Old pattern glass makes this tear's top tem list because it's interesting, affordable and still very usefull, kike this "Swan" pattern dessert set from the 1880s.

Here it is, my annual list of what folks will be looking for and finding in antique shops across the country this summer season.

Remember, whether it’s hot or not, you’re always happier when you buy what you like.

1. Silver: There are still plenty of good buys out there.
Look for coin (.900) silver, silver jewelry (including Mexican), sterling flatware (especially interesting serving pieces), decorative and vanity items, and ornate or unusual old silver plate.

2. Estate Jewelry: From when gold was locked in by law at $32 an ounce, and jewelry artists used lots of it—stippled, tooled, Florentined and fashioned into settings for precious and semi-precious gems.
Also, look for intaglios, cameos, enamels and inlays.

3. Pattern Glass: It’s old, interesting, affordable, and you can still use it. No wonder old pattern glass is being rediscovered.
Look especially for goblets. Celery vases, spooners, unusual pieces and fancy compotes.

4. Asian Arts: Japanese Meiji (1868-1912) items are still very sought after for their intricate artistry. Japanese Imari and Chinese Canton and Famille Rose haven’t lost their appeal.
But, it’s more than porcelain these days. Savvy collectors are picking up a wide range of wares—ivory, wood, soapstone, and hard stone carvings, metals, paintings on silk, wood block prints, textiles, and lacquer wares.

5. Religious Items: Whatever the reason for it—devotional, scholarly, or aesthetic—this is a trend that explores all religions, from mainstream to tribal.
Look mostly for statuary, artwork, but also for ecclesiastical and liturgical items like candlesticks, vases, incense burners, textiles, etc.

6. Americana: All things American are internationally collectible. There is tremendous interest in country accessories, especially “primitive” (handmade) items.
Look for treen (carved wood), fractors (framed documents), quilts, samplers, crockery, kitchen implements, tools, nautical items—anything that suggests this country’s earlier hard working roots.

7. Modernism (1920-1970): Call it Bauhaus, Art Deco, 1940's Moderne, or Fifties High-Style, or even Doo-wop.
It’s futuristic and optimistic, and rarely a week goes by without some magazine or newspaper featuring an article about the return of this vintage style.

8. Staffordshire Transferwares: The older it is the better, but anything up through the 1940s will do. Scenes are oriental, pastoral, gothic, classical, the kind of scenes you want to walk into, exotic and fascinating.
They come in an array of colors—cranberry (pink), lavender (purple) and mulberry (brown) and the ever-popular blue. Perhaps the best—and the classiest—buy on the market.

9. Books and Writing: Any first edition is sought after, especially American authors.
Also look for high quality gilt and leather bindings, miniature books, children's books, cook books, and books with famous illustrators.
Original jackets are a plus. Collectors also want writing-related items, such as desks and desk sets, inkwells, pens, bookends, and paperweights.

10. Architectural and Garden: Old wrought and cast iron is particularly popular now—fences, gates, pickets, plant stands.
Creative decorators are finding new uses for porch columns, garden statuary, jardinieres, cement urns, doorknobs, gingerbread, newell posts, barnsiding, old furniture ormolu, and applied wood decoration.

It's an upside-down world. What was once outside is inside and vice-versa.

Also hot: Model trains and accessories, costume jewelry, fashion accessories, bags and compacts, bronze and marble statuary, all sorts of souvenirs, especially 1939 and ‘64 New York World’s Fairs, wood carvings, oil paintings, illustrator art, black & white prints and watercolors, postcards, stereoscope cards, wind-up and battery operated toys (especially space toys), music boxes, and mechanicals.

Happy antiquing everyone!

—Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is co-owner of The August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton, and author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding The Real Value Of Old Things.” Send him your comments or appraisal requests to aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.