AGS Advertising Grading, Authentication Service Launches
The need for accurate authentication and grading has led a group of prominent experts in the field of antique advertising to launch a new company known as Authentication & Grading Services, or AGS. AGS’s principals include Dan Morris, founder of the Cedartown Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia in Georgia, and John Mihovetz, known throughout the automobilia and petroliana hobby as Head of Automobilia & Petroliana at Morphy Auctions.
AGS’s president Dan Morris and founding CEO, John Mihovetz.
Morris assumes the post of president and will manage day-to-day operations and the Coca-Cola/soda pop division at AGS, while Mihovetz, who serves as founding CEO, will oversee all activities pertaining to gas and oil collectibles.
AGS’s board of advisers includes Coca-Cola, soda pop, and general antique advertising dealer Gary Metz; and Carter and Irene Davis, pioneers in the field of country store advertising. The five principals represent a combined 100 years of experience in the antique advertising hobby and trade.
AGS offers three tiers of service: authentication, authentication plus grading, and a top tier that includes authentication, grading, and current market valuation. “The highest level would be of particular interest to anyone who wants to make sure their collection is adequately insured,” Morris said.
Morris encourages collectors to reach out to him directly with any questions or comments. “Our goal is total transparency and we’re open to constructive criticism and any ideas collectors may have,” Morris said. “We want for AGS to be an asset to the hobby and we look forward to hearing from collectors.”
To contact AGS, call 770-546-1748 or email danmorris1758@gmail.com. AGS is located at 501 Alexander Dr., Ephrata, Pa., 17522.
New 2021 Prices Added to Kovels’ Online Price Guide!
Kovels’ online price guide has just gotten even bigger and better! More than 12,000 new prices and 3,000 photos of antiques and collectibles have been added to Kovels’ already comprehensive online price guide. Collectors will find prices of furniture, toys, pottery, porcelain, all kinds of glass, clothing, purses and so much more.
Need a guide for buying and selling, appraising, or settling an inheritance? Kovels’ prices are current, from sales at shops, shows, flea markets, auctions, and online, all checked for accuracy by Kovels’ experts.
And the Kovels.com search capabilities make finding prices easy. Collectors can search three different ways:
1.Look in one of the 700-plus categories listed under “Antique Price Guide by Alphabetical Order” that reflect a wide range of collectors’ interests. Category descriptions include information on makers with marks and dates to help readers identify market trends and accurately price collectibles.
2.Search by topic and use the filters to narrow down what you are looking for.
3.Type keywords about your object in the main search bar next to the magnifying glass at the top right of every page. Searching this way will also list other information on Kovels.com that may be of interest.
With more tips, more marks, and more prices than any other price guide on the market, Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2022 contains information needed by collectors to quickly identify and price finds, and to buy and sell more confidently. It includes more than 3,000 photos; 500 makers’ marks, logos, and dates; and 12,500 all-new prices of antiques and collectibles in 700-plus categories sought by collectors, including Advertising, Furniture, Glass, Jewelry, Kitchen, Porcelain, Sewing, Tiffany, Tools, Toys, and more. Prices are from actual sales — no estimates — and are reviewed for accuracy.
As a bonus in Kovels’ 2022 book, there is a special section “Collecting Trends: Twentieth-Century American Studio Jewelry”showcasing designers of the bold, new modern “jewelry as art” that emerged in the late 1940s and ’50s. Readers — probably the Amazon buyers who pushed the book to No. 1 status! — will also find an illustrated list of the year’s record prices and hundreds of expert tips, as well as comments on trends and pricing patterns.
Buy the new Kovels’ 2022 price book directly from Kovels.com and receive TWO FREE GIFTS — a free ebook companion (a $14.99 value), and our Fakes, Fantasies & Reproductions booklet (a $7.95 value) — both exclusive to Kovels.com!
Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles Vol. 48 No. 2 – October 2021
Halloween Collectibles … Pottery by Edwin & Mary Scheier … Japanese Inros … Goldscheider Wall Masks … TV & Movie Props … Market Report on Collectible Sneakers … Marks on Victorian Furniture … Collector’s Gallery … Prices
New 2022 Edition of Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide Ready to Hit Book Stands
The 54th edition of the perennially popular Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide by Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel will be available nationwide on September 28th and is available for pre-order online at Kovels.com. With more tips, more marks, and more prices than any other price guide on the market, Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2022 gives you the information you need to quickly identify and price finds, and to buy and sell more confidently.
