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Kovels’ March 2023 newsletter features doorstops, magicians’ props, Scandinavian design, vintage fashions, and Ohio bottles, all with photos and prices.

More than 50 vintage cast iron doorstops from a single owner’s collection were offered in a New Jersey auction and examples are featured in Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles March 2023 newsletter. They ranged from the whimsical and expensive—a sassy spotted dog that sold for $900—to the large and expensive—a 12-inch sleeping black cat that brought $1,080—to the rare and very expensive—a King Kong doorstop that went for more than $5,000. See these and other priced doorstops in Kovels’ March issue.

Bidders at a Chicago auction had no illusions that magic trick props are desirable collectibles. More than 500 lots of memorabilia from the world of magic were offered, and Kovels’ March newsletter focuses on some props that make the tricks happen. Imagine pulling feather flowers from a thin stand table, or tugging silk scarves from a water-filled copper vase. Find a pair of handcuffs owned by Harry Houdini himself, and learn what the high bidders paid for all of these items.

A Pennsylvania auction company hosted an online only auction of a collection of antique household wares made by Scandinavian settlers. Included were wooden tools, kitchen utensils, dough boards, cupboards, bowls, boxes and toys painted in their distinctive folk art style. Many pieces were dated and bore the initials of those who owned them. Collectors appreciated the unusual items and responded with hefty prices as you will see in the latest Kovels’ newsletter.

Collectors love all kinds of bottles and a recent Pennsylvania auction offered more than 300. Kovels’ latest issue pictures bottles related to their home state of Ohio. Pictured are bottles that were made by Ohio glassmakers or contained products made in Ohio—early bitters, medicines, mineral waters and an interesting historical flask, along with a desirable free-blown Zanesville covered sugar bowl that auctioned for a sweet $14,000.

And last, but not least, more than 200 lots of vintage fashions were sold at auction in Vermont and Kovels’ March issue pictures some pretty snazzy examples. From a slinky black sequined evening dress by Pierre Cardin to a loud plaid (and pricey!) 1930s zoot suit to a memorable 1960s paper dress with a psychedelic pattern, the offerings gave collectors a chance to buy pieces of history that were also pieces of art.

Kovels’ March newsletter includes a market update on vintage vinyl records. Read about a music poster that set a record price and a 1950 toy “atomic energy lab” that auctioned for thousands. The Dictionary of Marks lists marks with country names that can help date Asian pottery and porcelain. The Collector’s Gallery answers reader questions about an ornate silver-plated pitcher, a Jacobean style chair, a German porcelain powder box and bronze statue of a boy and his dog. And more than 70 antiques and collectibles are listed in the March Buyer’s Price Guide.

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter is available as a print subscription, or as a digital version that is included in the Kovels Knowledge and Kovels All Access memberships. Start your Kovels Knowledge Free Trial now or login.

Happy New Year wishes accompany Kovels’ January 2023 newsletter, which features English design from the 1970s and ’80s, elaborate picture frames, butter tools, oyster plates, and toy cars, all with photos and prices.

A recent art and design auction in Paris highlighted innovative furnishings designed by English artists in the 1970s and ’80s, and is featured in Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles January 2023 newsletter. Pictured with prices are chairs made of unconventional materials that pushed the boundaries of design, such as a shapely Queen Chair by Tom Dixon, a sculptural Big Easy chair by Ron Arad, and a curvy Ram Chair by André Dubreuil, with some unusual decorative accessories.

Artists and admirers of art know that an artwork’s frame can make a work complete. A Florida auction had more than 400 museum-quality frames that were part of the collection of a well-known master frame maker, restorer and collector. Kovels’ January newsletter pictures frames in a variety of styles that auctioned from $305 for a 1920s “American School” black and giltwood frame to $10,000 for a giltwood frame with heavily carved Asian-style detail.

Butter making was an essential trade in old America and collectors love the antique molds, stamps, and other tools used to make it. Nearly 100 butter-making implements attracted melt-in-your-mouth prices at a Pennsylvania auction; see examples in Kovels’ latest issue.

An Indiana auction offered about 200 fancy antique oyster plates, and Kovels’ January newsletter pictures an assortment of majolica and porcelain oyster plates by Minton, Haviland and Wedgwood, along with their gourmet prices.

And last, but not least, Kovels’ pictures vintage toy cars that were on display at an Ohio auction. Most were tin friction- or battery-operated cars made by German or Japanese toy makers. Enthusiasts were able to add models from a bubble-shaped BMW Isetta with a high bid of $810 to a sleek Ferrari Super America that went for $390 to their collections.

