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Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 26 June '85

\ COUNTRY CROSSROADS ] A unique country gift shop | bon melange ^ ...the gourmet gifts you'll want to give yourself. k i- French Market Soup»(htspachu Frappe ? Fratnie ( ookie mix •Lazy Htm Herb tin-ad V <S and many mm- gourmet delights to chouse from k - y

<> 649 Kings Highway $ s. seavilie $ 624-1177

Wed-Sat 10-4 | Sun 12-4 )

( ijff/rac/e& J y/^ ex/taMr/inaite A shop specializing in """l" ' the elegant and unique Tor all occasions OPKN DAILY 10 a.m.-9 p.m. SUNDAY 1 1 a.m.-3 p.m. I KII U S*T»V .W \ WilU»»od. N .I (onr trfk *ri. ,if Aihrrrr No. 1 South Main St. Entrance on Mechanic St. Cape May Court House 465-2155 Breakwater Plaza North Cape May — 884-1994 ■_ Open 6 Days A Week 1

J New Column | On Antiques ' Antiques, a new column 1 by Arthur Schwerdt. coowner with I si rry Domain of The August Farmhouse antique and gift shop in Swainton. begins in this newspaper this week. Schwerdt. 41 toriSy. is a New York City native who received a BA in English at St. Francis College of Brooklyn in 1967 He taught high school English in Brooklyn for 10 years and in North Jersey for five. He currently works for Channel 5 in New York City, operating a Teleprompter, and is a free-lance copy editor and proofreader for a fiction publisher in NewYork City. Schwerdt said he started collecting antiques with na idea of opening a shop, but suddenly found himself with "a collection." He visited Cape May County for the first time five years ago and decided he wanted to live here. He spent a year in Cape May in 1983 and located the Route 9 Swainton location in April of 1984 Museum Open CAPE MAY - The Greater Cape May Historical Society, headquarters and museum of which are in the Colonial House, 653 '2 Washington SI. (behind Alexander's) is open for visitors Mondays. Wednesdays, and Fridays 11 a.m. -2 p.m. It is also open on Thursday evenings from 7:30 until 9:30.

— — — — . — •— * •' dalryml?lel ** CARD & GIFT SHOP "• ' ONE STOP SHOPPING >...•■%-<» FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS GIFTS • CARDS *>tA® PARTY GOODS . I BOOKS • MAGAZINES NEWSPAPERS TOYS • PUZZLES STATIONARY

Antiques

f By Arthur H. Schwerdt

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i Shoppers in local antique stores are wisely taking ad1 vantage of the abundance and attractive prices of 20th century, factory-made American glassware and art pottery These unique, beautiful and useful accessories are fine examples from another era. and they make affordable investments with local prices ranging from a fewdollars to a few hundred dollars. Collectors are swooping down on the pricier pieces of genuine Depression Glass. This is some of the first glass made in America that was not handblown. It was poured into molds and made of inexpensive materials (sand, ash and limestone) so it could be mass-produced and cheap. The process was an imperfect one. so various chemicals were added to the formula to create colors to mask the flaws in the glass. These beautiful colors are what attract the collectors — especially the pinks, greens, golds, and blues Collectors also will be looking for names like Anchor Hocking. MacBethEvans. and Federal, to name a few. THERE WERE MANY other varieties of glass made in American factories between the 1920's and the 1950's. Different processes resulted in an array of unusual effects Unlike Depression Glass, many of these pieces were hand polished and/or etched with interesting designs, but like Depression Glass, it's the color that attracLs us Here are some examples: Carnival Glass is iridized glass so-named for its festive multi-colors, and because pieces were given away as prizes and premiums at carnivals Frosted Glass is- clear glass with designs which were etched in acid This process dates back to the turn of the century, and was popularly used on windows, mirrors and lamp shades Milk Glass is a creamywhite glass. Sometimes this glass was molded with bumpy, hobnai! patterns Ruby and cranberry glass have rich red colors that their names suggest There are also Satin Glass. Stretch Glass. Vaseline Glass. EbonyGlass. Amberina. and many more THE USES FOR these pieces are even more varied than the types of glass- available Entire dinner services are rare and extrmely expensive You can. however, collect enough of one pattern to have a luncheon set or tea service, but even this is difficult. and you can find yourself missing a piece for many years before you're lucky enough to come across it. You are better off seek ing out individual pieces which you find particularly attractive and which can be used for display or for entertaining Serving plates, platters, relish dishes, compote dishes, and of course bowls and vases are all beautiful, af fordable and useful items that can add a touch of class to your display- case of buffet table Iiflerest in American art

pottery of this same era is also undergoing a revival. Don't let the low prices in «the local shops fool you; I these are potentially valuable accessories I Also factory-made, these pieces were in such abundance. that during the redecorating craze in the 1 50's they were often tossed aside or shoved in attics. Their time has now come. LOOK FOR NAMES like Hull. Abingdon. McCoy. Rookwood, and Roseville for some of the more exciting and valuable colors, designs and patterns. Some have no marking at all or just a simple "U.S.A." on the bottom. You'll know the piece you like when you see it no matter what is marked on the bottom; and look for more and more of these pieces to be showing up in decorating schemes. Mostly vases, bowls and planters, these come in either simple, classical or art deco designs or in fantastic, elaborate and unusual shapes and sizes. Collectors are always digging around for those valuable pottery dishes called Fiesta which come in bright and vibrant colors. (By the way, there are some rumors going around about radiation and organge Fiesta dishes If anyone can help clear up the confusion, please drop me a line. ) No matter what brings you to the antique shops, take some time to check out these fascinating pieces from an era just gone by -

the era of our grand parents, our parents and - our early childhood • an era \ of high energy and hard J work, but where beauty ' was not forgotten. WHILE LOOKING at American pieces from this era. don't overlook imported pottery and glass from the same time. Rural Americans were happy to get imported vases, bowls and dishes and proudly displayed them. They added a bit of cosmopolitan flare to their otherwise country-formal decor, and they can do the same for you. Local shops have many fine items from Italy, Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. I also have noticed around many in- - teresting pieces of Limoges from France, Lenox from England and from the Orient Nippon and Noritake. The more you shop and browse around, the more you realize that you can get much more beautiful and interesting accessories at* antique shops than you can at even the most prestigious department stores, and at much better prices too. Some shops have expanded their wares to include gifts and curiosities which consist of unique, out-of-stock, or odd lots of crystal, glass, ceramics, pottery and porcelain. Many are one-of-a-kind "future antiques" and should not be passed up by the wise buyer. (NEXT WEEK: Some hints on how to care f/tr your collections. > / 1 (Schwerdt. co-owner of The August Farmhouse on Route 9 in Swainton. invites questions in care of this newspaper. )

CHEEKS o o'io o N EW STUFF COMING IN DAILY 101 OCEAN ST. CAPE MAY ^__^__6_0_9__8_8_4 8 4 8 4 'iM LAlA.MAdLJ M' MrTljVjJrjM r' >. FAMOUS FOR QUALITY SINCE 1917 Ci ,l. b COLLECTIBLES • ORIGINAL HUM M ELS J r i e? HOMEMADE CANDY ■iletei 423 BEACH AVE' CAPE MAY -10l Y i*. jtffi-: \-;V, A . J .G-YI.-'.G-I' <-,">•» . r wS J . •,TlvV- -Ar,