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 Thursday, December 31, 2009
Helpful links to antiques auctions and news
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Map found in $10 box at estate sale makes $23,400 at auction
Wisconsin auction nets $5,000+ for low-grade comics
Cartier carries the day in $1.2 million Heritage Auctions timepiece event
Impressive Southern and Continental antiques at Brunk Auctions in January
Cowan’s offers 600+ lots in inaugural décor auction Jan. 8
Map found in $10 box at estate sale makes $23,400 at auction
Approximately 1,500 lots of quality advertising, militaria, more in online auction that ends Jan. 24
Highly anticipated New Year’s Day auction showcases elegant Philadelphia area antiques
Personally, I'm curious to see how Cowan's does on their first ever decor auction. They hold some fantastic militaria and historical auctions; I hope they carry that success over into their decorative arts sales.
— Posted by Karen Knapstein
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  • Find us on Twitter HERE.
• Find us on Facebook HERE.• Visit the Antique Trader Web site HERE. Sign up for our FREE newsletters!• If you really like what you see, get your very own subscription to Antique Trader HERE.
• Antique Trader message boards HERE.
• Browse the Antique Trader Classifieds or place your FREE online ads HERE.
Antiques Auction | Antiques News
Thursday, December 31, 2009 9:42:48 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00) 
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Can you identify this antique mystery item?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Every week, “Ask Antique Trader” receives scores of inquiries from readers, seeking more information about a recent find, a gift from a friend or relative, or an oddity that’s been sitting on a shelf for years.
We pass all of these questions along to our panel of experts, but once in awhile, we get a question about an object that stops us in our tracks. We want to share these unusual treasures with readers in the hope that they’ll offer their opinions and perhaps enlighten us all.
“Ask Antique Trader” will feature these oddities on a regular basis in the print and online editions of the magazine.
Send your comments to AskAT@fwmedia.com.
"I was told this wicked-looking thing is for digging weeds, but my mother thinks it’s a yarn winder of some kind. It’s well worn and about 8 inches long."
Any thoughts?
— Posted by Karen Knapstein
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Find us on Twitter HERE.
• Find us on Facebook HERE.• Visit the Antique Trader Web site HERE. Sign up for our FREE newsletters!• If you really like what you see, get your very own subscription to Antique Trader HERE. • Reference books available about your favorite collectibles HERE
• Antique Trader message boards HERE.
• Browse the Antique Trader Classifieds or place your FREE online ads HERE.
Antique Mystery Item
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 9:17:39 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Friday, December 18, 2009 Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wunderkammer on the cover
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
"What's a Wunderkammer?" you ask ... why, it's a "chamber of wonders." And we've got a fantastic feature from Melody Amsel-Arieli on the cover of this week's Antique Trader.
antique | Antique news odd | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques publications | Antiquities | Historic Preservation
Thursday, December 17, 2009 2:44:02 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Changing with your antiques customers
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Responses to Wayne Jordan’s guest column published in last week’s issue
are coming in fast and furious. It seems Mr. Jordan, a Virginia
appraiser and auctioneer, struck a nerve in both veteran and novice
dealers alike with his comments on how the antiques
trade can reach out to members of Generation X. Generation X is
typically defined as those age 30 to 50 who are just now coming into
their prime collecting years.
One reader said if the antiques
trade wants to survive in its present form, it must better support the
efforts of young professionals. He’s onto something here.
It’s safe to say that most collectors or dealers were influenced by an
educated or passionate relative or friend at one time. Sometimes this
figure came late in life: a dealer who shares a customer’s passion for
an obscure antique. Other times it happens early: a relative who takes
a youngster under their wing to show them that collecting is fun.
However, there are too few efforts to mentor young dealers or otherwise
show them the ropes. Dealers are an independent and hardworking group
and a business plan that works for one dealer likely won’t work for
another. Consider that there are thousands of dealers nationwide and
only a few groups exist to pull them together toward a common goal –
and membership in these groups is relatively small and tight knit.
So “young” dealers have it rough: they experience high competition for
quality goods, are automatically considered “outsiders” and the
ever-shrinking markets make a successful career in antiques seem unlikely.
However, antiques shows are leading the way to appeal to younger buyers.
