Greg Myroth – Just Art Pottery
Start by Looking at Pottery in Books
Pottery was one of the first categories of collectibles that I fell in love with when I first started in the Estate Sales Business. Back then there were not the great online Art Pottery research, or sales sites we all have the luxury of accessing today.
We had to do it the old fashioned way, we had to read, and for me that meant buying every book I could find on the subject. Such books as Kovel's Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide, and the classic Kovel's American Art Pottery.
Art Pottery is Visual
That's what first attracted me to Art Pottery, that it was beautiful, and later because certain pieces were also so valuable, I started selling some of my finds.
The way that I learned to identify valuable pottery was as simple as turning pages in a book. Every night before I went to sleep I would pick up one of the above books and I would simply look at the pictures.
I let my imagination filter my learning, I allowed the pictures to teach me, I didn't "Study" at first – I was more lulled by the images, more beckoned to learn more by the forms, shapes and colors. I did the same with the makers marks. I let them impress me…
And this is how I discovered my first Van Briggle
Just to be clear the above photo is not of the Van Briggle piece I discovered so many years ago, it's of a piece available on this site, just click on the image and you will be taken to its listing…
Here's The Thing About Some Art Pottery
The Van Briggle piece that I discovered only had its makers mark, it did not have the Van Briggle name on it. Neither the dealer selling it or his staff knew what it was. But I did, because I had had my nightly lessons just flipping through pictures in a pottery book.
I learn by osmosis or through immersion
That's what I am suggesting to you as one of the best ways to learn how to identify Art Pottery. In order to find out about Art Pottery online, you first need to know what you're looking for – what is the right search term and so on.
With a book full of awesome pictures and images of well defined makers marks, you will have a much easier way of discovering what you like, and its "Value Context" in the world of Art Pottery collecting.
Martin Codina
Nice to get a mention. Kovels’ New Dictionary of Marks, Pottery and Porcelain and the original Kovels’ Dictionary of Marks can be found at most bookstores or online. They will both be available in searchable form online soon, probably in a month. There is a charge. These books and the Kovels Art Pottery book, now out of print, are available at kovels.com in the store section. If you haven’t seen our website take a look–most of it is free including a weekly ezine I write that is often about pottery–still my favorite collection. There are over 700,000 free prices to help you determine value. Hope you all get as much fun from collecting as I do.
Terry Kovel
kovels.com
Nice to get a mention. Kovels’ New Dictionary of Marks, Pottery and Porcelain and the original Kovels’ Dictionary of Marks can be found at most bookstores or online. They will both be available in searchable form online soon, probably in a month. There is a charge. These books and the Kovels Art Pottery book, now out of print, are available at kovels.com in the store section. If you haven’t seen our website take a look–most of it is free including a weekly ezine I write that is often about pottery–still my favorite collection. There are over 700,000 free prices to help you determine value. Hope you all get as much fun from collecting as I do.
Terry Kovel
kovels.com
Nice to get a mention. Kovels’ New Dictionary of Marks, Pottery and Porcelain and the original Kovels’ Dictionary of Marks can be found at most bookstores or online. They will both be available in searchable form online soon, probably in a month. There is a charge. These books and the Kovels Art Pottery book, now out of print, are available at kovels.com in the store section. If you haven’t seen our website take a look–most of it is free including a weekly ezine I write that is often about pottery–still my favorite collection. There are over 700,000 free prices to help you determine value. Hope you all get as much fun from collecting as I do.
Terry Kovel
kovels.com
Nice to get a mention. Kovels’ New Dictionary of Marks, Pottery and Porcelain and the original Kovels’ Dictionary of Marks can be found at most bookstores or online. They will both be available in searchable form online soon, probably in a month. There is a charge. These books and the Kovels Art Pottery book, now out of print, are available at kovels.com in the store section. If you haven’t seen our website take a look–most of it is free including a weekly ezine I write that is often about pottery–still my favorite collection. There are over 700,000 free prices to help you determine value. Hope you all get as much fun from collecting as I do.
Terry Kovel
kovels.com