Collectors who save their childhood toys often dream that they will increase in value. For teaching assistant Andrew Braund in Dorset, England, it came true at the perfect time.

Braund found his old Pokémon card collection while cleaning out his parents’ attic. He had stored it in two ways: the best specimens were preserved in binders, while others remained unsorted in a tin. He took them to a friend’s trading card store for a valuation. According to Talker, he thought they might be worth a few hundred dollars.

Instead, his friend pointed out three rare cards that, combined, could be worth over £31,250 (about $42,000). Braund had three Charizard cards, always sought by collectors: a mint condition Skyridge Charizard Holo, a copy of the same card in near-mint condition, and a Reverse-Holo.

“When my friend told me how much the Charizard cards might be worth I got quite light headed,” Braund said. “They have the highest monetary value, but the lowest sentimental value. The ones I loved as a kid look worn from being in my pockets all the time.”

The discovery came at the right time, as Braund and his fiancée, Rachel Moseley, were planning their wedding, so extra money would, of course, be welcome.

The cards’ next stop was Ewbank’s auction house in Surrey, where they went up for sale at a Trading Cards & Retro Video Games auction on April 16. All three sold over the estimate.

The mint condition Charizard Holo card, estimated at £8,000 to £12,000, sold for £22,100 (almost $30,000), the highest price Ewbank’s has achieved for a single Pokémon card. The near-mint card, graded PSA 8.5, sold for £16,250 (almost $22,000) against an estimate of £7,000 to £10,000. Finally, the Reverse-Holo card, distinguished by a holographic finish on every surface except the artwork, sold for £3,640 (almost $5,000). All sold prices include a buyer’s premium.

Braun and Moseley will get married in August, with the unexpected windfall helping to fund their wedding. Auctioneer Andrew Ewbank said, “This is a double delight for us: taking a record in-house price for a single card and helping a young couple make their dreams come true.”

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The post Pokémon Cards Sell for Thousands, Pay for Wedding appeared first on Antique Trader.

www.sensiblemanantiques.com

Email: info@sensiblemanantiques.com

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CHICAGO—Freeman’s Watches auction on April 22 achieved remarkable results with the sale of two historic items associated with John Jacob Astor IV from the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic: a gold pocket watch made by Patek Philippe and retailed by Tiffany & Co., which sold to an Irish businessman for $1,024,000—241% above the low estimate—and a gold pencil by Battin & Co., which sold for $204,800—an impressive 1,948% over the low estimate. Preserved within the Astor family for over a century, both objects were offered at auction for the first time, achieving a combined total of $1,228,800.

“These results show a rare convergence of history, craftsmanship, and human narrative,” said Reginald Brack, SVP, Head of Department, Watches at Freeman’s. “It is uncommon to find property that unites four significant names—John Jacob Astor IV, the RMS Titanic, Tiffany & Co., and Patek Philippe. Each has its own legacy, but together they tell a unique and moving story. The market’s response confirms these objects’ emotional and historical significance to collectors worldwide.”

The auction attracted robust international participation, with 28% of buyers being new to the firm. The Watches sale totaled over $1.8M with a sell-through rate by value of 132%, underscoring the enduring market strength for rare watches of historic significance.

Provenance and Preservation

Recovered from Astor’s body days after the sinking, the watch and pencil remained in continuous descent through the Astor family, passing from Vincent Astor to Brooke Astor, and subsequently through later generations before entering the market from the estate of Charlene Marshall. The watch, accompanied by archival documentation from Patek Philippe, stands as both a masterwork of horology and a poignant relic of one of the 20th century’s defining tragedies.

Astor’s Final Hours Aboard the Titanic

Astor, among the wealthiest passengers aboard the Titanic, famously ensured his wife’s safety before remaining on deck as the ship foundered—an act that has become emblematic of the human stories behind the disaster. The objects he carried in those final hours now serve as tangible witnesses to that history.

National Tour and Public Exhibitions

Ahead of the sale, the watch and pencil embarked on a national tour that generated significant attention among collectors and institutions alike. The treasures were well received at a series of private events in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Palm Beach, offering an intimate opportunity to experience these historic artifacts firsthand. Public previews were held at Freeman’s New York and Chicago galleries, where the objects drew strong attendance and underscored their broad cultural resonance ahead of auction day.

