Kovels' Antiques, Inc .

Kovels’ Antiques, Inc, was founded by Ralph and Terry Kovel. Hailed as “the duke and duchess of the antiques world,” they have written more than 100 books and many special reports about collecting. Their bylined newspaper column started in 1954 and is the longest-running syndicated column in the U.S. by one author. It appears in more than 100 newspapers. Their books include the annual Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, now in its 52nd edition, that has sold over 4 million copies.

The Kovels bought their first advertising collectible in 1954, the well-known “Grape-Nuts, There’s a reason” sign. Most of the advertising collection in their house is part of a “country store” that was used in their national TV series. Advertising became important enough to become a category in the price book in 1988.

Kovels.com, online since 1998, has more than a million expert reviewed prices, marks, readers Q & A, identification help, and buying and selling advice. Plus, a free weekly email with news and information of interest to collectors. For more in-depth information, the monthly subscription-only newsletter Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles includes sales reports, hotlines, and tips to help you stay informed on the changing market. Since 2008, the company is owned by the mother-daughter team of Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel.

Location: P.O. Box 22192, Beachwood, OH 44122

Phone: 216-752-2252

Web Site: www.Kovels.com

Morphy Auctions

Morphy Auctions is one of the largest auction houses under one roof. Counting on decades of experience running successful antique auctions for both sellers and buyers, the team at Morphy Auctions aims to delight our clients with fresh-to-the-market auctions, professionalism and state-of-the-art auction venues. Antique advertising is one of Morphy Auction's numerous areas of specialization, bringing to market some of the most desirable pieces available in the realm of vintage advertising.

Location: 2000 North Reading Road, Denver, PA 17517

Phone: 877-968-8880

Hours: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Monday-Friday (or by Appointment)

Web Site: www.morphyauctions.com

Showtime Auction Services

Auctioneers, appraisers and brokers of investment grade antiques, Showtime Auctions specializes in rare and desirable antique advertising, among other areas. They hold numerous records in prices realized of several categories of Antiques and Collectibles. Mike Eckles, the auctioneer and owner of Showtime Auctions, personally oversees all aspects of the auction process to ensure a high degree of satisfaction among both sellers and buyers.

Phone: 734-676-9703

Web Site: www.showtimeauctions.com

E-Mail: [email protected]

Stephen Cross, Author, Antique Tins: “A Lost Art"

Antique Tins: “A Lost Art" provides an artist palette of beautiful advertising tins from days long ago.  Stephen Cross, author of this sumptuous volume, has accumulated and preserved the detailed artwork and graphics of tobacco, cigar, coffee and other tins over the last 45 years of collecting. A little history and a lot of color makes this 11” by 13” 160 page coffee table book perfect for the antique collector or art enthusiast. To obtain a copy, contact: [email protected].

Event Cancellations

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the following events have been cancelled or postponed:

If you ever find yourself driving through the neighborhoods of small-town Whiteland, Indiana, you may be startled to suddenly come upon what is known as the “Garden of Gas Station Signs”. This is a private installation of automotive history that was assembled by Alan Ray Whitaker and the Whitaker family. The collection consists of an outside display of 36 free-standing signs set on 18-foot-tall poles and a large garage containing dozens of neon clocks, an old gas pump, more signs, a couple of boats and a vintage Corvette. Signs range in date of origin from 1934 to 1961.

The signs outside are readily accessible to all to gawk at and enjoy. The garage is a private collection although those lucky enough to run into the Whitakers just might be treated to an impromptu tour. Amazingly, they have only been at it since 2013.

The Garden of Gas Signs is located at 649 Brewer Street, Whiteland, Indiana. 

Collectors of all types are inherently curious about how old things are. Patent numbers provide guidance in determining the age of items of antiquity. Simple lists of US Patent Numbers are readily available through many sources. But did you know that Google has, once again, come up with a handy resource to make our lives better? Just click here or go to: patents.google.com .

 

This Google application has been designed to provide a wealth of information about both US and worldwide patents. To use this Google application, enter a patent number you wish to research in the data field. If it is a US patent, enter "US" prior to the number. What comes up will not only be the date of the patent but more specific dates relating to the filing, publication, and expiration of the patent. A tome of additional information is also provided including the identity of the patent applicant, complete description of the item as provided in the patent application, schematic diagram(s) of the item, and links to "Similar Documents". The original patent application can also be downloaded as a PDF document.

