One of the most prolific designers of the 20th/21st Century has to be French born Philippe Starck. His design achievements include an eclectic mix of everyday domestic items, lighting and furniture to more flamboyant interior design projects, making him an industrial design genius often referred to as “The Designer of […]
Collecting Articles and Features
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.
Victoriana, Victorian Staffordshire and Victorian Collectables
The term Victoriana covers a vast and interesting group of generally low-priced, mass produced wares, typical of the period. Pictured left: A pair of mid 19th C Victorian Staffordshire spill vases. Image Copyright Bonhams. Such wares as Staffordshire chimney ornaments and printed pot lids can still be found at a […]
Vladimir Tretchikoff and His Art
Retro and vintage have become the new buzz words with those eagle eyed collectors who seek out all things dating from the middle of the twentieth-century onwards.
Christopher Dresser and the Design Revolution
Known as Britain’s first ever independent industrial designer, Christopher Dresser was a major contributor to the British Anglo Japanese and Arts & Crafts movement.
Armand Marseille Dolls & Other Bisque Dolls
Bisque china dolls are those tranquil faced beauties we see featured on the Antiques Roadshow, with glass eyes, hand-painted features and, often, ‘double-jointed’ limbs.
Wooden Jigsaws – A Bit of a Collecting Puzzle
Most researchers agree that the first jigsaw puzzle was produced in 1762 by John Spilsbury, an engraver and mapmaker from London.
Children’s Books of the 1940s
During the Wartime years of the 1940s, and for a few years afterwards, books for adults and children alike were economy editions, due to paper shortages and restrictions.
Collecting Horse Brasses
Collecting Horse Brasses. The use of horse brass dates back to the pre-Roman period with a complete set of horse trappings with amulets, found in North Africa in 1932. Although the early forms were mostly made of bronze, some have been discovered made of silver, or gold inlaid and inset […]
Bengo the Boxer Art & Bengo the Boxer Collectables
Bengo collectables have become increasingly sought after by those of us who, as children, followed his simple, hand-drawn adventures
Lucky Black Cats
Cats are surrounded with superstition, black cats especially so. In ancient Egypt, cats were revered, the black ones being most omnipotent of all.