The Baltimore Summer Antiques
Show annually holds compelling lecture series that are free to the
general public. Topics are fresh and intellectually stimulating.
The DC Big Flea is offering free admission for any customer under the
age of 30 on Jan. 10 on what’s being called “Young Consumer Sunday.”
“We are seeing so many more young people in their twenties shopping our
shows,” says Joan Sides, who founded the Big Fleas in D.C.,
Fredericksburg and now Baltimore. “Too, they are tired of the
mass-produced, Ikea, cookie cutter look that was so popular in the late
‘90s. And, they are finding that these pieces, that were so affordable
and necessary in decorating their first home or studio apartment, just
can’t take the wear and tear of daily living.”
It appears Sides is taking advice from Martin Codina, owner of Fine
Estate Sales and Estate Liquidation of San Rafael, Calif. Codina’s
letter to the editor printed on page 5 sums it up: Never give up.
Change with your customers.
Eric Bradley
Editor
Antique Blog | Antiques Blog
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 5:21:43 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Question of the Week: Antiques business advice
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Antique Trader Question of the Week:
When you started collecting or dealing, how did you benefit from a mentor or experienced relative?
What advice would you pass on to anyone trying to establish themselves in the antiques business?
Send your replies to eric.bradley@fwmedia.com or to Letters to the Editor, c/o Antique Trader, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54945.
— Posted by Karen Knapstein
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Find us on Twitter HERE.
• Find us on Facebook HERE.• Visit the Antique Trader Web site HERE. Sign up for our FREE newsletters!• If you really like what you see, get your very own subscription to Antique Trader HERE. • Reference books available about your favorite collectibles HERE
• Antique Trader message boards HERE.
• Browse the Antique Trader Classifieds or place your FREE online ads HERE.
Antique Blog | Antiques Blog | Antiques, blog, question of the week
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 4:57:14 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Artfact gets $13M in venture capital, merges with Auctionzip.com
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Artfact, a leading online live auction marketplace is merging with Auctionzip, one of the Web’s largest directory of  live auction listings. Artfact also closed a deal for $13 million in growth capital from Boston-based Commonwealth Capital Ventures and Ascent Venture Partners. In addition to facilitating the merger, the funding will be used to expand product development, marketing, and sales efforts.
Combined, Artfact and Auctionzip provide over 16,000 estate auctioneers of all sizes worldwide a range of technology and marketing services including online live bidding, and integrated auction management software. Through their websites Auctionzip.com, Artfact.com, and Invaluable.com, the companies allow 2 million art, antiques, and collectible dealers and collectors unprecedented access to search over 160,000 estate auctions each year with a combined value of over $25 billion.
Each company will maintain its distinct brand, website, and office location in Allston Massachusetts (Artfact), Bedford, Pennsylvania (Auctionzip), and the Isle of Wight, U.K. (Invaluable).
In a press release, Adam Kirsch, Chairman and CEO of Artfact, said, “Auctionzip’s founders, Joe Koval and Steve Johnson, have built the only comprehensive auction listing service for the fragmented U. S. estate auctions industry. Together, Auctionzip and Artfact provide estate auctioneers and their dealer/collector bidders with the largest online marketplace dedicated entirely to the unique requirements of live auctions.”
Johnson will continue as Auctionzip’s President, and said: “Merging with Artfact is a logical step for Auctionzip now. Auctioneers listing on Auctionzip.com received over 200,000 absentee bids during the last year from the Auctionzip.com bidding community of over 1 million monthly unique users. In March, 2010 Auctionzip will launch Auctionzip Live using Artfact’s leading live bidding technology and auction management solutions to become a true live bidding marketplace just like Artfact Live.”
-posted by Eric Bradley
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques News
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 11:18:59 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Friday, December 11, 2009
Collect.com Auctions Mesh Handbag Collection featured in New York Times
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
NEW YORK - New York Times antiques columnist Eve Kahn today featured Collect.com Auctions' metal mesh handbag sale. The auction, which closes Wednesday, includes the Dennis & Terri LaMothe collection of Whiting and Davis metal mesh handbags, jewelry and vintage fashion.
