Crested Hotel Ware in Muskoka is expensive for the most historic hotels; Railway and Steamship pieces are good investments

A Portion of the Tom Thomson reference books at our shop in Gravenhurst

A classic from Temagami; the Lady Evelyn Hotel

From the top left to right, The Albion Hotel, Elgin House and bottom row Bigwin Inn

CRESTED HOTELWARE IS A BIG DEAL, BUT ARE PRICES JUSTIFIED? MUSKOKA PIECES? HOW HIGH IS HIGH?

SOME COLLECTORS ARE SPECIFIC TO A RESORT, RAIL OR SHIPPING LINE, OR MILITARY

     THERE ARE COLLECTORS AMONGST US, PLEASANT, DETERMINED FOLKS, WHO LOVE THEIR CRESTED HOTELWARE. AS THOSE WHO COLLECT STERLING SILVER ANTIQUITIES, AND OTHERS WHO COLLECT ENGLISH-MADE CERAMIC TEA POTS, HOTELWARE ADMIRERS ARE JUST AS PASSIONATE TO FILL OUT THEIR SHELVES WITH BIG FINDS. THE CEILING? THERE REALLY ISN'T ONE UNLESS IT IS SELF IMPOSED. I LIKE COLLECTING FIELDS THAT CAN NEVER TRULY BE CONQUERED. AND IN HOTELWARE THE SKY IS THE LIMIT. THEY MAY HAVE AMASSED THOUSANDS OF EXAMPLES, AND WHEN YOU FIND OUT, AS IS MOST DEFINITELY THE CASE, HOW MANY VARIATIONS THERE ARE, YOU MIGHT ALSO EXPECT TO FIND THOSE WHO ARE SPECIFIC TO A STYLE; FOR EXAMPLE, MUGS, CUPS, OR, MY FAVORITE, HOTELWARE CREAMERS. I'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION TO OFFER, ABOUT THE EXAMPLE SHOWN ABOVE, WITH THE IMAGE OF A MOOSE ON THE SIDE. READ ON!
     ONE OF OUR FIRST MAJOR MUSKOKA COLLECTABLE FINDS, AS ANTIQUE DEALERS, WAS A CRESTED "SIDE PLATE" (FOR BREAD OR BUN) FROM ONE OF THE VINTAGE STEAM BOATS, PART OF THE MUSKOKA NAVIGATION FLEET IN ITS HEYDAY. WHEN MY COLLECTOR MATE, BOB BOOTH, CAME INTO THE SHOP A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE REMINISCED ABOUT THAT PLATE, BECAUSE HE WAS THE ONE WHO PURCHASED IT, BACK IN THE MID 1980'S. WE'VE HAD OTHER NAVIGATION COMPANY HOTELWARE, BUT YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR FIRST. BACK THEN, WE SOLD IT FOR TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS, AND BOB KNEW THAT IT WAS NOT ONLY A BARGAIN, BUT ONE THAT WOULD BECOME OF SIGNIFICANT VALUE DOWN THE ROAD. WE SHARED A LAUGH ABOUT HOW FAR WE BOTH GO BACK IN THE MUSKOKA COLLECTING FIELD. HE CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN COLLECTING THIS STUFF FOR ABOUT FIFTY YEARS, LOOKING AT ME AS BEING THE ROOKIE, AT ONLY FORTY YEARS. FOR ME, IT ALL BEGAN WHEN MY GIRLFRIEND AT THE TIME, GAIL SMITH, STOPPED AT AN AUCTION SALE IN BRACEBRIDGE, AND SUGGESTED I MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN CHECKING OUT THE ANTIQUES UP FOR SALE. IT'S WHERE I BOUGHT MY FIRST VINTAGE CANADIAN OIL LAMP FOR TWENTY BUCKS. THAT'S HOW MUCH SHE LOANED ME, BECAUSE I WAS DOWN TO LINT IN MY NOT-VERY-DEEP POCKETS. SO WHILE I DON'T HAVE FIFTY YEARS UNDER MY BELT, I'M DEFINITELY PAST THE ROOKIE LEVEL. WE GOT TOGETHER IN THE MID 1980'S BECAUSE OF CRESTED HOTELWARE, AND WE'RE STILL MEETING UP TO DISCUSS ACQUISITIONS, OF THE SAME STYLE OF COLLECTABLES, IN THIS SECOND DECADE OF A NEW CENTURY. SO AS MUCH AS I CRITIQUE THE HIGH PRICES OF CRESTED HOTELWARE, ESPECIALLY IN MUSKOKA, I DO VERY MUCH UNDERSTAND ITS APPEAL TO DEALERS AND COLLECTORS. FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES? WELL, MOST OF THESE CRESTED PIECES HAVE HELD THEIR VALUE AT THE VERY LEAST. AS FOR THE NAVIGATION COMPANY PLATE? I THINK NOW, ON THE OPEN MARKET, A SMALL PLATE WITH CREST, WOULD SELL IN THE RANGE FROM A HUNDRED DOLLARS, TO ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY, DEPENDING ON CONDITION. NOT A HUGE INCREASE IN VALUE, BUT PRETTY GOOD FOR A SMALL   PLATE.
