Historic hardware is a popular collectible, and it's generally affordable and easy to find in a variety of styles, materials and colors. Antique-hardware expert Liz Gordon explains how to identify various periods and types of antique hardware, from hinges to doorknobs. Plain pressed-iron doorknobs can be quite inexpensive, but doorknobs with emblems or figures may be high-priced -- as much as $300 each. Cast-iron and cast-brass board-of-education doorknobs from city schools are collected for their emblematic value (figure A ). Doorknobs with initials are a fun collectible, especially if you know their origin. A doorknob with the initials LS, from the Chicago area, came from the LaSalle hotel (figure B). Jewel-toned doorknobs made of Bakelite, which predates plastic, are collected for their color, vibrancy and density (figure C). Early doorknobs, originating in the mid-19th century and including porcelain and glass, are also popular. Glass doorknobs come in many different colors, including amber, green and pink (figure D). A cobalt-blue doorknob from the 1920s is highly sought after. Door handles and hinges are available in various styles as well. Some currently favored examples are Eastlake store door handles and figural cast-brass hinges (figure E), as well as hardware in Victorian, art nouveau and straight and streamlined art deco styles (figure F).
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Liz Gordon, antique hardware expert
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