Kovels Komments

HAUNTED FURNITURE STORIES NEEDED

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:52:00 +0000

A national magazine has asked us to find some examples of haunted furniture--perhaps a clock that chimes at unexpected times or a sofa that creaks? Tell us your story, what's happening, and why you think your piece of furniture is haunted. Also include a description and history of the piece. Send all the information, along with your name, state, email address and phone number to Terry at feedback@kovels.com. We will send everything on to the national women's lifestyle magazine. Your story may be included in an article.

BRINGING BACK BROOCHES

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:52:00 +0000

Brooches (pins) are back in style. Madeleine Albright may have started it when she became U.S. Secretary of State in 1997 and became known for wearing large brooches. Some of her pins are patriotic (like her c.1940 Trifari American eagle and Uncle Sam top hat shown here) and others had special significance related to her diplomatic missions. Secretary Albright's brooches are so well-known that the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City has mounted an exhibit of 200 of her pins. The exhibit runs until January 31, 2010.

The oversized "boyfriend" jacket with classic tailoring and wide shoulders is perfect for a large, showy brooch. Antique brooches are being copied today.

LOOK CAREFULLY AT ANTIQUES YOU BOUGHT LONG AGO

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:50:00 +0000

An Arizona family owned a half-inch jeweled miniature portrait one member of the family purchased in 1951. It appeared valuable because of its jewels and the quality of the painting, so last summer the family had it appraised. It turned out to be an 18th-century portrait of Russian Czar Peter the Great. It sold at Sotheby's for $1.3 million.

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM FOLLOWUP

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Brandeis University will not sell the artwork given by three donors who sued to prevent the sale. What will happen next to the Rose Art Museum that Brandeis wants to close?

PATRIOTIC COVERLET

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Q: I have a coverlet that has been in the family since the early 1900s. It was given to my grandparents by an English woman in India as "something of great value" that had been around the world seven times. Supposedly it had come from an estate auction in Europe. What can you tell me about this coverlet? Is it very valuable?

A: There are 125 known examples of coverlets with this "Agriculture & Manufactures" design, according to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Many were made between 1824 and 1827 to commemorate General Lafayette's visit to the United States in 1824-25. Several variations have been found. Most have borders on the sides and bottom and two corner blocks on the bottom. Symbols woven into the coverlet include Independence Hall, soldiers, eagles, laurel leaves, deer, monkeys, and Masonic columns, squares and compasses. Lafayette, who was a Mason, received several degrees in the Scottish Rite during his visit. The design was used on single-width, double-panel, and tied Beiderwand coverlets. The most common colors are blue and natural. The name of the weaver is not known, but it is thought that at least two weavers in New York State made coverlets with this design. The name "Phebe Leach" woven into your coverlet is probably the name of the original owner. Expensive coverlets usually sell for about $500, but yours is so rare it might go for more.

OLD HALL EXCELSIOR PLATE

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:44:00 +0000

Q: Can you tell from the marks on my plate who made it and how old it is?
A: Your plate was made by Old Hall Earthenware Co. of Hanley, Staffordshire, England. The company was in business under that name from 1861 to 1886. The marks on the bottom of your plate include the pattern name, Excelsior, and an English registry mark, which indicates the design of your dish was registered on January 8, 1880. The asymmetrical Japanese-inspired design would have been popular in the 1880s. A plate in this pattern is valued at $15 to $20.

PAINTINGS UNDER A BED

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:43:00 +0000

If you need to store a painting, push it under a bed. The location is dark and provides good air circulation. And it's best to store paintings horizontally, not vertically.

GARDEN STATUE SELLS FOR RECORD PRICE

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:38:00 +0000

A 1931 garden statue estimated at $12,000 to $18,000 auctioned for an unexpected $118,000 this week. The 4-foot-tall bronze statue with a green patina was in the garden when a lucky man bought a home and its contents about 40 years ago. The owner was offered $3,000 for the statue a few years ago but kept it until last week's auction. The statue was made in Paris by Egyptian sculptor Mahmoud Mokhtar (1891-1934). Cleveland Auction Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, sold the piece, which set an auction record for the artist's bronzes.

