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 Tuesday, April 29, 2008
British stolen antiques fence sentenced
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Philip Capewell will have around five years to think about what he's done.  On April 25 an English judge sentenced the man for handling valuable antiques stolen from a couple, who was tied up in their country house, and threatened with various tortures like having thier fingernails pulled out if they didn't tell the thieves where the valuable antiques were. They did as any of us would have done when faced with such a thing; they told the thieves exactly where the antiques were. Two other men were also found guilty of conspiring to handle stolen antiques, but not of the theft itself. I'm not exactly sure if anybody has been charged with the deed itself, because this article from the Midhurst and Petworth Observor is rather poorly written. I do hope, however, that someone pays for the heinous act of committing the crime itself. This sentencing is a clear message at least to would be antique thieves and fences in England: You will do time if busted. Capewell is in poor health, suffers from depression - and has a penchant for selling stolen goods. He's a serial offender. I'm sorry for his health issues, but if you do the crime, you will do the time. Sorry. Them's the breaks. Capewell evidently showed no remorse for his crimes, and in so doing gave the entire antiques community a black eye. I hope he uses his time to the truly reflect on how he's wasted his life.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antique scams | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | stolen antiques
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:29:02 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00) 
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Buying high-priced art?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Antique Blog | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | fine art | Modern | Modernism | pop art
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:13:57 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Great Tibetan painter dies
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Tinley Chojor was a very well-known name in Buddhist art circles. Chojor painted many many beautiful things, among them the Karma Triyana Dharmachakra Monastery in Woodstock, NY, just across the mountain from where my best friend and his family had a house in the area, and where I spent many happy hours as a young man in my 20s.  Times Herald-Record/DEBORAH MEDENBACHThis is a picture of Chojor in Woodstock, takinga break from his work. Chojor's awesome lines were second only to his deep belief in the philosophy he was charged with painting. He was a native to Tibet, who learned the art from his father. This story is from the Times Herald Record, based in the Hudson Valley, where I lived for almost a decade. I would say I'm sad, but not really. He had an amazing life and leaves behind an amazing legacy of great art - ceratinly the best at his craft in the states, if not all of the world. According to the Buddhist principles that Chojor based his life and art on, he's already moved on toward his next life. Rest in peace to a great artist.
Antique Blog | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Buddhist Art | fine art
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:03:40 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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A pretty penny expected at auction for first edition 'Emma'
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Just a tiny mention here at The Press Association regarding the upcoming London sale of a rare three-volume first edition set of Jane Austen's "Emma," inscribed by the great woman herself to her governess.  I will plead ignorance here and tell you I've never read "Emma," or seen any of the film, PBS or BBC adaptations of it. Austen just isn't my thing, really, but I respect her place as a huge and enduring literary figure, and actually do regret the gap in my literary knowledge. Back inmy early 20s, when I was working a night job at Shakespeare and Co., on lower Boradway in NYC, my focus was really on Faulkner, Nabokov, Cormac McCarthy, Russel Hoban and a plethora of great Russians. Perhaps when my daughter gets a little older, and I have time to read a real book in large chunks, I'll pick up Austen. Oh well. The books are expected to bring about 50,000 pounds, or $100,000, depending on the exchange rate when the sale takes place June 24.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Auction | Ephemera
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:44:42 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, April 28, 2008
The death of the suburbs?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Interesting post here from a blog called Victorian Antiques and Design.  It's questions whether the current mortgage crisis is causing the death of Suburbia. I heard the story on NPR the author was talking about and was intrigued at the idea. The issue, as a whole, is very interesting, especially from a sociological, post-war point of view, as the suburbs, a big car and big backyard were the backbone of the American Dream. Now, thanks to greedy lenders lying to some unwary folks, and buyers who knew they had no business getting ARMs, all mixed with terribly suspect financial policy from our government, and you have - quite possibly - what author Paul Wilham is talking about. I grew up in suburbia, and my very sense of self and society is somewhat tied up in those ideas - the mall sas everything, the modern ranch house was uniquitous and nobody ever questioned whether it was the right place to be or the right thing to do, except when bullies threw my brother Cris's shoes into a creek, and maybe it was just me who wanted to move away... Anyway, this is an important discussion in 2008, and one that's only going to gain relevance as the housing crisis deepens and properties lie empty. Check it out. An interesting read and a good blog.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Historic Preservation | Modern | Modern Architecture
Monday, April 28, 2008 2:09:24 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Antiques auction as theater?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
There was a very contentious auction over the weekend in South Deerfield, MA, my old stomping grounds. (if you're ever in the area, go to The People's Pint in Greenfield for some of the best microbrew beers you'll ever taste, especially the Farmer Brown Ale. Mmm-mmm.)
 This story is from The Springfield Intruder, about the sale at the Old First Church, sponsored by the Springfield Museums Association, and run by Douglas Auctions. Here's what the Springfield Republican had to say about it: Museum officials this week expressed alarm that historic
items were to be auctioned and might be lost to the city. In response,
church moderator Susan R. Saunders, expressed surprise, saying that
museum and historical society officials were allowed to view and take
church items recently.
Add to this a swarm of local media, angry residents and church-goers and you have the makings of a massive Broadway hit like Tony n' Tina's Wedding (hated it!) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding (hated it!) and all those other interactive plays that were so in vogue 10 years ago in NYC. There were even reporters threatened with arrest! Reporters!
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Auction
Monday, April 28, 2008 1:51:53 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Love modern architecture like me?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Antique Blog | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Architecture | Modern | Modern Architecture | Modernism
Monday, April 28, 2008 1:29:40 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Sunday, April 27, 2008
New Antique Trader Web Site - Like it?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
If you haven't checked it out yet, then check it out. If you came here through it, then you know why we're all so excited here to get this thing up and running.  The new Antique Trader Web site is the culmination of many months of hard work and collaboration, not to mention much forward-thinking by the upper management of F+W Publications. It is the hard work of all of the staff here (Karen Knapstein - Web editor; Sandra Sparks - Senior Editor; Robyn Austin, Editorial Director; Scott Tapa, Associate Group Publisher; the entire ad team, and the Interactive team in Cincinnatti) to get all the information just right, get everything linked just so, and to make sure that all our various players are up and running.  At the new AT site you'll find breaking news, industry shop, show and auction information, calendars, features, columns, advice and more than 1,000 archived articles from the past several years of AT. You'll find stories that don't get into the paper, and expanded photo coverage of auctions and features. It's easier to navigate and hopefully gives you all the information you need within a couple clicks. Check it out, click around to get a feel and see what's there. Check back often and enjoy!
