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was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. I am
looking for some info. about some christmas ornaments I found. They are
old and in some funky shapes, made of thin glass and the little metal
caps are marked u.s.a. I have been having trouble finding much info. on
united states ornaments. Does anbody know of a web site or a book that
covers Antique Christmas ornaments from the United States? |
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-You need to post a picture to a website, and then post a link here. I
can't remember who it was, but when Christmas ornaments came up a few
months ago it so happened that a couple of the regulars here collected
them. -getting a picture online right now is not possible but I was hoping
someone just knew of a good place with lots of pictures that I could
compare the ones I have to. I don't really know much about old
ornaments except for seeing a show on hgtv where this guy decorated a
tree in every room of his house in a different era of christmas decor.
I thought it was a neat idea and then I found these boxes of funky old
ornaments at the salvation army. I would like to figure a date for
these ornaments, I've looked the boxes over and no date, just a
proclaimation that they are made in america. I also went and looked
over ebay and found some of the same shapes but no date stated in the
auction ad. Does anyone know of a site or book with lots of pics of old
american ornaments? -You can't just compare pictures because there have been many reproductions made
of antique ornaments. This is the mistake too many people sitting at home
watching all these antique shows make. They see something and say, "Gosh, that
looks just like the ....fill in blank.....I have. My item must therefore be
worth that much. Unfortunately, most times they have a copy of what is being
shown on the air.
I can tell you that what is considered the "Golden Age" of ornaments is prior
to 1939. People who are serious look for the thin walled, silver finished
ornament. Keep in mind that as long ago as the 1950s they were making
reproduction Victorian ornaments so these by now may have the appearance of old
ornaments because they were made from the original molds. There are a few
things you can look at to determine if your ornament is a true antique or a
modern copy.
Older pieces were made of thinwalled glass tube so they are very light weight
and often feel paper thin. The metal cap is a good indicator. Before the turn
of the century the cap was often brass and gold colored and was fastened on to
the glass pike (that little piece under the cap that is narrow). It had a
domed top through which the hanging ring was inserted. Other early methods was
a glass hook and wire loops. The metal cap with a spring like metal loop
appeared around the turn of the century. Early caps are soft and often
corroded and appear to be made of lead. Some of these may have thread or
crinkle wire attached which were often used before hooks to fasten the ornament
to the tree. Caps from the 1920s and 30s were made of tin and steel. The caps
on newer pieces are usually shiny while the caps on genuine older pieces will
be dull or even rusty. Some caps will be stamped with country of origin on the
older pieces but sometimes it was just stamped on the box so that won't help
you. But remember, someone can take the cap from a broken antique ornament and
put it on a newer copy!
You can take the cap off and look at the part of the glass underneath it. The
glass in most old ornaments will be dark, discolored, and maybe even chipped.
And you will love this. (Remember the pearls thread?) You can lick the
ornament if you aren't neurotic like I am about germs. Older ornaments have a
salty taste while newer ornaments don't. -You really shouldn't. Any type of liquid, even plain water, could wash off the
finish on the really old ornaments. You can gently wipe away or blow away dust
but that is the only safe help I would recommend. If you have mold or mildew
on them, this is bad for the ornament. It not only look bad but will
eventually ruin the ornament. You can spray a LIGHT coat of Lysol on it and
let it dry. If you don't allow the Lysol to dry thouroughly between coats the
alcohol in it will cause the ornament to peel or the lacquer to run. Don't
wipe because that will just pull the finish off. Just spray it on and let it
dry. You may need to do this several times over the year to kill the mold or
mildew. |
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