My Articles & Books

The PITCA Pressing News

I contribute regularly to the quarterly publication Pressing News, one of the many benefits of membership in Pressing Iron and Trivet Collectors of America (PITCA). Each issue contains interesting information not found elsewhere, as well as updates on member activities and ads. Current and past digital issues of Pressing News are available to members at the PITCA website. View a past i ssue of the Pressing News.

F.A.R.E. Pressing Iron Stand, Gas Heater And Iron. March 2023

The Berger Sad-Iron Stand And Its Reproductions. December 2022

English Goffering Iron Bearing An “Rd” Diamond; A Marriage? September 2022

Collecting Sprinkler Bottles, Part IV: Reference Books. June 2022

Nickel-plated Sad Iron Stands. March 2022

The Simplex Electric Flat Iron Stand. December 2021

“The Handy Ironing Board” and Flat Iron Support. June 2021

Collecting Sprinkler Bottles, Part III. December 2020

Trivet, Sad Iron, or Stand? September 2020

Collecting (Vintage) Sprinklers – Part II. June 2020

Clay & Protection 1844 Campaign Trivet. March 2020

An 1888 Presidential Campaign Trivet. December 2019

A Guide To Evaluating Trivets. March 2019

The Lantz Trivets of Dick Hankenson. December 2018

Resources for Little Irons and Trivets. March 2018

Trivets ~ Christopher Dresser Inspired. December 2017

Seven Favorite Trivets. March 2017

A Tale of Two Trivets. September 2016

William Walters’ Trivet. June 2016

Boer War Collectibles. March 2016

Panel Trivets. December 2015

Lessons Learned in Polishing Trivets. September 2015

Two Unique Household Tools. June 2015

Cleaning & Caring for Metal Trivets & Stands. December 2014

Collecting Vintage Sprinkler Bottles. September 2014

Wood Handled Trivets. December 2011

Trivets ~ Clues to Age. March 2010

Buying Trivets – Alternatives to eBay. September 2009

Books

Many thanks to Bill Schroeder and Collector Books, a division of Schroeder Publishing. Collector Books closed in 2011 after releasing over 1500 different titles on antiques and collectibles; their annual “Schroeder’s Price Guide” was an industry standard. It was a pleasure to work with them to see my two trivet books published. I’m personally sold out of these two books, but copies can still be found on Amazon and eBay.

It was a practice of Collector Books to require current values on the antiques and collectibles published in their various reference books.

Trivets prior to 2010 were selling for high prices on eBay and at auction, often after finger-biting bidding wars. After the recession hit in 2008-2010, prices in the antiques & collectibles markets took a huge hit and have yet to recover. Both of my books accurately represented trivet values at the time they were published. Are the A-Z book values still accurate?

Currently, as a general rule, only trivets in fine condition, unusual in some way or truly scarce/rare approach those previously suggested prices. But I trust you’ll find the background research, as well as my relative scarcity and value (S&V) ratings in the Expanded Book 2, still relevant and useful.

bBook 1

The A-Z Guide To Collecting Trivets (2004), my first book, included information never published before – how to buy and sell trivets on the Internet, decorating with trivets, and detailed information on J.Z.H. Alphabet Series trivets. Physical descriptions and photographs of more than 450 trivets and stands are provided, as well as some of their interesting history. Horseshoe plaque trivets, Ober trivets, Jenny Lind trivets, sadirons and their companion stands, reproduction trivets, and other vintage domestic accents are included. Information on the British Registered Design (Rd) System with charts for dating trivets and stands is featured. There are even sections on selecting, cleaning, and caring for metal trivets, decorating your home with trivets, websites of interest to collectors, and suggested reference books. User, price, and condition guides appear at the end of the book, as well as a glossary and bibliography. 2004 values with 4,022 softbound copies printed.

RLBook 2

The Expanded A to Z Guide to Collecting Trivets (2010), my second book, is divided into Contemporary (post 1940) Trivets, Advertising Stands, and Antique and Vintage Trivets. New additions to the Contemporary Trivets section includes the entire series of 55 Electric Furnace man (EFM) trivets as well as information on contemporary Griswold trivets and Horace Strong’s Vermont trivets.

The Advertising Stands section includes the results of my ‘Colt’ trivet investigation, as well as an in-depth research study of panel trivets. And hand-forged trivets, wire trivets, Lantz (circular paw footed) trivets, and Rimby trivets (1840s Baltimore) are featured in the Antique & Vintage Trivets section.

There is again information on buying, selling, collecting, cleaning, and displaying trivets. The popular Conversations with Other Trivet Collectors has been repeated, with all new essays from eight fellow collectors from around the world. And there’s an entirely new section, An Introduction to Iron Collecting, which includes suggestions for new collectors – plus a very special section on the Toy Swan Iron. 2010 values with 500 hardbound copies printed.