Have you seen many of the gorgeous enamels that are getting harder and harder to find? Enameling was a minor art form that included ashtrays, boxes, desk sets, bowls, plaques, architectural tiles and even jewelry.

Ralph and I received our first enamels as wedding gifts in the 1950s. As a result, we became curious about the artists and the simply beautiful, handmade techniques that were almost forgotten. Ironically, Cleveland (our hometown) was the epicenter of the enameling art world, so we were so fortunate to find incredible pieces right here.  What’s more,  we bought many of our pieces directly from the artists themselves, even at their studios. We got to know some of the artists personally and watched them work on their creations. My own collection was displayed on a wall. And the fact these things don’t break, don’t fade and are safe to hold makes for a collection that a busy home can handle.

As I reach the point in life where I am downsizing, I know I can’t keep any collection forever. So I’ve decided it’s time to let others enjoy our collection and build their own. You’re invited to go online and take a look at our special collection of enamels. Just go to the Treadway Gallery (treadwaygallery.com) to see this beautiful work. Or you can own a piece of art and history yourself by bidding at the auction of the Ralph and Terry Enamels on February 7, 2021, starting at  11:00 am EST.

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Vintage Halloween decorations are collector favorites and are featured in a sale report in the October 2020 issue of Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter. Kovels’ pictures many (scary!) priced examples, including black cats, witches, and jack-o’-lanterns, most made in Germany in the early 1900s.

Scandinavian design is known for clean lines, natural materials of varying textures and subdued neutral colors. Essential to the design is lighting and nearly 40 lots of Scandinavian lighting, from simple to statement, were sold at auction in Chicago. See the set of six brass-plated aluminum ceiling fixtures designed by Hans-Agne Jakobsson in 1965 that took top price honors, selling for $8,750, along other priced floor and table lamps and pendants by Paavo Tynell, Poul Henningsen, Greta Magnusson-Grossman, and others in this issue of Kovels’.

Popeye, the comic book, movie, and cartoon star with bulging biceps and a love of spinach, turn 91 this year. An Iowa auction saw high prices for mechanical toys featuring Popeye and his friends. Kovels’ pictures Popeye rowing, skating, cycling, punching, shooting baskets, pumping a hand car and more in the October issue. And silver-plated napkin rings from the turn of the 20th century were common items on well-set Victorian tables. Kovels’ October newsletter pictures figural examples that sold for a range of prices that peaked at over $4,500 for an 1885 horse napkin ring with a curly mane and tail.

Also included in Kovels’ October newsletter is a market report on enamels, one of Terry Kovels’ favorite collectibles. She writes about their history, how they are made, and why she and other collectors love them, with pictures and prices of enameled plates and boxes that sold at auction in Ohio and Illinois. Accompanying the report is the October Dictionary of Marks that pictures hard-to-find marks used by notable enamelists.

The Kovels’ team goes “on the road” to the annual outdoor (and socially spaced!) flea market in Burton, Ohio, and pictures some of their finds. The illustrated October Collector’s Gallery answers readers’ questions about a coin changer, a demitasse cup and saucer, a Daum vase, and a Victorian settee and chair. And more than 70 antiques and collectibles are listed in the October Buyer’s Price Guide.