These Antique Trends Are Hot Among Pennsylvania Collectors This Year
Antique collecting in Pennsylvania has reached a fever pitch this year, with some fascinating trends emerging across the Keystone State. Local auction houses are buzzing with excitement as collectors compete for pieces that connect to the region’s rich heritage.
Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just getting started, these antique categories have captured the hearts (and wallets) of Pennsylvania’s most passionate treasure hunters.
1. Primitive Farmhouse Furniture
Ever notice how those worn wooden tables with uneven legs fetch the highest prices? Primitive farmhouse pieces are flying off auction floors faster than auctioneer chatter. Pennsylvania collectors particularly value items with minimal restoration and authentic patina.
Original milk paint finishes command premium prices, especially on cupboards and dry sinks from the 1800s. The more utilitarian and rustic-looking, the better!
Hand-joined construction techniques without nails or screws make these pieces historically significant and structurally remarkable. Hutches, pie safes, and workbenches with documented Pennsylvania provenance are especially coveted.
2. Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art
Colorful hex signs and fraktur drawings have become the darlings of Pennsylvania’s collecting scene. These folk art pieces showcase the distinctive cultural heritage that makes our state’s antiques so unique and desirable.
Pennsylvania Dutch folk art combines practical objects with symbolic decoration, birth certificates, house blessings, and marriage documents adorned with tulips, hearts, and birds. The most valuable pieces feature vivid colors that have somehow survived centuries.
Hand-carved wooden items like butter molds and cookie cutters with traditional motifs are increasingly difficult to find, driving prices upward. Items with documented family histories command the highest premiums.
3. Quilts And Textile Arts
If you’ve walked into a Pennsylvania auction lately, you’ve likely witnessed fierce bidding wars over antique quilts. Handstitched textiles with documented family histories are commanding record prices across the Commonwealth.
Amish and Mennonite quilts from Lancaster County remain perennial favorites, especially those with unusual color combinations or rare patterns. The older and more intricate the stitching, the higher the value.
Samplers created by young Pennsylvania girls in the 18th and 19th centuries have become particularly sought-after. These textile treasures often include family names, dates, and locations that connect directly to local history.
4. Ironstone China And Transferware
White ironstone pieces from the 19th century have become unexpected stars in Pennsylvania collecting circles. Their simple elegance and durability speak to the practical sensibilities that have always defined Pennsylvania’s domestic life.
Transferware with scenes of Pennsylvania landmarks or historical events carries special significance for local collectors. Blue and white patterns remain classics, though rare colors like purple, green, and black command significantly higher prices.
Complete sets are increasingly difficult to locate, making them particularly valuable. Pieces with maker’s marks from American potteries, especially those that operated in Pennsylvania, are generating the most collector interest.
5. Vintage Oil Lamps
How fascinating to see Victorian-era oil lamps illuminating modern Pennsylvania homes! Collectors are paying premium prices for rare glass patterns and unusual mechanical features that showcase 19th-century innovation.
Lamps produced by the Pittsburgh Glass Company or Fostoria Glass Company hold special appeal for Pennsylvania collectors. The most valuable examples feature pristine glass chimneys and original mechanical parts that still function perfectly.
Colored glass fonts in cobalt blue, cranberry, or emerald green command the highest prices. Student lamps with adjustable arms and miniature finger lamps used for reading in bed have become surprisingly valuable niche categories.
6. Colonial-Era Tools And Hardware
Hand-forged items from Pennsylvania’s colonial blacksmiths have sparked intense competition among serious collectors. The earlier and more specialized the tool, the greater the demand, especially for items made before 1800.
Tools with maker’s marks from known Pennsylvania blacksmiths can sell for ten times the value of similar unmarked pieces. Wooden planes, specialized farming implements, and early locksmith tools are particularly sought after.
Hardware items like hinges, latches, and locks from colonial homes command premium prices, especially when they retain original surface patina. Collectors appreciate these items for both their historical significance and their sculptural quality.
