For Stunning Vintage Brass Decor, Look For This Brand At The Thrift Store

Whether you prefer your thrift stores dusty, tidy, or someplace in between, if it's the excitement of finding something valuable or just the perfect object for a perfect space, you're in good company. The U.S. is home to about 25,000 secondhand stores, and 16% to 18% of Americans say they regularly visit one. If small decor is on your radar, a company headquartered in Virginia that began making stoves in 1890 might not seem like a good fit. However, that company changed direction in the 1930s when it recognized a new market for what is now collectible vintage brass decor. Trivets, chandeliers, figurines, and other pieces made by Virginia Metalcrafters are a stunning addition to any room's decor. Not all brass is collectible, or even authentic, so plan to use your sleuthing skills when you visit the thrift store.

Virginia Metalcrafters began producing high-quality reproductions of Early American brass for Colonial Williamsburg's retail shops in 1938, after they had established themselves as a stove manufacturer. The company didn't only work in brass. Candelabra, doorknockers, bowls, and reproductions were also hand cast from iron, pewter, bronze, and aluminum. Since the designs were sometimes inspired by the historical location where a piece would be sold, expect to find old-fashioned objects, but the company also sold pieces with delicate filigree or detailed bas-relief. Virginia Metalcrafters closed in 2006, but the factory in southwestern Virginia is now on the National Register of Historic Places and open to the public.

If you're thrifting for brass decor in general and Virginia Metalcrafters in particular, be wary of knockoffs. Brass is a durable material mainly composed of zinc and copper. Check for sloppy casting where you can see the seams or imperfections from the mold. Some fakes only have a thin veneer of brass over a different metal. If you suspect this is the case with a piece you're considering, brass isn't magnetic. If a magnet sticks despite the piece appearing to be brass, it isn't. You may find a brass piece in its original box in your quest. Virginia Metalcrafters supplied Old Salem, The Smithsonian, Mystic Seaport, as well as Colonial Williamsburg and other historic sites. Look for those names on the box or other branding, like an informative paper insert.

You won't finance your next vacation with the proceeds from selling your Virginia Metalcrafters vintage brass collection unless your plans are modest, but that doesn't mean it's not valuable. Current auction asking prices on eBay range from around $10.00 for a trivet in the shape of a flower to $400.00 for a pair of wall sconces. If you decide to sell yours, buyers will want to know if it's authentic. Provenance, or the record of who owned a piece from the time it was manufactured, is one of the best ways to authenticate. If you don't have this information, look for the maker's mark usually found on the base of the item, or under the felt, if present, on the bottom. Virginia Metalcrafters used more than one maker's mark, including the letters V M as well as an anchor.