| In an age of mass production, more and more | | | | from bronze, brass or solid marble. Bookends |
| people are into collecting, especially decorative | | | | made of solid pewter and silver plate were |
| bookends. From baseball cards and various types | | | | common around the turn of the twentieth |
| of memorabilia, things that were once old are new | | | | century. There has always been a decorative use |
| again. We have all heard the stories of someone | | | | for bookends, mostly as accents for a theme. As |
| finding a valuable piece of artwork at a garage | | | | the years have passed, and fewer people kept |
| sale. This lends credence to the old adage that | | | | personal collections of books, bookends lost some |
| one persons junk is another persons prize. This is | | | | of their utility. It was not uncommon for out of |
| no less true for the humble bookend. | | | | work bookends to find new uses as doorstops |
| There appears to be a robust market in collectible | | | | and other mundane functions. |
| bookends. The decorative bookend was once a | | | | Like many staples of gone by eras, some |
| staple in many homes. In the days before | | | | bookends founds themselves stashed in an attic |
| electronic mass media, reading was by far a | | | | or otherwise disposed of. The solid bronze African |
| favorite form of relaxation and education. Personal | | | | elephant bookends that once sold for a few |
| collections of books were often a reflection a | | | | dollars in the nineteen twenties could be worth a |
| persons depth of knowledge and interest. | | | | few hundred dollars today. |
| Bookends served as a functional way to keep | | | | Like collectible pottery and glass, the value of |
| ones literary collection in order but also served a | | | | antique bookends may be tied to a particular |
| decorative purpose. | | | | manufacturer. In the early nineteen hundreds, the |
| Several factors go into determining the value of | | | | New Martinsville Glass Company in West Virginia |
| an old bookend. Age is certainly important but like | | | | produced a line sculpted glass bookends that are |
| old coins, the true value may hinge on what the | | | | quite rare today. Figurines from MI Hummel have |
| bookend is made of, who made it and what it | | | | long been a favorite among collectors of fine |
| represents. Limited edition replicas of all kinds can | | | | china figures. Intricate in design and hand crafted, |
| be of recent vintage, but the scarcity of the item | | | | Hummel also produced a line of bookends that |
| may add to its value. As with any collectible item, | | | | can sell for many hundred of dollars. |
| value is often determined by how much someone | | | | As with anything labeled collectible, the best |
| is willing to pay for it. | | | | advice is always buyer beware. An item may be |
| The term collectible really has several meanings. | | | | collectible for the standpoint of popularity. Fans of |
| There are folks who place a value on items that | | | | stock car racing and other sports may collect |
| reflect a particular theme like sports or a favorite | | | | items of interest. In that context, the term |
| hobby. The term is also used to describe those | | | | collectible merely indicates a generally high demand |
| items that have accumulated value because of | | | | for something. |
| age. Like many sculpted items, the notoriety of | | | | Someone may buy an item today in the hopes |
| the artist who created the piece may influence its | | | | that it will, someday rise in value. Now there is |
| importance as a collectible. Another key factor in | | | | nothing wrong with speculating on the future, but |
| determining the value of an antique or collectible | | | | if you want to own a truly unique piece of |
| bookend is the material from which it was made. | | | | history, consider antique collectible bookends. |
| It was not uncommon for bookends to be made | | | | |