7. Mid-Century Modern Pieces
Though younger than most antiques on this list, mid-century furniture from Pennsylvania manufacturers has exploded in popularity. Pieces from Knoll (based in East Greenville) and Widdicomb command particular attention for their clean lines and innovative designs.
Mid-century pieces designed by Pennsylvania creators like George Nakashima and Wharton Esherick have reached investment-grade status. Their organic forms and masterful woodworking represent a distinctly Pennsylvania approach to modernism.
Collectors are increasingly seeking pieces with original upholstery and finishes rather than restored examples. The most valuable items come with original purchase documentation or provenance connecting them to notable Pennsylvania homes.
8. Art Nouveau Glass Vases
Art Nouveau glass vases shine with their fluid lines and organic forms, embodying the spirit of early 20th-century artistic innovation. Known for their vibrant colors and exquisite craftsmanship, these vases reflect a shift towards more naturalistic and harmonious designs.
Collectors prize these pieces for their ability to bring both beauty and a sense of artistic revolution into any space. The Art Nouveau movement embraced art as a part of everyday life, and these vases are perfect examples of this philosophy.
Their appeal lies in their ability to capture light and transform spaces, making them a favored choice for those looking to add a touch of elegance and historical intrigue to their collection.
9. Early American Pottery And Stoneware
Salt-glazed stoneware crocks with cobalt blue decorations have captured the imagination of Pennsylvania collectors. Pieces from regional potters like Hamilton & Jones of Greensboro or Cowden & Wilcox of Harrisburg are especially prized for their historical significance.
The most valuable examples feature elaborate hand-painted designs, unusual forms, or rare maker’s marks. Stoneware with pictorial decorations, especially birds, flowers, or animals, commands significantly higher prices than simple striped pieces.
Redware with sgraffito decoration represents a distinctly Pennsylvania German pottery tradition. These earthenware pieces with scratched designs revealing the clay body beneath the glaze have become some of the most valuable American pottery collectibles.
10. Antique Clocks (Tall Case & Mantel)
Tick-tock goes the auction block! Pennsylvania-made tall case clocks with documented makers are fetching record prices this year. Examples from renowned clockmakers like Jacob Godchalk of Montgomery County or Isaiah Lukens of Philadelphia represent the pinnacle of early American craftsmanship.
Clocks with original wooden works are particularly rare and valuable. The most sought-after examples feature hand-painted moon dials, unusual calendar mechanisms, or musical chimes.
Collectors increasingly value originality over restoration, preferring clocks with original surface finishes and untouched mechanisms. Provenance documentation tracing ownership history through Pennsylvania families adds significant value to these timepieces.
11. Vintage Holiday Décor (Especially Christmas)
Where once they hung on family trees, vintage Christmas ornaments now command serious collector attention across Pennsylvania. German glass ornaments from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are particularly sought after for their delicate beauty and historical significance.
Christmas items with Pennsylvania connections, like ornaments manufactured by Shiny Brite in central PA, hold special appeal for local collectors. Cardboard villages, feather trees, and early electric light strings in original boxes have all seen dramatic price increases.
Department store decorations from iconic Pennsylvania retailers like Wanamaker’s or Kaufmann’s trigger nostalgic bidding frenzies. The most valuable holiday items remain in their original packaging with store labels intact.
12. Shaker Wooden Boxes
Shaker wooden boxes are beloved for their simplicity and functional beauty. Their minimalist design, characterized by the iconic oval shape and attention to detail, makes them timeless treasures. Originating from the Shaker religious community, these boxes were crafted with an emphasis on utility and quality.
Today, collectors admire them not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for their representation of the Shaker philosophy of simplicity and efficiency. Each piece tells a story of a community that valued craftsmanship and practicality.
These boxes continue to be sought after by those who appreciate the intersection of form, function, and history, making them a staple in the world of antique collecting.