Kahn writes:  “There were no duplicates,” Mrs. LaMothe said. “I would play with them.
I was like a kid. I would change the colors of the ones we had up to
suit the seasons.”
The couple had hoped to donate the handbags to a museum, she said, but
could not find one that would promise not to sell them. Owning them is
not always easy; the metalwork can chip or corrode. “You can’t wrap
them in plastic — it retains moisture,” Mrs. LaMothe said. “Don’t
display them in a bathroom, that’s a real no-no, or leave them in a
drawer exposed to powder or perfume.”
The auction’s costliest handbag, as of press time on Thursday, depicted Clark Gable (seen above) and was going for $750."
The LaMothes are tickled their collection is strong enough to be mentioned among those offered by Sotheby’s New York and Bonhams in New York. The two spent nearly 30 years developing a collection and body of research that represents the largest metal mesh collection ever to come to market: some 1,500 items - with no duplicates.
Kahn's column is online as well as in Friday's edition of The New York Times.
-posted by Eric Bradley
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Vintage Fashion
Friday, December 11, 2009 9:06:47 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
Suspect found in theft of antique whiskey bottle
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Suspect found in theft of rare Ferguson Whiskey flask
SANTA ROSA – When a rare Ferguson Whiskey flask was stolen last April at the Santa Rosa Bottle Show, collectors were left frustrated and dismayed.
American Bottle Auctions had brought many of their rarest and most desirable bottles coming up for their spring auction for public display and soon after set-up, a rare coffin flask was missing. Collectors and dealers alike were left feeling that even a bottle show was now unsafe to present items for sale and for auction. That a person could just walk into a bottle show and steal something right off the table of unsuspecting victims left both the organizers of the show and participants with a feeling of dread.
Soon after the show, the same bottle (valued between $1,500-$2,000), right down to three very distinctive bubbles appeared on ebay, a well-known international auction site. It wasn’t long before various people began calling American Bottle Auctions informing them of a very similar bottle to the one stolen in Santa Rosa being sold on ebay. After contacting authorities in the Vallejo, Calif., police department, the seller of the flask was contacted.
Police have issued an arrest warrant for the suspect who is now awaiting an appearance before Vallejo County judges.
According to American Bottle Auctions, the theft at bottle shows is not a new thing; bottles have been missing from shows for years. A couple years ago at a show in Lodi, American Bottle Auctions lost a rare M.R. Sacramento soda bottle, which was never recovered. This time was different as a number of individuals came forward and helped the police in uncovering evidence that helped them find the right person.
This last weekend at the Auburn Bottle Show, a number of bottles were missing from tables. When presenting bottles at a show, make sure you keep an eye on your bottles at all times.
American Bottle Auctions set up a camera connected to a computer that records any movement at its table. This was most likely enough to fend off any would be thieves and it might be something to think about. Needless the company did not experience any thefts during the Auburn show.
The auction house is advising bottle dealers and sellers to pay more attention to their tables during events and looking out for our neighbor’s table. All it takes is a little extra precaution.
antique | Antique News | Antique news odd | Antique Show | Antiques | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News
Thursday, December 10, 2009 5:20:11 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Taylor Swift loves vintage, spotted at Nashville antiques shows
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Who says there are no young buyers attending Antique Shows these days?
You never know who will show up at the Nashville shows. Country music’s hottest new star, 19 year old Taylor Swift, took a few hours off of her busy schedule to enjoy one of her favorite hobbies, looking for some treasures. On Oct. 31 at the recent Music Valley and Tailgate Shows in Nashville, word spread quickly around the two shows that Swift and her family were shopping and buying small items.
Taylor Swift, center, with dealer Marilyn Haley, left, and Bea Starr, right. Starr is the mother of show promoter Kay Puchstein.
Swift is one of today’s hottest young stars. At the prestigious Country Music Awards presentation Nov. 11, Taylor was honored with the Album of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and was the youngest singer ever to be awarded the highest honor of Entertainer of the Year. To top that off, at the American Music Awards held Nov. 22, Taylor Swift won five awards including the highest honor of Artist of the Year.
