Antiquities smuggling: Growing problem at US ports

School is back in session in Wisconsin now that Labor Day has come and gone. I have to confess, I am one of those geeks who loved school. And I am enjoying it the second time around, too, helping my son with spelling words, homework and special projects. It’s like I am learning all over again (did you notice as we get older we tend to forget things?).

When I was a real student the first time, getting good grades came pretty easy for me. I never got a chance to get a big head about it, though. My mother would quickly remind me, “Brain smarts don’t mean anything if you don’t have common sense!” (What class do I learn that in?!)

A few weeks ago we asked readers: How do you determine a seller (or buyer) is trustworthy? Have you ever been the victim of an antiques-related scam? Any advice on how others can avoid the same trap?

The response could be defined by my mother’s two words: Common Sense.

If you want to avoid being scammed, take a good look at the offer. Is it too good to be true? Then it probably is.

Reader Helen wrote about the Patricia Jacoby case: “A 22 percent return on investment in 30 days! That sounds shady to me. The investors had to know something wasn’t right. If they had made 22 percent on their investment did they intend to pay taxes on that? I don’t think so. Mom was right, no such thing as easy money.”

Sometimes, though, it’s not so easy to spot a scam artist. The victims in the Jacoby case said she was a “nice lady” who seemed to have their best interests at heart. Why shouldn’t they believe her?

Reader Barbara from Tucson, Ariz., said she and at least 40 other consignors in the Southwest are fighting to get their money from an auction house there.

“We trusted these people completely,” she wrote. “We were shocked, we thought they were as honest as they come.”

Now at least one of the alleged victims is trying to share information with the others – and future consignors – through a Web site. Let’s hope this network of sharing information will help police gather enough information to file charges if warranted and help these antiques collectors get the money coming to them.

We also can’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth “advertising.” If a business or individual isn’t following through on their promises, let other potential consignors and investors know so they don’t make the same mistakes you did. On the flip side, certainly spout the virtues of auction houses and shops who have lived up to the reputation of being “as honest as they come.” There are a lot of them! In these times of schemes and scandals, they certainly deserve our business, right?

Let’s go back to “school” for a minute and think about how we “learned” common sense. Do moms get all the credit? How about the wise old shop owner down the street? Antique Trader would like to know: What’s the best piece of advice anyone gave you on how to buy, sell or collect antiques?

Drop me a line at robyn.austin@fwpubs.com or post a reply here on the Antique Trader blog.

In the meantime, do your homework! School is back in session and we are never too old to learn ... about anything.

Barbie, Thomas Kinkade, Stickley, Double Eagle, Stradivarius, Whitetail

What do these items all have in common?

Their collectible value, millions of enthusiasts worldwide and they can now be insured.

With the addition of a new insurance carrier, Collectibles Insurance Services reports it is now able to provide coverage for Dolls, Fine Art, Antique Furniture, Gold Coins, Musical Instruments and Taxidermy. "The addition of these types of antiques and collectibles allows us to fully satisfy our customers' needs for specialized insurance," advises Dan Walker, consultant for Collectibles Insurance Services.

Click here to learn the details.

Although the most popular collections insured at Collectibles Insurance Services are stamps, sports memorabilia, firearms, model trains, comics, glass and pottery, Walker says they also insure unique collections which include barbed wire, vintage airline air sickness bags and most recently a shrunken head. How's that for meeting the demands of customer satisfaction?

I guess for every weird and wonderful item out there, there is a collector waiting to add it to their treasure chest. And keep it safe.

I was perusing the news wires for auction tidbits today and came across an unusual auction happening in New York. The High Profile Pair in the Square auction will feature – of all things –  jeans worn and donated by celebrities.

I'm not sure who is in the market for celebrity-worn jeans, but at least the sales do benefit a charity – the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation (www.clothesoffourback.org). That was only part of what caught my interest. They also are debuting a "revolutionary frontload washer and dryer that can clean 4,420 jeans" before needing a detergent refill. My, we've come a long way from the days of wringer washers.

Yes, I've had my share of pinched fingers and tongue lashings for broken buttons in my day! Some of you know what I'm talking about. You had to take extra care to fold some fabric over the buttons to prevent them from breaking -- or just bypass the wringer altogether to be safe. There was always the danger of getting a finger, arm, part of your hair or piece of clothing caught in the wringer. Ouch! Who knew there was so much danger in doing laundry? At least it was an upgrade from pounding rocks -- I would have no fingers left to type with if I had had to do that!

After wringing the wash, it was out to the clothesline to hang it up. So tedious! I think I was in junior high when we finally got a clothes dryer. What a treat!! Especially in the winter when the clothes would hang on a rack over the furnace, hogging all the heat. Or if we needed an emergency pair of socks or underwear washed, we'd find them drying on top of a paper bag in the oven the next morning. (Don't tell me my mother was the only one who did this!)

In the summertime, I do miss it. Sort of. I do love the fresh smell on clothes – sheets and towels especially – dried on the line, but I'm not quite motivated to return to the days of hanging them up. I guess that's why they invented those special "outdoor scent" fabric sheets for the dryer!

Is there a modern convenience you couldn't live without? Any wringer-washer mishaps to share? Any volunteers to hang up my clothes? OK, I went too far! Always love hearing from you, though. Leave a comment here or drop me a line at robyn.austin@fwpubs.com.

Be careful out there!