The Kovels go “on the road” to Washington, D.C., to visit Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, the home of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post that is filled with 18th-century French and Russian decorative arts. The January 2023 Dictionary of Marks identifies marks used by American companies that made silver hollowware and flatware. The Collector’s Gallery answers readers’ questions about an unusual hand-painted sign from the 1860s, a portico clock, a pendant made from a cutout Mexican coin and a Bitossi dish. And more than 70 antiques and collectibles are listed in the January Buyer’s Price Guide.

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter is available as a print subscription, or as a digital version that is included in the Kovels Knowledge and Kovels All Access memberships. Start your Kovels Knowledge Free Trial now or login.

Kovels’ July 2022 newsletter features folk art depictions of Uncle Sam, American dolls, Bakelite jewelry, Shaker boxes and 1950s and 1960s furniture, all with photos and prices and made in the U.S.A.

Folk art interpretations of Uncle Sam kick off a Fourth of July celebration in Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles July 2022 newsletter. Uncle Sam is a steadfast favorite of collectors of Americana and a North Carolina auction offered 10 unique depictions of Uncle Sam. Kovels’ newsletter pictures some whimsical examples made of wood and pottery with prices that ranged from $100 to $1,000.

Kovels’ July issue pictures an assortment of all-American dolls that auctioned in Ohio. Readers can get all dolled up and take a look at Ginny, Toni, Nancy Lee, Mary Hartline, Shirley Temple and other popular dolls from the 1930s to ’50s, and a more recent Stella doll, that are hits with collectors today. See what their admirers are paying!

Shaker containers — boxes, baskets, and buckets — were simply constructed, simply functional and simply beautiful. And collectors love them. A Connecticut auction offered a small number of Shaker carriers and containers that brought prices up to $3,000. See oval boxes with their distinctive lapped finger joints, a handled carrier, basket, bucket and tall cupboard, all made in Shaker communities, and learn their current prices in Kovels’ latest issue.

In the 1950s and ’60s, stylish, affordable works by high-end American designers were made to make midcentury design more accessible to middle class buyers. A recent auction in Pennsylvania offered more than 300 pieces of furniture by American midcentury furniture designers. Find examples by Vladimir Kagan, Harvey Probber, Paul McCobb and others in Kovels’ July newsletter and see what collectors paid to take them home.

And popular Bakelite jewelry sold at an Indianapolis auction, where many originally inexpensive pieces sold for hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Did you know Bakelite itself was “born in America” (by accident!) more than 100 years ago? Kovels’ latest newsletter pictures bold and bright Bakelite pins and bracelets from that auction along with their prices.

The Kovels go “on the road” to Bentonville, Arkansas and share some unexpected pleasures and finds. Terry Kovel also shares her thoughts on her own Fourth of July celebrations and patriotic collectibles. July’s Dictionary of Marks lists American pottery companies that used patriotic symbols in their marks. The Collector’s Gallery questions and answers feature a Heywood-Wakefield breakfront, a Roseville pottery vase, a Dalpayrat vase, and an unusual sewing needle holder. And more than 70 antiques and collectibles are listed in the July Buyer’s Price Guide.

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter is available as a print subscription, or as a digital version that is included in the Kovels Knowledge and Kovels All Access memberships. Start your Kovels Knowledge Free Trial now or login.

Kovels’ February 2022 newsletter features Adirondack furniture, Gallé glass, beaded purses, figural clocks, and beer coasters, all with photos and prices.

Adirondack furniture from the classic to the quirky drew high prices at auction in Potsdam, New York, and it’s featured in a sales report in the February 2022 issue of Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter. The rustic style that brings the outdoors indoors by using materials as close to their natural states as possible became popular in the early 1900s. Kovels’ offers some history and pictures the top lot Adirondack pool table that sold for over $60,000 along with cabinets, a chair, table, piano, and lamps that embrace the style.

A Kansas auction sold more than a dozen vases by French artist and designer Émile Gallé, best known for his work with glass. Gallé’s own techniques enabled him to make some of the most innovative art glass of the late 19th and early 20th century. See the some of the beautiful shapes, rich colors—and high prices—of Gallé cameo glass in Kovels’ February newsletter.

The intricate handiwork and vibrant colors of vintage and antique beaded handbags make them attractive collectibles. A recent auction in Germany offered more than 200 beaded purses and Kovels’ latest newsletter pictures examples decorated with flowers, figures and fringe that sold for affordable prices.