For more information about The John Jacob Astor IV Titanic Legacy, click here.

Freeman’s is a premier American auction house offering services in multiple categories, including fine art, jewelry, design, books and manuscripts, furniture, decorative arts, antiquities, couture, and Asian works of art. With 16 regional locations nationwide, the firm provides auctions, appraisals, private sales, and art advisory services, connecting clients to the global art market. Freeman’s strives to bring art, history, and design to life by connecting people with extraordinary objects through exceptional service and expertise.

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The Titanic’s fame comes from the tragedy of its sinking, but its survivors’ stories carry messages of hope and resilience. Today, these stories are often told through their possessions from the voyage, which are sought by collectors. One exceptionally rare and poignant memento, a life jacket worn by a survivor, sold at English auction house Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd. for a stunning £670,000 (just over $900,000).

Aldridge, a specialist in Titanic memorabilia, held its Auction of Titanic, White Star, Transport and Icons of the 20th Century on April 18. The life jacket was expected to be one of the top sellers; it is the only one from the Titanic to come to auction. It is made of canvas with 12 cork-filled pockets and marked for maker Fosbery & Co. of Rich St. Limehouse, London.

The life jacket was worn by first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli, secretary to dress designer Lady Lucy Duff Gordon, who was traveling with her husband, fifth baronet Sir Cosmo. All three survived the ship’s sinking. After two lifeboats proved full, they boarded lifeboat No. 1, one of two emergency boats. The boat turned out to be the source of controversy: even though it held only 12 people, including crew members, and had the capacity for 40, it did not rescue anyone who had fallen into the sea.

Francatelli would later write about her experiences. The life jacket remained in her family until a private collector bought it about 20 years ago, and it has been displayed in museums.

The auction also offered a seat cushion from the Titanic lifeboats, which sold for £390,000 (about $527,000). It was sold with a letter detailing its purchase by Kenneth C. Schultz, a famous collector of Titanic memorabilia, in 1987. Displayed at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia, and appearing in the book Titanic: Fortune and Fate by Stanley Lehrer, it is an emblematic memento of one of the defining events of the 20th century.

Images: Henry Aldridge & Son, Ltd.

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There’s a difference between reusing and reimagining. While Earth Day draws attention to sustainability, upcycling is a practice that matters year-round.

Upcycling goes beyond recycling. It transforms overlooked objects into something with renewed purpose, whether functional or decorative. This is not about erasing history. It is about extending it.

That mindset is reshaping how antiques and vintage objects are viewed and used. Antiques were built to last. Many were made with a level of craftsmanship that is difficult to find today. As interest in sustainability grows, people are taking a second look at pieces that they may have once passed over.

Why Upcycling Is Having a Moment

For many people, traditional antiques present a problem.

They are often large and heavy. They were designed for homes with formal rooms and more space than many people have today. What once signaled quality and permanence can now feel out of scale in smaller, more streamlined living environments.

That does not mean people have lost interest in older things. It means they are approaching them differently.

Younger buyers in particular are drawn to pieces that feel personal, flexible, and environmentally responsible. Studies show that many millennials actively prefer sustainable products, with many willing to pay more for them. At the same time, interest in eco-friendly furniture and design continues to grow, driven by a desire to reduce waste and avoid mass-produced goods.

Upcycling has emerged as a practical solution.

Instead of rejecting older pieces outright, people are reshaping them to fit their lives. A heavy dresser becomes something lighter in both look and function. A traditional piece is edited down, repainted, or repurposed to suit a more modern space.

There is also a larger reality at play. Furniture is one of the biggest contributors to household waste, with millions of tons discarded each year and only a small percentage reused or recycled. Upcycling offers a way to slow that cycle, turning what might be discarded into something useful again.

I took a look at the kinds of antiques and vintage pieces people are actually choosing to repurpose right now. Some make perfect sense. Others may feel a little familiar.

Here are some ideas that keep popping up.

Furniture with a Second Function

One of the most interesting shifts in how people approach older furniture is this: they are no longer asking what it is, but what it could be.

That change in perspective is driving some of the most creative uses of vintage and antique pieces today.

Take the humble dresser.

Once a bedroom staple, often heavy and oversized by today’s standards, it is now one of the most commonly reimagined pieces. Instead of trying to fit it into a modern bedroom, people are giving it a completely different role. Dressers are being converted into bathroom vanities, with drawers modified to accommodate plumbing and tops replaced with stone or vessel sinks.

