Overlooked riches

(Catherine Holahan) - Sports. Baseball cards are out, but early sports gear is in, said Larry Wenzel, co-owner with his wife, Carol, of Ambiance Antiques in Bergenfield, N.J. Nineteenth-century gear, helmets and balls have become collectible. "Early catcher's mitts and gloves are not big money," he said. A 1940s Rawlings catcher's mask recently was selling for $60 on eBay.

Books. Well-known authors and first editions fetch the most money, explained Stuart Whitehurst, a regular on "Antiques Roadshow." Books that indicate a certain generation because of the vernacular or subject matter and illustrated works also are among the most valuable, Wenzel said.

Costume jewelry. Gold, sterling silver and diamonds have a clear inherent worth, explained Carol Wenzel, but designer costume jewelry can be worth real money, too. Eisenberg, Miriam Haskell and Monet are some of the signatures to look for, she said.

Old board games. Michael Welsh of Granny's Attic antiques in Mahwah, N.J., said people are willing to buy "anything that can recapture that feeling of growing up." An antique checker set was going for more than $230 recently on eBay.

China. Some of the most popular — and copied — antique collectible china is known as "flow blue" or "flown blue." It was made in Staffordshire, England, in 1825 and is recognizable for its blue patterns on white ceramic.

By the mid-1800s, law required pieces to be stamped with their country of origin. Thus, the word "England" often can help distinguish a flow-blue piece from something recently made in Indonesia. However, the earliest collectibles were not marked.

Pieces depicting historic scenes are more valuable than those depicting nature or flowers, said Larry Wenzel of Ambiance Antiques.

Glass. Sandwich glass, made by New England's Sandwich Glass Co. in the early 1800s, can be highly valuable. An ink stand fetched more than $40,000 in 1998.

Sandwich glass has a distinct ring when tapped, Wenzel said. It also is often rough at the base of the stem because the handblown glass was made with a rod that was broken off the base at the end of the process.

Furniture. Everything from centennial to '50s and '60s mod designs is copied. One way to differentiate an old from a new piece is to look at the back. New furniture incorporates cheaper woods or pressed board in the unseen places. Older furniture has solid wood throughout. It also is likely to show signs of wear and even slight discoloration around hinges, handles and other points of contact.