Antiques

SUPER FINE LARGE APPLIQUE ANTIQUE HMONG COLLAR PIECE YUNNAN CHINA $19.95

VTG Antique Covered Dish Fine China S Mark Embossed Gorgeous Florals Gold Scroll $49.99

22 PIECE VINTAGE ANTIQUE FINE CHINA JOHNSON BROS THE OLD MILL DINNER SET 1950s $150.00

antique pair fine porcelain vase from china turquoise glaze signed $225.00

Vintage Fine China Schumann Antique Rose Small Dish $4.99

LOT VINTAGE ANTIQUE FINE ENGLISH BONE CHINA DENTON CONNOISSEUR BROOCHES PENDANTS $41.10

O&EG Royal Austria Antique 8 pc Vanity Set Violet Pattern Fine China $75.00

Antique Vintage Fine Bone China Made England Tiny Tea Set Salt & Pepper Shakers $0.99

Antique Vintage and Very Rare Chelson Fine Bone China Made England Tea Pot $15.50

ANTIQUE GERMAN CREAMER SUGAR BOWL Blue/Yell Flowers pre-1900 FINE CHINA GERMANY $45.00

Fine Antique Working German Walter Hand Painted 7″ Tall China Mantle Clock $49.99

Beautiful Antique Fine Porcelain China Tea Pot Set / Geisha Girl Face Lithophane $75.00

ANTIQUE FINE BONE CHINA TEACUP & SAUCER – ROYAL STAFFORD – ENGLAND $19.99

ANTIQUE AYNSLEY Little Sweetheart Fine Bone China Vase $19.00

SUPERB Antique Japanese Eggshell Fine Bone China Tea Cup & Saucer Plate Signed $55.55

Antique Vintage Edwin Knowles Cardinal Fine China Collector Plate Ready to Hang $0.99

Antique Grainger Royal Worcester China Fine Reticulated Potpourri Bowl Lid Set $249.99

Antique Victorian Fine Bone China Cream/Gravy Pitcher $10.43

Antique Royal Worcester England BLANC de CHINE Fine Bone China Cream & Sugar Set $32.42

ANTIQUE ~ DRESDEN ART ~ HAND PAINTED FINE BONE CHINA ~ ROSE ASHTRAY ~ PIN DISH $19.99

2pc FINE ANTIQUE ITALIAN PORCELAIN CHINA FLORAL BOW LID $320.00

VINTAGE ANTIQUE EVANS FINE CHINA ART DECO CIGARETTE LIGHTER * MADE IN USA * $119.99

Antique Fine China Tea Cup Hand Painted With Raised Gold $32.00

Beautiful Antique Rochelle Fine China Creamer $20.00

6-17 Fine China Antique Bronze Standing Sanxingdui Man Statue $169.00

MIKASA FINE CHINA, ANTIQUE WHITE, (2) SOUP BOWLS $16.50

fine antique set 4 China rose medallion tea cup & saucer egg shell porcelain $76.00

SET OF 4 FINE CHINA TEA PARTY 7″ DESSERT SALAD PLATES ANTIQUE ROSE PATTERN $29.99

Antique Vintage 1930′s DAV ART Fine Art China Lenox Pottery Table Lamp Light $100.00

Bulfinch Anatomy Antique China & Silver Antiques Fine China Dinnerware Book $14.95

ANTIQUE PARAMOUNT FINE CHINA TEA POT & TOP COURTSHIP SCENE OLD FREE SHIP IN USA $99.99

ANTIQUE TYNDALE&MITCHELL CUP&SAUCER FINE CHINA SET $21.95

FINE CHINA TEA PARTY SUGAR & CREAMER SET ANTIQUE ROSE $19.99

MIKASA Fine China Serving Plate Serving Platter in My Love Pattern 12 1/2″ $24.99

MIKASA Fine China Set Sugar Bowl and Creamer in My Love Pattern $19.99

Fine Large 18″ Antique Ansonia Royal Bonn China Case Open Escapement Clock $999.99

VINTAGE / ANTIQUE FINE CHINA AND GOLD LEAF BOWL–MINT CONDITION $11.50

Elizabethan Fine Bone China England 17 Saucer Plate Antique Vintage Collectable $6.00

Elizabethan Fine Bone China England Teacup Antique Vintage Collectable $6.00

Antique Copeland Copelands China Hand Painted Vase Fine $220.99

Royal Doulton Larchmont Fine Antique China Saucer set of FOUR (4) $7.99

HUDSON & MIDDLETON FINE ENGLISH BONE CHINA TWO MUGS “ANTIQUE SILVER” $14.15

ANTIQUE FINE BONE CHINA TRIO $39.52

Antique Cobalt Blue Fine Bone China Oval Dish Tray with Gold Details Unmarked $45.99

Royal Crown Derby – Fine Bone China – Cream antique posie vase – creamware ??? $15.79

ANTIQUE ROYAL DOULTON BUNNYKINS 3 PIECE DISH SET FINE BONE CHINA ENGLAND $39.99

Antique Fine Large German Fashion China Doll E/C Shoulder Head 29″ NR $52.00

Fine Antique German Fashion Doll Dress Ensemble For China/Bisque Doll NR $31.11

ANTIQUE ROYAL STANDARD Mint Green FINE BONE CHINA CUP&SAUCER ENGLAND Beautiful $19.95

