Old Samplers

 

I love to watch Antiques Roadshow'  My favourite part is when they bring
out the really old samplers.  The ones that have the date and the
stitchers name right on them.  I would LOVE to own one of those old
samplers, but after haunting all the antique shops in the area for the
past number of years, I have come to the conclusion that these samplers
don't really exist! LOL  Anybody have any idea how to find these old
treasures, and equally important, how to tell if they are authentic?

Maureen In Vancouver, B.C.
--
Heirlooms In Stitching
Heirloomsinstitching@hotmail.com

 

Try eBay.  They have a lot and most of them seem to be authentic.  I
have bought several, some at excellent prices.  Check for good feedback,
read all the descriptions, look at the photos and ask for more if you
don't see enough.  And also check for any guarantees the seller may
offer.  I think you will find something there.

Pat in Illinois

Maureen In Vancouver, B.C. wrote:

 

Several people I know have bought them on ebay but they are very
expensive now.  The main thing to be careful of is that I have seen
"reproduction antique samplers" for sale on ebay too.
In fact, I have stitched a couple that I have seen on ebay in the past
few months where the seller is saying it's an antique sampler.  They
have old date and name on them since that's what reproductions are all
about.  If they are "too good" of shape, I would question it.

BTW, I have started putting a line on my reproductions that give the
actually date stitched and my name or initals.

Anna

 

As a follow-up to my previous message about ebay, I have just received
another sampler dated 1834.  Absolutely authentic and very lovely, but
there are condition issues since it has been tacked around the edge to a
thin board for many years and has some water staining.  That doesn't
bother me but it is a definite no-no to purist collectors.  But then
again, I didn't pay anything like purist collector price!

All conditions were discussed between myself and the seller before the
auction closed so there were no surprises.  And it arrived in great
shape and is exactly as advertised.  Ebay can be a great source, but
read everything, ask lots of questions, and don't assume anything!

Pat in Illinos

 

On Sat, 04 Jun 2005 04:20:51 GMT, "Maureen In Vancouver, B.C."


Be very cautious - people have collected them for quite awhile now and
prices on the genuine article are very high.  I am fortunate, I have
one done by my great-grandmother in 1853 though she clearly did not
enjoy stitching very much and carried threads all over the place lol
Still, it is nice to know she handled it and spent some time with it.
I never knew her.

If you see any be aware that with the help of tea a very genuine
looking sampler can be created !