www.NOVA-Antiques.com does not manage, own, promote or operate the antique shows, flea markets, estate sales or auctions listed on
these pages. All information is provided as a service to our subscribers and clients. Although we try to verify all listings
for antique shows, flea markets, estate sales and auctions prior to publication, there are times that date, location and times changes
are made by owners, managers and/or promoters that are not communicated to us in a timely manner. It is a good idea to check
with the owners, managers or promoters to make sure the event is being held before embarking on a journey.
From the NOVA-Antiques Blog - Collecting Vintage Radios
One of the first things that I ever sold on eBay was a vintage radio that
had been sitting around the house for a long time. I had picked it up at an auction in Buffalo and although I was not a newbie
to buying and selling antique and vintage items, it was the first time that I had sold anything to anyone outside of the old neighborhood. For a few years after that, I went into a frenzy; scouring flea markets, estate sales, yard and garage sales in search of more vintage
radios and then rotary phones that I could sell on eBay.
Authentic or Commemorative Presidential Cufflinks
Another NOVA-Antiques.com Blog article that I wrote a while back dealt with fake
Hull Pottery cookie jars and I gave some tips on how to identify them. A gentleman commented on my post recently and said he
wished he had read my article before going to the auction that weekend, as he had just purchased what he believed now was a fake cookie
jar.
Unfortunately, many things are being reproduced today, not only cookie jars and designer handbags but items as popular as cufflinks are
also being mass reproduced. The reproductions are usually not as valuable or as nice as the originals. Many manufacturers
and resellers are not quick to point out that you are not buying authentic merchandise; instead they call their wares commemorative
or replicas, which of course mean fake or not the real thing.
A recent search on Google for presidential cufflinks brought up close
to 700,000 results. Most of these results of course were websites trying to sell you presidential cufflinks. And if you want
a nice set of reproduction or commemorative, you can get them easily from eBay, Amazon or many other large retail sites. However,
if you want a genuine pair, beware; there are certain things you should look for.
The presidential cufflinks are rare because they were only given out to certain individuals. President Nixon was the first to
have them made with the presidential seal in a cobalt blue background. The originals are usually heavier and bit smaller than
reproductions made in Taiwan and China. Also, the authentic cufflinks do not come in a cardboard box the ones authentic ones
we have seen come in a blue leather case with a gilt band around lower openings base.
The presidential signature on the back
of the cufflinks in most cases is horizontal on the authentic and curved on the fakes, although I have seen a few fakes where thesignature was horizontal. Lastly, you get what you pay for . . . if a deal is too good to be true, then walk away. Presidential
cufflinks, because of their rarity, usually cost more than $300. If you are offered them for $59.99 online, they are almost
certainly fakes.