Kovels’ 2022 price guide includes more than 3,000 photos; 500 makers’ marks, logos, and dates; and 12,500 all-new prices of antiques and collectibles in 700-plus categories sought by collectors, including Advertising, Furniture, Glass, Jewelry, Kitchen, Porcelain, Sewing, Tiffany, Tools, Toys, and more. Prices are from actual sales—no estimates—and are reviewed for accuracy.
Best of all, there’s an entirely new center section in Kovels’ 2022 book — “Collecting Trends: Twentieth-Century American Studio Jewelry” — showcasing designers of the bold, new modern “jewelry as art” that emerged in the late 1940s and ’50s. Readers will also find an illustrated list of the year’s record prices and hundreds of expert tips, as well as comments on trends and pricing patterns. All of this enables you to buy, sell, and collect with confidence.
Here is a peek at some of the fascinating listings in Kovels’ 2022 price guide: The most expensive item is an 7-gallon stoneware water cooler made in 1846 and decorated with Broadway street scene in cobalt blue that auctioned for $480,000. The least expensive entries, at $2 each, are a 1980s plastic figural Spider-Man bookmark and a Royal China “Country Charm” saucer. The largest item in the book is an early 20th century Flemish style tapestry picturing the Battle of Pavia. It is just over 17 by 9 feet and sold for $4,720. And there are a few listings that measure 1/2 inch—a set of Trianon 18-karat-gold cuff links with gemstones that sold for $610, a lot of five agate and Dzi bead buttons from c.1800 that sold together for $1,088, a pair of 18-karat-gold earrings with citrine stones that brought $480, and a pair of Victorian gold tone buttons with an eagle that went for $3.
A Kovels’ reader wrote: “My husband and I . . . began to seriously consider becoming antiques dealers. Your price guides were invaluable to us. They served to educate us not only with the $’s [prices] but also taught us about the marks on the back — age, histories, etc. We read them front to back and back again. . . . Thank you!” ~J.K., New York
Antiques collectors have turned to the Kovels for their outstanding annual price guide ever since the first guide appeared in 1968 and the Kovels are, without a doubt, America’s leading popular authorities on antiques and collectibles. Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2022 is a valuable resource to help you make wise decisions and save money. Available for pre-order now on Kovels.com. Buy it from Kovels and get a free gift!
Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2022
Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles Vol. 48 No. 1 – September 2021
Vintage Barbie Dolls … Mocha Pottery … Midcentury Scandinavian Furniture … Vintage Oil Cans … European Ceramics … On the Road in Cleveland … Marks on European Porcelain … Collector’s Gallery … Prices
September 2021 Prices
ADVERTISING Tape measure, Abbott’s Ice Cream, image of woman wearing bonnet & apron carrying tray, celluloid, round, 1/2 x 1 3/4 in., $120 Sign, Squibb Drug Co.’s Milk of Magnesia Dental Cream, “Can’t start too early to check acid-decay,” mother & child putting dental cream on toothbrush, cardboard, 1920s, 11 x 21 in., $285 Door […]
On the Road — Cleveland: The Best Kept Secret
Mickey Wolfson, founder of the The Wolfsonian museum in Miami Beach and collector extraordinaire, visited Cleveland and returned home an enthusiastic admirer of all the city has to offer, calling it an “imperial” city. Mickey is a world traveler and acquired and donated over 80,000 objects to his namesake museum The Wolfsonian — FIU. With more than 200,000 objects and counting, The Wolfsonian is among the largest university decorative art collections in the country.
He visited so many of our favorite sites and enjoyed it so much that we want to share them with you too!
Mickey’s visit included a stay at the Glidden House, an historic boutique hotel that is the former French Gothic-style home of the founders of the Glidden Paint Company. Built in 1910, the home is on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel is in an area called University Circle, a short walk to numerous Cleveland attractions including The Cleveland Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, Cleveland Carousel, The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall, Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland Botanical Garden and Case Western Reserve University.
During his five-day stay, Mickey marveled at the quality of the food and thoroughly enjoyed the authentic home-cooked Hungarian food at Balaton. (It’s one of Terry’s favorite places too!) He was also impressed by the hopefulness and friendliness of everyone he encountered. And he found many treasures in local antique shops and bookstores to add to the collection at The Wolfsonian-FIU.
Here are some of the highlights of his trip that left Mickey with the impression that Cleveland is indeed an “imperial” city.
COLLECTOR’S TIP: If you are visiting Cleveland, try to time your trip for the Burton Flea Market, in Burton, Ohio, held every year in June and September.