2 Crown Staffordshire “Renaissance” Antique Fine Bone China Plates ~England $15.00

21 PIECE VINTAGE ANTIQUE FINE CHINA JOHNSON BROS FRIENDLY VILLAGE SET 1950s $150.00

Antique Royal Windsor England Fine Bone China Cup $35.00

Antique Toothpick Holder Berkshire Fine China Occupied Japan Flowers Nice $13.99

Antique Crown Staffordshire Fine Bone China English Transferware 8 1/4″ Plate $7.99

2 VINTAGE ANTIQUE FINE CHINA JOHNSON BROS HARVEST TIME BOWL SET FROM 1950s $25.00

1 VINTAGE ANTIQUE FINE CHINA EDWIN KNOWLES PLATE SEMI VITREOUS FROM 1950s $10.00

mikasa fine china 10 piece, L553I antique lace $80.00

Antique Trinket / Necklace Dish, Fine Bone China – Pink Orchid, Classy Gift. $14.23

11PC ANTIQUE ELITE.LUSTROUS JAPANIS FINE CHINA TEA SET WHITE WITH GOLD TRIM $29.99

Gold Trimed Antique Design Fine Porcelain China Coffee/Tea Set $79.99

Silver Trimed Antique Design Fine Porcelain China Coffee/Tea Set $79.99

ANTIQUE FINE CHINA PICTCHER AND CREAMER $48.75

antique fine china $25.00

FINE ANTIQUE FRENCH INDO CHINA BRONZE STATUE WOMAN MK $650.00

Gorgeous Mikasa Fine China Antique Lace Salad Plate $14.99

ANTIQUE FINE CHINA, c1917+ Wood & Sons, Enoch Woods 70pc. $399.00

Mikasa Ultima Super Strong Fine China HK400 Antique White Vegetable Bowl $29.88

80 PIECE POPE GOSSER ,AMERICAN IVY,FINE CHINA VINTAGE,ANTIQUE,many extra pieces $175.00

Antique Pink Lusterware Fine China Cup & Deep Saucer $22.79

Antique/Vintage Fine China Rose Medallion Bowl $159.99

Antique Fine Bone China Pair of Butter Pats Made In Britain $9.00

2 ANTIQUE CUP AND SAUCER SETS TUSCAN FINE ENGLISH BONE CHINA NO RESERVE $15.00

Antique Tuscan Fine English Bone China Plate – Rose Pattern – Salad Size $10.00

Royal Worcester Fine Bone China England C51 Antique -Very Old see description $55.00

Antique W.H. Grindley English fine china plate is 6-by-3-inches of style $11.95

ME AUSTRIA FINE CHINA ANTIQUE SERVING PLATE WHITE W/PINK ROSES SCALLOPED RIM $4.99

Antique fine china leaf dishes with delicate floral painted design $14.99

Royal Chelsea Antique Golden Rose Tea Cup & Saucer Lush Roses Fine Bone China $19.95

Antique Silesia Fine China Germany Floral Sunburst Covered Butter Dish w/Lid $44.99

Antique Fine 1892 Set of 8 Doulton Burslem China Demitasse MUST SEE! $725.00

Fine China Tray – JPF Germany – Handpainted Antique $19.00

Antique Vtg Noritake Beechmont Fine China Oval Serving Platter Circa 1918 $7.99

WYNDHAM FINE CHINA JAPAN MALTESE ROSE 673 ANTIQUE 45 PIECE 6 PLACE SETTING $100.00

VINTAGE ANTIQUE CREAMER COFFEE TEA GOLD FINE CHINA $25.00

Fine ESTATE Antique Haviland Limoges China Dinnerware Set ~ Lots Serving Pieces $300.00

Antique Vintage Roslyn Fine Bone China Tea Cup Horette 8587 Made in England $10.00

fine antique Canton china dish royal blue willow decoration $24.00

ANTIQUE CUP & SAUCER…BLAKELY FINE CHINA…ARIZONA CACTUS..BARREL CACTUS..JAPAN $4.95

ANTIQUE CUP & SAUCER…BLAKELY FINE CHINA…ARIZONA CACTUS..PRICKLY PEAR..JAPAN $4.95

VINTAGE ANTIQUE? FENTON ENGLAND FINE CHINA DECORATIVE, REDDISH FUSHIA, PLATE $22.49

Antique Occupied Japan Fine China Cup and saucer Set $15.00

ANTIQUE SUGAR BOWL PARAMOUNT FINE CHINA SUGAR BOWL & TOP COURTSHIP FREE SHIP USA $89.99

Fine Bone China Antique Porcelain Pitcher 3-3/8″ tall $4.99

ANTIQUE VTG WEDGWOOD ETRURIA DEMITASSE CUP & SAUCER SET ~ FINE BONE CHINA~MINT $20.00

Antique SALISBURY ~ Pansy ~ TEA CUP Fine Bone China England #2125 $5.99

Antique 4″ China Half Doll Made in Germany Incised 4344 In Fine Condition $17.75

ANTIQUE ROSENTHAL COBALT FOOTED PLATE BOWL FINE CHINA ECHT KOBALT WEST GERMANY $149.99

Mikasa Fine China Antique Lace Sugar Bowl & Lid $37.99

Mikasa Fine China Antique Lace Creamer ~ New $37.99

Antique Bavaria Germany Fine China Lot of 8 Pieces $25.00

---

Bob Hope in China: Antique Roadshow?