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Antiques publications
Sunday, April 27, 2008 8:53:33 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Not just a Jewish girl - The Jewish girl! Anne Frank postcard found
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This story has made the various rounds of media - electronic, tv and print all - about the discovery of a postcard from Anne Frank - she of the famous diary bearing her name - to a friend just before the family went into hiding from the nazis.  I've held back from writing about it for various reasons. One was to let it make the rounds and see what sort of life it took on. Then the gem of the Web presenting me with exactly what I was waiting for. This headline: " Card from WWII Jewish girl discovered in Dutch shop." It comes from the Chinese Xinhua news agency - which I like to frequent for just this reason. Here's a word to them, though: Anne Frank is not just a Jewish girl. She's the Jewish girl. When I was growing up, Anne Frank was revered everywhere. School, my home, my synagogue, and at the Jewish Community Center, which decided to honor Anne the year I was 14 by producing the play version of The Diary of Anne Frank. I was up for the part of Peter - Man, how I wanted that part! I would've been great, too! - as the director, his name was Fred if I recollect correct, tried without gusto to find a younger Anne, he eventually cast the older pretty boy in the part. I think Fred later offered me a part in the "ensemble" cast of the JCC production of Grease, but I never even called back. My acting career was over by then. This good thing was gone.  Anyway, the postcard... It's a wonderful piece of ephmera, and a testament to the longevity and continued relevance of a Anne Frank's story. It is a tangible link to a girl whose unyeilding faith in the goodness of humans, even as they sought her destruction, has continued to inspire countless thousands of people more than 60 years after her death in a German concentration camp. It's a shame she is not alive to see how inspirational her brief life and writings have been to so many. It's interesting to ponder if it would still mean the same had she lived.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques News | Ephemera | Historic Preservation
Friday, April 25, 2008 3:24:02 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Asa Ames at AFAM in NYC - Folk art as good as it can get
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Say the name Asa Ames to collectors of folk art and their eyes will glaze and they will begin to salivate. Just look at that stuff.   Amazing amazing painted wood sculptures with so much detail, energy and life that it's hard to look at the pictures. I simply want to scoop one of these things up, take it home, make it a cup of tea and ask it about its creator. Right now, just opened - and as reported here by the New York Times - The American Folk Art Museum in Manhattan is featuring an exhibition of eight sculptures by Asa Ames, one of the most talented and mysterious of the itinerant 19th century folk artists, born and died in Buffalo, NY when he was just 27.  Ames left behind only 13 known examples - there may well be more hiding out there - many of which were done toward the end of his life. Where did he learn his art? Why didn't he make more? Did he make more? Who has them? Part outsider, part folk artist and all genius, check out the Times article and the slide show of the works in the exhibition. The AFAM is an amazing place, with as much great art as any museum of its size in the world. For lovers of real folk and Outsider art, there is nothing quite like it. Simply the best.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | fine art | Folk Art | Historic Preservation | Outsider Art
Friday, April 25, 2008 11:39:54 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Antiques and the Russian mob. I think I smell a tv pilot...
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is interesting and - dare I say it - sexy for the antiques industry. From ArtInfo.com.I wrote here not two weeks ago about the market in Russian art, followed by something about Muslim art, and shortly after that Sotheby's has a huge sale of Russian art. Who buys it? Oh yes, Russians. Except that one peice, and only one piece failed to sell for it's estimated amount. Why? It's alleged ties to the Russian Mob, and the death threats that came with its initial theft. No picture available to my knowledgable, which might just push this thing mainstream. I hope that guy from CSI Miam is in in the pilot... Yes. Very sexy.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antique news odd | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Auction | fine art
Friday, April 25, 2008 8:44:42 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Thursday, April 24, 2008
The most permanent impermanent - Oldest oil paintings in Afghanistan
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is pretty cool, especially considering that a) the philosophy of the Buddha was about the impermanance of all things and b) it's in Bamayan region of Afghanistan - well associated with the destruction of the giant stone Buddhas there by the taliban in 2001  - and these paintings are the earliest oils known.  This story is from Discovery News. The giant stone buddhas are blown-up. Much gnashing of teeth. Seven years later, more, and rarer images show up in a hidden cave. Afghanistan is so widely associated with Islam and the taliban, that it's easy to forget how important the region was in terms of the Buddhist way for several hundred years. It was a center of study and art and monasteries. I hope these paintings are kept safe and sound. If not, never fear. It's all about impermanence anyway...
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiquities | Buddhist Art | fine art | Historic Preservation
Thursday, April 24, 2008 2:03:47 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The death of a Dallas Mid-Century Modern classic
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This one hits close to home.
I remember the house at 2505 Turtle Creek Boulevard in my home town of Dallas very very well. In fact, I would say that it's one of the buildings that is earliest in the formation of my love of Modern architecture. Turtle Creek was full of big, beautiful buildings. 2505 was a one-story office building. It was a prime 0 super prime - example of Mid-Century architecture in America, and uniquely suited to Dallas. As a kid I loved it because it looked like something out of The Jetsons, or the Sid and Marty Kroft acid-induced mid-70s live action kids shows (think Far Out Space Nuts, or The Bugaloos, or Land of the Lost). My mom used to take my brothers and I, when we were kids, out for long drives through the different parts of the city. There were a few places with decidedly "progressive" buildings in the staid high-end hierarchy of Dallas architecture. Turtle Creek was a treat for a number of reasons. 2505 was not only the highlight of that leg of the tour, it also signified Baskin-Robbins at some point in the near future. When I got my license at 16, I used to take the long drives myself, especially on the way home from my school in downtown Dallas North to where I lived close to LBJ Freeway and Preston Road, close to the Valley View Mall. I don't even know if that place still exists. I know for a fact that the Dallas I grew up in - and it was pretty darn big even back then - has been dwarfed, swallowed and spit back out in a different, much more massive, form. It was a long winding drive and I cruised by my favorite structures on the way, 2505 always among them, at a leisurely pace in my baby blue 1977 Vette - Chevy Chevette, that is - but not too slow. The Highland Park police didn't like that. Evidently the city decided to raze the building to make room for a massive luxury condo and restaurant that is going up. Just what the city needs, I'm sure. The building was very near my high school, and near a park and a creek that was close to a friend's apartment, which was also an intersting, if less well-kept, piece of modernist architecture. It too was razed years and years ago. Read the whole story at the link to KERA, the Big D PBS affiliate, above. Both tell the story of the building. I would even add there's a fundamental disrespect for the past and it's lessons in the wanton act. There is a hint of revenge in it, as well. It could end up being simply a vacant lot. The immutable truth of change is amply displayed by the decision to destroy the building. Nothing is permanent, but it would have been nice to have had this beautiful and influential architectural relic around for just a while more.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques News | Modern | Modern Architecture | Modernism
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 10:14:06 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Fine Art? Furniture? Not an antique, that's for sure.