In between looking and shopping for antiques, Taylor and her family stopped at many of the 300 booths to sign autographs and pose for pictures with the dealers. One dealer from Vermont said that Taylor was looking at an item in her booth priced at $140. The dealer told Taylor she would take $100 for it and Taylor said she would take it but she wanted to pay her the $140.
The next Antiques at Music Valley and Tailgate Antique shows will be held Feb. 11-13, 2010, at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville.
For more information on the Music Valley Antiques Show and the Tailgate shows in Nashville, contact Kay Puchstein at Jenkins Management at 317-598-0012 or visit the show’s Web site at www.musicvalleyantiquesmarket.com.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antique news odd | Antiques | Antiques News
Thursday, December 10, 2009 4:12:34 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Antiques trade needs new blood
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
It's not often a column stops me in my tracks. Wayne Jordan's guest column in this week's issue of Antique Trader was one of them.
The entry below is my editor's from the Dec. 23 issue.
Thanks,
Eric
Antiques trade needs new blood
If you only read one article in this week’s issue turn to page 8.
Now.
The topic of Wayne Jordan’s guest column describes a far-reaching
concern that will no doubt affect how we will buy, sell and enjoy antiques
for the foreseeable future. Auctioneers have seen it. Dealers have seen
it and you collectors have seen it: No new blood in antiques.
This is the ‘new norm’ for this hobby and trade. Indeed there are young people interested in antiques.
Occasionally they are seen at shows and auctions; see page 5 for a
report on one of today’s hottest young stars, Taylor Swift, 19, being
spotted at the Nashville Music Valley and Tailgate Shows. However, the
harsh reality is that there are not enough of them to support a trade
as large as the one we have now. Rather than lament with his fellow
auctioneers, Jordan works to define the problem and pose a solution.
Without new blood entering the hobby, we face an unfamiliar future. It doesn’t take much effort to link the disinterest of antiques
and collectibles to an indifferent attitude about museums, artifacts
and our cultural heritage. If you think that’s too melodramatic, take a
look at what happened to Forney, Texas.
An article on page 12 shows the city’s retail economy is in shambles
after it made antiquing a cornerstone of its downtown revitalization
plans. Tax revenue is down and shops are closing left and right.
Could lovely Walnut, Iowa, be next? What about the shops in Somerville,
N.J.? Will the 100 or so antique stores in Glendale, Ariz., become
nothing but memory?
I’d like to see your thoughts on this issue and share them with
readers. Meanwhile, make sure you see our next issue in which we visit
a fledgling mall selling antique and vintage items with a very
different type of business plan — one that is designed around young
buyers.
Eric Bradley
Editor
Welcome Fred Taylor: Furniture Detective
Please join me in welcoming Fred Taylor to the roster of regular
Antique Trader columnists. For years, Taylor has stood fast, never
wavering from his love of antique furniture nor his advice that
quality-made pieces will always hold their value. Taylor has been
featured in Antique Trader before but we’re happy to make him a regular
weekly feature from now on out. Based on the number of inquiries we get
here at the offices on furniture, I have no doubt you readers will keep
him plenty busy with your comments and questions.
antique | Antiques | Antiques Blog
Thursday, December 10, 2009 12:44:17 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Question of the Week: One way to reach younger buyers?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
In order to reach younger buyers, should dealers sell an antique’s ‘function’ rather than its beauty or investment potential?
Post your replies here on the blog, or send your replies to eric.bradley@fwmedia.com or to Letters to the Editor, c/o Antique Trader, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54945.
You can also post your replies HERE in the Antique Trader forums.
— Posted by Karen Knapstein
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Find us on Twitter HERE.
• Find us on Facebook HERE.• Visit the Antique Trader Web site HERE. Sign up for our FREE newsletters!• If you really like what you see, get your very own subscription to Antique Trader HERE. • Reference books available about your favorite collectibles HERE
• Antique Trader message boards HERE.
• Browse the Antique Trader Classifieds or place your FREE online ads HERE.
Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques, blog, question of the week
Thursday, December 10, 2009 12:28:53 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Santa Fe flea market launches Christmas Market
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
SANTA FE, N.M. — The Santa
Fe Traditional Flea Market, which ended its first summer season at Oshara
Village with the snows of mid-November is launching a two-weekend indoor
Christmas Market at El Museo Cultural, 1615 Paseo de Peralta on the Rail Yard.
