I’ve written an article on this topic for the August issue of The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles. Collectibles have grown as a consumer fancy for collectors over the last thirty years. American Indians have been a source of fascination to non-Native peoples for a long time. Indian collectibles, however, reflect some of the cultural stereotypes and inaccuracies assumed by non-Indians. Most 20th-century school children grew up thinking that tomahawks, canoes, drums, feathered headdresses and beaded items were representative of Indian culture in general. Hollywood didn’t help matters by making all on-screen Natives into Plains Indians.
The small-sized items produced for sale at Fred Harvey Company hotels, restaurants, and tourist outlets — like Desert View on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon — are amazingly popular and have kept their collectible nature. Prices were quite low, especially for manufactured goods, until this past decade. Collectors examining Fred Harvey objects such as jewelry are experiencing sticker shock these days. As more and more individuals have taken notice of a unique form of Americana, those small bracelets with stamps of horses and whirling logs or strands of turquoise shaped by Santo Domingo Indians, have seen a 20-35% increase in sale price.