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is being sold by Philips De Pury on Thursday in London. There is a much better pic on the home page of the auction house. It is expected to take $160,000. Don't know what I think of it, really. Just interesting.
Antique Blog | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | fine art | Modern | Modernism | pop art
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:29:13 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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I tried not to do it, honest I did...
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
... but this has to be one of, of not the strangest collectibles that I have ever seen. The thing is, too, that it sold for $150 on eBay, and that this designer does custom jobs on My Little Ponies, bit that she didn't have any open slots right now (the emphasis is mine).  My. Little. Pony. There is a certain undeniable deviant quality to it, which is why I ultimately couldn't resist posting the link. I'm a sucker for Outsider Art, and always like to see what kind of things there are subcultures for out there. And trust me, if you like to collect things like weird '70s collectible plastic ponies, then deck them out like you favorite video game characters, then, well... You're a sub-culture. Face it. More than that, you're a subset of the whole freaky doll subculture, which is another thing unto itself that is best left off these pages. Trust me, though, it exists.
This is a link to an auction watch at a blog called Gamer Tell,and the "art" comes from a deviant artist named Anime Amy, who is good at what she does, even if it borders on the absurd, which may just be the point...
Antique Blog | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Auction | eBay | Outsider Art
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:15:41 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, April 21, 2008
A titanic antique - rare ticket to doomed ship sells
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
King of the world! Cue to the Celine Dion, and get me some ear plugs... No, really, in all seriousness, one of the last remaining tickets for the Titanic from a survivor that was five at the time of the sinking, and died in 2006 at age 99, sold over the weekend for $66,000. This story is from the AFP. I wonder what it is about the sinking of the Titanic that still captivates the world's imagination. It goes beyond the horrible movie of a decade ago, or so - it has to, otherwise there is no meaning in life. There is something about that night, and the iceberg that sank the ship, and the split of those that died and those that survived, that people just simply can't get enough of. There are not a lot of mementos left from the actual journey and thpse that are left are jealously guarded, which makes this even rarer. In fact, I'm surprise it didn't go for double the price. Tangentially, I can remember traveling through Asia in 1998, a good two years after the movie came out (" Craptanic" as me an my friends liked to call it) and I can remember seeing people wearing t-shirts all over the place and - especially in India - lines around the block to get in to see it. All this, despite the fact that there were no musical numbers in it. In fact, that would have made it an entertaining movie, at least. I loves me some Bollywood... But hey, I know what you're thinking. "Stick to the antiques, Fleisher. If we wanted movie reviews we'd go to RottenTomatoes.com.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Auction
Monday, April 21, 2008 3:15:30 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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"Shoeless" Joe Jackson bat on the block - my birthday is coming up...
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This story ultimately comes from AP, but I've linked to a Canadian Web site called SLAM! I mean, how can I resist that?  The only known signed "Shoeless" Joe Jackson bat in existence is going on the block this week at Sotheby's, and is expected to bring about $300,000. That might just be an underestimation because a sports collectible like this really only comes on the market once a generation, and Jackson is simulateously one of the most revered and reviled figures in sports. Some believe he was a saint who was framed and others that he was simply a traitor to his team. The bat, known as "Black Betsy," is a real beauty, to be sure. The thought of Jackson applying his prodigious skills with - whacking dingers and dribbling bunts - is enough to make even the most jaded sports fan drool. For all you millionaire readers out there who love this blog like your own children, my birthday is about 1-1/2 months away. Remember, when it comes to your favorite Antique Trader editor, money is no object...
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Auction
Monday, April 21, 2008 2:41:38 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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How many stories are out there like this?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
 Karen here ... The challenges to running a business are many and diverse: competition, supply, demand, market presence, the list goes on and on. After thriving for decades, a business can still fall victim to the global economy. I can't help but wonder how many stories are out there like this: Antique store falls victim to exchange rateI'm ready ... in fact, eagerly awaiting ... some success stories. I need some good news ...
Antique News
Monday, April 21, 2008 9:39:50 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Question of the Week - EBay to end live auction affiliations. Will this affect your buying?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Since former eBay CEO Meg Whitman stepped down and new management took over, there has been a host of well-publicized changes at the online auction giant. Changes in fee structure, limits on selling “digital” items and now, the latest, was an announcement from the company that it will, by the end of the year, end its “Live Auction” affiliations. What does this mean? Exactly what it sounds like. No longer will eBay be partnering with brick and mortar auction houses, both big and small, to broadcast auctions live over its interface. This will surely have some smaller houses shaking a little bit, and the bigger ones not so much. EBay has also stated that the live auction segment is not too big a part of its business, thus the end of the experiment. What exactly does “not too big” mean? To a juggernaut like eBay, probably $100M or so… Pocket change, really. The question this week for AT readers is this, then: How much have you used the eBay Live Auctions feature, and will this change affect your online auction buying? Send your answer to noah.fleisher@fwpubs.com, or go online to www.antiquetrader.com/atblog, look for the question of the week, and post your answer in the comments section.
