Charlie Chaplin’s hat and cane walked off for more than $130,000 a few years ago, an example of the importance of provenance. They’re more than a bowler hat and a cane―they’re icons internationally recognized and with celebrity connections. The trademark pieces of Chaplin’s “Tramp” costume sold for $139,250. They came from a studio costume department and were marked with Chaplin’s name.
The sad saga of the Jones Museum of Glass and Ceramics has come to a close. The remaining contents of the museum, which was originally established in 1978 in Sebago, Me., were sold at auction in June. Dorothy-Lee Jones founded the museum on her own property and initially stocked it with her personal collection of glass and pottery. Following a dispute over the decision of the museum’s board of trustees to move the museum to Portland, Jones resigned from the board in 2000 and filed suit to protect her rights to the pieces she had donated. In 2005 the museum, which had by then moved to Portland, closed and declared bankruptcy. Previous auctions of its holdings were held in 2005 and 2006.
Here’s advice if you’re attending a collectors convention. The tips are from the Marble Collectors Society of America, but they work for any convention.
- Make your hotel reservation early and ask for the convention discount and a room near other club members.
- Call a few days before the convention starts to be sure your reservation is still being held.
- Arrive a day early so you can trade and sell in hotel rooms before the convention starts.
- Take what you need to check on your possible purchases. For marbles, you need a caliper, magnifier, black light, plastic bags to hold marbles, and bag labels so you can jot down history, price, dealer, etc.
- We suggest you carry a smart phone or tablet to access online pricing information (try Kovels.com) or a book like Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide.
Collect some old rings and make a “ring” charm bracelet. It’s a good way to display class rings, baby rings and other memorabilia. The dangling, jingling rings create a fashionable bracelet.
Amberina glass is down in price.