Yep, I plead guilty too and I didn't even put my ceramics in the dishwasher. I just tried washing them in soapy water in the sink. Cold-painted pieces turned all white. And NO, that doesn't make them a rare, expensive piece!

From Kovel's Blog:
Don't Wash Your Santas!
"Warning! Think before you put Christmas dishes in the dishwasher. I unpacked my Holt-Howard Santa Claus mugs so I could fill them with candy. One looked dusty, so I put it in my new dishwasher on the anti-bacterial cycle--never thinking about the temperature of the water for that cycle."

Read more . . .

Not sure of exact size of this piece, but these range in size from about 2.5 to 5.5" across.

The auction price was $310 in 2008.

Whoops! Just realized folks are thinking the string is part of the piece. It's NOT, it was used to hold the auction number on the piece. The string does not belong!

Last week's mystery antique and answer.

• Wordless Wednesdays on About
• See more Wordless Wednesday Blogs
• More Mystery Item Quizzes

Tabletop trees are perfect for those who don't have the room for a full-size tree, but also for those who love to have Christmas touches throughout the house.

There are endless choices, but some of my choices would be a small antique feather tree, a live tree with Radko or one of the fun trees made for avid collectors.
Table Top Tree Ideas
^{Collectibles Today}

It seems like every well-known holiday company has made or makes a Statue of Liberty ornament, so finding one is not difficult. The hard part is deciding which one to add to your collection or give as a gift. One good pick is buying from the Ellis Island Foundation, the proceeds go to the organization and the ornaments are beautiful!
Lady Liberty Ornament Series
^{Courtesy of Ellis Island Foundation}