Antiques Freaks

Before Puppy Surprise, before Glow Worm, and well before Five Nights at Freddy’s, there were still more horrific plush toys with molded rubber faces. Dee loves ‘em! Ken hates ‘em! It’s time to delve into the strange Edwardian to mid-century kitsch of the Rushton Rubber Face Doll.

Wood that is not wood. Regency that is not Regency. Particleboard and yet mold-injected. And Victorian? What the heck happened over at the Syracuse Ornamental Company? The Antiques Freaks are on the case!

Please enjoy this episode from our Varney vaults, wherein we rejoin Charles Holland and Flora Bannerworth in the garden of the manor for an "affecting" scene. But what effect will it have on the Antiques Freaks?

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A mystery no more! The Antiques Freaks chat silver hallmarks with Carolyn Law. Carolyn is a personal property appraiser with a specialization in silver, English, Irish, American Colonial and Federal; a collector of 18th century English silver, particularly by women silversmiths; an author of articles on silver and appraisal practice in Silver Magazine; and a member of the UK Silver Society. 

You can learn more about Carolyn and her work at CarolynLawAntiques.com

Come for the frank discussion of mid-century modern Scandinavian home goods, stay for tips on keeping your cats entertained and important reasons to not drink cadmium.

Land-shark. Loblolly-boy. Lubber’s hole. All these nautical terms and more defined in this thrilling chapter of The Sailor’s Word Book!

Why does Dee hate OfferUp? Strap in.

In the spirit of spooky season, please enjoy this episode from our Varney vaults! Our friend Tarra (wellntruly) joins us in uncovering the most unexpected development yet in the Varney case. Charles Holland has two gay uncles. And they've arrived to answer the all-important question: "Who the devil is Josiah Crinkles?"


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

Kelf. Kitty-witch. Krang. All these nautical terms and more defined in this chapter of the Sailor’s Word Book!

Bottles? For perfume? It's more likely than you think.

Jack Nasty-Face. Jibber the Kibber. Jolly Jumpers. All these nautical terms and more defined in this chapter of the Sailor’s Word Book!

While Dee recovers from a back injury, please enjoy this episode from our Varney vault—wherein Sir Francis Varney makes an offer Henry Bannerworth can't refuse.


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

In the 1960s, the antique belt buckle market was rocked by the sudden appearance of Gilded Age Tiffany belt buckles commemorating such diverse moments as the American Civil War and the construction of the Titanic. Where did they come from? Why were they here? What did they want? One intrepid angry belt buckle collector was determined to find out.

Tussy-mussy. Poesy. Bouquet. Flower arrangement. You won’t believe where the Victorians want you to stick a miniature vase.

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.)

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.

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.

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

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.

"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.