(Ed. note:  The author was a script writer for Bob Hope between 1977 and 1992.)

In 1974, soon after Richard Nixon opened relations with the People’s Republic, Hope began a behind-the-scenes campaign to become the first American entertainer to tape a television special there.  Leaning on a raft of influential government pals including Henry Kissinger and calling in markers he’d been collecting from the government since World War II, he finally received permission to take his show there as part of a cultural exchange program dubbed “Ping-Pong Diplomacy” by the press.

So on June 16, 1979, after a four-hour flight from Narita, Japan, a Chinese Airlines 707 filled with our merry band of mirth makers eager to get their first look at this hotbed of Communism, touched down at the Peking (now Beijing) Airport.  Our guest stars would arrive over the next several days — Mikhail Baryshnikov, Crystal Gayle, Big Bird from Sesame Street, mimes Shields and Yarnell and a popular disco-duo, Peaches and Herb.

We would spend the entire month — three weeks in Peking and a week in Shanghai — taping the 3-hour special that would air on NBC in the Fall.  On the rare days we weren’t busy shooting, we were allowed to shop — officially and accompanied by our government-assigned interpreter — only at government-sponsored retail outlets for tourists called “Freedom Stores.”  Here the prices were set and clearly marked — no dickering. Even so, they were reasonable, and I brought home three good-quality wool rugs which still serve admirably.

Longing for a little more adventure, one afternoon, my writing partner Gig Henry and I, along with Hope’s longtime makeup man, Don Marando, slipped away from our guide for a couple of hours.  In a narrow alley about a mile from the hotel, we discovered a small antique shop, obviously not intended for foreigners (of which there were few since the country had only recently been opened to the west).

The musty interior was piled high with artifacts from estate-sales — rugs, furniture, household utensils, silverware, paintings, photos, lamps, vases, family stamps called chops made of marble or ivory and decorated with dragons, lions, monkeys and other characters from China’s ancient mythology.  More items made of ivory — chopsticks, statuary, and finely-carved jewelry. Up a narrow flight of stairs was the clothing — kimonos, men’s suits, jackets, caps, sandals, shoes — all in a pile that said it hadn’t been disturbed in years.

Hanging on one wall of the dimly lit mezzanine, almost unnoticed, were 100 to 300 year-old costumes retired from the Peking Opera — multicolored capes, pantaloons, garments weighted down with gold embroidery. Here was a treasure trove that foreigners weren’t supposed to find!  We felt like Sydney Greenstreet stumbling upon the Maltese Falcon. We made a few purchases (mostly chops, jewelry and ivory chopsticks) and headed back to the hotel.

That night over dinner, we casually mentioned our find to Mikhail Baryshnikov — Mischa to his friends, thank you — and he went giddy with excitement. “Peking Opera costumes? Authentic ones?” Immediately, we had to draw him a detailed map so he could check them out next day.  A few days later, Mischa’s manager asked me if I’d be willing to lend his client some money. He had run out of cash (we were allowed to bring $3000 into the country and to strictly account for it when leaving) and he had arranged to buy five of the costumes for around $300 apiece.

I said to the manager, “Like I’m gonna lend money to a Russian defector who’s in show business? This is a joke, right?” Of course, I was joking. Actually, I had about tapped out too, but suggested he ask our production cashier, Wil Oborn — we were issued a daily per diem in yuan — for an advance.

I recently met a friend of Misha’s and was told the five priceless costumes are now on display in glass cases in his Manhattan brownstone.

 

Excerpted from THE LAUGH MAKERS: A Behind-the-Scenes Tribute to Bob Hope’s Incredible Gag Writers (c) 2009 by Robert L. Mills and published by Bear Manor Media.  To order:  http://bobhopeslaughmakers.weebly.com

Kindle e-book $2.99: www.amazon.com/dp/B0041D9EPO

About the Author

A native of San Francisco, Bob Mills served in the Navy after high school, graduating from San Francisco State University in 1962 and the University of California Hastings Law in 1965.  He practiced in Palo Alto, CA for ten years before moving to Hollywood to write for television.  He worked on the Dinah Shore Show, the Steve Allen Show and the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts before joining Bob Hope as a staff writer  in 1977. He traveled the world with Hope for the next seventeen years. In 2009, his book The Laugh Makers: A Behind-the-Scenes Tribute to Bob Hope’s Incredible Gag Writers was published by Bear Manor Media and was named one of Leonard Maltin’s “Top 20 Year-End Picks.”  To order:  http://bobhopeslaughmakers.weebly.com

Kindle e-book $2.99: www.amazon.com/dp/B0041D9EPO