ROADSHOW APPRAISER SENTENCED AGAIN

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:32:00 +0000

Russell Pritchard III, who gained TV fame on the Antiques Roadshow with the appraisal of a valuable sword that the "owner" claimed to use to cut watermelons, is in the news again. He used the TV publicity to enhance his reputation, then cheated his clients while appraising or selling their antiques. He was serving a 4-to-8-year sentence in prison when he had to appear in court in October in a new case. Following a plea bargain, he was sentenced to 4 to 8 more years for yet more crimes, the extra years to be served concurrently with his earlier sentence. But the plea bargain means he also has to repay over $65,000 to his latest victims.

VAMPIRE KIT SELLS ON HALLOWEEN

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:27:00 +0000

A record crowd attended the Halloween sale at Stevens Auction Co. in Aberdeen, Miss. The vampire kit we mentioned last week sold for $8,800. John Stevens told us the auction business is doing well again.

WORLD'S FAIR GREYHOUND BUS

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Q: I have this 13-inch toy tram truck that my folks brought me from the World's Fair in Chicago back in 1933. I doubt it would be in collector's condition because I pushed this a million miles and have worn out the tires, and the paint is in a poor state. Can you give me an estimate of what it is worth?

A: Greyhound was the official transportation carrier of the1933 Century of Progress World's Fair. It provided sightseeing tours of the grounds as well as transportation from stops outside the grounds. Your toy is a replica of one of the sightseeing buses. It was made by Arcade Manufacturing of Freeport, Illinois, in 1933. Arcade was incorporated in 1885 and made hinges, coffee mills, and other products in the early years. The company made banks beginning in 1908, but toys were not a big part its production until after 1920. Your toy bus was made in several sizes and is one of the few toys Arcade copyrighted. Arcade was bought by Rockwell Manufacturing Co. in 1945. Because of its poor condition, your bus is worth only $500. A bus in excellent condition could cost over $1,500.

VOTES FOR WOMEN PLATE

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:26:00 +0000

Q: My mother bought this plate in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1961. Taped to the back is a piece of paper with my mother's handwriting which says, "Made for a lawn tea party given by O.H.P Belmont at Marble House, Newport, RI, in 1910." It has a lion and banner mark with the words "John Maddock & Sons, England" on the back. The plate is 6 inches wide. Is it valuable?

A: Alva Vanderbilt Belmont (1853-1933) was the widow of O.H.P. Belmont. After her first marriage, to the wealthy William Vanderbilt, ended in divorce, she married the even wealthier O.H.P. Belmont. After his death in 1908, she became active in the women's suffrage movement. She had the "Votes for Women" china made by John Maddock & Sons for a party in support of women's suffrage held at her Newport "cottage," Marble House, in 1909. Luncheon plates, salad plates, soup bowls, and cups and saucers were made. The dishes were also used at a tea party held at the mansion in July 1914. Both events raised money to support the suffrage movement and guests received pieces of the china as favors. The Newport Preservation Society sells reproductions of Votes for Women china. Reproductions have been made by five different manufacturers since the 1960s. The mark on your plate indicates it is one of the original pieces and was made c.1896 or later. An original plate like yours is worth about $800-$1,000. Reproduction plates sell for $20 or less.

EX-SMOKERS, HOLD ON TO YOUR SMOKING COLLECTIBLES

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:24:00 +0000

When you quit smoking, keep your tobacciana collectibles. Tobacco stands without the top parts are good plant stands. Cigarette cases are popular as small purses that will hold a credit card, driver's license and a little money. Tobacco tins and boxes are interesting storage containers, and the box labels and cigar bands work well for decoupage projects. Best of all, ashtrays can be used to hold short stemmed flowers or kept in the bedroom to hold earrings and rings overnight.

VAMPIRE KILLING KIT

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:38:00 +0000

Vampires on TV today are lovable, not dangerous, so there seems to be no need for vampire-killing kits. Killing kits were needed when people were threatened by vampires. Kits have been sold at five or more auctions over the last several years. Each kit was assembled, so the contents varied. Prices ranged from $1,000 on eBay years ago, to $12,000 and $20,300 in 2003, to a claimed $35,000 asking price for a kit eBay wouldn't allow. Last year a kit in an American walnut case sold for $14,850. It held stakes, mirrors, a gun with silver bullets, crosses, a Bible, holy water, candles, and garlic.