In kitchens and living spaces, similar pieces are finding new purpose as islands, media consoles, or storage units. The solid wood construction that once made them difficult to move is now what makes them desirable.

China cabinets and hutches, once tied to formal dining rooms, are being broken down or restyled into open shelving and bar storage. Desks and washstands are being adapted into vanities or compact workspaces. Even tables are shifting roles, moving from dining use to benches, islands, or hybrid storage pieces. What ties all of these changes together is not just creativity. It is practicality.

Many homes today do not have formal dining rooms. Bedrooms are smaller. Open floor plans demand flexibility. Furniture that serves a single, fixed purpose no longer fits as easily into daily life. Multifunctional pieces are increasingly favored, especially by younger homeowners trying to make the most of limited space.

Upcycling answers that need.

Instead of forcing a piece to remain what it was, people are adapting it to what they need now. Sometimes the change is dramatic, like cutting into a dresser to create a vanity. Other times, it is subtle, such as removing doors, updating hardware, or reworking the finish to lighten a piece’s visual weight.

Not every update is subtle. Others go further, with dressers fully reimagined as open storage, replacing drawers with baskets to create a more flexible and accessible system.

In both cases, the goal is the same. Keep what works. Change what does not.

Pieces People Are Reimagining Right Now

Certain antiques keep showing up in upcycling projects. Not because they lack value, but because they are widely available, well-made, and adaptable to modern needs.

The dresser is just the beginning.

Even something as simple as a set of mismatched chairs can take on a completely new life. By combining chair backs and adding a single upholstered seat, what was once a collection of separate pieces becomes a unified bench. The individuality of each chair remains visible, but the function changes entirely. It is a small shift in thinking that turns overlooked furniture into something both practical and visually striking.

Some of the most successful transformations rely on restraint. A vintage card catalog, for example, does not need to be taken apart to feel relevant. By simply elevating it on clean, modern legs, the piece shifts from something heavy and utilitarian to something streamlined and architectural. The original function remains visible, but the scale and presence change completely, making it well-suited for today’s more minimal interiors.

Vintage suitcases are also being reimagined in ways that feel distinctly modern. Instead of being stored away, they are repurposed as coffee tables or speaker cases, with updated audio components housed inside their original shells. In some cases, simple additions like legs or a base frame visually lifts them, turning what was once travel gear into functional furniture. The worn exteriors and aged hardware remain visible, adding texture and character while allowing the piece to fit comfortably into contemporary spaces.

Sometimes, Less Change Can Create the Biggest Shift

Some of the most effective upcycling does not involve major reconstruction. Instead, it focuses on small, deliberate changes that alter how a piece feels in a space.

A traditional buffet or sideboard can be transformed simply by lifting it. Replacing a heavy base with slim, modern legs changes the entire visual weight of the piece. What once felt grounded and formal becomes something that reads as clean and architectural.

Trunks offer another easy shift. Instead of being tucked away or used strictly for storage, they are being reintroduced as low-profile coffee tables. With little more than a cleaned surface and subtle updates, they bring texture into a room without adding bulk.

Doors are also being reconsidered. A salvaged door, cut down and placed on a simple frame, becomes a bench that feels both minimal and grounded. The original panels remain visible, but the function is completely different and far more suited to modern entryways.

Even sewing machine bases are finding new life. By removing the original top and replacing it with a streamlined surface, they become desks or small tables that retain their character without overwhelming the room.

The goal is not to disguise the original object. It is to shift how it lives in a space. A slight lift. A cleaner line. A simplified surface. In many cases, the difference between outdated and desirable comes down to a single decision. Not whether to keep a piece, but how to alter it to fit your space.

The Paint Debate

There is one approach to upcycling that tends to divide opinion more than any other.

Paint is where opinions tend to split. For some, painting an antique feels like a loss. Original finishes, natural wood grain, and patina are part of what give a piece its character. Once covered, they are difficult, if not impossible, to fully recover. For others, paint is what makes a piece usable again.

A dark, heavily varnished finish that once suited a formal dining room can feel overwhelming in a lighter, more modern space. A simple coat of paint can shift that perception immediately, softening the piece’s heavy feel and allowing it to fit into a new environment. In many cases, the choice comes down to condition and context.

