John DeMuch
Appraisals, Auction Services, Estate Sales and Services
Since founding the Marine City Antique Warehouse in 1991, I have been personally responsible for real and personal property appraisals and sales of millions of dollars.
My education includes an undergraduate degree in finance and accounting from the University of Detroit. In addition to extensive course work at the University of Detroit School of Law and Wayne State University (M.B.A. Program). I have earned the G.R.I. (Graduate Realtors Institute) Designation and membership in C.A.G.A., Certified Appraisers Guild of America.
Presently based in Southeastern Michigan, my national team is eminently qualified to assist you in the appraisal of your personal property for tax, insurance, bankruptcy/divorce, or estate purposes. The Marine City Antique Warehouse and Auction Company has been recognized as a leader in the appraisal and/or liquidation of single items or entire estates. Call today for a free initial consultation.
For more information call:
(810) 765-1119 or cell: (810) 459-4000
About Bronze
The best way to be certain of the authenticity of a piece is to purchase it from a reputable dealer or auction house.
That being said, spelter is a common name for a zinc alloy that has been around since the middle of the 19th century. It’s been used to make small statues, candlesticks, etc. and the item is usually painted or given a bronze finish.
The main problem with spelter, is that is very soft and breaks easily.
The simpleset, surest way to tell if a piece is made of spelter, is to turn it over and make a small scratch on the bottom, a spelter piece will show a silvery-gray scratch while a bronze piece will be solid.
Antiques are like old books. They hold a limitless universe of knowledge waiting patiently to be revealed. Like a red violin, waiting for it’s next owner as it passes through history from generation to generation. And people who collect antiques are as passionate about their collections as they are about the pursuit and discovery of something old that brings them closer to the past.
Collecting and antiquing also remains a top leisure time activity in the United States. Antique Road Show, E-Bay, and American and European flea markets are thriving. A subculture of avid collectors have been born, filling the urge to acquire through tag sales, estate sales, flea markets, antique shops and open air antique fairs. Located on city streets, or a mile or two down country roads, these sales often brim with coveted treasures, or junk just waiting to be renewed and transformed into something functional.