This Saturday, October 31, 2009, another kit will be auctioned. It's in a rosewood case with mother-of-pearl inlay in the shape of a cross. The required pistol and silver bullets are in a small coffin-shaped case. There are also holy water vials, a prayer book, a cleaver, and a mirror. Wonder how these things protect you from vampires? Hold a mirror in front of a person and if there is no reflection, that person is a vampire. Religious items, garlic, and candle flames scare vampires and chase them away. Silver bullets or a stake through the heart kills vampires. Most vampire kits probably were made after 1897, when the novel "Dracula" was published and made people fear vampires. The kits were made as souvenirs sold at hotels in Europe. Will the kit offered this Saturday at Stevens Auction Co. in Aberdeen, Mississippi, set a new record price? We'll let you know next week.

BEWARE: OLD COINS CAN BE FAKES

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:36:00 +0000

Do not buy old coins without knowing the dealer or source. Coin World newspaper reports that over a million counterfeit coins made in China in recent years have sold as rarities at high prices. It is not illegal to make a fake U.S. coin in China, but U.S. law requires that the word "copy" be stamped on the coin. The rule has been ignored. Gold and lesser coins are being made.

RS PRUSSIA CHOCOLATE SET

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Q: Can you tell me something about this RS Prussia tea set with 4 cups? Is it valuable?

A: You have an RS Prussia chocolate set. A chocolate pot is taller than a teapot. Porcelain marked RS Prussia was made by Reinhold Schlegelmilch, who founded a porcelain works in Suhl, Germany, in 1869. Much of the porcelain imported into the United States from Germany in the late 1800s and early 1900s was made by Schlegelmilch. The distinctive handle on your chocolate pot and cups indicate that the shape is mold 501. That shape was first sold in the U.S. c.1900-1904. Decorations on RS Prussia did not have pattern names. The floral patterns on most RS Prussia seemed out-of-date by 1910, and the volume of imports declined. Value of your chocolate set: $350.

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ARZBERG CANDY DISH

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:52:00 +0000

Q: I inherited a candy dish from my grandmother. This mark is on the bottom along with the words "24 Karat Encrusted Gold Platinum" in a circle. Can you tell me the maker and how old it is?

A: Your candy dish was made by Porcelain Factory Arzberg, which was founded in 1927 in Arzberg, Bavaria (West Germany after World War II). A porcelain factory operated on that site under various names and with different owners beginning c.1890. Arzberg porcelain is still being made under the name Arzberg-Porzellan GmbH, but the factory is now located in Schirnding, Germany. The romantic scene in the center of the dish and the 24K gold mark indicate it was probably made in the 1930s.

MODERN POTTERY VASE

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:41:00 +0000

If you plan to use a modern pottery vase for flowers, first put the vase in the sink, fill it with water to the top, then put it on a dry countertop. An hour later, see if the sink top is wet. Pottery often leaks either through a tiny hole or just because the clay was not fired at a high-enough temperature. A leaking vase can leave a white mark or worse on a wooden tabletop.

GOOD AND BAD HAIR DAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:59:00 +0000

GOOD: A lock of Elvis Presley's hair auctioned for $18,600 at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago this week. It was cut in 1958 when he went into the Army. Presley's hair has been auctioned before. In 2002 a large bottle of his hair sold for $115,120. In 2003 a smaller bottle sold for $33,657. In 2008 a quarter of the contents of the small bottle sold for $16,800. Anyone know what is happening with other auctioned clumps of hair? We have written about sales of hair that belonged to Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Napoleon, Marilyn Monroe, and others. One collector says he has hair from over 200 famous figures.

BAD: Perhaps because of the publicity surrounding the Amelia Earhart movie coming out on Friday, the International Women's Air and Space Museum in Cleveland tested a clump of Earhart's hair that the Smithsonian Institution gave to the museum 20 years ago. A White House maid is said to have retrieved the clump of hair from a wastebasket when Earhart visited the president right before her fatal flight in 1937. The test results came back. Oops. The clump wasn't even hair at all. It was strands of thread. The "hair" thread will stay on display at the museum with a new description and history.

