A Boy, His Wagon, and Dodging the Scales of Justice

By Anthony Cavo My lifelong love of antiques began on a trip to Milford, Pa., at the age of 6 in a barn that doubled as an antique shop. It was dark and, even on that hot summer day, cool. The only available light fought its way through the dust-speckled panes of glass in the […]

It’s Magic!

An extremely rare, signed, self-published book by famed illusion builder Guy Jarrett sold for $60,000 to headline the early spring “Houdiana and Magic Memorabilia Event” at Potter & Potter Auctions. The 370-lot event in April realized $629,000. The top lot, Guy Jarrett’s (1881 – 1972) “Jarrett. Magic and Stage Craft Technical,” was self-published in 1936. […]

Survey Says: Art Deco is Hot

Art Deco cabinet. Photo: Getty Images Every year, the research staff at Asheford Institute of Antiques surveys its community of more than 2,470 current students and past graduates who are actively employed or working within the antiques, collectibles, and vintage marketplaces to gauge current market trends in the United States and Canada. The 2023 Decorative […]

Memorial Day History is Rooted in Post-Civil War Years

This year, Memorial Day is May 27. We observe the holiday with parades, flags flying, and outdoor parties on the last Monday in May, but it wasn’t always this way. And what better way to honor memories than to look to the past? The first formal declaration for a day for Americans to honor the […]

Gold pocket watch recovered from wealthy deceased Titanic passenger sells for record $1.5 million.

The sinking of the Titanic after striking an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912 remains one of the most famous tragedies of the 20th century. More than 100 years later, it still captivates Titanic historical societies in the United States and Britain, as well as auctions dedicated entirely to Titanic memorabilia. A pocket watch […]

Rising from the Ashes

By Kris Manty Growing up, a staple accessory on my family’s coffee table was a large piece of cut glass with a pattern of flowers and stars that seemed far too pretty for its purpose: holding my parents’ cigarette ashes and cigarette butts. At the time, my parents were heavy smokers, and at least one […]

Hang on to Your Hat

By Dr. Anthony Cavo Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Getty Images You don’t have to be as mad as a hatter to understand the inextricable history of women and hats, but it helps. Throughout history, hats have indicated a person’s religion, occupation, and social status. Many of us were born when people typically wore […]

The Remarkable Tale of Rookwood Pottery

Maria Longworth Nichols Storer In 1880, Maria Longworth Nichols Storer (1849 – 1932) founded Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, Ohio. A wealthy young woman, she was inspired, like so many of her contemporaries, by the Japanese ceramics displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial International Exposition. Though she had just one year of formal pottery training and […]

Of Love Lost…Then Found Again

I watched as my 33-year-old son Ryan bent way down under the dusty shelves in the back of the storage room. We had finally found a day to be together to start unpacking the basement chaos. It had been three trying months since my husband’s funeral, and my two boys and I were continuing the […]

Luxury Investments Are in the Bag

From Chanel to Hermès, luxury handbags are among the fastest-growing assets for collectors. By Kris Manty Grace Kelly with Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, holding the  style of Hermès handbag that was named after her.  When Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly became pregnant in 1956, she used her Hermès handbag to shield her […]