As the digital age progresses, national antiques and collectibles expert Harry L. Rinker recognized the growing need for in-seat education in order to gain knowledge and insight about antiques and collectibles objects.
After receiving repeated requests from members of the trade and inspired by his February 2014 appearance at the EstateSale.com Conference, Rinker has decided to revive his Institute for the Study of Antiques and Collectibles beginning with a 2015 Antiques and Collectibles Summer Camp scheduled for August 2015.
The new Institute for the Study of Antiques and Collectibles focuses exclusively on object education. This approach allows the Institute’s seminars to appeal to the broadest trade audience – appraisers, auctioneers, collectors, dealers, estate sale managers, museum curators, and others interested in learning more about historic objects.
Seminars will be taught by experts within the field, with emphasis on the ability of the instructors to effectively communicate their knowledge. Whenever possible, hands-on material will play a role in the instructional process.
Initially, seminars will be taught in-seat. A maximum of 30 participants will be registered for each course. Each seminar will be two days in length, comprising 15 class room hours.
The goal of each seminar is to shorten the learning curve of the participant and to provide insider tips usually not shared by members of the trade. Participants will learn techniques that will reduce the amount of time they spend researching objects.
Long range plans are being made to offer the seminars on line. While affordable technology is available, online training will not be offered until a solution is found to (1) allow the incorporation of handling actual objects and (2) a sufficient testing program is created to ensure the participant has adequately learned the material.
Object Seminars
Each object seminar focuses on five key areas: (1) identification, (2) a full understanding of the scope of the collecting category, (3) authentication, (5) grading and (5) determining value.
Students are encouraged to bring pieces from their own collection for analysis. Reading lists are supplied in advance. Participants are encouraged to read the material prior to attending the course.
An asterisk (*) indicates that the seminar has been taught at the early Institute for the Study of Antiques and Collectibles and that a course description and an outline is on file.
* OS-100 Authenticating Antiques and Collectibles
* OS-105 American Glass
* OS-11 American Ceramics
* OS-115 American Country
* OS-120 American Furniture Design Styles
* OS-121 Twentieth Century American Furniture
* OS-125 Dinnerware, Flatware, Stemware, and Tabletop Accessories
* OS-130 Dolls
* OS-135 European Ceramics
* OS-140 Folk Art
* OS-145 Jewelry: Understanding the Key Design Periods
* OS-146 Victorian and Edwardian Era Jewelry
* OS 147 American Twentieth Century Jewelry – From Tiffany to Trifari
* OS-148 Costume Jewelry
* OS-149 Dating Jewelry
* OS 150 Metal, Precious—Gold, Silver, and Their Plates
* OS 155 Asian Antiques and Collectibles
* OS 160 Paper Ephemera
* OS 161 Prints
* OS-162 Books, Maps, and Incunabula
* OS-165 Understanding Paintings and Sculptures Valued Under $1,000
* OS 17 Textiles
* OS-175 Toys, Games, and Puzzles
* OS-180 Victoriana
Harry Rinker will select the individuals who will teach these seminars, approve all teaching materials in advance, and monitor the instruction to see that the Institute’s high standards are met.
Master Classes
Master classes are taught entirely hands-on and limited to no more than twenty-five students. A student must complete the basic OS seminar related to that subject before taking a master course.
Master classes under consideration are:
* MC-400 Authenticating Antiques and Collectibles
* MC-44 Researching Jewelry
Obtaining Information about Institute Seminars
If you would like information about seminars offered by the Institute for the Study of Antiques and Collectibles, email harrylrinker@aol.com and ask to be placed on the Institute email list.