 

Furthermore, if you enter an item or product such as "typewriter" into the data field, all the patents related to that will be displayed. You can refine your search by entering additional descriptive keywords into the data input field. Several separate search fields are also provided that allow you to specify a date range, inventor, language, etc. If you want to limit the search to US patents, enter "US" in the main data input field.

 

This helpful application provides extensive information about the multitudes of items that have been granted patents in the US and around the world.

 

Presented below are the four pages of a patent application that was filed on January 12, 1925 and published on September 8, 1925 for an outdoor "sandwich-type" sign holder. It was submitted by Curtis O. Schanbacher from Coshocton, Ohio and was granted patent number 1553189. (Zoom in to see detail.)

The American Institute of the History of Pharmacy (AIHP) is a potentially valuable resource for enthusiasts of vintage drug store and apothecary advertising. Their web site, www.aihp.org, features articles about various aspects of the genre, including a recently published special journal issue on the history of cannabis. Membership in AIHP costs $80 per year and includes a subscription to their quarterly journal, Pharmacy in History.

The Institute has published a number of books over the years. Titles that might be of interest to AAAA members include:

Further information about these titles may be found on the AIHP web site. To visit their web site and learn more about this organization, click here.

Worthpoint is an essential on-line resource for valuation and other helpful information about antiques, collectibles and art. Quoting from the web site at worthpoint.com:

WorthPoint offers all the tools necessary to find value and price your art, antiques and collectibles easily and quickly, including:

For vintage advertising collectors, the online price guide makes surprisingly robust information available. For example, let's assume you wish to research the value of a Just Suits Cut Tobacco lunchbox tin. The Worthpoint database currently includes 200 different auction results for this specific tin, going back several years. Of course, abundant listings would not be expected with scarcer items. But it is unusual for a search to turn up nothing. Even not-often-seen items usually reveal a couple or few auction listings.

It appears that the majority of prices realized come from eBay auctions. The database is kept very current and you will find references to auctions that took place just a few weeks ago. A free app for your phone is also available so you can check valuations while you are on the hunt.

Click here to learn more about this service and subscription prices. For those who actively buy and sell vintage items, including advertising, this is an indispensable tool.

The recently appointed Editor of Antique Trader Magazine, Paul Kennedy, has reported that he is quite enamored with our PastTimes and Checkerboard newsletters. He has requested permission to reprint some of our articles in the pages of Antique Trader. That is very good for our club, since it provides us with broad national exposure in a major antiques publication. It is also a plus for our authors whose work can be enjoyed by thousands of additional readers.

The first article to get such treatment originally appeared in the December, 2018 issue of PastTimes. Authored by Jerry Phelps, the article was entitled "Van Buren Village-My Dream". Rather than simply reprint it, Editor Kennedy interviewed Jerry and re-told Jerry's story in his own words. A very talented writer, Mr. Kennedy provided a charming account of Jerry's passionate journey in creating his "village" and now devising a strategy for moving his treasures on to others. It was published as the cover article in the February 26 issue of Antique Trader (photo above). Click here for the digital version of the article.

Watch for other articles coming from our publications to appear in future issues of Antique Trader.

In this column are those sought-after items of desire that seem to be elusive. If you know where any of these items can be acquired or if you have one available, please click the link to reply directly to the seeker. To place a listing in this column, click here . There is no fee for AAAA members. Up to three listings per member are permitted.

Wanted top condition: Squirrel Brand Salted Peanuts 10 lb store tin; Convention Hall 1 lb coffee tin (Kansas City tin) yellow and/or green version; Gail and Ax Navy tobacco tin (kidney shaped pail); Sunflower brand 1 lb pry-lid coffee tin (Atchinson, Kansas). To reply, click here.

Antique American Medicine Bottles by M. Knapp... soft cover book with price guide. Printed in 2012. [email protected] or 781-248-8620 also, see my other want ad for Clarke’s ephemera and bottles.

Looking for 3 Vintage Tins: American Eagle "Oriental Mixture" tobacco (dimensions approx. 6.5" long, 2 3/4" wide, 1.5" tall); 1 Gal. Indian Head Hydraulic Brake Fluid; and Packham´s Caramel Toffee. Any offer is welcome and any condition considered. To reply, click here.

