Antiques Freaks

291 IKEA and West Elm on Facebook Marketplace

Does IKEA and West Elm furniture hold up? (No.) Does used IKEA retain value? (No.) Is West Elm worth the price, even second-hand? (No.) Join the Antiques Freaks for a rousing discussion of why you should spend your furniture dollars elsewhere. (With bonus diversions into the world of American Girl Dolls.)

290 Ch. 13 - Varney the Vampire, or, The Feast of Blood (1845)

Our heroes meet Sir Francis Varney face-to-face at last! But is he a vampyre? (Yes.)

We are joined this week by our dear friend Olivia! Check out her short speculative fiction and essays at ofcieri.com, and read her new book BACKMASK!


To instantly unlock a hundred more chapters (literally), check out our Patreon.

289 Furby with Paris from Terrible Book Club

Behold, the Furby. Animatronic nostalgia or uncanny valley horror? What sort of aftermarket exists for these retro and vintage toys? And why do folks insist on making them long? Dee is joined by Paris of the Terrible Book Club podcast for this exploration into the weird and wild world of Furbies.

288 Antiques Fraud! Wendy Halstead Beard

When consignment goes just about as wrong as it can go, you get Wendy Halstead Beard and her high art photography gallery of fraud.

287 Old Books at the Westport Friends Book Fair

The Antiques Freaks went to a book fair! Tune in to hear about our haul, plus tips and tricks for finding cool vintage and antique books in the wild - including The Last Book on the Left; Dinotopia; N. C. Wyeth; autograph books; Moon-Cussers of Cape Cod; Arthur Rackham’s illustrated King Arthur; and the Witch of Wall Street herself, Hetty Green.

286 Ch. 12 - Varney the Vampire, or, The Feast of Blood (1845)

"Charles Holland, will you have a vampyre for your bride?"

While Ken's voice recovers from respiratory illness, please enjoy this episode from our Varney vaults!


To instantly unlock a hundred more chapters (literally), check out our Patreon.

285 Q and A with Antiques Freaks

You asked, we answered! Dee and Ken sit down for a Q&A session with questions provided by listeners like you.

284 Hoosier Cabinets

Edwardian, Gilded Age, and Jazz Age furniture designers, against all odds, have produced something practical. The Hoosier cabinet - a charming vintage look perfect for kitchens of yesterday, today, and tomorrow!

283 Antiques Cryptid! Monteith

What are monteiths? It’s a silver punch bowl from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. But WHO is Monteith? We just don’t know. Or do we???

282 Magic Books with Abracadaniel

Daniel (as heard in our Magic: the Gathering episode) returns to teach the Antiques Freaks about a different kind of magic - the kind stored in ancient tomes that can only be found through secret covenants with ancient societies of tricksters. Y’know, magicians. Books with magician tricks in them. We swear we’re not doing real magic. Honest.

281 Danger! Taylor Swift Anti-Hero Plates

Once upon a time Corelle debuted a simple design of golden flowers and butterflies. For years they languished in the kitchen cabinets of unsuspecting households. Then everything changed when Taylor Swift released her Anti-Hero video. Now mid-century American dishes are the talk of the town. But is it safe? (No.)

280 Ch. 11 - Varney the Vampire, or, The Feast of Blood (1845)

Please enjoy this episode from our Varney vaults, wherein Charles Holland turns us all into Hollandaise.


To instantly unlock a hundred more chapters (literally), check out our Patreon for bonus episodes.

279 Faircroft’s Antiques - The Forbidden Crypt

Antiques in books? Sure. Antiques in movies? Why not. Antiques in video games? Now you have our attention! Join internationally-renowned antiques conservator Mia Faircroft in the Faircroft's Antiques series and learn how NOT to restore a medieval suit of armor.

278 Tape Measures

How do you measure a tape? Once upon a time we had to drag a chain across a field uphill both ways. But now with the modern convenience of a vintage or antique tape measure, we know precisely how long all our tapes are.

277 Ch. 10 - Varney the Vampire, or, The Feast of Blood (1845)

Due to a family emergency we are unable to post a regular episode this week. Instead, please enjoy this chapter from our Varney vaults, wherein an unexpected return plunges both characters and podcasters into hysterics.


To instantly unlock a hundred more chapters (literally), check out our Patreon for bonus episodes.

276 Cup Plates

From practical tea-time necessity to collectible glassware plague upon the local antiques industry, cup plates have gone on an incredible journey throughout history. Stay tuned for the laughing sheep!

275 Bridal Baskets

Dee has all the deets you could possibly want about bridal baskets just in time for wedding season. Ken has an actual real-life fever. Who will win? You, dear listener. Always you.

274 Lot No. 249 - Mummy Horror with Terrible Book Club

Once upon a time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote something besides Sherlock Holmes. (Shocking, we know.) What if you went to medical school in the 1880s and also your dormitory neighbor had an ancient Egyptian mummy? Chris and Paris have joined the Antiques Freaks to answer this most daring question. CONTENT WARNING for Victorian racism and Orientalism.

273 Lisa Frank

Frankly, she’s Lisa. Iconic rainbow graphic design from the 80s, 90s, 00s, and beyond! It’s vintage Trapper Keepers, stickers, pens, pencils, cookie jars, backpacks, and so much more—featuring beloved characters like Markie the unicorn, Rainbow the horse, Hunter the leopard, and also the weird Y2K aliens that no one likes to look at but everyone wants to own. Which one is worth three hundred bucks? Tune in to find out!

272 Antique Frames

When is the frame worth more than the picture within? Tune in for everything you’ve ever wanted to know about antique picture frames but were too afraid to ask!