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What's It Worth? The Egg-Citing History Of Fabergé Eggs
Peter Carl Fabergé, a Russian artisan of Frencch Huguenot ancestry, made about 50 gold and jeweled eggs when he was the royal jeweler to Russian aristocracy from 1885 forward. Only 45 of them have been accounted for. The legacy of these eggs is far-reaching, and a simple internet search will unearth hundreds of stories about them.
What's It Worth? Legos. Great To Sell, Not So Great To Step On
I hate Legos. Despise them. I was reminded of them when an executive here in town brought them up after we sold a large baseball card collection for him and his retired father. He still collected them at age 40!
Yes, I played with them briefly in the ’60s. So I can appreciate them. And Legos were the first thing I ever saw traded on the internet back in 1988. I get the fascination. I hate them for another reason.
What's It Worth? Age Influences Value ... On Many Levels
Sometimes the past that got us into this business has a way of coming back to us in pleasant ways.
I first read Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by Henry David Thoreau, when I was in eighth grade. I reread it in college – and of course, it had a completely different meaning to me those eight years later. I have reread it a couple of times since then, but not in the last 20 years.
What's It Worth? Winners vs. Losers
As mentioned before, I’m not a big gambler, because at poker and Vegas games, I typically lose. However, Katrina allows me – even encourages me – to gamble on antiques and fine paintings.
In 2007, a “picker” (a smart, seasoned antique dealer who doesn’t have a shop but sells to other dealers) started bringing us extraordinary, valuable art books and mid-level paintings by well-known artists.
He was buying from a retiree who lived in a mobile home.
What's It Worth? On Age and Rarity In Valuation
The Adoration of the Magi is an oft-depicted scene in medieval art, and this triptych icon (a triptych has three pieces) made of carved wood puzzled us at first with regard to its age.
We bought it for less than $1,000 due to its condition (it is falling apart; and like most icons this old, shows a lot of paint loss).
Our gallerist, who helped buy it from the customer, insisted it was an 18th-century tribute to a 15th-century subject. Another expert was not so sure.
What's It Worth? The Value Of Giving Back: Priceless
Today, writing a column about money and “stuff” seems a bit unseemly, so please understand why I am writing about charities instead. These three are particularly personal to Katrina and me.
First is Rotary International, specifically their relationship to the ShelterBox organization. Rotary is one of those old school organizations that continues to be relevant at all times. We have bought several of their ShelterBoxes over the years, and here’s why.
What's It Worth? Step Away From The Cleaning Equipment
There is a propensity for people bringing things to sell to completely clean and polish the items before they bring them in. In fact, cleaned and polished items may mean (to us) ruined items. Most serious collectors love to find things that are in relatively good to mint condition, but prefer to find them in their original state. The colloquial term for this is “as found” or “newly found;” fresh-to-market items are “barn finds.”
What's It Worth? Highly Collectible American Art Pottery
One of the most pleasing types of antique collecting would have to be pottery.
Yes, pottery. The word ‘pottery’ sounds so simple, but in fact, American art pottery was once a very prolific endeavor and continues to be highly collectible to this day.
What's It Worth? Design Trends Impact Everything
For some reason, I can take apart a watch, and measure within a tiny fraction the depth, table and crown angles on a diamond – yet I have never been able to build or fix things around the house. (Family pictures of me wielding a hammer with furrowed brow and nails stored in my mouth are photo-ops. Fake news. Everyone agrees Katrina “wields the hammer” better than I do.)
What's It Worth? When It Comes To Value, Timing Is Everything
While we have paid over $50,000 for a single bronze sculpture in the past, the bronze sculpture market has taken a huge hit in the marketplace and only the best bronzes still bring fantastic dollars. All the rest will sell, but at heavily reduced prices.
