What It's Worth
Weekly articles written by Jeffrey P. Hess about the value of collectibles and other rarities. The articles are published weekly on the Tampa Bay Times.
Valuation VS. Research And Provenance
We have sold individual paintings, diamonds and objets d’art for six figures a piece for clients all over the U.S. When an
1936 Men’s Hamilton Fireman’s Pocket Watch
Many items are worth more than their gold value. It takes an expert to know the difference — and to
WWII-Era Medals
The highly decorated man in the photo below was Claes Adolph Westring, the Swedish ambassador to Norway, who saved thousands
Vintage Designer Martini Shakers
Cocktail Silver Martini Shakers Most martini shakers are stainless steel or silverplate, which is why it’s significant to come across
Hamilton-Leader In Oddly Shaped Watches
As a longtime collector of watches, I take my Hamilton collection very personally. I have written extensively in magazines and
A Novelty Pocket Watch Worthy Of James Bond
Sometimes, a watch is more than just a watch. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, luxury Swiss watchmaker LeCoultre (est. 1833)
Automatons: The Magical Mystery Of Moving Parts
Animating Mechanical Objects Automatons have been collectible for hundreds of years, since watch and clockmakers figured out how to utilize the
Victoria’s Secret – A Secret No More
Do you have valuables in your drawers? We’ll venture that Queen Victoria thought what was in her drawers was quite valuable. And
1864 Abraham Lincoln Ferrotype
Photographic images come in many forms: daguerreotype, ambrotype and tintype, or ferrotype. It takes an expert to know the difference. Daguerreotype was introduced in
The Indian Tribes Of North America
Native American Biographies This three-volume collection of Native American biographies and stunning, hand-colored lithographs from Thomas McKenney and James Hall is highly collectible. It was part
