I like to research vintage items I am listing in my Etsy shop. I do my best finding information on the internet and I will also be consulting books from the library soon, as it's just a matter of making it down to my local library. The building is under renovations again annd not all the books are out for selection, so I honestly didn't feel like traveling too far from home to another library location. I have also watched a good number of Antiques Roadshow and Market Warriors programs, so I try to learn on television as much as I can!
Sometimes, one can find tons of information about a vintage or an antique piece, or history on the company who made it. Other times, it's kind of hit and miss, and you are left to search page after page on the web. No one said it would be easy, but you can usually turn up something on e-bay or Etsy. It may even be for a listing that has already been sold, and you keep digging. Either way, you may find your exact item or find out more information about the company. That's when it can get really interesting.
You might turn up information about the first owner, and the companies inception, or the first location of the building where the company really started. I am always interested to find out about certain decades in a companies time in business, and how it changes from one owner or name to the next. It can lead to stories of factory fires, bankruptcy, prosperity, recovering, about merging or families and more. If it's a family run business that stays in business, with every member having their particular skill and job to do, really does interest me as well. It's basically a families history and you can learn a lot is all.
I also like to study certain characteristics of pottery, ceramics, and all kinds of collectibles. You can find out by a particular watermark or logo of the company what era the item had been made or by certain styles of pottery or paint used. I keep learning. You can also see when a piece you have purchased could be rare, if there are few or no listings such as yours. I usually go this route and check ebay or listing sites that sell vintage when no distinctive markings or indicators lead me to any conclusions. I had dug up an old bowl that used to be fancy hotel wear. The bowl was a delicate looking baby blue shaped around the edges like a flower and layering petals, and it was buried down into the ground in an old barn structure that used to probably be an old chicken coup. It was fairly dirty and I washed it up. It's a dirty job, but if you are determined to recover the furniture or even dishes, like bowls that used to scoop feed back in the day, then you can clean it well and find that you have a very rare item to add to your collection.
Sometimes, if others think it's not worth anything and you turn it into a custom beauty again, then you may have offers when all the hard work is finished or you could just have FREE vintage decor for a nice shelf or centerpiece. It's very much like many things in life, if you do the work others will not - then be the person to enjoy the benefits...... or the beauty.
It's surprising what one can find from old garbage piles by homesteads, or in abandoned towns and buildings. It used to be, but I suppose things are fairly well picked over now with exploring types of people growing every year. When the American or Canadian pickers shows began, I think it likely gave birth to a new wave of people digging for a good antique items or something to turn over for profit.
A few years ago, I had found old peanut butter tins, and while rusty, the logos of the company Kraft or Jiffy, were still apparent and interesting. I would say at least with a surviving logo or picture, you may be able to investigate it further. You also would have a good indication of how old the piece is by and certain patina is just fine on old containers. But old timer's may be able to help you date a piece. They know about when certain food tins were in production, as it brings back memories of their Mother's grocery bags and what was brought into the kitchen. I think the images of food containers stay in the minds of people for many years, if they were fond of the specific food.
Those are just some instances, but of course you can always consult museums, experienced professionals, antique shops, old trading posts, periodicals and much more! I will try to add articles here from time to time about pieces I list in my Etsy shop.
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