Advertising Thermometers Pin-Up Girls: Only 1900 to 1960 with or without the calendars. Any information on these thermometers would be welcome since I can not find any books, articles catalogs or anything relating to these advertising pieces. Trades and purchases sought. To reply, click here.

Morton Salt, older items, and also Pacific Coast Borax, especially a crate or box. email [email protected] or call Peggy Dailey 612-522-9211

Comic Book-Related Advertising Items: Must be from before 1980. To reply, click here .

Clarke’s Vegetable Sherry Wine Bitters, Sharon, MA & Rockland, ME: All sizes, variants, smooth/pontil base. Especially need labeled Clarke’s any size! Also, any Clarke’s ephemera…trade cards, almanacs, newspaper ads, etc. Charlie Martin Jr., 781-248-8620. Email: [email protected]

George Petty: Advanced collector looking for unique or rare items. Photo’s, store displays and non paper items. NO Esquire pages. Pete Perrault. To reply, click here or call (502) 290-7661.

Ice Cream Advertising: Mr. Ice Cream desires better graphic ice cream advertising including: postcards (Advertising and RPPC), trade cards, letterheads, billheads, booklets, poster stamps, blotters, magic lantern slides, pinbacks, watchfobs, and pocket mirrors. Allan Mellis, 1115 West Montana St. Chicago, Illinois 60614-2220. [email protected] To reply, click here.

Stock food, poultry food, veterinary advertising wanted.  Posters, medicine packages, give-aways. Email [email protected] or call (256) 520-5211.

White Plastic 7" Tall "Pole Sign" Thermometers advertising local/regional gasoline/oil/service station brands such as: SPEEDWAY 79; SUPER 98; TOPCO; ROCKET; HANCOCK; BELL; OKLAHOMA. NOT the major national brands like Texaco. Peter Capell. To reply, click here.

Singer Sewhandy Model 20-Green-regular paint, not hammertone. To reply, click here.

National Biscuit Company, Nabisco, Uneeda Biscuit, Uneeda Bakers, Muth Bakery, NBC Bread toys, signage, tins, containers, displays, historical items. Please Email [email protected] or call (937) 205-2232.

Early Cigarette Rolling Papers: Pre-1940’s - American, Zig Zag, Braunstein Freres, Bambino, and Ottoman papers wanted. To reply, click here.

Antique/Collectible Banking and Financial System "Give-a way" and advertising items. Specifically from Pennsylvania. Alarm devices and such. To reply, click here .

VITAMINS advertising, displays, signs, bottles, and anything related: Hadacol is an example. Most would come from the 1930’s thru the 1970’s. Also anything related to cod-liver oil and WEIGHT-LOSS, REDUCING, ANTI-FAT, and OBESITY ITEMS. To reply, click here .

 

Early tin signs lithographed by Tuchfarber, Wells and Hope, Worcester Sign Company, Sentenne and Green, etc. I can pay more for good condition, but would be interested in any condition. Don Lurito  [email protected] also in the directory. To reply, click here .

 

Dwinell-Wright Co. Royal Ground Spice Cardboard Spice Boxes. One side displays horizontally. Approximately 3.75" by 2.25". Any type of spice is OK. To reply, click here .

 

ENSIGN Perfect and ENSIGN Perfection vertical pocket tobacco tins to enhance my collection. Feel free to contact me at 614-888-4619 or [email protected] to see if you can help fill the voids.

        

Edmands Coffee Company, Edmands Tea Company, 1776 Coffee, American Beauty Tea, Japan Tea, Devonshire Tea, (imported by Edmands, Boston/Chicago):  Any items such as tins, signs, paper, or anything else related to the Edmands family of companies in Boston is desired. To reply, click here .

The AAAA Checkerboard is a monthly e-newsletter that is made available to all AAAA members at no cost. The mission of the Checkerboard is to increase knowledge about antique and collectible advertising among AAAA members. The Checkerboard also provides news and updates about AAAA. It is produced each month with the exception of the four months per year when the award-winning PastTimes print newsletter is published. Paul Lefkovitz ( [email protected] ) serves as the Editor of the AAAA Checkerboard. Copyright 2020, Antique Advertising Association of America