Pieces with significant damage, heavy wear, or lower market value are often strong candidates for painting. Rather than being discarded, they are refreshed and returned to daily use. Even critics of painted furniture tend to agree that when a finish is already compromised, intervention makes sense.

There is also a practical argument that is difficult to ignore. Upcycling, including repainting, helps keep furniture out of landfills and extends the life of materials that were built to last. A well-executed update can make a piece functional again while preserving the craftsmanship beneath the surface.

That does not mean every piece should be painted. High-quality examples, rare forms, and pieces with significant historical or monetary value are more often better left as they are. In those cases, preservation still carries weight.

But for the many pieces that fall somewhere in between, paint has become a tool. Not to erase history, but to make it livable.

The most sustainable piece of furniture is often the one that already exists. It just needs to be seen differently. Upcycling makes that shift possible, turning what once felt outdated into something that fits the way people live today.

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Schoelkopf Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of exceptional American Modernist works from the Estate of a New York private collector.

Drawn entirely from a singular private collection, the exhibition brings together works by artists who—whether widely celebrated or lesser-known—helped define a new artistic identity in the United States in the early 20th century. The works presented evince a deeply personal approach to collecting, and the compositions themselves reveal the tensions and triumphs of a nation negotiating modernity through their depictions of industrial growth, shifting landscapes, and the emergence of new techniques.

Featuring paintings, works on paper, and sculptures from the 1900s through the 1950s, the exhibition highlights the evolving vocabulary of American Modernism, its restless experimentation, its move toward abstraction, and its pursuit of a uniquely American visual language.

The exhibition includes works by George C. Ault, Milton Avery, George Bellows, Oscar Bluemner, Stuart Davis, Charles Demuth, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, Edward Hopper, Walt Kuhn, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Charles Sheeler.

As a trusted global leader in the field of American art, Schoelkopf Gallery’s expertise in American Modernist works aligns with the vision and focus of this private collection.

Among the works on view will be Stuart Davis’ 1956 painting Memo No. 2, a piece that offers an informative summary of the artist’s method in the 1950s.

As curator and scholar Carol Troyen notes, Davis often revisited and rearranged aspects of his previous works. “Davis gathered favorite shapes, which he turned, revised, and recombined, moving them from a descriptive space to an abstract one, and from highly stylized, almost recognizable objects to almost totally non-representational forms, with witty transpositions occurring along the way.” 

Furthermore, the “split-screen” approach evident in the left and right sections of Memo No. 2 was one of Davis’ favorite compositional devices. In this painting, the artist’s signature also plays an important part in the overall picture, which was another hallmark of Davis’ compositional approach. 

Another highlight of the exhibition is Charles Sheeler’s 1945 painting, Fugue. Sheeler’s sharp painting aesthetic was directly informed by his photography practice. Self-taught, Sheeler honed his photography skills by documenting local architecture and the interior of his own residence in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In the 1910s, Sheeler became associated with the Precisionists—an informal group of American artists known for their exacting approach, reduced geometric compositions, and smooth surfaces—shortly after turning to his photographs as source material for his paintings. 

Sheeler’s artistic investigations are deeply rooted in American identity as seen in his choice of subject matter, often portraying mills, mines, and factories with stately elegance. The subject of Fugue, for instance, is a power plant in New Bedford, Massachusetts, that Sheeler came across during a road trip through New England in 1939 after he received a commission from Fortune magazine to create a series of paintings on the motif of power. 

The visual echo created by the repetition of the forms of the overlapping smokestacks evokes the intertwined melodies of a fugue, for which the work is titled. Sheeler’s strong use of contrast between light and shadow contributes to the compelling rhythm of the composition.

One of several works inspired by Gloucester, Massachusetts, by various artists in the exhibition, House in Gloucester (1922) by Edward Hopper demonstrates the artist’s skillful draftsmanship and his appreciation of the architecture and natural beauty of the town. Hopper’s affinity for the city and surrounding area began in 1912 when he traveled to Gloucester with fellow artist and friend Leon Kroll. He returned to Gloucester several times in the 1920s, following in the footsteps of earlier generations of American artists such as Sanford Gifford, Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam, and Maurice Prendergast.