The first weekend will be held Dec. 12-13; the second weekend of the Christmas
Market will be held Dec. 19-20.
The Christmas Market will feature gift-quality
affordable antiques of all sorts including jewelry, furniture, textiles,
clothing, and works of art, as well as traditional flea from grandma’s attic.
The hours of the
Traditional Flea Christmas Market at El Museo will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Upwards of 70 vendors are expected to participate. Parking is free at the Rail
Yard Underground Garage during this period, and the market is also free to the
public.
“We reached an agreement
with the El Museo Board at the beginning of the weekend,” Walt Borton said,
“and notified our regular vendors by e-mail, and updated our Web site Sunday
morning.”
“We started taking
reservations for space at 6 p.m. Sunday night,” he continued, “and by 9, after
more than 40 phone calls, vendors from Denver, Albuquerque, Mountainair, Taos,
as well as many of our Santa Fe regulars had booked.”
Just a few of the vendors
already committed to the Christmas market in the first few hours are Santa Fe
area Native American specialist Bud Callahan; jewelry designer Tom Dewitt; and
antiques dealers Bill Hawn, Mary Kirst and Clarence Vigil.
Antiques dealer
Lewis Bobrick is coming from Denver; fine women’s attire will be sold by
Cynthia Williams of Albuquerque; and Ethnographic dealers already committed
include Wilbur Norman, Robert Fiedler and Cecil Sanchez.
Contemporary jewelry
stylist Chanel Segura, bone and antler artist Ron Laerd and antiquarian book
dealer Shirley Jacobson are also participating.
A regularly updated list of
vendors will be added to the Web site, www.santafetraditionalflea.com.
The Christmas Market may
evolve into a long-term Winter Market for the region’s fast growing and popular
old-fashioned flea market. After the premier season of the Santa Fe Traditional
Flea Market, during which the market grew from 24 vendors on July 12 to
approximately 150 by Indian Market, leveling at about 100 through November,
vendors asked market owners Cook and Borton to identify an indoor spot for the
winter months.
“If the
vendors, the public and the El Museo board find the Christmas Market a positive
experience,” Borton said, “it is likely that the Santa Fe Traditional Flea
Winter Market will become a weekend fixture on the Rail Yard until we can go
back outside.”
At El
Museo Cultural on the Rail Yard
WHAT: The Santa Fe
Traditional Flea Christmas Market
WHERE: El Museo
Cultural, 1615 Paseo de Peralta on the Rail Yard
WHEN: Dec. 12-13 and
Dec. 19-20, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
CONTACT: Walt Borton,
505-982-2671 or walt@waltborton.com.
— Posted by Karen Knapstein
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Find us on Twitter HERE.
• Find us on Facebook HERE.• Visit the Antique Trader Web site HERE. Sign up for our FREE newsletters!• If you really like what you see, get your very own subscription to Antique Trader HERE. • Reference books available about your favorite collectibles HERE
• Antique Trader message boards HERE.
• Browse the Antique Trader Classifieds or place your FREE online ads HERE.
Antique News | Antique Show | Antiques | Antiques News | Antiques Show
Wednesday, December 09, 2009 1:24:54 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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When do you close up shop for the weather?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
The first big snowstorm of the winter hit Central Wisconsin last night and this morning, and it's still coming down. We were notified that the Iola office of F+W Media (publisher of Antique Trader) has been closed due to the weather emergency.
This is the first time that I can recall our office closing. It may have happened before when I was on vacation, but it's a first for me.
"Back in the old days," when Krause Publications was self-owned, it never closed. We ran under the assumption that someone would always make it in.
How about you? Do you close your shop due to inclement weather? Thinking that no one (in their right mind) will be out searching for antiques in a blizzard, torrential rain, what-have-you ...
While many of you are out shoveling snow (or playing in the snow), I'll be clicking away at the keyboard, uploading articles onto www.antiquetrader.com and readying our next e-newsletter (which goes out on Friday, by the way).
Drop us a line (eric.bradley@fwmedia.com) and let us know: How bad does the weather have to be before you close up your antique shop?
— Posted by Karen Knapstein
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• Find us on Twitter HERE.