antique | Antique Blog | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques, blog, question of the week | eBay
Friday, April 18, 2008 12:47:22 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Good news for Wright's Taliesin West: Phoenix approves preservation plan
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is a happy thing for lovers of Modern architecture - Wright in particular - which anyone that knows me knows that I am.  Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Phoenix, an absolute masterpiece among the master's masterpieces, has finally gotten approval for a preservation plan from Phoenix and the Wright foundation. The link is to the East Valley Tribune. My in-laws live in Scottsdale - Hi Cy and Joan! - and they took my wife and I out there for a tour of the place about five years ago, which was precisely the time I started to get thoroughly obsessed with modern architecture in general on a wide scale. It was a real eye-opener, touring those wonderful buildings, feeling the harmony with nature that informs their very existence. I could feel the presence of the master on the grounds and I sorely wished to be young again and be able to go to architecture school there. The air is charmed at Taliesin West, and the buildings themselves rise out of the desert sand and blend with the surrounding flora and fauna in ways that are very different from Wright's other masterworks. It was, after all, the place where he would spend his winters, and would educate many of his apprentices. I will admit to you that, more than once on that tour, I thought about sneaking off and hiding in a closet until closing time so I could live there during off hours. This, though, was bound to have been a lonely enterprise, so I abandoned it. Plus I love my wife and didn't really want to put that kind of strain on our marriage...  Just this past March, visiting my in-laws - Hi again Cy and Joan - I spoke with my father-in-law about the disrepair that Taliesin West was in and the need for it to be preserved. He said he didn't know what was going to happen to it, and I lamented that that incredible campus might be razed, or crumble into dust. Obvioulsy Wright designed some complex buildings, with infrastructure that is nearly impossible to keep going in its original state. The city of Phoenix, though, with its taste for good architecture, knows what it has and has done the right thing by it. Taliesin West now has the chance to survive into the future, and to have its lessons, it incredible lines and symmetry, preserved for generations to come. In an age and society that is increasingly disposable, it's good to see that this is happening, and that rare genius is being preserved. 
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Architecture | Historic Preservation | Modern | Modern Architecture | Modernism
Thursday, April 17, 2008 4:15:04 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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The on again off again massive jewelry auction
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Been following this the last week or two. Christies has been trying to sell off millions of dollars in rare and antique jewelry for Merril Lynch from the estate of Ralph Esmarian, who owes something like $186M to Merril. That makes me feel a little better about my student loans... This is from the New York Times.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Auction
Thursday, April 17, 2008 9:39:19 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Despite changes, 'softening economy,' eBay still rakes in the dough
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is from a U.K. paper, The Register, about the exoribtant amount of cash eBay raked in during the first quarter of the year this year, despite all the changes and what new CEO James Donaohoe called a "softening economy" on both sides of the pond. The catch is that the eBay user base didn't really grow during this period. So where did all the moolah come from? A weak dollar, for one, and jacked up fees on its sellers, for two. Oh yeah, how can we not mention the fact that number three must be PayPal, the unit that all users ore explicitly forced to use for their payment transactions, this from the Wall Street Journal. The whole PayPal forced use thing is the part that I personally find the most distasteful. See, when you own the whole monopoly board, you're going to have all the money. 
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | eBay
Thursday, April 17, 2008 9:13:28 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Antique Trader 5-07 preview - Comin' at ya
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Just out the door and to the press. Here's a sneak preview at our next issue. Enjoy! 
antique | Antique Blog | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques publications
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 2:08:51 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Antiques scandal rocking the U.K. biz
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
When the story broke last week about a restorer, Dennis Buggins, in England who alleges that many dealers, including one very high-end dealer in London, John Hobbs, had been selling his restored pieces at highly inflated prices as rare antiques, I wrote something hastily and put it on the Web. Quickly after posting that, I took it down out of deference to the whole business of antiques, and to Mr. Hobbs, his family, friends and associates. The claims are, at this point after all, only allegations. We have to remember that, sensationalism aside, all parties are innocent until proven guilty. I've received numerous emails and queries from readers looking for a response to this, wondering what it means, what it could mean on this side of the pond and how far the ramifications might go. The truth is, who knows? The Times of London broke the story, and BADA has temporarily suspended Hobbs's membership pending an investigation, so I really can't have an opinion either way. It's hard to imagine that Buggins didn't know what was going on, as he was making a good deal of money out of his restorations, and it's hard to imagine that all the dealers that will eventually be implicated - many more than Mr. Hobbs, that's for sure - didn't know what they were selling. Were some of them in the dark? Probably. All? No. Let's see what other names surface before pointing fingers and rushing to judgment. John Hobbs didn't get to where he is in the business by being a scammer, so I prefer - after researching and watching the situation - to give him the benefit of the doubt. Why is Dennis Buggins just coming out with his allegations now, and why single out Hobbs if he's sold to many people? Is there an axe to grind? Who knows. Let's keep watching, stop saying the sky is falling, and wait for a proper investigation to reveal the truth. There's a tremendous amount of money at stake here, the livelihoods and lives of many more, and the overall reputation of the antiques business itself to consider. Allegations are one thing and a guilty verdict another. Right now all we have are allegations. I, for one, will refrain from casting stones until I know the truth.
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:27:28 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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eBay to end Live Auctions - What's $100M, anyway?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
I know I'm a bit late in sounding off on this, by at least 24 hours, but I wanted to wait and see if there was going to be any sort of uproar from the online antiques community over eBay's decision to end its Live Auction business. I reckon not, though. It may be that the online auction sites are more than ready to jump in and take over - many were never affiliated with eBay's live auctions in the first place. The big boys, like LiveAuctioneers and Proxibid will probably have a bit of a hiccup in auction during the initial period of change at the end of the year, if only for a second as users have to type in a new URL. I imagine that they will be more than ready to pick up where eBay leaves off, however. By some estimates, eBay's Live Auctions generate about $100M a year. I have no hard data to back this up, just the word of a colleague in the business, but even so, if it's a fraction of that, that's some serious do-re-mi we're talkng about. I guess not to eBay, though. Besides, it's obvioulsy written off several segments of its business with all the changes since Whitman resigned and droids have been installed as overseers.  Here is a link to the message from Jim Ambach at eBay, to compliment the link to the Yahoo story above. I've exchanged a few emails with John Werry, the proprietor of the Rare Victorian Furniture Blog, and he's equally miffed at the ongoing attitude of the online auction giant. He's a good guy and hopefully won't mind if I quote his comments. Check out his recently madeover blog above, too. It's a good read. "I think it's a mistake for Ebay to not pursue domination of the electronic link to the live auction world since live auctions will never go away. Maybe their strategy is to not continue to fund the foundation of that link and to instead wait for someone else to build it up, and then acquire them later, if needed. I can just see their strategy discussion now, 'hmm... let's see. we'll focus on funding the servers, bandwidth, and storage for selling millions of $0.25 items that may not sell and generate a commission and abandon the guaranteed-to-sell $198,000 Charles Rohlfs chair. Sounds like a plan.'" See, it's funny because it's true...