Hopper often used sketches to explore subjects, compositions, and lighting effects that would later become his watercolors or oil paintings. He frequently portrayed the everyday architecture of New England, and scholars have noted the portrait-like quality he brought to these depictions. A large collection of his drawings was bequeathed to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, while additional examples of his charcoal drawings of houses in Gloucester are held in the collections of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Amon Carter Museum of Art in Fort Worth, Texas.

Overall, American Modernism from The Estate of a Private Collector, New York, presents a collection built with intellectual curiosity, connoisseurship, and an eye for a transformative moment in the history of American art. 

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As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, galleries and museums across the country are reflecting on the nation’s cultural legacy. At Schoelkopf Gallery, that moment of reflection arrives alongside a milestone of its own. The gallery is marking its 25th anniversary with 25 | 250: A Celebration of American Art, a yearlong program exploring the evolution of American artistic expression from the mid-19th century to the present. In the following interview, gallery founder Andrew Schoelkopf discusses how the exhibition connects generations of artists, why American art often mirrors the nation’s changing identity, and what collectors should be watching as interest in historically significant works continues to grow.

Kovels Antique Trader: Schoelkopf Gallery is celebrating 25 years at the same time the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. Did that timing shape your plans for this year’s programming?

Andrew Schoelkopf: It certainly did. When we realized the gallery’s 25th anniversary coincided with the country’s Semiquincentennial, it felt like a rare opportunity to take a broader view of American art.

Rather than simply marking our own milestone, we wanted to step back and look at how American artists have reflected the country over time. The program became a way to connect those histories, from early nation-building imagery to the more diverse and multifaceted perspective on America we see today.

KAT: In your view, how has American art evolved in ways that parallel the nation’s broader cultural and historical shifts over the past two and a half centuries?

AS: American art tends to reflect the country quite closely. Early on, it helped define national identity with portraits of leaders, heroic landscapes, and images that suggested the development of a young nation.

As the country matured and American society became more complex, the art did as well. By the 20th century, artists were responding to industrialization, urban life, and social change. Today, that continues in a very pluralistic way, with artists approaching American life from many different perspectives.

KAT: The exhibition traces American artistic achievement from the 19th century to the present. Why was this period chosen as the anchor for telling America’s artistic story?

AS: The mid-19th century is really when American art begins to develop a distinct voice. Prior to that, many artists were still looking to Europe for their models.

Once you reach the Hudson River School and the artists who followed, you begin to see painters fully engaged with American subjects, such as our landscapes, our cities, our communities. From that point forward, you can trace a continuous evolution through modernism and into contemporary art.

KAT: When you think of “American art,” what defining characteristics come to mind? Is there a throughline that connects artists from the 1850s to today?

AS: For me, the throughline is a kind of responsiveness to the culture. American artists have consistently been interested in reflecting the world around them.

The style might change dramatically from one generation to the next, but that impulse to interpret and challenge the society they’re living in remains remarkably consistent across time.

KAT: The first installment includes artists such as Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, and Frederic Edwin Church. What do these artists reveal about America’s emerging identity during their time?

AS: They show the evolution of the country. Church and the Hudson River School painters captured the vastness and grandeur of the American landscape. Homer focused on everyday life in a way that gave ordinary American experiences a kind of permanence and dignity.

By the time you reach someone like Hassam, you see a more modern nation emerging with the rhythms of the city. Together, they trace a fascinating progression in how Americans saw themselves.

KAT: As we approach the Semiquincentennial, are you seeing renewed interest in historically significant American works among collectors?

AS: Yes, very much so. Moments of national reflection tend to bring renewed interest in works that speak to American identity and history. We’re seeing strong engagement from both collectors and institutions. There’s also growing curiosity about artists who may not have been fully appreciated in earlier generations, but whose work adds important depth to the American narrative.

KAT: What role do collectors and galleries play in preserving and interpreting America’s artistic legacy?

AS: Collectors and galleries are essential parts of the ecosystem. Many important works first circulate in the private market before ultimately entering museum collections.

Galleries can help provide context through exhibitions and research. Collectors then preserve these works and often become partners in the process of bringing them into institutional collections. When that relationship works well, everyone benefits, including the public.

KAT: For collectors looking to build or refine an American art collection in this milestone year, what should they be paying attention to?