Decorative figural shelf clocks with animals, classical figures and architectural details sold at a Massachusetts auction. Take an old-school look at telling time in Kovels’ latest issue that features heavy and ornate key-wound antique clocks that sold from $300 to $3,000.

And beer coasters are unique collectibles; a few hundred sold recently to breweriana enthusiasts in Raleigh, North Carolina. Yes, they are the ones given with drinks in pubs and bars to absorb drippy condensation and advertise brands. Enjoy vintage examples with logos for Bushkill Lager Beer, Crockery City Beer, Stroh’s Imperial Wurzburger, and other brands in Kovels’ February newsletter.

The Kovels go “on the road” to Art Basel and Design Miami, happily back after a year’s hiatus, and picture some of their vintage and new favorites. The February Dictionary of Marks lists marks used by American studio potters. The Collector’s Gallery answers readers’ questions about a carved wood candy box, a German pottery vase, a coffee table with a carved eagle, and a vintage replica pedal car. And more than 70 antiques and collectibles are listed in the February 2022 Buyer’s Price Guide.

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter is available as a print subscription, or as a digital version that is included in the Kovels Knowledge and Kovels All Access memberships. Start your Kovels Knowledge Free Trial now or login.

Kovels’ December 2021 newsletter features rare Meissen porcelain, festive Christmas postcards, Bakelite jewelry, mechanical pictures, and antique cupboards, all with photos and prices.

A collection of 18th-century Meissen porcelain that smashed record prices at auction in New York City is featured in a sale report in Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles December 2021 newsletter. Every piece of Meissen was rare with a historic past, and the winning bids started at $5,000 and soared to $1.5 million. Read about this incredible collection’s complicated history and see pictures, descriptions and prices of many exceptional pieces.

Old Christmas postcards with brightly colored images of Santa Claus were sold at an Illinois auction. Kovels’ December newsletter pictures postcards from the early 1900s with images of Santa in a variety of wintery scenes from a snowy forest to the basket of a zeppelin, along with their prices. And learn a bit about dating old postcards by turning them over to see the “clues” on the backs.

A New Jersey auction included a small selection of mechanical pictures. Popular in the late 1880s and early 1900s, the framed scenes with 3D figures powered by clockwork mechanisms must have delighted children and adults alike. See the top-priced example, a turn-of-the-century vignette of family members gathered on Christmas that brought $5,000, and others that portrayed humorous scenes in Kovels’ December issue.

A few dozen antique cupboards sold at auction in Pennsylvania. Kovels’ latest newsletter pictures a corner cupboard, Dutch cupboard, hanging cupboard, jelly cupboard, milk cupboard, pie cupboard, and others, with prices. The solid materials, sturdy construction, and varied shapes and sizes make them practical and affordable additions to modern homes.

And last but not least, the Kovels found Bakelite jewelry back on auction block. The December newsletter pictures pins, bracelets, and dress clips in bright colors that recently sold for affordable prices in Toronto. Some were even iconic Bakelite shapes, like the pins with a dangling red heart, dangling cherries, and the swordfish with a Lucite fin.

In the December market report, find a collection of sleek and sculptural “everyday” items such as a blender, ice crusher, pitcher, ice bucket, and more, many by notable mid-20th century designers, that auctioned in Chicago. The illustrated December Collector’s Gallery answers readers’ questions about a silver epergne, a wicker table, an old cloth doll, and a Delft pitcher. The Dictionary of Marks lists doll makers whose marks can be identified by their shape. And more than 70 antiques and collectibles are listed in the December Buyer’s Price Guide.

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter is available as a print subscription, or as a digital version that is included in the Kovels Knowledge and Kovels All Access memberships. Start your Kovels Knowledge Free Trial now or login.

Kovels’ October 2021 newsletter features Halloween collectibles, art pottery by husband-and-wife team Edwin and Mary Scheier, antique Japanese inro, Goldscheider wall masks, television and movie props, and collectible sneakers, all with photos and prices.

Halloween collectibles cast a spell on collectors at a Pennsylvania auction and examples are featured in a sale report in Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles October 2021 newsletter. Halloween costumes, decorations and candy containers were made to be used for just a short time and then gathered up and thrown away, which makes the items that have survived more collectible. Bidding was scary high — $31,000! — for an unusual 1920s “veggie man” candy container. Readers will have a treat — no tricks — seeing it with other unique vintage Halloween decorations along with their prices.