• Find us on Facebook HERE.• Visit the Antique Trader Web site HERE. Sign up for our FREE newsletters!• If you really like what you see, get your very own subscription to Antique Trader HERE. • Reference books available about your favorite collectibles HERE
• Antique Trader message boards HERE.
• Browse the Antique Trader Classifieds or place your FREE online ads HERE.
Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs
Wednesday, December 09, 2009 8:46:35 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Friday, December 04, 2009
Closing Date Extended in Collect.com Vintage Handbag Auction
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Collect.com Auction’s Dec. 16 Sale Features the lifetime metal mesh, vintage celebrity couture collection of Dennis & Terri LaMothe
 IOLA, Wis. – By popular demand, bidding has been extended in Collect.com Auctions’ presentation of 487 lots of the Dennis & Terri LaMothe metal mesh collection, plus additions. This Internet, absentee and phone auction closing Dec. 16 is the largest assortment of metal mesh – mostly produced by Massachusetts’ famous Whiting & Davis Co. – ever to come to auction. It includes classic mesh handbags and iconic celebrity memorabilia from Cher and Lisa Hartman Black.
It was the LaMothes who the Whiting & Davis Co. contacted to create a 110-year retrospective on the firm’s best examples for its anniversary celebration. The company gave the couple exclusive and unfettered access to archives. As such, the sale contains more than 250 lots of stunning mesh handbags.
 The LaMothes took special pride in collecting unique pieces such the Whiting & Davis handbag decorated with enameled metal mesh in a shimmering likeness of Clark Gable (estimate $2,500-$3,000). Other specialty handbags include Mickey Mouse ($500-$1,000), Charlie Chaplin ($2,500-$3,000) and a special commemorative produced for the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair ($1,000-$1,200).
The auction will feature a comprehensive selection of Whiting & Davis’ highly desirable “El Sah” mesh handbags, including a circa 1920s example still retaining its delicate compact built into its gold tone  metal frame (estimate $250-$350). The auction also features classic plain, enameled and colored Mandalian Handbag lines such as a stunning Gloria purse. In addition to being the most complete collection of Whiting & Davis handbags, the collection is a shimmering cross-section of American vintage couture, including celebrity memorabilia including a pair of mesh gloves worn by Cher during the height of her late 1980s comeback tour.
A fully illustrated catalog for Collect.com Auction’s Dec. 16 sale of the Dennis & Terri LaMothe Collection, plus additions, is viewable through www.collect.com/auctions or by calling 888-463-3063.
All absentee forms of bidding are available through www.Collect.com Auctions or by calling 888-463-3063, fax 715-445-4087 or e-mail at auctions@collect.com. The Dec. 16 auction carries a 17 percent buyer’s premium.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Find us on Twitter HERE.
• Find us on Facebook HERE.• Visit the Antique Trader Web site HERE. Sign up for our FREE newsletters!• If you really like what you see, get your very own subscription to Antique Trader HERE. • Reference books available about your favorite collectibles HERE
• Antique Trader message boards HERE.
• Browse the Antique Trader Classifieds or place your FREE online ads HERE.
antique | Antique Blog | Antique News | Antiques | Antiques Auction | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques News | Vintage Fashion
Friday, December 04, 2009 11:08:41 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Thursday, December 03, 2009 Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Question of the Week: When & how do you research?
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
Question of the Week:
Do you research your antiques and collectibles before or after you buy them?
If so, how do you research them?
Send your replies to eric.bradley@fwmedia.com or to Letters to the Editor, c/o Antique Trader, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54945.
Or post a message here on the Antique Trader blog or HERE on the Antique Trader message boards.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Find us on Twitter HERE.
• Find us on Facebook HERE.• Visit the Antique Trader Web site HERE. Sign up for our FREE newsletters!• If you really like what you see, get your very own subscription to Antique Trader HERE. • Reference books available about your favorite collectibles HERE
• Antique Trader message boards HERE.
• Browse the Antique Trader Classifieds or place your FREE online ads HERE.
antique | Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs | Antiques, blog, question of the week | Historic Preservation
Wednesday, December 02, 2009 3:21:33 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Antiques make the holiday bright
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
This week’s issue brings us that much closer to the holidays. It seems they come faster and faster every year.