     HOW RIDICULOUS CAN PRICES GET? WE HAVE BEEN OFFERED FIFTY DOLLARS FOR A SHARD OF HOTELWARE, THAT SHOWS THE "ROSTREVOR" RESORT CREST. APPARENTLY, THESE EXAMPLES ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY. ROSTREVOR WAS A POPULAR RESORT LOCATED NEAR THE VILLAGE OF WINDERMERE. THE FRAGMENT OF THE ROSTREVOR PLATE, WAS FOUND ALONG THE SHORE OF LAKE ROSSEAU, WHERE SUZANNE'S FAMILY USED TO HAVE A COTTAGE. I HAVE BEEN IN ANTIQUE SHOPS THAT HAVE HAD SHARDS-FOR-SALE, AND IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME THE VALUATIONS. I SUPPOSE SOMEONE MUST BE BUYING THEM, TO ESTABLISH THESE ADVANCING ASKING PRICES. IF I'D KNOWN THIS, AS A MUCH MORE NIMBLE, YOUNGER MAN, I WOULD HAVE SPENT A LOT MORE TIME CANOEING, ALONG THE SHORELINES OF OUR MUSKOKA LAKES, LOOKING FOR DISCARDED POTTERY FROM THE HOTELS. JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE LAKES WERE ROUTINELY USED AS DUMP SITES FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY. SUZANNE USED TO INSIST THAT WE TAKE THE CANOE OUT, AFTER MAJOR STORMS, BECAUSE OF WHAT THE WAVE ACTION WOULD STIR UP ON THE LAKE-BOTTOM, AND PUSH ASHORE. SHE PULLED A "BROWN'S BEVERAGES" SELTZER BOTTLE OUT OF THE LAKE ONE DAY, AND LOTS OF POTTERY PIECES AND OLD GLASS. THE SAME FOR ME, WHEN I WAS DIGGING AT OLD COMMUNITY AND HOMESTEAD DUMP SITES. THE PROBLEM IN THIS CASE, WAS THAT NASTY PIECE OF BUSINESS, KNOWN AS PRIVATE PROPERTY. THE BEST SITES WERE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, AND BY TIME YOU GOT PERMISSION, AND ROUSED THE OWNER'S ATTENTION, NEXT THING, WAS THEIR OWN FULL SCALE EXCAVATION OF THE RETIRED DUMPS. THEN THEY WOULD BE SELLING THE OLD BOTTLES AT THEIR YARDS SALES. SO HUNTING THE WATERWAYS FOR WASHED UP COLLECTABLES, INCLUDING BOTTLES AND HOTELWARE, WAS THE EASIEST, LESS CUMBERSOME PROJECT. IT DOES HAVE ITS RISKS, LIKE DUMPING, WITH ALL THE FINDS GOING BACK TO THE BOTTOM. YOU SEE, SOMETIMES YOU CAN STRETCH TOO FAR OUT OF THE CANOE, TO REACH THAT EVASIVE PLATTER OR TORPEDO BOTTLE PROTRUDING FROM THE MUD. BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT; LIKE MY COLLECTOR FRIEND DAVE BROWN WAS FAMOUS FOR, ESPECIALLY IN THE RETRIEVAL OF LOGGING INDUSTRY ARTIFACTS, A CRESTED WINDERMERE HOUSE OR NAVIGATION COMPANY PLATTER, WOULD GET ME JUMPING OUT OF THE WATERCRAFT. ACTUALLY, I'D JUMP OUT OF THE CANOE FOR ABOUT A BILLION DIFFERENT REASONS THESE DAYS, AS COLLECTABLES HAVE BEGUN OVER-TAKING LARGER ANTIQUES, AS THE NEW HOLY GRAILS. I LIKE COLLECTING PRIMITIVE PINE AND FOLK ART, BUT MORE AFFORDABLE NOSTALGIA PIECES ARE GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION THESE DAYS; LEAVING THE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE AND SPACE INTENSIVE FURNITURE FOR SOMEONE ELSE. THIS IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE I'VE SEEN IN THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS IN RECENT HISTORY. WE SELL FURNITURE PIECES BUT NOT LIKE WE DID IN YEARS PAST.
