Welcome to the WCN Collecting Articles and Features Channel dedicated to all things related to collecting, antiques, pottery, vintage toys, dolls, teddy bears, memorabilia, books, comics, figurines and everything else collectable. Our aim is to provide collectors with information on all aspects of antiques and collecting, from identifying and valuing antiques, to tips on starting and growing a collection, and to featured collectible histories.
We feature hundreds of articles and features on all aspects of collecting, written by experts in the field. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just getting started, we hope you’ll find something of interest here. Thanks for reading! You can also search for articles using the magnifying glass to the top right of the web site.
Weatherby’s Zany Zookies – Zookies are super, large, colourful character-type creatures are great fun to collect. During the 1950s, a number of companies began manufacturing ranges of animals, hoping that people would go on to collect several in a set. Wade introduced their exceedingly popular Whimsies – delicate, realistically-modelled porcelain […]
The Benjamin Franklin Z Grill, more commonly known as the Z-Grill, is a United States postage stamp issued in 1868 featuring a portrait of Benjamin Franklin. It is considered one of the rarest and most valuable stamps in the world of philately. The distinct feature of this stamp, from which […]
Since its inception in 1953 by Hugh Hefner, PLAYBOY magazine has been synonymous with not just glamour and the celebration of the female form, but also with cutting-edge journalism and literary contributions. Among its most notable collaborations is with Ian Fleming’s James Bond, which not only elevated the magazine’s cultural […]
Whilst looking at items to write a feature on Circus Collectables, I came across the delightful range of Circus miniatures created by Charbens. Many people recognise the name Britains and their miniatures but apart from keen collectors, Charbens is not a too familiar. In this feature we will take a […]
They have a variety of names – pincushion dolls, tea-cosie dolls and dresser dolls… and there are those also known as ‘tops’, ‘pin heads’ or ‘whisk-broom’ dolls. Generally they are referred to as Half Dolls… but whatever name may be dubbed, they all have one thing in common.
King Penguin Books Checklist and History – The King Penguin book series, a pioneering initiative by Penguin Books, was launched in 1939 with “British Birds on Lake River and Stream” by Phyllis Barclay-Smith. Drawing inspiration from the high-quality illustrated books of the past, the series became known for its distinctive […]
Primavera, founded in 1912 by René Guilleré and André Mare, the French design studio affiliated with the prestigious Parisian department store Au Printemps, was a cornerstone in the evolution of French decorative arts. Situated at the cusp of tradition and modernism, the company thrived by integrating established French decorative techniques […]
Toy boxes suddenly started to smell delicious in 1980! Delicious fruity scents of cherry, lemon, raspberry, blueberry, lime and – most of all – strawberry filled our homes. Here was a toy we really didn’t mind buying for our children. The perfume drifted from a series of dolls, of various […]
The Knickerbocker Toy Company, with its roots stretching back to the late 19th century, is a significant chapter in the history of American toy manufacturing. Founded in 1869 by a family of Dutch immigrants originally named Van Whye, the company began as a small operation in Albany, New York. The […]
Collecting Little Orphan Annie Dolls – When the Annie musical first hit London, in 1978, following on from the Broadway production a year before, it was a smash-hit. It gave numerous young girls a chance to shine, amongst them a very youthful Catherine Zeta Jones, who played the lead role […]