AS: Quality is always the most important thing. After that, it helps to think about the focus of a collection. Some collectors are interested in a particular period or movement, while others are drawn to works that tell a broader story about American culture. Either approach can work beautifully if it’s pursued thoughtfully and with patience.

One lesson I often share with collectors is that taking the time to learn about the art as well as working with people you trust usually leads to the most rewarding collections over the long term.

KAT: Looking ahead, how do you hope future generations will define the art of our era when America reaches its 300th anniversary?

AS: I imagine they’ll see this as a period of tremendous diversity in American art. Artists today are exploring an extraordinary range of perspectives and materials.

If history tells us anything, the works that endure will be the ones that captured something authentic about the time we’re living in. That’s what great art has always done.

KAT: If there is one message you hope visitors take away from 25 | 250, what would it be?

AS: That American art is really a long and ongoing conversation. Each generation of artists responds to the moment they’re living in, adding another layer to the story of the country. When you look across works from the 19th century through today, you see not just the evolution of artistic styles but the evolution of America itself.

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The post Framing a Nation in Art appeared first on Antique Trader.

Dana Auctions is proud to announce The Parker-Neal Mola Collection Auction on May 16, featuring an extraordinary selection of molas from the esteemed collection of Ann Parker and Avon Neal, co-authors of Molas: Folk Art of the Cuna Indians. This simulcast auction will take place live in Princeton, New Jersey, with real-time online bidding available worldwide via streaming video and audio.

This highly anticipated sale represents one of the most significant offerings of mola textiles to come to market in recent years. Carefully assembled over decades, the Parker-Neal collection is widely respected for its depth, authenticity, and scholarly importance. Their pioneering work introduced countless collectors and institutions to the artistic and cultural significance of molas, the vibrant reverse appliqué textiles created by the Kuna (Guna) people of Panama.

“Molas are far more than decorative textiles—they are deeply rooted expressions of cultural identity, storytelling, and artistic innovation,” said Dana Balsamo, owner and auctioneer of Dana Auctions. “To present pieces from the Parker-Neal collection is both an honor and a responsibility. This auction offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire works that helped define the field.”

Importantly, this May 16 auction marks the first offering from this substantial collection. For this initial sale, Dana Auctions has carefully curated a selection of what it considers to be some of the most interesting and visually compelling examples, highlighting a range of styles, techniques, and iconography that reflect the richness of the tradition. Future auctions will continue to explore the depth of the collection in thoughtfully organized segments.

The auction will feature a diverse array of molas spanning mid-20th century production through later stylistic evolutions. Collectors can expect intricate geometric compositions, figural scenes, and richly layered designs that highlight the technical mastery of Kuna artisans. Many examples reflect early collecting periods, when access to high-quality molas was far more limited, further enhancing their desirability.

The live auction will begin at 11:00 AM ET at Dana Auctions’ Princeton gallery. Online bidders are encouraged to log in early to ensure a smooth bidding experience.

For more information, to register, or to view the catalog, visit www.DanaAuctions.com.

About Dana Auctions

Dana Auctions, based in Princeton, New Jersey, specializes in antique and vintage textiles, including quilts, lace, and ethnographic fabrics. Founded by Dana Balsamo, an AQS Certified Appraiser and who appeared on Antiques Roadshow, the firm is known for its expertise, transparency, and commitment to connecting important material culture with collectors worldwide.

The post Dana Auctions Presents The Parker-Neal Mola Collection Auction appeared first on Antique Trader.

Occasionally, I like to highlight jewelry brands and/or creative individuals you’ve probably never heard of, and sometimes they’re ones I discovered firsthand back when I was a stylish young woman. Carol Halmy is a person and a brand that fits this description perfectly.

This goes back to the 1980s, a few years before I became a collector of vintage jewelry. Adornment was about completing an outfit at that time, and some of those looks involved animal prints or textured fabrics that just worked well with fashionable jungle motif jewelry. Lucky for me, I got a job working adjacent to the Houston Galleria, and I could walk over and shop on my lunch hour. Also fortuitous was the fact that the store Accessory Lady carried Carol Halmy jewelry, and I was a frequent shopper there.

I purchased a necklace, which I still own, featuring a larger tiger and a cub made of hand-painted bisque porcelain. Back then, I never really wondered who Halmy was, where her business was located, or if she painted all the jewelry I saw on display herself. As I began looking for answers to those questions more recently, I realized that not much had been documented about this enterprising woman’s business. I decided to do some research, and here’s what I found out.