     OUR COLLECTOR ALLY, CHRIS THOMSON, OF GRAVENHURST, WITH FAMILY ROOTS IN BRACEBRIDGE. AND THE REGION OF ALMAGUIN, BROUGHT IN FOR OUR DISPLAY OF CRESTED HOTELWARE, TWO FINE CONDITION EXAMPLES, OF DISHES FROM LEGENDARY BIGWIN INN, OF LAKE OF BAYS, (FORMER GRAND HOTEL NEAR BAYSVILLE, ONTARIO), A CRESTED PIECE FROM THE FORMER ELGIN HOUSE RESORT, ON LAKE JOSEPH, NEAR PORT SANDFIELD, AND "THE ALBION" HOTEL, OF GRAVENHURST. THE MOST VALUABLE PIECES ARE FROM BIGWIN INN, BECAUSE IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT MUSKOKA DISTRICT RESORTS OF ITS PERIOD, AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT WRITTEN ABOUT ITS HEYDAY. PRICES ARE PROPORTIONAL TO PUBLICITY, AND AVAILABLE REFERENCE MATERIAL, AND BIGWIN CONTINUES TO BE WELL RECOGNIZED EVEN IN THIS NEW CENTURY. WHILE ELGIN HOUSE WAS A POPULAR RESORT, IT FALLS BEHIND IN VALUE GENERALLY, TO CRESTED HOTELWARE FROM WINDERMERE HOUSE, THE ROYAL MUSKOKA HOTEL, CLEVELANDS HOUSE, AND APPARENTLY, ROSTREVOR. ROSTREVOR OF COURSE, IS MORE VALUABLE BECAUSE IT IS IN SHORT SUPPLY. THE ALBION HOTEL WOULD BE MORE VALUABLE IF IT WAS CRESTED AS BEING FROM GRAVENHURST, AS THERE WERE QUITE A NUMBER OF ALBION HOTELS OUT THERE.
     I SHOULD NOTE HERE, THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CASE OF BIGWIN INN, THERE WERE LATER EDITIONS OF THE CRESTED HOTELWARE, AND WHILE I USED TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE ART WORK, AND COLORATION, TODAY I ONLY SEEM TO BE ABLE TO JUDGE AN OLD PIECE FROM ONE THAT IS NEWER, BY EXAMINING THE CERAMIC FINISH ITSELF, AND CHECKING FOR DECADES OF WEAR. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE NEWER HOTELWARE FROM BIGWIN WAS ONLY USED FOR A FRACTION OF THE TIME, OF THE ORIGINAL CRESTED COLLECTION, SO IT SHOULD SHOW LESS WEAR AND CRAZING. NOT ALWAYS A SURE THING BUT I DO COUNT ON MY MAGNIFYING APPARATUS A LOT. BUT IN THE MARKET PLACE, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER A LOT, BETWEEN THE PRINTING DATES, AS RELATES TO PRICING. IN SOME CASES, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE ART WORK OF THE CREST, AND THE COLORATIONS, WHICH OF COURSE DATES THE PIECES, AND CAN INCREASE THE VALUATIONS.
