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By Danielle Arnet: Marghab linens are popular, but buyers seek complete sets

Q I want to sell some Marghab linens, but I have no idea of their value.

- Carol, Surprise

AFrom the 1930s to the '80s, South Dakota native Vera Marghab and her husband fostered a renaissance in the old art of Madeira embroidery. Contracting top needlework produced on the island of Madeira, they imported pieces that were sold in fine department stores in the United States. In all, almost 2,000 pieces were produced in 282 patterns. Marghab linens were not inexpensive when new. To see an extensive sampling, go to www3.sdstate.edu/ administration/ southdakotaartmuseum/ collections/marghab online. Connecticut linens dealer Cynthia Cooper told us that Marghab linens are popular today, but buyers want complete sets. With 12 placemats and matching napkins, our reader is on target. Smaller or incomplete sets don't bring as much. Smart collectors know that the best way to scope current market values is through completed sales on eBay. When we checked, a very rare set of eight placemats with napkins on prime organdy sold for $202.51, and a set of Santa embroidered cocktail napkins brought $138.49. Yet a similar Santa set sold for $93, and a set of five cocktail napkins fetched only $13.99. Therein lies a lesson. "Some patterns are more desirable than others," said Cooper, and some colors are, too. As a rule, complete and extensive sets (mats, napkins, coasters) are most desirable. Single hankies and towels are the exception. Rarity also counts. Color and design are secondary, but important, factors. Above all is condition, always vital in fabrics. Collectors also value the original Marghab label on each set. To sell linens, consider auction (where you take your chances), a linens dealer (for roughly 50 percent retail), or online. Currently, the market in hand-stitched vintage linens is "gangbusters," said Cooper. Why? Because no one is doing that kind of work anymore. "You can own a work of art for very little money," she advised. A beautiful 100-plus-year-old banquet mixed lace cloth with 18 napkins can run $6,000, while fine hankies are $4 and up. Cooper has international buyers from Japan, Switzerland and Australia. Customers in Ireland and England find vintage linens from their countries cheaper to buy from America than at home. One customer has more than 100 dozen napkins; others buy vintage "cutter" pieces to fashion into pillows, doll clothing, etc. ° FYI: Cooper's Web site, www.antique-linens.com, has a marvelous link on linens cleaning and care. Reach her there or at Box 586, Farmington, CT, 06034; 1-860-677-5423. Q: My blue-and-white Sawtooth quilt was appraised by a certified quilt appraiser at $1,600. How do I sell it? - Connie, Tucson

A: Maryland seller Stella Rubin is known for her expertise in quality antique quilts (1900 to 1930s). When we saw her at a top show recently, she was surrounded by impressive stacks of quilts of all kinds. Rubin has seen quotes from certified quilt appraisers that have been off the mark - at both ends. "Some (quilts) have been vastly undervalued, and some have been over," she said. You need to ask what the value given represents. Is it replacement or insurance value? Also, a local appraiser may not reflect the national market. "Whatever the quote is, you get only about half when you sell it," she added. If you send a clear image or photos to her, she will take a look. Currently, the quilt market favors finely crafted 19th-century quilts with a white background. And, "the Amish quilt is coming back," depending on pattern, says Rubin. In all quilts, condition is the prime factor. ° FYI: Stella Rubin is at www.stellarubinantiques.com, stella.rubin@att.net, or 1-301- 948-4187. Her book, a Miller's guide, is "How to Compare & Value American Quilts" (Mitchell Beazley, $24.95). Auction action

When a large private collection of objects from Tiffany Studios crossed the block at Doyle New York, two important enameled copper ginger jars commanded much attention. Started in 1898 by Louis C. Tiffany, the enamel workshop was headed and largely staffed by women. By 1907, when the division closed, only some 750 pieces had been made. The two jars sold at Doyle were remarkable for their large size and good condition. Both sold to the same collector. Collector quiz

Q: What's the best way to store a quilt? a) In a plastic blanket bag. b) Folded, in a cedar chest. c) On display, hanging. d) None of the above. A: The answer is d. Plastic traps moisture and can lead to mildew. Folded quilts need to be aired and refolded (along different lines) several times a year. Even flat displays cause wear. Rotate the quilt occasionally. Either roll over an acid-free tube or store folded, with acid-free tissue inside. Then wrap in a cotton pillowcase. Alternate periods of storage with display and airing. - Source: "Official Price Guide to Quilts: 2nd Edition," by Kathleen Barach and Liz Aleshire (House of Collectibles, $16).