Neo-Classical Sofa

Q:  We live in a beautiful old home that dates to 1740. We have this sofa that we love. The carved work is beautiful. We don’t, however, know anything about it, other than we enjoy it. Can you help? A:  Your piece is an American Empire Neo-Classical style sofa. Neo-Classical American Empire furniture is a […]

Porcelain Figures

Q:  I purchased these porcelain figures at a yard sale for $50. They are about 12 1/2 inches tall. I love them, but my husband thinks they’re gaudy. I also think they are worth a lot more than $50. Am I right? A:  Your porcelain figures are of Poseidon and Amphitrite from Greek mythology. Poseidon […]

Pillar-And-Scroll Clock

Q:  Years ago, we inherited this pillar-and-scroll clock that now sits on the wood mantel of a large kitchen fireplace. Can you tell us anything about it? A:  Your pillar-and-scroll clock was made in Waterbury, CT, sometime during the early 1830s by Mark Leavenworth, who was a clockmaker from 1810 to 1835. He left the […]

Brass Heat Register

Q:  I am wondering about this piece I have. I think it is a brass plant stand top, but I’m not sure. Do you know what it is, and do you think it has any value? A:  You will be delighted to know that what you thought is a brass plant stand top is actually […]

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles Vol. 49 No. 11 – July 2023

Doorstops…1950s Space Alien Movie Posters…Military Collectibles…Saturday Evening Girls Pottery…Sherlock Holmes Memorabilia…Depression Glass Patterns…Collector’s Gallery…Prices  

It’s Industrial, By Design

One hundred years before the digital age and a world of apps and devices, electrification was the revolution. Then, America was a mythic Industrial Powerhouse churning out invention and transforming the day-to-day with the outrageous, astounding electrical devices that would make us modern. Before Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, there was the genius of Edison, […]

Galloping Goose Toy

Q: This tin goose is part of a collection of old windup toys from my mom’s childhood. She was born in 1926. The box is damaged, but the goose is still in good shape and hops around like crazy when wound up! The goose is about 9 1/2 inches long. Wondering about the value. A: […]

Saturday Night Fever is Still Hot

The disco era won’t die; it just keeps “Stayin’ Alive.” For proof of that, look no further than the classic three-piece white suit worn by John Travolta in his Academy Award-nominated role in the 1977 disco blockbuster Saturday Night Fever. The movie outfit sold for $260,000 at Julien’s Auctions on April 23. Travolta wore the […]

On the Road — Let’s Stop at the Big Muskie for Lunch!

While driving along American roadways in the mid-20th century, it was common to see restaurants masquerading as a massive 65-foot-long muskie, gas stations in the shape of a teapot, and motels that looked like wigwams and railroad cars. Before the arrival of corporate advertising, franchise branding, and building conformity, the architectural environment in the U.S. […]

Spode Copeland Plates

Q: I received eight of these Spode Copeland’s China plates with roses and raised gold borders from my grandmother about 10 years ago. The “Y6933R” mark seems to suggest these were made in the 1970s, maybe as a reproduction. There is also an impressed letter and number mark. It looks like “D” over “28.”  What […]