In our neck of the woods folks started displaying holiday lights two weeks before Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong – I like lights, but they make me think about the holidays earlier than I’m mentally prepared to do. There comes a point when the magic of the holidays gives way to the responsibility of making sure that magic arrives on time and within budget.
However, this year, my wife and I decided to take the advice from you readers and purchase antiques for gifts for everyone on our list. Our strategy wouldn’t change: dollar limits would stay the same and we would look for sales whenever and wherever we could. We were even going to shop on Black Friday.
If you’ve never been to a Black Friday shopping day, thank yourself right now. You saved yourself weeks of scanning advertisements and the frustration of hideously long lines – not to mention putting your life in danger by not pouring yourself into a motor vehicle at 4 a.m.
Black Friday hit and so did we. What we found was astounding.
Like their non-green, retail counterparts, antique shop owners offered steep discounts on a variety of merchandise. At one mall, select dealers marked their price tags 20 to 30 percent off. In one single-owner shop, a corner had been cleared and restocked with the antique version of stocking stuffers – a variety of nominally-priced items no bigger than a coffee cup.
I quickly learned that my idea of a perfect “antique” gift was not the same as my wife’s. When she showed me a great, carved wooden monkey I seriously suggested my mother. Wrong answer.
Now if we can just get antiques shops to stay open until 6 p.m. Dec. 24 ...
Eric Bradley
Editor
Antique Trader Treasure Hunt Sweepstakes
Congratulations to the winner of November’s Antique Trader Treasure Hunt Sweepstakes. Winner Bryon Shaffer of DuBois, Pa., will receive a copy of Napa County (Arcadia Publishing) which presents a history of the region in antique and vintage postcards. The free prize also includes a special commemorative set of 15 historic postcards. Learn more about Arcadia Publishing’s Postcard History Series at www.arcadiapublishing.com.
For December, we offer you something shiny and bright. What’s brighter than over 100 years of jewelry? Log on now to www.antiquetrader.com for a chance to win a free copy of the book Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry 1840-1950, 7th edition by C. Jeanenne Bell (Krause Publications).
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Antiques | Antiques Blog | Antiques Blogs
Wednesday, December 02, 2009 2:46:14 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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Tuesday, December 01, 2009
'Bling' in December
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
One
of the finest Vivid Pink diamonds to ever appear for sale at auction will hit
the block Dec. 1, 2009, at Christie’s annual fall jewelry sale.
The
5-carat, cushion-cut diamond, which is set in an 18-karat platinum rose-gold
ring by Graff and flanked on each side by a shield-shaped diamond, is the
largest fancy vivid pink potentially flawless diamond to ever be offered for
sale at auction, according to a news release issued by Christie’s. The
pre-auction estimate is $5 million to $7.05 million (U.S. dollars) at auction. PRICE REALIZED: $10,828,889. (All prices realized include buyer's premium.)
While
the majority of natural pink diamonds exhibit a color modifier like purple,
orange or gray, “The Vivid Pink” shows no trace of a secondary color, making it
exceedingly rare both commercially and naturally, the news release said. The
stone has been determined to be a type IIa pink diamond, which is very rare in
nature and has few inclusions. The color in pink diamonds can be caused by
impurities as well as the diamond’s exposure to heat and pressure, according to
the Christie’s Web site.
The
diamond is one of 255 lots valued in excess of $33 million from makers
including Bulgari, Cartier, Graff, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany and Harry
Winston. Jadeite jewels also will be featured. Click here to check out the full
online auction catalog.
Other
featured pieces in this auction include:
• An
oval-shaped, 9.03 carat fancy vivid yellow diamond set in a ring by Graff.
Although yellow diamonds are more common than other colored-diamonds, this
high-clarity stone has a very intense color, which is due to aggregated
nitrogen. The stone it is flanked on either side by a pear-shaped diamond. The
pre-auction estimate is $900,000 to $1.2 million. PRICE REALIZED: $1,537,355.
