Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? The Lure Of Old Money

What's It Worth? What's It Worth? The Lure Of Old Money

Collecting currency is a lot of fun, but fraught with valuation confusion that involves grading difficulties, whims of collectors, geographical concerns and plain old counterfeiting.

Most bills we get in are common “red seal” 1928 to 1963 $5 and $2 notes as in Illus. A. These typically bring half to double their face value, and top out at around $200 to $300 for rarely seen crisp, never folded, never circulated 1928 versions.

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Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? St. Petersburg Through A Lens Of The Past

What's It Worth? St. Petersburg Through A Lens Of The Past

Sometimes, value isn’t measured in dollars. We are buyers and sellers, yes — but we are also historians. We investigate everything that we buy — especially those things that are valuable historically as well as monetarily.

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Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? And The Emmy Goes To

Oscars, Emmys, and Sylvania Awards. Over the years we’ve owned thousands of awards — including military medals, baseball rings, silver platters, etc. — but we’ve only owned fewer than a dozen Oscars, Emmys, and Sylvania Awards. Valuation is extremely varied and nuanced because of the many factors involved.

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Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? Strange But Incredibly Valuable Bedfellows

What's It Worth? Strange But Incredibly Valuable Bedfellows

While we consider ourselves experts, sometimes we just guess. Sometimes we just gamble. Sometimes the result is extraordinary.

Sometimes I have egg on my face and an angry wife.

A few weeks back we were contacted by heirs of a Los Angeles socialite who was ahead of her time and bought many art objects in the ’70s and ’80s. This bronze Picasso sculpture (pictured) was so eclectic and unusual that there are no comparators.

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Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? Selling Lifelong Collections

What's It Worth? Selling Lifelong Collections

As most of our followers know, we have a weekly auction but also a bi-monthly international auction out of our 4th Street location in St Petersburg. We typically assign a theme to them.

Currently we are taking a consignment of antiquities combined with vintage militaria for the next auction, in addition to our normal fine and decorative arts. This auction will feature two collections, both with terrific provenance.

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Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? Innovation, Miniaturization and Collectibility

What's It Worth? Innovation, Miniaturization and Collectibility

We find it interesting in our business that certain random collectibles often have a mystifying desirability for collectors. So, for fun, we are going to talk about unusual items on both sides of the spectrum.

Calculators are a way of life for most of us. The ones that sit on our desk were probably bought at an office supply store for $3 to $25. Recently, we purchased two unusual calculators.

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Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? To Get The Best Return, Consult An Expert

What's It Worth? To Get The Best Return, Consult An Expert

Since this column is called “What’s It Worth,” I am going to give you a small snippet of last week’s Hess Fine Art auction. While we have weekly auctions, we also have four major auctions per year that offer our finer, more valuable things. I am going to let the pictures and auction results speak for themselves.

This was primarily a silver and art auction, and proves that most silver should not be thrown on a scale and sold for scrap. It takes an expert’s eye.

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Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? If This Samurai Sword Could Only Talk

What's It Worth? If This Samurai Sword Could Only Talk

As I wrote a couple of years ago, there are few things more confusing in the world of antiques than samurai swords. Some say they are noble, some say they represent terror – and both opinions are correct.

Almost a millennium ago, the Japanese started making swords and became experts in techniques of sharpening fine steel. I decided to write about this again when an unusual sword came to us.

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Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? Underperforming Assets

What's It Worth? Underperforming Assets

We all have what Katrina calls “underperforming assets.” Some we hang on to for sentimental reasons, and as we have always noted, not a single person in the world can put a price on sentimentality.

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Tampa Bay Times

What's It Worth? Picasso's Other Creations

What's It Worth? Picasso's Other Creations

Pablo Picasso was a prolific artist, and a genius according to many. He was also an entrepreneur — and while his paintings often go for millions and his better, early prints bring $10,000 to over $1,000,000, he also dabbled in ceramics and gold.

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Tampa Bay Times