Intro to Vintage Dog Figurine Collecting

If you are interested in starting a vintage dog figurine collection it is such a fun collectibles area to be involved in, especially if you love dogs like we do. We hear from many folks that are interested in starting a vintage canine collection or just have basic questions like “What is the Difference Between a Made in Japan Dog Figurine” and a “Made in Occupied Japan Dog Figurine” to “How do you know its Vintage” so we thought there just might be more folks out there with the same interest and questions and we hope this little guide will provide a bit of insight into this neat collectibles arena for you. The term “Vintage” references items from the1920s -1980s and typically anything at least 50 years old can be considered Vintage. An Antique on the other hand should be at least 100 or more years old to be classified as an Antique.

History

Items stamped or marked “Made in Japan” were typically made prior to the First World War and after the Second World War as Japan was much like China and Taiwan are today; countries where items can be cheaply manufactured and mass produced. The term “Made in Occupied Japan” refers to the period in history right after the Second World War when the United States, Australia, British India, United Kingdom and New Zealand were involved in re-building Japan and were a main presence. In 1951 a peace treaty was signed that was enforced in the spring of 1952 when Japan became an independent state again. Items produced in Japan during this short time frame are stamped/marked “Made In Occupied Japan” and considered more desirable and valuable by many collectors. Many of the Vintage Dog Figurines we sell are from these eras and are fun to collect as they have an appealing charm about them that comes across in the way they were molded and painted.

Collecting

So, how did these charming dog figurines become so sough after today? It is becoming more and more difficult to find these little canine treasures as many collectors are seeking them out and they are a very “hot” collectible item. You most likely will not find these figurines at too many yard sales and thrift stores any more but you may find some at auction houses and antique malls, Etsy, and Ebay. The prices these little cuties command today is still relatively inexpensive at $9.99 – $50.00+ depending on if your figurine is ‘Made in England’ by ‘Royal Doulton’ ‘Beswick’ or ‘Made in Germany’ by ‘Rosenthal’ or ‘Made in Hungary’ by ‘Herend’ so be prepared to pay upwards of $100-$1,000 depending on size and condition. Many folks seek out and collect only particular breeds and manufacturers; we have a hard time stocking Scottie Dogs, Spaniels and Poodles as many of our buyers (luckily for us) seem to particularly adore these breeds. You can find our figurines at our Etsy and Ebay stores.

In conclusion, if you are a dog lover or are looking for a fun and interesting & yet still affordable item to collect – then you might want to consider Vintage Made In Japan Dog Figurines while they are still available in the market place.

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Is it Collectible, Vintage or an Antique?



Collectibles tend to be items that are highly sought and are valuable because they also tend to be rare or there are limited quantities of them on the market. Not all collectibles however have to be “old” or made many years ago to be “collectible” take for example the Webkinz plush toys that were very recently introduced and they are extremely collectible (the Webkinz Cheeky Dog is on eBay for nearly $1,000) as are the Zhu Zhu Pet Hamsters that were a top 2009 Christmas toy (the rare ones are still selling on eBay for over $300!) and then you have vintage collectibles like the Holt Howard Pixies and Pixieware from the 1950s to Lefton’s Toodles and the Lefton Bluebirds that were made 50-60 years ago and are commanding prices of $100 upwards of thousands of dollars for the very rare items.


Antiques are items deemed by the government, sometime in and around the early 1930s, having an age of at least 100 years. So, if your collectible is 100 years old or older it is actually an Antique. Remember though that it technically must be 100 years old or older to be classified as an Antique…..I see a lot of items on the market described as antique when actually it is not antique but “vintage” and something needs to be at least 20 years old or older to be properly classified as Vintage.




Another collectible arena is items that were Made in Occupied Japan or Made in Japan. Items stamped or marked “Made in Japan” were typically made prior to the First World War and after the Second World War as Japan was much like China and Taiwan are today; countries where items can be cheaply manufactured and mass produced. The term “Made in Occupied Japan” refers to the period in history right after the Second World War when the United States, Australia, British India, United Kingdom and New Zealand were involved in re-building Japan and were a main presence. In 1951 a peace treaty was signed that was enforced in the spring of 1952 when Japan became an independent state again. Items produced in Japan during this short time frame are stamped/marked “Made In Occupied Japan” and considered more desirable and valuable by many collectors.





I hope this information is helpful and I wish you all much fun in your treasure hunting, junking, flea marketing, antiquing, and thrifting!!



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