• A 16.65-carat cushion-shaped
Kashmir sapphire ring by Van Cleef & Arpels. The pre-auction estimate is
$700,000 to $1 million. The stone is the desirable and distinctive “cornflower”
blue color. It is mounted in an 18-karat white-gold ring and features
brilliant-cut diamond openwork gallery and half-hoop. The gem appears it has
not had any thermal enhancement. PRICE REALIZED: $2,408,436.
•
A pair of 8.52 and 8.39-carat pear-shaped fancy yellow internally flawless
diamond ear pendants. Pre-auction estimate is $400,000 to $600,000. PRICE REALIZED: $562,573.
•
A pendant necklace featuring a 25.04-carat, pear-shaped Burmese sapphire with a
brilliant-cut diamond surround. The pendant is joined to the neckchain set with
brilliant-cut diamonds alternating with circular-cut sapphires and mounted in
platinum. The richly colored sapphire has been spared thermal treatment, a key
factor for collectors today, according to the Christie’s Web site. Such a
combination of characteristics is rare in natural Burmese sapphires of this
size, making this stone among the top sale highlights. The pre-auction estimate
is $600,000 to $800,000. PRICE REALIZED: $827,009.
• An
emerald and diamond necklace from Bulgaris Perentisi collection. Circular-cut
emeralds are set upon a geometric motif, pave-set diamond plaque. The pendant
is joined to a similarly set spacer and length-adjustable neckchain mounted in
18-karat white gold. Only two of these necklaces were ever produced by Bulgari,
according to the catalog. The pre-auction estimate is $80,000 to $120,000. PRICE REALIZED: $282,583.
• An Art
Deco ruby and diamond bracelet by Cartier. The bracelet features a sleek and
simple geometric design. It displays 24 untreated Burmese rubies (total carat
weight of 38.06 carats), which are favored by collectors for their “pigeon’s
blood” red hue, the auction catalog said. The bracelet was created in 1938. The
stylized geometric style illustrated in this bracelet was mostly the work of
the designer Frederick Pew who collaborated closely with Jacques Cartier. The
pre-auction estimate is $625,000 to $1 million. PRICE REALIZED: $780,344.
• A pair of diamond and natural pearl
ear pendants from Chaumet featuring a natural pear drop joined to a floral
motif surmount set with a brilliant-cut diamond pistil within collet-set,
pear-shaped diamond petals mounted in platinum. The pre-auction estimate is
$230,000 to $350,000. PRICE REALIZED: $298,138.
• A multicolored graduated
natural pearl necklace. The necklace is composed of 79 multicolored graduated
natural pearls measuring from 4.0 to 9.9 mm each. The pearls are joined to the
navette-shaped onyx clasp accented by a marquise-cut diamond and mounted in
platinum. The pre-auction estimate $150,000 to $230,000. PRICE REALIZED: $173,698.
• A pair of natural pearl and diamond
ear clips by Cartier. The pre-auction estimate is $160,000 to $230,000. PRICE REALIZED: $235,918.
Several jadeite
forms also are part of the auction. However, items that contain rubies or
jadeite originating in Burma may not be imported into the U.S. They include:
• A
carved jadeite Guanyin (pre-auction estimate $1 million to $1.5 million). Unsold.
• A
carved jadeite Metteyva Buddha, also referred to as the Laughing Buddha or
Buddha with a Big Belly (pre-auction estimate $750,000 to $1 million. Unsold.
• A
rare jadeite bi and diamond pendant necklace (pre-auction estimate $565,000 to
$800,000.) PRICE REALIZED: $702,569.
• A
pair of jadeite and diamond ear pendants (pre-auction estimate $150,000 to $230,000.) PRICE REALIZED: $189,253.
• A
pair of three-colored jadeite bangles (pre-auction estimate $230,000 to $350,000.) PRICE REALIZED: $282,583. — Susan Sliwicki ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Find us on Twitter HERE.
• Find us on Facebook HERE.• Visit the Antique Trader Web site HERE. Sign up for our FREE newsletters!• If you really like what you see, get your very own subscription to Antique Trader HERE. • Reference books available about your favorite collectibles HERE
• Antique Trader message boards HERE.
• Browse the Antique Trader Classifieds or place your FREE online ads HERE.
Auction
Tuesday, December 01, 2009 10:27:38 AM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)
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