Apple peeler, Western Mountain, photo courtesy of Ruby Lane
Cleveland, OH (PRWEB) December 13, 2013
There's still time to shop Christmas gifts for antique hunters and collecting enthusiasts. Terry Kovel and the elves at Kovels.com suggest a "go-with." Don't understand much about the collection of mechanical banks, paperweights, or toys prized by the collector on this year's gift list? Here are ten helpful ideas:
1. An old or new apple peeler that peels, cores and slices apples. It's a great hit with kids, and one having to do with healthy food. White Mountain is still making them -- look for a vintage one on eBay or online antique malls.
2. Help a collector learn what's selling these days by giving a subscription to the collector's newsletter, "Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles." Or consider one of the many regional collector newspapers, magazines or newsletters published by a collector club devoted to a special collection. Find many listed in the Kovels.com Directory.
3. A homemade certificate, good for one day at a local antiques show, flea market or mall, that includes transportation, food and your company for the day.
4. Ornaments shaped like 18th century upholstered armchairs, blue and white Chinese ceramics or shoes. They are about 4 1/2 inches high, made of resin, and found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog.
5. Kovels' leaflet, "Flea Market Strategies: How to Shop, Buy, and Bargain the 21st-Century Way," available in the online book store at Kovels.com.
6. A dictation app to record voice notes while at a show or flea market. You can email the dictated information to yourself and then print it. Two worth considering -- Dragon Dictation and Dictamus.
7. Magnetic picture hangers. They consist of a hook on a simple magnetic plate that attaches to metal surfaces to hang vintage metal advertising signs. Here's one: Magna Visual Magnetic Picture Hanger.
8. A special book about your friend's collecting interest. Be sure to buy from a source that will accept returns if it's a duplicate.
9. A new smoke alarm if your friend hasn't replaced his or hers in years. It could save the family collection -- fire can destroy everything.
10. Best of all, give the best book of prices for average collectors, "Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide."
One last suggestion: Put a dollar bill in the package with any gift you give, along with a reminder that the bill makes a perfect 6-inch ruler.