The Cleveland Museum of Art, founded in 1913 “for the benefit of all the people forever” and free to the public. Mickey was awed by the museum — its atrium, use of space and collections. He thought it was one of the stand-out museums he had visited.
The West Side Market, opened in 1912, is an indoor and outdoor market with a 44-foot-high ceiling and clock tower and sells authentic foods from Cleveland’s culturally diverse community. It is considered one of the “10 Great Public Places in America.”
The Hope Memorial (Lorain-Carnegie) Bridge, also known as the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, opened in 1932 and crosses the Cuyahoga River. The sides of the Art Deco bridge are flanked by a pair of statues, the 43-foot-high “Guardians of Traffic” designed by sculptor Henry Hering and architect Frank Walker. The Guardians symbolize progress in transportation.
The Peter B. Lewis Building, designed by architect Frank Gehry, is a $62 million building, home to the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Photo: Destination Cleveland
The Garfield Memorial is a monument built to honor President James A. Garfield in Cleveland’s Lave View Cemetery. It was dedicated in 1890 and Garfield and his wife are entombed in the crypt below. The cemetery is noted for the dignitaries buried there and its amazing gardens. Photo: Destination Cleveland
The Arcade, built in 1890 for a cost of $875,000 it is “the first indoor shopping center in America.” Photo: Destination Cleveland
Public Square is the center of downtown Cleveland, established in 1796 and reimagined in 2016. When open, you can visit the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ monument, a Civil War monument dedicated in 1894. Photo: Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument
The “Jazz Bowl” in the collection of the Cowan Pottery Museum, located in the Rocky River (a Cleveland suburb) Public Library. The museum contains 1,300 pieces made at the Cowan Pottery Studio. This American art pottery was made in Lakewood (another suburb) from 1912 to 1919 and in Rocky River from 1920 to 1931. The famous “Jazz Bowl” was made by Viktor Schreckengost (1906-2008). Photo: Cowan Pottery Museum
Pottery
Do not put water in a pottery container with an unglazed interior. The water will be absorbed and eventually stain the container.
Tips for Dispensing a Collector’s Estate
Dear Lee,
No one warns you that the hardest part of a death, funeral and burial can come weeks later, after all the family and visitors are gone and you are responsible for jobs like emptying an apartment and making sure the heirs divide the belongings without a misunderstanding. Most people have some idea how the money, house and investments will be handled by a trusted executor or lawyer, but it is surprising how often a family member thinks a valuable painting, expensive silver tea set or a car was promised to them.
Here is a list of things you and your family might not think about during the emotional weeks after the funeral. You need an expert if the estate includes a serious collection like bottles or toys or 18th-century Chinese porcelains or comic books or Shaker furniture. Don’t sell or give anything away until you have checked with the lawyer handling the will. A close relative, friend or lawyer can get you through the first days.
Some warnings: The obituary usually includes the hours and address for visitations. Be sure someone is in the house during the funeral. An empty collector’s house is a target. Go through the house and remove any artwork small enough to be put in a pocket. You may not know everyone visiting after services. Lock all upstairs doors and the basement. Be sure all windows and doors are locked at night, even if the house is empty.
If the estate requires a special appraisal of a collection, check with other collectors or knowledgeable appraisers or someone who is a member of one of the appraisers’ associations, International Association of Appraisers (ISA) or American Society of Appraisers (ASA). A friend called us to ask if it was necessary to include her jewelry in the amount left to her in the will. It was almost all gifts from her husband, so it belonged to her. Collections are tricky to value and recent online auctions have had low estimates and high prices.
Email all questions to your lawyer. Phone calls bill by the minute and are more expensive. Find out the different rates for the lawyer and the staff. Always check the bill and time charged. Remember they work for you. You can always change to different legal counsel.
My favorite tip: Before you close all credit cards and memberships that give refunds or “points,” make sure to cash out all points or rewards or transfer them to another open credit card. I know of a “gold card” holder who died with thousands of free miles on the card. The heir opened a gold account and had the rewards worth hundreds of dollars transferred.
Before giving away clothing, check every single pocket. Open purses and wallets. Our newsletter editor Susan remembers her parents discovering money stuffed in pants pockets and old purses everywhere in her grandparents’ house. Her parents were getting ready to sell the house and were giving everything away. Their theory was that the grandparents, who had lived through the Depression, didn’t trust banks.
Extra tip: Take old money to be evaluated by currency experts. Older money can be worth more than its face value.
Finally, if you are looking at inherited silver items, check out the melt-down value before giving it to your neighborhood thrift store. You could be giving money away.
AGS’s president Dan Morris and founding CEO, John Mihovetz.