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008 10:58:53 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Crystal Skull mania!
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This summer, as the world prepares for the fourth installment of Indiana Jones - I ndiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls - you can bet the real crystal skulls will be getting plenty of scrutiny from the public at large.  Yes, the Crystal Skulls really exist. This is an article that appeared today on archeology.org, and it's quite enlightening as to the history of the real crystal skulls, about which there is suprisingly little really know, other than that they date back to ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures, among others, are weighty, valuable and bear little stylistic resemblance to any of the great art of antiquity that came out of these cultures. If you're one of the 10s - yes 10s - of people that have read this blog with any sort of semi-regularity, you know I'm always game for a good conspiracy theory, especially if it involves shadow governments, aliens or marshmallow Fluff. The crystal skulls fit all of these in that there are widespread theories about their mysterious magical qualities, that their secrets have been contained by malignant government forces, that they were gifts to ancient humankind from alien overseers and that I'd love to get my hands on one to see how well a jar of Fluff would spread on it - I can see an Elvis pompadour right now. When me lived in the Hudson Valley, my wife was a longtime employee of The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, and every summer there would be a weekend workshop dedicated to the crystal skulls, in which at least one of the skulls would make an appearance and its magical powers would be revealed. I always wanted to attend this workshop - along with the one about learning how to do remote seeing (see conspiracy theories above) - but never did, for fear of the ridicule I would have to endure. The aging hippies in the area loved it, though, and I heard tales extolling the virtues of these mysterious sculptures over and over. I should have taken the chance when I had it. Who needs to see Thich Naht Hahn, anyway? They are indeed beautiful to behold, and certainly a little creepy. There are countles dissafected teenagers dying to burn a candle on top of one of these things and take a black and white picture of it, or put it on a shelf next to their similarly designed bong.  Indy will certainly reveal something important about the skulls when he makes millions this summer, so if you want to impress your friends with your advance knowledge of the skulls, check out the link to the truly informative archeology.org article, written by an expert. All kidding aside, it's good stuff.
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008 12:53:48 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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FL antique thief busted
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Good for the Palm Beach police department and the antiques community there. The cops busted a guy that had lifted several thousand dollars worth of antiques from four different shops. Sad thing is that he probably wouldn't have been caught or pursued by the police if he hadn't been involved in a hit-and-run shortly before he got picked up. These things obviously go on all the time at antiques shops, malls and shows across the country. Is it the perception of antiques that keep enforcement from being more stringent, or simply that law enforcement has better things to do with their time than worry about antique theft? I think, as I'm sure anyone that reads this would, that communities would be well-served to pay attention to antique theft. Think about it: Any given weekend (not to mention weekday traffic) there are thousands of shows, shops and auctions going on, and thousands and thousands of people going to these places. Do the math on it and you get a huge amount of dollars. Extrapolate possible theft and that equals many thousands of dollars of lost revenue right there. It starts by getting one thief at a time, and the Palm Beach police force has done its part today. Once again, I say, good for them!
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008 12:09:15 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Unhappy in your marriage? Don't take it out on the antiques!
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
I don't mean to make light of marital disputes - because I believe wholeheartedly that marriage is the bedrock of civilized society - but this story, out of Ontario, Canada made me snicker just that little bit. Domestic violence in any form is not funny, but it seems that a man - or a "guy" as the headline says - took out his frustrations not only on his wife, but also on her antique dresser. It's not like he kicked it, or punched it, or broke a handle or a drawer or something, he actually took a chainsaw to it. A chainsaw! C'mon, man! Go to a counselor, seek mediation, take Prozac, anything. Just leave the antiques alone! 
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008 9:59:01 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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The relevance of fine art, or why we should pay to see it
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is a very interesting discussion from an English blogger at a site called artintelligence. While speaking from an English perspective, where a nominal fee - if any - is charged to enter major museums, and very little is paid for touring exhibitions, the subject of publicly funded museums and whether these museums should have to rely on "box office," like so many other "serious" art forms have to, is spot on as far as I'm concerned. In America, museums get public funding as well as charge at the gate, and the big institutions still have gobs and gobs of cash to exhibit artwork that is, in many cases, not meant to be accesible to anybody but the insitution itself, and the wealthy who can afford to buy it. As the author of the linked psot says, there is often ahuge amount of pretention in modern art and outright contempt for "common" viewers. I can't really offer any conclusions from my reading of this site, other than that I think it is an important disucssion and definitely food for thought. I'd be curious to know if any readers out there are checking in from the U.K. and what they think of this.
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008 9:49:58 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, April 14, 2008
Upper Midwest antiques malls hit by roving gang of thieves
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
I'd love to get my hands on these punks that have been hitting several antiques malls - cleaning them out of thousands of dollars of merch - in the Upper Midwest, mainly Illinois and Wisconsin, as reported here by Maine Antiques Digest.The story contains a link to the Roscoe Antiques Mall, a huge with good quality dealers and owners, where they've posted video of the thieves. It's pretty brazen, and definitely calculated. There's tremendous value to be had, and as far as priority, it's not exactly high on the lost of most law enforcement agencies. The owners at Roscoe took it upon themselves to alert mall owners in the area and were alarmed to learn how many others have been hit and robbed. It makes me sick, to tell you the truth. Be on the lookout for a trio of folks with large amounts of antiques to sell, or people who are scoping malls in the area. They knew what they wanted and knew where they were going. I hope mall owners invest in German Sheppards, or Pit Bulls, with loud barks and mean bites to dissuade the jerks poor misguided souls about their current foibles.
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Monday, April 14, 2008 12:25:55 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, April 11, 2008
Question of the week - Most reliable antiques subset?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
I’m asking readers to take few moments and think before they respond to the question this week, just a few deeps breaths and then respond. It’s too easy to say, if you’re a collector of glassware, that glassware is then the most reliable. Or whatever segment you happen to participate in. I also want to shy away from making generalizations about the business. “If you buy what you love, then it never loses value.” This may be true, and I readily acknowledge that you shouldn’t start buying solely as an investment, but we all know it’s happening. For my part, I’ve always seen good jewelry and good folk art sell, no matter what, a make good on a return. Whether I like these forms or not is irrelevant. So when you stop and think about it, looking at all the things you come across at shows, shops and auctions – or rummage sales and flea markets, I don’t care – what do you see that, in your experience, reliably sells and holds or increases its value? Let me know at noah.fleisher@fwpubs.com, or post a comment here.
