Finding ways to show appreciation on Veteran's Day takes many forms, including taking a look back at the traditions of yesteryear and the significance they had in the lives of service personnel and their families. Thinking along these lines, one of my favorite World War II topics happens to be sweetheart jewelry. When these mementos were given and received more than 60 years ago, they held special meaning. This significance lives on today through collectors of military memorabilia and vintage jewelry lovers alike. Read Let Me Call You Sweetheart to learn more.

I've recently updated my Pottery and Porcelain Marks Gallery to include a few more examples since that's always a popular area for research on the site. Do you recognize the mark shown here? Honestly, I didn't realize this company didn't actually produce the china bearing its mark until I did a little research.

Loving vintage costume jewelry like I do, it's always a pleasure to share information on this topic with my online friends. I've just added some great new pieces to my Vintage Costume Jewelry Price Guide, including the adorable Coro birthstone Duette pictured here. Other names you might recognize like Miriam Haskell, Napier, Schreiner, and Juliana/DeLizza & Elster have new examples with values, too.

My mother was absolutely nuts about primitive antiques when I was growing up back in the '70s. When I put together my new Primitive Furniture Price Guide, I couldn't help but think of all the pie safes and blanket chests that passed through the doors of her antique shop. It still makes me smile to think about her enthusiasm for what many people considered to be plain old junk, and I thank my lucky stars she passed that love of old stuff right down to me.