     WHILE MUSKOKA COLLECTORS ARE KEEN TO GO AFTER THE MAIN RESORTS AND NAVIGATION COMPANY, AS FAR AS CRESTED HOTELWARE GOES, I STILL BELIEVE THAT GOOD CONDITION PIECES FROM CANADIAN PACIFIC AND CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS, AND ASSOCIATED STEAMSHIP LINES, ARE MUCH MORE POPULAR AMONGST CANADIAN COLLECTORS GENERALLY, THAN REGIONAL ITEMS. AS FAR AS TRANSPORTATION GOES, ANYTHING FROM CUNARD OR WHITE STAR LINES, IS HIGHY COLLECTABLE, AND IN SOME CASES, DEPENDING ON THE SHIPS, THE PRICES ARE SUBSTANTIAL (OF NOSE BLEED ELEVATION), AND IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON STARTING A COLLECTION, YOU WILL NEED TO BE EITHER A GREAT SLEUTH, OUT ON THE HUSTINGS, OR HAVE DEEP, DEEP POCKETS. IF YOU HAVE HOTELWARE THAT WAS ACQUIRED (RESCUED) BEFORE A SHIP WAS SUNK, LIKE THE "LUSITANIA," "THE EMPRESS OF IRELAND," OR THE "TITANIC," YOU'VE MADE A GOOD INVESTMENT. THE SAME CAN GO FOR MILITARY CRESTED HOTEWARE, WHICH OF COURSE, DEPENDS ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE SPECIFIC PIECE. WE'VE HAD LOTS OF CANADIAN REGIMENTAL HOTELWARE OVER THE YEARS, SUCH AS FROM THE QUEEN'S OWN RIFLES," AND FROM THE "ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE;" AND EVEN FROM BRITISH AND AMERICAN MILITARY OR NAVAL DIVISIONS. POINT IS, IF YOU WERE INTERESTED IN COLLECTING CRESTED HOTELWARE, RIGHT DOWN TO THE SILVERWARE, TEA CUPS AND SAUCERS AND COFFEE MUGS, YOU WOULD NEED A WAREHOUSE AFTER FIVE YEARS OF SPENDING AND COLLECTING. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF EXAMPLES, AND SOME OF THEM, MOST DEFINITELY, CAN BE ACQUIRED FOR PENNIES, FROM CHURCH RUMMAGE SALES, THRIFT SHOPS, SECOND HAND SHOPS, AUCTIONS AND YES, NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SALES. THERE'S NO SHORTAGE, IF YOU ARE JUST INTERESTED IN GETTING A SAMPLING OF CRESTED HOTELWARE ETC., AND AFTERALL, WE PURCHASED THAT FIRST MUSKOKA NAVIGATION COMPANY PLATE, FROM THE LOCAL THRIFT SHOP FOR A QUARTER. THEY'RE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, BUT AS FAR AS ARDENT COLLECTORS GO, WE STILL KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE; SO IF YOU'RE HUSTLING ABOUT FROM SALE TO SALE, MAYBE YOU'LL FIND AN ENGRAVED SPOON, FROM THE STEAMER SAGAMO, (A MUSKOKA LAKES STEAMSHIP), A NAVIGATION COMPANY OVAL PLATTER, OR EVEN A ROSTREVOR DINNER PLATE, AMONGST THE YARD SALE INVENTORIES. THE MUSKOKA CRESTED PIECES ARE IN DEMAND. THEY ARE SO RARE IN FACT, THAT WE HAVE STOPPED SELLING THEM, IN ORDER THAT WE CAN BUILD BACK OUR COLLECTION OF ONCE, AND NOW OFFER THEM AS DISPLAY "EXAMPLES," FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE. WE CAN APPRAISE THESE PIECES FOR CUSTOMERS, AND WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO BUYING MUSKOKA PIECES, BUT WE WON'T BE SELLING THEM.
