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.

Fancy Dials For Fancy Men
At the turn of the 20th century, it was in fashion for men to wear pocketwatches that, when opened, revealed

Here, Duckie Duckie…
Collecting duck decoys is one of the most rewarding — and frustrating — experiences in the world of collecting. The

The Incredible, Collectible Leica
The Leica Camera Vintage Leica cameras were manufactured in Germany starting in 1914, and certain models are still made there today. They

Understanding, Predicting Antique Trends
It’s always difficult to predict antique trends, but looking over the past 70 years of collecting, many trends point to

When Provenance Doesn’t Matter
A few years back, a Miami antiques dealer asked us to partner with him on a Breguet watch. I was skeptical

LED And LCD Watches Come Of Age
We predicted many years ago that LED/LCD would become collectible, and, indeed, these types of watches have an important, though

The Renaissance Of Mid-Century Modern
Things change. We know that. Times change and tastes change. Sometimes we are ahead of the curve (we recognized the

Aren’t First Editions Valuable? Well, It Depends
Everyone thinks that first editions have great monetary value — but the truth is, most books never get reprinted, so

Snuff Boxes And The Early Days Of Tobacco Use
Perhaps we should blame Native Americans. Folklore has it that Columbus’s men saw our original native inhabitants either hopped up

“Short Snorters”? WTH?
Militaria is fun, historical and often a somber aspect of collecting. Medals, guns, flags, canteens, uniforms, swords, passports, papers and maps