Sears Kit Homes

From 1908 to 1940, you could order a pre-cut house, crated, and delivered by rail, all from a Sears catalog. By Kris Manty Sears, Roebuck and Co. once sold around 75,000 kit houses like this one through their Modern Homes and Honor Bilt catalogs. Photo Getty Images Consumers today are used to getting anything they […]

Cheers to Nostalgia: McDonald’s Unveils New Collectible Glasses

As of August 13, 2024, fans worldwide can now add McDonald’s new collectible cups to their collection. Many kids caught the collecting bug from McDonald’s Happy Meals. Get a free toy with your meal, and of course, you’ll want to come back for more—especially if you know that toy is part of a set to […]

#Whatsitwednesday

Be the first to guess the pictured item by leaving a comment below. If you have your own whatsit, our editors may include it in a future post. Please email editor@kovels.com and attach a clear picture, the size, and any markings. Hopefully, we will be able to identify it for our readers! The dimensions are […]

Oh, the HORROR! Inside Roger Hill’s Monstrous Collection of Pre-Code Comic Art

The late Roger Hill with his book on Reed Crandall. There are many comic art collectors for whom the words “From The Roger Hill Collection” will be more than enough to explain, excite, and delight. They know what those five words signify, as Hill was long regarded as one of comicdom’s most relentless and revered […]

Decoding Spode: Spode Mark Explained

Q: What can you tell me about this set of dishes? It would be great to have some information about where these family dishes came from. Thank you in advance. A: The mark on your dishes has a lot of information if you know how to look for it. “Elaine” is the pattern name, “Spode” […]

Me and Harry Potter

Image courtesy of Thomas Taylor and Sotheby’s Thomas Taylor was just 23 when he was hired to create the book cover art for J.K. Rowling’s 1997 novel, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” That original illustration sold for $1,920,000 at Sotheby’s in late June. Now a best-selling author in his own right, Taylor shares his […]

#Whatsitwednesday

Be the first to guess the pictured item by leaving a comment below. If you have your own whatsit, our editors may include it in a future post. Please email editor@kovels.com and attach a clear picture, the size, and any markings. Hopefully, we will be able to identify it for our readers! The dimensions are […]

Guyette & Deeter Auction Featured Bird Beauties

ELMER CROWELL (1862-1952) of East Harwich, Mass., was one of the greatest decoy makers and bird carvers of all time. The lifelike quality of his three-dimensional portrayals of American wildfowl is unsurpassed. Crowell acquired his understanding of bird anatomy and plumage patterns during a lifetime of observing and hunting Cape Cod’s abundant indigenous and migratory […]

Jewelry That’s Artsy and Fun? Everyone Knows It’s Wendy Gell

By Pamela Wiggin Siegel When I started collecting and selling vintage jewelry in the 1980s, there was lots of buzz about fashion accessories in general because, like the permed hair and shoulder pads everyone was wearing, the adornment was also big. Like most of my fellow jewelry enthusiasts, I not only took note of older […]

Woodblock Wonders

Dating back to the 8th century, Japanese woodblock art is celebrated at Ukiyoe Gallery. Celebrated for their distinctive aesthetic and one-of-a-kind technique, woodblock prints are a widely recognized and iconic form of Japanese art dating back to the 8th century. Japanese woodblock prints are also known as ukiyo-e, which translates into “pictures of the floating […]