Bidders’ Spidey-Senses Tingling with Sale of Rare Spider-Man No. 1

Superheroes continue to have collectors trapped in their web of popularity. A beautifully clean copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, 1963) – one of only five of its issue grade known to exist – set off a bidding war at Hake’s July 25-26 auction of pop culture memorabilia, climbing to a staggering final price of […]

Cloisonné Vase is a Thrift Shop Treasure

A couple visiting a thrift shop in Surrey, England, bought a small cloisonné vase for a few pounds, equivalent to about $3.30 in U.S. currency. They suspected the markings on its base might have some meaning and found out that they were the signature of Namikawa Yasuyuki, one of the greatest artists of the “Golden […]

Mystery Military Pants

Q: I bought these pants at an auction and there is no label or other identifying information. The pants have a button fly. I tried to take pictures that would show the most features. Anything you could tell me or suggest would be greatly appreciated. A: You’re right; the pants appear to be military. They […]

Bought for $50 Online, Wingback Chair Sells For $107,950

Earlier this year, Justin Miller of Los Angeles found an intriguing chair on Facebook Marketplace and decided to take a flyer, buying it for $50. The chair turned out to be a rare high-back wing chair by a famous Danish designer. It sold recently for $107,950 (including premiums) at Sotheby’s. “I’m not a furniture expert […]

Refinishing a Table

Q: I have this table and I’m currently re-staining the top. I’m curious about what era the table is from and its value. It is 34 inches in diameter and has tiny metal wheels. Thank you. A: We’re sorry to hear about the staining. Refinishing antique or vintage furniture often destroys its value. This table […]

Hocus-Pocus! Auction is Pure Magic

Abracadabra! Potter & Potter’s Summer Magic Auction, which closed on June 17, enchanted bidders with vintage and modern selections. In addition to featuring props and posters from notable collections—including those of veteran magicians Bill Trotter and Jim Deloach, as well as Ken Klosterman’s Salon de Magie—the sale unveiled selections from shops such as P&L, Abbott’s, […]

Collectors Looking Good in Archival Fashion

A rising interest in fashion sustainability and the increase in pandemic-fueled online shopping for second-hand luxury goods can be credited to more collectors thrifting for vintage designer pieces and an emerging trend: archival fashion. Archival fashion pertains to pivotal pieces in fashion history that have helped solidify influential designers’ careers and are highly sought after […]

Tuning In for Catalin Radios

Escaping the Great Depression, and with another world war looming, Americans were looking for something to make their days cheery and bright in the late 1930s. They found it with Catalin radios. Catalin is an early, clear plastic made from phenol formaldehyde resins developed by the American Catalin Corporation in the 1930s. Catalin could be […]

Thrifty Threads

Marilyn Monroe was not the first woman to look stylish in a potato sack, only the most famous. By the time Marilyn slipped into one as a publicity stunt in the 1950s, food-sack garments were long synonymous with the Great Depression era, when life in rural America meant frugal fashion practices for many families. By […]

Lamps and Lighting Brighten Collecting Days

Various forms of 19th- and 20th-century lighting were on the minds of collectors at Fontaine’s Fine & Decorative Arts sale on May 20. Though the 538 lots offered also included art glass, leaded glass windows, fine silver, porcelain, paintings, furniture, and jewelry, table lamps took six of the top 10 lots. Bidders snapped up nearly […]