Alto Horn

Q: I inherited an alto horn that my grandfather used in horse and buggy days. He was in a band that played in Maryland and Pennsylvania. It has engraved decorations and says “Premier, J.W. Pepper, Maker, Philadelphia, Highest Award & Diploma, World’s Fair, Colombian Exposition, Chicago 1893, 9939.” Can you tell me about this horn? […]

Lusterware Still Popular with Collectors

Lusterware is pottery with a metallic sheen that gives it a shimmering, mottled or iridescent effect. The centuries-old technique involves applying thin metallic paint containing silver, gold, platinum or copper to pottery glaze. When candles were the main source of light, luster glaze on pottery added the effect of more light and made pottery look […]

Coronation Tin

Q: Does this souvenir tin have any value? It’s dated 1937, is in excellent condition, and the lid opens and closes easily. The tin is 5 1/4 by 3/ 1/4 inches and is 3 inches deep. A: Your tin is a souvenir of the coronation of King George VI on May 12, 1937. He became […]

Star Wars Toy Sets Record

A Star Wars toy set the third world auction record in the past two years. A prototype rocket firing Boba Fett, an action figure by Kenner made about 1979 set the world record for any Star Wars toy and a toy model. It sold for $185,850. This beat the old record (July 2019) by about […]

Artistic Nudity

In the 1950s, dealers were careful not to show nudity or overly romantic art that might shock an innocent woman or young customer. But today artistic nudity is very available. “Beefstake” pictures of barely covered bodybuilders were featured in a recent Urban Culture Auction. There were photographs, negatives, slides and greeting cards by Bruce Bellas […]

When an Antique is Stolen

If you are the victim of a theft, be sure to give the police complete information about your antiques. You should have a good description, a photograph and any known identifying marks. You might want to send information about the stolen antiques to the antiques papers.    

Happy #whatsitwednesday!

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

Tin Toy Rickshaw

Children’s toys are valuable records of what life was like in the past. About 1880 to 1914 inexpensive, mechanical lithographed tin toys known as “penny toys” were popular and affordable in America. A toy rickshaw with a driver and a lady in a small cart was made by George Fischer of Nuremberg, Germany in the […]

Air Albums with Paper Collectibles

If you store paper ephemera like trade cards or labels in notebooks or photo albums, be sure to open the albums several times a year to let the air circulate. And be sure to use archival paper.    

Cut Glass Caviar Server

You probably won’t find a blue cut-to-clear glass caviar server like this one that just sold for $2,318 at a recent Neal Auction in New Orleans. but you might want to serve caviar the right way for a party. The event will probably be the talk of the town. Here’s the proper Victorian way. Serve […]