A recent auction in London featured Japanese art from a single owner’s collection and Kovels’ October newsletter focuses on inro. Inro are small personal cases with interlocking compartments that were part of traditional costumes for Japanese men, used to carry important objects such as seals and medicines. See examples and prices of inro from the 1700s and 1800s with intricate and symbolic lacquered decoration and learn how they were carried.

Collector interest was high (and so were the bids!) for the pottery of husband-and-wife team Edwin and Mary Scheier that sold at auction in New Jersey. The Scheiers were pioneers in the modern studio pottery movement who worked together for nearly 70 years creating distinctive vessels with raised and incised whimsical figures and shapes and rich colored glazes. Kovels’ October issue pictures examples of Scheier stoneware pots and bowls with their hefty prices.

Owning a part of television and movie history is irresistible, and collectors at a Rhode Island auction had fun with props associated with some of their favorite shows and actors. A bidder paid $2,000 for the lot that took top price honors — the “LEM” (Lunar Excursion Module) hatch prop used in the 1997 movie Apollo 13. See the LEM hatch and other props, including one of Cookie Monster’s cookies, in Kovels’ latest newsletter.

And let Kovels’ October issue introduce you to some of the Goldscheider ladies — painted pottery wall masks modeled as sophisticated women’s faces with applied curls and details that elegantly captured the style of the day. A dozen of the beauties were offered in a U.K. auction, and Kovels’ pictures several of the masks with their winning prices.

Don’t miss Kovels’ October market report on collectible sneakers with prices that will knock your socks off. The illustrated Collector’s Gallery answers readers’ questions about a Larkin secretary desk with bookcase, a carved wood block, an early 1900s container for men’s detachable shirt collars, and a Bavarian porcelain tea set. The October Dictionary of Marks lists some of those used by Victorian furniture manufacturers. And more than 70 antiques and collectibles are listed in the October Buyer’s Price Guide.

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter is available as a print subscription, or as a digital version that is included in the Kovels Knowledge and Kovels All Access memberships. Start your Kovels Knowledge Free Trial now or login.

Kovels’ September 2021 newsletter features Barbie dolls, mocha pottery, antique European porcelain, Scandinavian furniture and vintage oil cans, all with photos and prices.

Barbie dolls attracted collectors at an auction in Ohio and they are featured in a sale report in Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles September 2021 newsletter. Most desirable were vintage Barbies made from 1959 to 1969. See the top-priced Barbie, a 1960 example with a brunette ponytail and her original striped swimsuit that sold for over $1,200, as well as other limited edition models dressed in fashionable vintage clothing ensembles.

A recent auction in Chicago featured furniture by midcentury Scandinavian designers. Kovels’ September newsletter focuses on chairs and cabinets by the creative and prolific Danish designer Hans Wegner. A Flag Halyard chair designed by Wegner in 1950 took top price honors, finishing at $25,000. Readers will enjoy seeing other sleek yet functional Wegner pieces and their hefty auction prices.

Mocha pottery was among the cheapest ceramics available in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but not these days. It was made mostly around Staffordshire, England, used in simple homes and taverns, and exported to the young United States. Pieces were decorated in earthy colors with patterns that suggest cat’s eyes, earthworms, twigs, trees, and seaweed. Kovels’ September issue pictures mocha pitchers, bowls, mugs and other items that sold at auction in Pennsylvania from the low hundreds up to $13,000.

Think an old, rusted oil can is worthless? Well, think again! Kovels’ latest issue reports on vintage oil cans that sold at auction in Indiana. Old oil cans with interesting graphics appeal to collectors of “petroliana,” “automobilia,” and antique advertising. A bidder with deep pockets took home a 5-gallon Lincoln Motor Oil can with an image of Lincoln for $861. See some of the other motor oil cans and learn about the rating system used by enthusiasts to describe their condition.

A recent New York auction featured a single owner’s collection of European and Asian porcelain and ceramics. Amassed over decades, the collection included early European porcelain examples from many of the most prominent makers of the 1700s. Kovels’ September newsletter pictures an assortment of porcelain items related to tea service—tea cups, teapots and a tea canister among them—along with their auction prices and a Dictionary of Marks that lists identifying marks.

Terry shares a peek at the newest Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2022 which will be available at bookstores and Kovels.com later this month. Read about the Miami museum founder and collector who visited Cleveland, becoming an enthusiastic admirer of all the city has to offer, and see some of his favorite sites. The illustrated Collector’s Gallery answers readers’ questions about a mandolin harp, an elaborate porcelain picture, a Norman Rockwell print of Abraham Lincoln, and a Lincoln rocker. And more than 70 antiques and collectibles are listed in the September Buyer’s Price Guide.