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Friday, April 11, 2008 11:35:53 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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A synchroncity of antiques - Islamic antiquities dominate
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
It seems now that Islamic art is absolutely everywhere, and the amount of money that it's fetching - congruent with the amount of ire it's raising in some instances - is pretty amazing. I've already written about it a few times this week and last week. It started the attempted sale of some armor once, possibly, belonging to a revered Sikh Guru. Then a 12th century key to the holiest pilgrimage site in Mecca, and now, just yesterday, a dagger once belonging to Shah Jahan - arguably the greatest of India's Golden Age Mugal emporers - the man who built the Taj Mahal, and raised Islamic art and architecture to amazing levels in his reign, sold at Bonham's in London for nearly $3,000,000.  You have to admit, looking at it, that it's a thing of extraordinary beauty, made even more important by its provenance of having belonged to Shah Jahan, a man from whom very few personal relics survive. $3M seems like alot to spend, but as I wrote about the Hajj key yesterday, reclaiming cultural history is an expensive game, and them that have the bucks don't necessarily think of it as a numbers game. Face it, if you have all the bills in the Monopoly game, there's nothing on the board that's out of range. Again, it went to an anonymous bidder who didn't wish to be identified. Who knows who it is, but most likely it was someone who was unhappy almsot 20 years ago when the Shah of Iran sold it to Jacques Desenfans, along with a lot of other things in the sale, on a visit in 1969, when the Shah's empire was just starting to wobble. That bit of its history has been more downplayed in the hubbub over its sale, but it's all part of the history of such a remarkable piece. I'm not sure if the dagger is considered a holy relic, so I have no feeling on it being sold. If it is considered such, along with much of the other Islamic "art" that's been coming on the block, then I do have to take issue. Pieces of spiritual significance, whatever the faith, shouldn't be made available for a price. I have to think, though, the Shah Jahan dagger isn't considered spiritually important for Muslims, because there was no outcry, such as the one over the Sikh armor.  Shah Jahan's buildings and his name dot India, most notably the Taj, which he built as a masoleum for his wife, Mumtaz, when she died. I've seen the Taj Mahal, and it's an amazing site, especially if you can get there very early in the morning before the touts, the cars, the tourists and the choking, nasty smog from the copious cars the swarm Agra all day. There are few buildings in the world that can match it, or its creativity.
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Friday, April 11, 2008 9:07:33 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
Auction of recently uncovered Arbus photos abruptly canceled
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Wrote about this a few weeks ago. A dealer in NYC sold a box of pics he found in a box lot for $3500. Turns out there was a trove of unknown Diane Arbus photos in there - very interesting ones, to be sure - and they're worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The dealer who sold them is suing the dealer he says duped him out of the find of his life. The sale was supposed to have happened yesterday, I think. Turns out it was abruptly canceled. Both the New York Times and our friend Kristi Roberts at Here Be Old Things have been covering this pretty well, so I'll leave it to them. Kristi was going to the sale, and even went by the showroom to get a sneak peak. I know that a lot of times it's buy and sell at your own risk in this business, and that they seller should have known that he was giving away a fortune at such a small price - the first clue should have been when the buyer who bought the box said, "there's nothing in there worth much at all, but I'll give you $3500 right now for the whole thing, no questions asked. 'kay?" Money is money, I suppose, and there are no rules that say you have to play fair. Or are there? The speculation is that the original seller may just hve succeeded in his lawsuit. We'll see later.
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Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:34:52 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Records for Islamic art
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
It's a bit strange to call religious artifacts "art," but the things are beautiful. A sale of Islamic art at Sotheby's sold roughly $20M in 282 lots, smashing the previous records for a similar sale. It's a good bet that most of the lots, including a very expensive and revered 12th Century key to Mecca's most holy pilgrimage site, are going to the area of their origin. There's so much wealth focused in the Middle East these days, I'm actually surprised that those items on the block didn't go for much much more. This, though, hearkens to the same discussion I've been having - with myself, that it - over countries reclaiming cultural heritage. I don't know that the pieces of Islamic art that Sotheby's sold didn't come from a seller in the region already, but it also wouldn't surprise me if they were Colonial spoils from centuries and exploits past.
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Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:11:21 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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As changes near, eBay debate encore
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
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Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:56:04 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Antique Trader 4-23 preview - Comin' at ya
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
We just got this out the door and off to the press. Here's a sneak peak at 4-23, and a look at our changed cover. Enjoy! 
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008 3:56:30 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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While we're in the Middle East: Go Tiberias! Go!
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
How could I possibly resist a headline like this: Ancient Tiberias making a comebackTiberias deserves a comeback, right? If Fleetwood Mac can do it, and The Who can do it - and The Stones, who have never even quit - then why not Tiberias? Man, those guys rocked. 
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008 2:13:43 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Search still on for looted Iraqi antiquities
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is from the L.A. Times. It's all about the amount of antiquities still missing after being looted when Baghdad fell. That was five years ago today, btw. At first it was thought the damage done by theft was much much greater, and anyone who loves art and history looked on in horror as numbers like 150,000 were bandied about when those reports mentioned numbers of missing artifacts. They were talking about the beginings of human civilization - ancient, ancient stuff - that carried with it priceless provenance and importance. Many of those pieces, it turns out, had long ago been hidden by smart curators, well out of harm's way, and that initial massive number dwindled to 15,000. Of those 15,000 known artifacts, 7500 have been recovered. That still leaves half, and an amazing amount of history still floating around black markets or destroyed and trashed. The good thing is that these pieces are rare enough that, when one surfaces at auction or on the market, it is usually quickly recognized and taken back to its proper home. This is further heightened in an age when national museums around the world are demanding back priceless antiquities that were looted in past ages of imperialism. Greece is doing it, so are Italy, India and China, among many. This seems to have hit western museums hard. The culture flowing out of Iraq, home to the fertile crescent where it's thought so much life firt streamed out of, is older by millenium than most other countries. It bears direct links to stories in the Old Testament. Of anywhere that deserves its history back, then surely it's there.
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008 1:54:12 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Rich Russians gobbling up Russian fine art
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
I don't know why, but this story off of ReutersUK has struck me oddly.
