I’ve been asked to compile a top 10 list of Antiques-oriented blog for Blogs.com and I’d like to solicit feedback from the Rare Victorian community.  If you have some favorite antiques blogs that you follow, please pass them onto me at via the contact page.  I will share the list once it is compiled and available at Blogs.com.

Not something that you’d hang above your Rococo or Aesthetic Movement sofa, but here’s a great 1880s Victorian tobacco cabinet from the Lorilard Tobacco Company, which operated 100 years prior to this cabinet’s creation as well as operates even to this day.  Lorillard was founded in 1760 by entrepreneur Pierre Lorillard and was the first tobacco company in New York City.  It is the oldest continuously operating tobacco company in the United States today.

The cabinet will be sold in the upcoming February 6th Pook & Pook sale in Downingtown, PA and is estimated to fetch $3,000 to $5,000.  More at the lot description page.

I am assuming it is one and the same as this cabinet, currently listed in Ebay stores.

What I wouldn’t give to have one of these babies sitting amongst my Victorian antiques in the parlor.  I’m in the process of selling my ca. 1999 pool table whose removal will open a new swath of floor real estate for Victorian antiques!

If I wanted this antique slot machine to take some of that space, I’d need to be prepared to spend between $54,000 and $108,000, which is the expected price range for the sale of this one according to governmentauction.com. Continue Reading »

If you need a relatively inexpensive gift for the holidays for a Victorian collector, the Victorian Antique book page is a good source for some ideas.  Most of the links on the page are to Amazon.com which is a very efficient operation that is able to get books out the door and to your doorstep quickly.  Shipping is free during the holidays and today is the last day for free 2-day shipping for delivery by the 24th.

To me, the core must-have books for Victorian furniture collectors are:

• Styles of American Furniture by Dubrow & Dubrow
• Furniture of the 19th Century by Dubrow & Dubrow
• Victorian Detail: A Working Dictionary by Priscilla Meyer

On to the Victorian Furniture Book page …

I’ve created an antique marble/stone reference below to provide us with a little more information on what types of stone and marble went into the furniture of the Victorian era.  I’ve started this “reference” with images from my collection and invite you to take pictures of yours and send them to me to be added.

Most importantly, if you are familiar with names, origins, other information that I can add to the images of these types of stone, please comment on this post or send me an email.  I’d like this to be a “living” post that gets updated over time.

Click a thumbnail for the large version with description.

[Click images]