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 […]

Gripoix Glass Jewelry – Getting a Grip on an Identity Crisis

By Pamela Wiggins Siegel As a lover of adornment, I have a few pet peeves. One big one is misidentifying jewelry components as Gripoix glass. Gripoix (pronounced gre-pwuh) is a term misused repeatedly. And when I say repeatedly, I can’t add enough overs to over and over to convey the problem. This is likely a […]

Collectors Looking Good in Archival Fashion

A rising interest in fashion sustainability and the increase in pandemic-fueled online shopping for second-hand luxury goods can be credited to more collectors thrifting for vintage designer pieces and an emerging trend: archival fashion. Archival fashion pertains to pivotal pieces in fashion history that have helped solidify influential designers’ careers and are highly sought after […]

Declutter for Fun and Profit

Dear Lee: We get calls from friends and readers all the time asking what to do with items that their families don’t want or need any longer. The good news is that decluttering can present an opportunity for profit.  Remember, when you go to sell household goods, time is money. The more time you are […]

Handbags Are Going up in Price (And They Look Good, Too) 

Chanel. Hermès Birkin. Louis Vuitton. The names alone make us swoon (admit it—you love those brands too). Attach the names to purses … well, it makes us understand why these handbags are hot. We predicted in our January newsletter that couture handbags were going to be big in 2023. We were right! For people with […]

Shining Stars of Costume Jewelry

Costume jewelry has been a staple in the worlds of fashion and collecting for more than a century. Elegant necklaces, pins, bracelets and earrings were made to mimic fine jewelry and increased the accessibility of jewelry to all, regardless of income. A recent sale at Ripley Auctions in Indianapolis featured 330 lots of costume jewelry. […]

Vintage Gifts Perfect This Year! 

Dear Lee, It is the time of year to consider what we want to get for friends and families as gifts for the holidays. But this year, it might be more challenging to buy items big and small. I have a friend who decided in the spring to update her living room furniture. She got […]

Kovels’ Top 11 Picks for Fun and Exclusive Handbags!

This week we celebrate National Handbag Day with a wide-eyed look at some of the top exclusive and expensive designer purses on record. The term “purse” originally referred to a small bag for holding coins. We’ve certainly come a long way from that! The word handbag began appearing in the early 1900s. Now, handbags, purses and […]

Purses

Purses are hot collectibles, but the hottest designs are beginning to change. Large designer bags like Birkins still bring the highest prices, but look for small clutch purses popular in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. They are bargains now but may not be for long. Best names: Chanel, Asprey, Cartier, Hermès. Look for jeweled or […]