Carol Halmy’s Jewelry

Making jewelry started as a hobby for Halmy, but she saw the opportunity to turn it into a small New York-based jewelry studio established in 1976. Newspapers were featuring some of her first designs in the late 1970s. Those were porcelain pendants with a flat surface decorated with hand-painted tigers. Around that time, Halmy is also mentioned as an artist whose work was presented in person by Magda K (another jewelry-related name you might recognize from the ‘80s) at several stores, including Neiman Marcus. This includes calla lily and poppy pendants on cords.

By 1981, molded ceramic jungle animals made in the Halmy studio were being featured by many different stores, and those promos continued through the mid-1990s. Since they were sold for a long period, these are the Carol Halmy designs I run across now more than any others. In addition to big cats, other animals, such as zebras, giraffes, and elephants, were part of the line, too. Plain round and oval earrings painted to match Halmy necklaces and brooches were also being made.

A few years into the ‘80s, ads show fashionable black and white jewelry with geometric designs painted on ovals and rounds attached to black leather cords. I’ve run across these styles in earthy colors as well. Later in the ‘80s, more intricate handmade ceramic flower necklaces in a variety of colors were sold through department stores like Macy’s. The styles changed a bit over the years, but ceramic materials were the common denominator among all this jewelry.

As you can imagine, one person couldn’t keep up with the demand when large retailers and boutiques around the country were placing orders. Online sources show that Halmy employed about six people, although that number may have been higher at some point. This makes sense when side-by-side comparisons are made; the animals, flowers, and geometric designs don’t look like they were all painted by the same individual. I tend to look for examples with the best detailing and artistry if I buy one for my collection or for resale. That makes hunting them down a little more fun and challenging because some speak to me more than others.

In addition to being sold in catalogs like Gump’s and Horchow, Halmy’s jewelry was also featured in trunk shows at boutiques around the country in the ‘90s. Interestingly, one 1998 marketing piece mentioned that Halmy was taking orders for custom-made jewelry featuring pets. In addition to jewelry, Halmy also marketed a line of trinket boxes. Like the adornment, these are decorated with an array of animals, including kitties and dogs, and seem to have been sold primarily in the late 1990s.

Halmy’s business was mentioned in periodicals as late as 1999, when she and her husband were marketing through booths set up at festivals in the Northeastern United States. That’s where the research trail runs cold.

Identifying Halmy Jewelry

Most Carol Halmy jewelry is made using hand-painted bisque porcelain. Some of the early pendants are signed Carol Halmy on the front. Other pieces are signed C Halmy in black cursive writing on the back, and many have a gold foil sticker that reads “Hand Made Porcelain by Carol Halmy.” Some pieces were only marked with gold foil stickers, so if they’ve been removed, the piece will be unmarked.

Earrings were sold on Carol Halmy hang cards, so they, too, are unmarked. Some of those can be rather nondescript, but many of the animal and flower pieces do have distinguishing characteristics you can learn to recognize by studying the jewelry in hand and through photographs in the online marketplace.

How Much Is It Worth

One of the great things about collecting Carol Halmy jewelry is the price–you can put together a sweet collection without completely emptying your bank account. Most of the brooches sell for less than $30 each, and necklaces usually range from around $30-$50 in the resale marketplace.

One thing I find amazing when looking back at periodical advertising is that some of the necklaces originally sold for $35-$60, so the prices are much the same now as they were when they were new. Of course, a retail price of $60 then equates to $200 adjusted for inflation today, so as a young career woman, buying my tiger necklace likely felt like a splurge. Most of the animal pins sold for $15–$20 when they were new, and you find more of those available now in comparison to necklaces.

Some ceramic jewelry from the 1980s has grown in popularity over the past decade, and prices have risen concurrently. This brand is still affordable right now, so if you like it, you might want to consider picking up a few pieces on the cheap before an influencer somewhere starts driving up the values.

Pamela Wiggins Siegel has been buying, selling, and collecting costume jewelry for more than 30 years. She is the author of Warman’s Costume Jewelry (Krause Publications) and the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l, an organization dedicated to hosting events and providing educational resources for collectors. Visit her online at www.chicantiques.com and www.cjci.co.

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