Posted March 8th, 2010 by topantiq Copyright 2010 – Kimberly Clay
The enormous success that began with Antiques Roadshow, and was followed by the likes of History Detectives and most recently, American Pickers is about to be attempted again. The Discovery Channel is reportedly entering the fray with a new offering, ‘Auction King’, to be broadcast beginning in late Spring or early Summer of this year.
As evidenced by the phenomenal popularity of Antiques Roadshow, there seems to be a huge amount of public interest in the subjects of history, antiquing and collecting, both from the perspectives of those who are collectors and from those who are curious about collecting. Shedding light on the world of dim and dusty shops and snobbish high-end boutiques about what makes antiques valuable, how to search for and discover rare or unusual antiques, or the sometimes overzealous and obsessed behaviors of collectors appears to be attractive subject matter for television viewers.
Just as the name implies, Auction King reportedly will focus on auctions – more specifically about how auctions are organized, what goes on behind the scenes, how an auction house operates and more. The show will feature Paul Brown, son of the owner of the renowned Red Baron’s Antiques, and the activities of his very successful Gallery 63 in Atlanta, Georgia. Even though his gallery is a mere 3 years old, Brown has quickly built a reputation for acquiring one-of-a-kind collections including the acquisition several years ago of a substantial collection of tapes of Dr. Martin Luther King from the 1960’s.
While nearly a half-dozen major TV shows about antiques and collectibles may make you wonder about whether the television market in this genre is becoming saturated, so far it seems that viewers haven’t yet had enough. There seems to be a heightened interest these days, probably due at least in part to our country’s current economic climate, where people want to know the value of old things they may have laying around the house, tucked away in an attic or stored in the basement. Many are interested in their items as possible sources for extra cash or they’re interested in acquiring otherwise unaffordable furnishings and objects on the secondary market where they’re likely much less expensive, and possibly have a great story behind them to boot. Stay tuned!
Posted February 22nd, 2010 by admin Copyright 2010 – Kimberly Clay
In a sale reported earlier today by the Washington Post, an Action Comics No. 1, which debuted in 1938 and is considered “rare air” in comics collectible circles, recently sold for a whopping $1 million, making it the highest priced sale of a comic book ever.
The sale, between private parties, was conducted by ComicConnect.com, and is reported as having been orchestrated by Stephen Fishler, owner of the website.
Fishler reportedly sold the same copy of the comic book, the first to feature Superman, 15 years ago for $150,000. The comic originally sold for 10 cents, and there are approximately 100 copies of the Action Comics No. 1 known to exist. This particular copy was graded 8.0 in very fine condition, one of only two copies graded so, and is unrestored, making it extremely rare and valuable to collectors.
The $1 million price tag is triple the previous record set for a comic book sale.
The sale took place in New York around 10:30 AM on Monday, both buyer and seller have remained anonymous.
Posted January 18th, 2010 by topantiq Copyright 2010 – Kimberly Clay
Gerald Peters Gallery
On Saturday, January 17th, in preparation for the Winter Antiques Show in New York, a vase, “Urn”, by American sculptor Paul Manship (best known for his work “Prometheus” that towers over Rockefeller Center’s skating rink), was moved into a city armory.
The vase, made of pink Tennessee marble and measuring 9 feet in height, weighs a whopping 14,000 pounds (the equivalent of about 4 mid-sized cars) and was originally commissioned by William Mather, an Ohio industrialist, for display on his estate in 1914.
The antique show, now a well-established tradition, has become New York’s pre-eminate show for antiques and fine art. It is also a fundraiser benefiting the East Side House Settlement, an organization serving one of New York’s poorest neighborhoods.
The 56th Annual Winter Antiques Show is scheduled from January 22 – January 31, 2010.
Posted January 2nd, 2010 by topantiq Copyright 2010 – Kimberly Clay
In an auction set for January 3 – 4th at New York’s Waldorf Astoria, a very rare King George V Canadian penny may sell for as much as $300,000.
The penny, an uncirculated 1936 Dot Cent, is one of only three such coins by the Royal Canadian Mint, and one of the most famous of rare Canadian coins. For more than 30 years, the coins were uncollectible as a well-known collector, numismatist John Jay Pittman, had held all three coins in his private collection from 1961 until his death. The coins came back onto the market in the late 1990’s; one in 1997, and the remaining two in 1999.
The pennies were actually minted in 1937 after King George V had died. When his successor, Edward VIII, abdicated the throne to marry twice-divorced Wallis Simpson, an American socialite, the coins were minted without a monarch’s face.
The penny is being sold in a rare coin auction by Heritage Auctions of Dallas, TX and is considered to be the finest of the three King George V coins. Early online bids at this writing already have the price exceeding $160,000.
UPDATE: Penny sold at auction for a whopping $402,500!
Posted December 9th, 2009 by topantiq Two masterpieces, a Rembrandt painting “Portrait of a Man, Half Length, with his Arms Akimbo” which was seen publicly for the first time in 40 years, and “Head of a Muse” by Raphael, not seen for 50 years (and not at auction for more than 150 years), both brought record prices as the gavel sounded in London on Tuesday, December 8th.
The Rembrandt sold to an anonymous bidder by telephone for 20.2 million pounds ($32.9 million US), representing a record price paid for a Rembrandt.
Raphael’s drawing, which dates to the 16th century, brought 29.2 million pounds ($47.6 million US), a record price for any work on paper.