Basically it just says that the new Russian elite, fueled by massive fortunes made in the odd semi-totalitarian state of Vladimir Putin, are buying up every available piece of fine art - both old and contemporary - that they can get their hands on. Sotheby's and Christies both are setting up Moscow bureaus to take advantage of this tiny percentage with the majority of the Russian dosh. Collecting like this, to go along side such wealth, have not been seen in Russia since the days of the Czars. At that time it was also anything goes. I can't blame Russian people for wanting to get back their cultural heritage, especially when it was so abruptly taken from them, scattered to the winds and stomped with a jack boot whenever it tried to reveal itself in the ealry days of Comrade Lenin. I've always been a kind of a student of Russia - give nthat it's in my blood - and the peculiar and difficult path it seems to have always charted for itself. Despite all that, the country has consistently contributed some of the very best literature, paintings, poetry, sculpture, photography, drama and dance the world has, even during the communist era. I also have to mention Russia's contribution to chess, because I love the game and no country has added more to the game. This competition that seems to have spring up, however, between Russians and themselves over who can acquire the most stunning array of art that can bridge the 100-year gap between the assasination of the Czar and Perestroika and "bring it back home to Russia" is a little discomfitting. No doubt some of it will end up in a museum on display, and some of it may even some day make it on tour to the rest of the world, but it's more likely most of it will end up at country estates, houses in Moscow, and in homes that dot the hills and the country side of Europe and America. It's what the Russian aristocracy did before the revolution. How else do you think so much of it became available to the world at large?
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:24:35 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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When a penny ain't worth a penny, it's an antique!
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
I believe this originated with the Chicago Tribune, and seems to be an editorial, but it came to me via The Valdosta State Spectator in GA, certainly one of the more obscure sources I've dug around on. I worked on my college paper and, let's face it, a lot of them are pretty bad. It is, actually, an argument you can dig up most anywhere. I just couldn't resist a link with something from Valdosta State. This, however, I happen to agree with. When it costs more than a penny is worth to make one, then it ain't worth it, plus the good, collectible ones that are out there will become that much more valuable, which is good for the business of coins. Numismatics and antiques unite! Down with the penny! 
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:07:53 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Monday, April 07, 2008
The Guru and the Auction House
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This has been very interesting to watch - somewhat obscure, perhaps, bubt a lot of fun.
Sotheby's claimed some armor being sold belonged to a very important Sikh guru. Sikhs got angry, and Sotheby's claims that the armor is not actually the Guru's, but one of several sets he had made, as he was involved in many wars and military campaigns. The post linked to above is from a post to WorthPoint.com out of India. The whole thing is interesting, as I have always associated Sikhism with dervishes and mysticism, a la the sublime poetry of Rumi ("Dissolver of sugar, dissolve me."), not necessarily with warring kings. I'd love to see the armor, but no pics have been released. Check it out if this sort of thing interests you, which it does me, which I bet you've already figured out.
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Monday, April 07, 2008 4:28:24 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Historic preservation is green
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
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Monday, April 07, 2008 11:57:35 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Where did they get that?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
No, really posted by Karen pretending to be Noah ...
Well, it happened this morning. After limping along on life support for months, my Mac finally gave up its ghost. While IT is diligently readying a replacement, I'm taking advantage of the disruption and putting it to good use...I'm catching up on (or at least chipping away at) my news alerts from the past couple of weeks.
Have you ever watched a period movie and saw a piece of furniture or an item that caught your eye and thought to yourself, "Where did they get that?"
Well, I read an interesting article this morning about a shop in Haverhill, Mass., that has supplied a number of production companies with props.
You can check the story out here ...
Antique News | Antique news odd
Monday, April 07, 2008 11:26:59 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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omg, can u believe it? spoilt singer demand $140K antique table for signing
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Okay, so I couldn't resist this gossip. Some spoiled singer, who's been told for some time now that the sun rises and sets out of her... eyes... demanded that a $140,000 table be flown from NY to London, and covered with silk, so she could do her signings... I remember Maria Carey from the early 1990s, when she would hit her signature high-C note in every song. I'm a music snob, so I have to admit I literally cannot stand to be in a room where her music playing. She's worth a ton, and has had fools bow to her whims forever and a day, so of course she's going to continue to think that her money gets her anything she wants. I guess it pretty much does. Considering she makes more than the GNP of many small countries, however, I think she should be mortally ashamed of her behavior. That's all any pop star really needs, isn't it? A good talking to... I would, however, like to see the table.
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Monday, April 07, 2008 11:06:00 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
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Friday, April 04, 2008
Question of the week - affected by Wall Street woes?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Do Wall Street ups and downs affect your buying or your business?  These are iffy days in the American economy. No government official has come right out and said it, but the hints of the "R" word are everywhere and, last week at the Atlantique City Antiques Show in Atlantic City, NJ, the economy was very much on the mind of dealers and customers alike. There's billion dollar losses, and billion dollar bailouts, and a whole shadow economy between the largest banks in the world that's so far bigger than our actual economy that it's frightening to contemplate, especially when you think about what would happen is all these uber-banks went belly up. I've heard it twice now on NPR, so no telling me I'm a conspiracy theorist... That, however, is enough nay-saying, no nabob of negativism I, but I am curious about whether or not the woes on Wall Street have an actual effect on the nuts and bolts of our businesses and hobbies. Personally, it seems like a good time to get some money into antiques, as we all know that good items hold their value, and that as the economy worsens, people will most likely sell. Ergo, deals are out there... Go and get 'em. Here's the question put formally, then: Do Wall Street ups and downs affect your buying or business?Let me know at noah.fleisher@fwpubs.com, or go write something in the comments section below.
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Friday, April 04, 2008 12:40:27 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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What the Dickens?! Antique desk on the block
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Christies will be auctioning of the desk at which Charles Dickens sat to write "Great Expectations."
It's a beautiful antique and its provenance is untouchabe. It should fetch a pretty penny, and goes to a good cause. I can't imagine any writer wanting to buy it, let alone be in the same house as it. The great author was found dead at the desk and wrote possibly his greatest work in the very same seat, as well - Pip chasing Estella, while she acts coy and plays him off her other suitors... Go Pip! Go! - those are some serious ghosts to contend with. Still, it is a beauty, and I had the cash, and an extra room, I'd do it in a heartbeat. 
