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Vote For Your Favorite Ruby Lane Shop

June 12, 2010

The Top Three Ruby Lane Shops Will Then Be Reviewed By Me

Yea! It’s a contest…

I like Ruby Lane, and I sell on Ruby Lane, and I want you to vote for your favorite Ruby Lane Shop.

Vote early, vote late, and vote often. There are no rules for this, you can even vote for your own shop. And I definitely want you to include a link to your Ruby Lane Shop in your comments.

I am going to keep the voting open until Saturday July 12, 2010

I want to hear who you think is selling the best of the best on Ruby Lane. I want to see who you think consistently offers the best service – who sells the finest Sterling Silver – Who sells Vintage Clothing – from what shop did you purchase your favorite postcard.

Does your Favorite Ruby Lane Shop sell Costume or Fine Jewelry? Are they a Collectibles Shop or an Antique Shop? Does your favorite Ruby Lane Seller have a theme, a special or unique name, let me know.

And what will they win Monty?

Is it a Cash Prize, a Negotiable Security, or a Pristine Bank Note…?

No, not cash, but something better. And what could be better than cash? Traffic! That’s right traffic. Traffic is better than cash because it insures future sales for a long time.

The average post on this site is read a total of a few thousand times in a three month period of time. That’s a lot of page views, and guess what, some of those people are going to be so intrigued by our review of a shop that they will just have to saunter on over and visit.

Charm us by Casting Your Vote

Here’s what you do: Leave a comment. A comment is a vote. A comment lets me and all the world know who your favorite Ruby Lane Shop is. A Comment, a tiny bit of time out of your day typing words explaining briefly or at length why you think I should review your favorite Ruby Lane Shop.

What to include in your comment: The Ruby Shop Name or URL. Of course because it makes it easier for everyone we prefer that you include both.

Then I will sift through your votes, counting as I go, and which ever 3 shops get the most votes will win a review of their Ruby Lane Shop by yours truly.

Martin Codina CEO of Fine Estate Liquidation – A San Francisco Bay Area Estate Sales Company

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2 Comments | Ruby Lane | Permalink
Posted by Martin

Trade Silver Crosses

June 9, 2010

Trade Silver Crosses

These were objects of adornment traded for fur, which acted as displays of Status, Wealth, and Position

Hudson’s Bay Silver Trade Cross Sold by Allard Auctions on March 8, 2008 for $650.00

I am not positioning myself as an expert on Trade Silver here, I only want to inform my readers and let them see how extraordinary these wonderful artifacts are.

I am surprised that there is so little written about the Trade Silver that was such an integral part of The Fur Trade. OK, maybe trade silver was not exactly integral to the fur trade, and perhaps it was not as important as the many other utilitarian objects that North American Natives traded fur for…but these artifacts are definitely what I wish I could find more of.

The Hudson’s Bay Company Was Chief Among Fur Traders

Here is a Trade Silver Cross by Robert Cruikshank

Trade Silver Cross Sold by William Bunch Auctions on February 27, 2007 for $600.00

Into the cold nether regions of the Northeast came bearded men searching for fur, and I understand that they brought with them all the things of Europe – tools, guns and all manner of their rudimentary technologies, but they also brought trinkets and shiny things to trade. Some of them must have worn crosses and their company leaders often wore gorgets, and here’s where some of my speculation comes in – that it was these articles of adornment that captured the fascination of the their counterpart native traders. Fur Traders realizing this, started to have quantities of silver fashioned into crosses, buttons, gorgets and earrings.

What started as trinkets became a more refined Trade Silver

Fur Traders Had These Items Made Specifically To Trade…

Double Bar Lorraine Trade Cross Sold By Northeast Auctions for $4,707.00

The above example is by Robert Cruikshank but I also want to give you links to two other silversmiths who made Trade Silver – Michael Arnoldi and Ignace-François Delezenne I wish I could find examples of their work in trade silver, but as of the time of this writing I have been unable to find any.

When I think of the countless pelts trapped in the Northeast, I find it surprising that there is not more written about the silver traded by settlers to acquire them from Native North Americans.

Fine Canadian Silver Trade Cross

Offered for bid by Mid-West Auctions, Inc. on June 19th 2010

Mid-West Auction Inc.

This is the nicest example I have found of a Silver Trade Cross, and it is being offered for bid by the Mid-West Auction Company on June 19, 2010. I think that it will exceed it’s pre-sale auction estimate of $800.00 to $1,200.00.

I am hoping that someone will leave a comment about this cross, because I have a question aboiut it. I am curious if the dangles are original, or if they may have been added later…?

…Native Americans Wore Trade Crosses…

Oglala Sioux “Young Man Afraid of His Horses” Wearing Trade Cross. Sold by Cowan’s Auctions, Inc. for $2,875.00

The trade cross that Oglala Sioux “Young Man Afraid of His Horses” is wearing is a more accurate representation of how these Trade Silver Crosses came to be fashioned. Notice that each of the arms of this cross are equal. Native Americans liked balance and they also wanted a cross to act as a symbol for something that they could better understand, and in the case of a cross, they wanted crosses to represent the way that they placed logs together to build fires.

Chief Gall Wearing a Cross Seated With his Family

Sold by Cowan’s Auctions, Inc. for $546.00 on September 15, 2007

I am not really sure if the cross that Chief Gall is wearing is a Silver Trade Cross or not. I offer it up only because there are so few pictures available for us to see how these crosses might have looked when worn by Native North Americans.

Here is some additional reading – The Canadian Encyclopedia “Indian Trade Silver” Barking Rock Farm Short Article About Trade Silver :

Canadian Trade Silver Cross

Canadian Trade Silver Cross Sold By Christie’s for $1,434.00

Good Luck Out There!

Martin Codina CEO of Fine Estate Liquidation – A San Francisco Bay Are Estate Sales Company

Some of this information was gathered from research conducted using Prices 4 Antiques.Com. Here’s a discount code for them: Prices4Antiques.Com Discount Code.