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RIAM Blog
The experts at Rhode Island Antiques Mall share their knowledge and experience on a variety of topics around antiques and collectibles. Fun and insightful reading for everyone interested in antiques from the serious collector to the hobbyist.
Blog Posts by Category
Blog Posts by Category
Fourth of July Hours Update
RIAM will be CLOSED on Sunday, July 4, in celebration of Independence Day. Normal business hours will resume Monday, July 5.
What Makes Lighting Fixtures Valuable
Prior to the invention of the electric light, most lighting was achieved using portable oil lamps and candles that lit a small area, but larger spaces needed to be lit by chandeliers and sconces that were mounted to the ceiling
Selling Old Automotive Items
While predecessors to what we know as today’s automobile were being developed as early as the 1600s, the first modern automobile with an internal combustion engine was produced by Karl Benz in 1888. Ever since, many folks have had a
Do You Have Any Porcelain-head Dolls?
It’s probably safe to say that virtually every little girl in the world has had a doll of some kind. In America and other prosperous countries, most little girls probably had many over the course of childhood. More privileged children
Macabre Items are Big With Collectors
People have always had a fascination with death and the “dark side” of human nature. When it comes to antiques and collectibles, the term “macabre” refers to disturbing objects, usually of a frightening or gruesome nature. Who among us has
What Makes Antique Electric Lamps Valuable
Let’s start out with a question that many people think they know the answer to: Who invented the lightbulb, and when? If your answer was Thomas Edison around 1880, then you’re off by a country mile. The first lightbulb was
Ask the Experts at RIAM
With relevant college degrees and nearly 100 years of collective experience covering a broad range of art, antiques and collectibles – RIAM’s appraisers and experts can help you with your questions.
Submit your questions on anything from an object you can’t identify to how to care, collect, clean or restore your antiques. Your question might be the subject of a future article from our experts! Almost all questions are fair game however we do not provide free appraisals through this blog
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