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Friday, April 04, 2008 12:24:06 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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A conversation over caviar about architecture
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This is a link to an interview with the winner of The Pritzker Prize for Architecture, Jean Nouvel.  The prize is the top award given to modern architects, and is normally the crowning achievement of a glorious career, rather than something that plucks an obscure designer from the mist of anonymity. Nouvel is an interesting guy, and who am I to say who should and should notbe given what they're given. I have to say that, as interesting as his ideas are, and sound, man-oh-man is this a pretentious interview. I was waiting for the interviewer to ask if he could give him a kiss, or put a polish on that done... (As you can see by my pick above, I need a polist too, now and then...) Anyway... Check it out. The pic here, though you can't see it too well, is Nouvel's proposed design for the Abu Dhabi Louvre Museum. 
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Friday, April 04, 2008 10:38:37 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Thursday, April 03, 2008
Lincoln letter goes for more than $3M
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
And to think that I was willing to take a triceratops over this, if given the choice...  I love Honest Abe, but I stand by my decision. Besides, I just spent that last $3.4M on a new yacht. I'm a bit tapped at the moment. This is the Yahoo story, just breaking. Pretty cool, I have to say. 
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Thursday, April 03, 2008 3:16:45 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Papa's Brand New Bag on the auction block
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
When James Brown died on Christmas Day 2006, he left behind a lot more than one modern music's greatest catalogs of work, he left behind a life filled with turmoil and an estate that has been the subject of constant wrangling between his family, his adult children, his ex-girlfriends and his ex-wives. Finally, Christie's has stepped in and said, "That's enough!" I actually don't know if that's what Christie's did, but either way, t he venerable auction house will be auctioning of the possesions of the Godfather of Soul sometime this summer. This sale will include Brown's awards, instruments and all kinds of various posessions.  No matter what you think of the man personally, his influence on music was, and is, undeniable. He blended together many sounds and came up with something that was totally original, and musically, in his prime, there was absolutely no one more important. The interlocking parts of his songs were pure genius and made countless millions of people understand not only how music worked, but that they too could follow a few simple rules and enjoy playing music. For that, I do have to say, I miss Brown greatly. To see him covered with a jacket and walked, exhausted, off stage accompanied by one of his crew, only to ruh desperately back to the mic for one last chorus, or word - then to hear the crowd shriek with delight - makes you understand that he truly was... the hardest working man in show business. And I'd love to get me one them guitars...
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Thursday, April 03, 2008 9:57:43 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Word to the wise: Do not hang clothes on your rare, early Picassos
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Seems a rare early Picasso - a saucy one of the artist and his then lover in a clinch on the bed - was found in Scotland, propped against a wall, alongside two other valuable works of art. They are all going to be on the block on April 10 at a house called Duke's.  I don't know about you, but I only hand fresh, hand-cut roses over the Picasso paintings I have propped against the wall in my two year-old daughter's room, right next to her crayons and scissors. "Go ahead, honey, it's only a Picasso." This is possibly from a royal family of some country, and the seller is part of that family. Don't you have to pass a decency test of some kind to be called royalty? I mean, they all know how to drink with their pinkies up, and spend money like drunken sailors... But this is a Picasso, and one from his early 20s, before he became Picasso with a capital "P." Royal families of the world: teach your children to pick up their art when they are done playing.
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:27:25 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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This wood's no good! Dealer in fake antique wood busted in MO
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Interesting, but probably not as rare as we'd like to think. This St. Louis dealer in supposedly antique wood is going to be paying a hefty fine and maybe seeing the inside of Club Fed for a while. It just goes to show that you have to be wary of who you buy from, and alays do you research, even if your next antique is going to be your floor. This story comes via the St. Louis Business Journal.
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:11:22 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Who can resist a rampaging ape? King Kong poster rages to $345K
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Really, aren't we all suckers for monkeys?  This massive and very cool King King poster recently brought $345,000 at a Profiles in History auction, and it's a real beauty. At 81-inches x 81-inches, it's also about the size of the big simian himself. I love the detail on this poster, and Kong just looks like he's about ready to rip everyone a new smile. What I don't like is that they have Fay Wray running in terror with Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot. We all know that Kong and Fay shared an unforbidden love that the world wasn't ready for back then. the studio could have, at least, put a hint of empathy in her eyes as she watched Kong destroy Manhattan. I still say the humans deserved it... The new owner of the poster isn't mentioned, but I'd be willing to bet it's a heavy hitter, if not S teve Geppi himself, who has the greatest collection of rare movie posters in the world at his museum in Camden Yards in downtown Baltimore, MD.
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:01:38 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Look out in FL for stolen Masonic items
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Seems a Masonic Lodge in Lee County Florida was broken into and lots and lots of antique stuff taken, to the tune of $50,000.  This story, from the NBC affiliate down there, doesn't list what was taken, or show pictures, which is strange, even mysterious... Just like the Masons themselves. I think I smell another Masonic conspiracy. We all know, after all, that they are really running the country, and the world... I saw those National Treasure movies with Nicholas Cage and his bad wig...  Anyway. If you're in the area buying antiques, and one of your things is collecting Masonic-themed items, then know you might be a few bucks away from becoming part of the conspiracy, unwittingly drawn into the throws of global intrigue. All kidding aside, be on the lookout in the South...
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008 7:56:22 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Tuesday, April 01, 2008
We at Antique Trader want to know what you think
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
From the entire Antique Trader crew: We want to know what you think. We really do. That's why, when you complete our survey, you will be entered to win one of 13 prizes we're giving away. The prizes are three (3) Amazon gift cards valued at $50 each and 10 copies of the book Answers to Questions About Antiques and Collectibles, valued at $14.99, by our own Kyle Husfloen. The survey/giveaway runs from April 1 to May 18, 2008. Click here for giveaway rules.Click here or click on the banner above to take the survey and be entered in the giveaway.If you have any comments or questions, you can post a reply here or send us an email.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:21:42 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Back to it! Antiques blogging forever!
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
After two long weeks away from my beloved AT blog, I am finally back in the office and ready to get back down to regular posting. I'm tired from a 5-hour layover in the hotbox of Chicago's O'Hare airport, and beat from 5 days of straight running at the show, bu otherwise fine, thanks... First, however, I have to decompress for about 5 minutes from the Atlantique City show, and then put together an entire paper before the end of the day. This should be fun, but I will definitely put some stuff up today hopefully, but for sure tomorrow. My co-blogger and web editor Karen (who has done a fabulous job in my absence, I might add) will hopefully continue to post as well, keeping us the most prolific and fast-moving blog in the biz. It's good to be back. 
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Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:03:09 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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