About Marcin Antiques

Many of my fondest childhood memories are of the holidays. Growing up in Morris Plains, NJ in the 1960s and 1970s, my parents made every holiday memorable. My mother – everyone called her “Ma” – worked non-stop before each holiday to create an amazing ambiance for the season.

Each holiday had its own sounds, smells and events. For Hallowe'en, I can still feel the crisp, fall air as I stepped outside in my costume, hearing the echoes of my neighborhood pals up and down the street exclaiming “Trick or Treat!”, and that distinctly Hallowe'en aroma that is a combination of the fallen leaves and the “hot pumpkin” smell of a real Jack o' Lantern with a wax candle burning inside. Ma would decorate the house for Hallowe'en, not just for the holiday, but to celebrate my oldest sister, Bobbie’s, October birthday. To this day, I still have the original pulp Jack o' Lanterns and the vintage Beistle diecuts from those wonderful days.

That's me, on the right, as my oldest sister Bobbie read to Sally and me on Christmas morning circa 1960.

At Christmas, Ma would pull out the boxes of ornaments, tinsel and garland – I still love that musty smell of the ornament box from its storage spot in the attic. Again, I still decorate with those very same ornaments from my childhood.

I am a proud member of The Golden Glow of Christmas Past, a wonderful organization for those who love all things Christmas ... as I do! Click here to learn more about "The Glow."

All our holidays were magnificent! For Valentine’s Day, our father would arrive home from work with a Valentine greeting and candy for Ma, and one each for his three daughters. Many years later, a great-aunt of my husband, Mark – knowing of my love for antique Valentines – gave me her collection of glorious, stand-up, dimensional Valentines from the early 1900s. They are on display year-round!

For Easter, Ma and Dad would hide baskets throughout the house – and continued doing so even when we were in our 40s! Of course, I still have those vintage baskets with our names on them – as well as a large collection of antique Easter memorabilia.

My Passion for Antiques

My older relatives had their homes filled with family treasures from the past – beautiful antique furniture and lamps, old clocks, lovely china and glassware, handmade linens and quilts, vintage photos of my ancestors in old frames, old toys and games, and so much more. Even as a very young child, I was drawn to these mementos of the past.

Of course, dolls and toys are often associated with holidays, especially Christmas morning. As I grew up, I fell in love with these childhood memories of days gone by, and began collecting these treasures. When I got married and began decorating my own home, I filled each room with authentic antique dolls and toys.

Today, I have combined my love of antiques with my joyful holiday memories, and have dedicated myself to collecting and selling antique and vintage holiday memorabilia, dolls and toys.

Books, Magazines & TV!

I am honored that my comments and examples from my collection were featured in the following:

“Vintage Halloween Collectibles: Third Edition”: the outstanding reference book entitled “Vintage Halloween Collectibles: Third Edition” by esteemed collector, expert and author Mark B. Ledenbach. I am so deeply honored and grateful that Mark invited me to showcase some of the pieces from my collection in this incredible book! If you don't have a copy, I highly recommend it. Click here to order your copy!
Article on Vice.com: I was interviewed for this article entitled "These People Spend Thousands of Dollars on Vintage Halloween Decorations" by Giaco Furino. Also quoted in this piece were collectors Mark B. Ledenbach, Jason Walcott and Brenda McNeilly -- all dear friends of mine! Click here to read the article.
"American Pickers" TV Program: when the hugely-popular program American Pickers needed an expert to appear to give an appraisal for a rare piece, they called on author Mark B. Ledenbach. They also needed some images of pieces to highlight when host Mike Wolfe was discussing the Halloween collectible hobby -- so they turned to me to send some images of pieces from my collection! Here's a screen shot of one of them:

american pickers

Doing Business with Marcin Antiques

When you make a purchase from Marcin Antiques, you can count on these things:

I offer a 100% money back guarantee – including all shipping costs – if you are dissatisfied with your purchase within 30 days.
I am very knowledgeable in my chosen areas of specialty, and I will never sell a fake or reproduction.
I describe my items thoroughly, and will describe any flaws or issues with each piece in detail. I take multiple pictures of each item from every angle, using professional photography equipment and lighting.
I am well-known for my packing! I carefully wrap each piece in tissue, then surround it with many layers of bubble wrap, air pillows, Styrofoam peanuts and more. I ship in heavyweight boxes, Priority Mail Insured, with tracking.