Cranberry Glass Foyer Lamp

Q:  I have an antique light fixture in my hallway that has been electrified. I was told it is cranberry glass and was once illuminated by placing fuel in the small pull-down base which seals the bottom. The glass has swirled ribs and is 10 inches in diameter. It has brass fittings. Does the lamp […]

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles Vol. 49 No. 9 – May 2023

1970s Italian Modern Furniture … Toy Airplanes … Clarice Cliff Pottery …  Circus Posters … Wooden Americana …  Market Report on Legos …  Identify Pressed Glass Patterns …  Collector’s Gallery … Prices    

Gems or Glass?

Gemstones are colder to the touch than glass. Colored gems like emeralds, rubies, and sapphires should not appear scratched. If there are scratches, the “stone” is probably colored glass.

Toy Collectors Order Wings

Tin windup toys are as popular as ever in the collectors market. Dancing characters and moving animal automatons are fun finds, but cars, planes and trains are the toys that tend to bring the highest prices.   A recent Bertoia auction in New Jersey featured 940 lots of Christmas items, candy containers, and many toys, including […]

Wool on the Walls

Wool rugs that are hung on the wall should be treated with moth repellent, perhaps even put in the sun for a few hours in the spring and fall. 

The Greatest Posters on Earth

Take your ticket to the Big Top, because vintage circus posters are here to amaze. Circus memorabilia has always been collectible but interest has skyrocketed in recent years. A sale at Freedom Auction Co. in Sarasota, Florida, featured 858 lots of circus and carnival memorabilia. For circus collectors, lithographed posters with unusual artwork are prized […]

Protecting Limited-Edition Plates

Never throw out your limited-edition plate’s original box or papers. They add to the resale value. Your homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover your plates or figurines. You will need a fine arts policy with a breakage clause. 

Secretary Desk-Bookcase

Q: My mother-in-law bought this oak secretary with curved glass from someone in Xenia, Ohio, and gave it to me in the 1970s. It was covered with varnish that had turned black, so I refinished it. It’s in very good condition although the bottom left handle doesn’t match the other handles. What is its value?  […]

We Love the ’70s!

A recent design sale in Italy featured furniture, lighting and objects from the 1970s. Though many of the pieces sold were designer prototypes, the sale at Incanto auction house displayed a flair that was unmistakably 1970s. A low natural wood table with two sliding panels on top that each open to an interior compartment, designed […]

May 2023 Prices

ADVERTISING   Letter clip, Spencerian Pens, “Are The Best,” relief in oval plaque, gilt frame, flanked by 2 lions, crown at top, brass, c.1910, $120 Fan, Coca-Cola, paddle shape, Mother & Child, red ground, diamond patterned handle, text on reverse, “Refreshing and Invigorating,” Ross Bottling Co., 1920s, 11 1/2 x 8 1/2 in., $180  Jug, Central […]