Articles for category Interesting Auction Sales
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The world has a brand new record for the highest price ever paid for a work of art. $250,000.00 I wish that the new record was for an Early American tall case clock or a piece of Boston Queen Anne furniture. Alas, it’s not. The record price was paid for a painting, which is not surprising given the tremendous numbers that fly around in the high end art market. I hope that some day the world will realize that the under appreciated masterpieces of American furniture are every bit as beautiful as
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Current Events
Interesting Auction Sales
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I recently came across this article by Daniel Grant on AFA News. It examines the controversial California resale royalties law. According to the law, contemporary art collectors, auctioneers, galleries and dealers are required to pay a 5% royalty to original artists upon resale of that artist’s work. Amazingly, they are required to pay royalties to the artist’s heirs if that artist has died within the last 70 years..Several recent law suits have brought attention to the California law which
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Current Events
Interesting Auction Sales
Curiosities
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I realize that there are many different types of art and that the people to whom that art appeals are as wide ranging as the art itself. I have to say though, that I struggle to understand some types of modern and abstract art. Take the digital photo that was just sold at Christies in New York for example. I get the fact that it was produced by a highly regarded photographer. I also get the fact that it is thought provoking and interesting. What I don’t get is 4.3 million dollars! For one
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Interesting Auction Sales
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Discoveries...This is what keeps us going - the thrill of the hunt! As dealers we are always dreaming of making that big discovery, the sleeper that will make a difference. It still happens, as evidenced by the story below. I have made a few through the years, but I’m still waiting for the “big one”.We did make a nice discovery in an auction box lot last year, maybe not as spectacular as the one in the story, but it was pretty special for us. While previewing a sale at a small auction house,
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Acquisitions
Interesting Auction Sales
Curiosities
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I just came across this story about two extraordinary, multimillion dollar yellow diamonds which are about to be sold. We keep hearing about the hot markets for certain art commodities, particularly those that are of interest to wealthy Asian buyers. They certainly seem like better investments than the stock market right now. Just ask my 401K! We have some pretty good commodities right here, in the form of rare and beautiful clocks and furniture. Hey Asian buyers, take a look, you might like
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Interesting Auction Sales
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The Skinner Americana sale took place over the weekend and two of the objects caught my eye. First was the Vermont four drawer federal chest. It's a relatively simple country form that was constructed of remarkable figured wood. Kudos to the photographer, who made the figured maple look absolutely electric on the front cover of the catalog. The early 19th century Rutland Vermont cabinetmaker must have saved his best tiger and bird's-eye maple and used it all on this one special piece. With the
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Interesting Auction Sales
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Every August, antiques nuts such as yours truly flock to Manchester, NH for “Antiques Week”. This year will be no different. As usual, the festivities will center around the New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association’s annual show (known within the trade as “the Dealers Show”). The NHADA show has been around since the beginning of time! Actually, for me it has. The first show took place the summer I was born. The Northeast Auctions summer sale is about as big a draw as the Dealers Show. I spoke
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Current Events
Interesting Auction Sales
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I'm sure that like me, many of you think that classic and antique cars are extremely cool! This weekend, the coolest of the cool was sold at RM Auctions in Plymouth, MI. Known as the “Ghost Car”, this 1939 Pontiac was produced for the 1939 New York Worlds Fair in order to showcase an amazing new material called plexiglass. The entire body is constructed of clear plexiglass, with all of the structural and internal parts being visible. With it’s bones showing, It’s easy to see why this futuristic
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Current Events
Interesting Auction Sales
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The only authenticated photograph of legendary outlaw William H. Bonney, more commonly known as Billy The Kid, was recently sold for $2.3 million, but that's not the most interesting part of this story! The tiny 2" x 3" tintype image set a new record for an original photograph when it was sold to a collector at a Denver auction. Decades ago, based on this image, Billy The Kid became known as the left handed gun. A movie by that name was produced in 1958, starring Paul Newman as Billy. Only
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Current Events
Interesting Auction Sales
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Robert Cheney has once again assembled an impressive selection of clocks, scientific instruments and mechanical devices for Skinner’s July 16th sale. Poking through the catalog of a sale like this is fun for those of us who like vintage mechanical oddities and such. The sale includes a pretty impressive grouping of Connecticut shelf clocks too. Be sure to spend plenty of time on our website before taking a look at theirs!! Nice work Robert.
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Clocks
Current Events
Interesting Auction Sales