     ONE OF THE NEATEST CRESTED PIECES CHRIS BROUGHT TO SHOW US, AND OFFER FOR DISPLAY, IS A WONDERFUL LITTLE HOTELWARE CREAMER, WITH THE IMAGE OF A MOOSE AS PART OF THE CREST, FROM THE FORMER "LADY EVELYN HOTEL," IN TEMAGAMI, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE ACCOMPANYING NOTE, WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE YEAR 1906, BY DAN O'CONNOR, WHO HAD ALSO LAUNCHED A STEAMSHIP COMPANY, ON LAKE TEMAGAMI. HE ALSO WENT ON TO BUILD THREE HOTELS ON THE LAKE, ONE OF THEM, OF COURSE, KNOWN AS THE "LADY EVELYN." IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP OF TODAY'S BLOG YOU WILL SEE AN IMAGE OF THE LITTLE CRESTED JUG, AND THE TRADEMARK MOOSE. THIS IS A GEM, AND EVEN THOUGH IT HAS A HAIRLINE CRACK, IT IS A GREAT RELIC OF TEMAGAMI HISTORY. I WOULD LOVE A WHOLE SHELF OF CRESTED CREAMERS. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES I'VE SEEN, OF CRESTED CREAMERS, OF WHICH THERE ARE THOUSANDS FROM HOTELS AND RESORTS ALL ACROSS CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. DON'T GET ME STARTED ON WHAT'S AVAILABLE OF EUROPEAN CRESTED HOTELWARE.
     WE ARE INTERESTED, FOR PURCHASE AND DISPLAY, ANY RELICS THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FORMER GERMAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, KNOWN AS "CALYDOR," IN GRAVENHURST, WHICH OPERATED FROM 1939 TO 1946. WE LIVE IN THE PRESENT CALYDOR SUBDIVISION, NAMED AFTER THE HISTORIC BLOCK OF LAND USED FOR THE SECOND WORLD WAR PERIOD PRISON CAMP, BORDERING ON MUSKOKA BAY, OF THE WIDER LAKE MUSKOKA. I'VE WRITTEN QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE CAMPS OVER THE YEARS, AND EVEN CONDUCTED TOURS OF THE PROPERTY BACK IN THE 1990'S. CECIL PORTER WROTE AN INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE PRISON CAMP, WITH SOME OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS, ENTITLED "THE GILDED CAGE." IN THE BOOK, THERE ARE REFERENCES AND A FEW EXAMPLES OF "PRISON ART," THAT WAS CREATED BY THE INMATES, AND OFTEN OFFERED TO GUARDS, RELATED STAFF, FAMILY MEMBERS OF THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH CALYDOR, AND THOSE CITIZENS WHO LIVED IN VICINITY OF THE PRISON. I HAVE OWNED TWO CARVED PINE PIECES, FROM THE CAMP; ONE BEING A BEAUTIFUL PINE PICTURE FRAME, AND A GERMAN NAVY SHIP, ALSO CARVED FROM FOUND PINE ON THE CAMP PROPERTY. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SPECIAL DINNERWARE (HOTELWARE) BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS. ANY FURNISHINGS FROM THE CAMPS, OR COLLECTABLES GENERALLY WITH THAT PARTICULAR PROVENANCE, IS WHAT WE WANT FOR A FUTURE DISPLAY TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE CAMP YEARS. MANY OF OUR GERMAN CUSTOMERS, HAVE ASKED US ABOUT THE CAMP'S HISTORY, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW THEM MORE THAN JUST MR. PORTER'S FINE BOOK ON THE SUBJECT. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY CAMP CALYDOR RELICS, FROM PHOTOGRAPHS, FILM, TO BENCHES, CHAIRS, BOOKS AND PAINTINGS, YOU MIGHT WISH TO SELL OR SHARE AS EXHIBIT PIECES.
     THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING TODAY'S BLOG. LOTS MORE GOOD STUFF ON THE WAY.