$150 MILLION PAINTING IS IDENTIFIED BY A FINGERPRINT

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:52:00 +0000

An "undiscovered" Leonardo da Vinci painting that could be worth over $150 million has been authenticated thanks to modern technology and the talent of a London art dealer. The portrait was bought for about $19,000 from Christie's in the 1990s, then by Peter Silverman in 2007 for about the same price. Silverman researched the painting and in 2009 sent it to Paris to be tested by new technology that could take images of layers of paint. Experts found a partial handprint and fingerprint and matched them to prints on some known da Vinci paintings. The portrait was definitely by da Vinci. The painting is on vellum (animal skin) and historians think it was made to be the cover of a book. The now famous and very valuable portrait of "La Bella Principessa" will be on display in Gothenburg, Sweden, in March.

STICKLEY QUAINT CHAIRS

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Q: My neighbor died recently and after her children cleaned out her house, they told us we could have whatever was left. We found these two Stickley chairs covered up with an old tarp at the back of the barn. Are they valuable? The metal tag says "Quaint Furniture, Grand Rapids."

A: Five Stickley brothers made furniture, Gustav, Albert, Charles, John George, and Leopold. Gustav is the most famous and his furniture brings the highest prices. Albert and John George established Stickley Brothers Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1891. Their Quaint Line of furniture was introduced in 1902. Quaint Mission was made first. In 1904 Quaint Arts & Crafts was made and in 1914 Quaint Tudor and Quaint Manor were made. In the 1920s Quaint American and Quaint Colonial were made. John George left the firm in 1902 and Albert retired in 1927. The company was in business until about 1947. The furniture was marked with a paper label or a brass tag like yours. The seat covering on your chair looks like a replacement. The chairs, as is, are worth about $175 each.

EDWARDS BROS. MARK

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:40:00 +0000

Q: This platter has supposedly been in our family for several generations and has been passed down to the oldest daughter. It has this mark on the back. The words "Victory" and "Rd 18958" are impressed in one corner of the back of the platter. When was this made?

A: The two Rd numbers are English registry marks and help to date your platter. The printed number indicates the design was registered in 1885. The impressed number indicates the year 1888. It may be the year the shape was registered, and Victory is probably the name of the shape. Not much is known about Edwards Bros. Several potters named Edwards worked in Fenton in the late nineteenth century, but there is no listing of brothers. Unidentified dishes like yours sell for very little, perhaps $10 to $15.

BARBIE'S NEW THIN ANKLES

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Dating some Barbie dolls made in 2009 and 2010 will be easy. Three special-edition Barbies with thinner ankles will be sold starting in December. They and their fashions and shoes are being created by designer Christian Louboutin. He said Barbie's ankles had to be thinner so high-style modern shoes will stay on her feet. The dolls will cost $150 each and will come with four pairs of Louboutin shoes.

TSAVORITE: A DEADLY GEM

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:31:00 +0000

The clear bright green stone that looks much like an emerald (and is a modern favorite at Tiffany's) is called "tsavorite." It was discovered in 1967 by the Scottish geologist Campbell Bridges, who mined for rare gemstones in Kenya. Campbell was murdered near his mine in August by a mob armed with arrows, spears, and machetes. The motive may have been a dispute over mining rights. Six men have been arrested so far.

FAKE POTTERY

noreply@blogger.com (Terry Kovel) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Fake artifacts aren't all bad. For years, a trip to Mexico or Egypt included a chance for a tourist to buy old pottery pieces that were sold as antiquities. Some were genuine, stolen from graves and other sites. Some were modern copies of the old. These relics, old or new, were sold to middlemen who sold them to tourists. Now forgers are using eBay to sell fakes at better prices than they can get for the real thing. The result is that buyers have to deal with more fraud, but there is less unauthorized digging for antiquities at archaeological sites. Even experts admit that it is getting more difficult to identify fakes without looking in person at the actual objects. (based on an article by Thomas Claburn in Information Week)