Table of contents for July 15, 2023 in Kovels Antique Trader

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio - A stellar collection of rare Japanese robots and space toys, including a great example from the famed Gang of Five robot series, highlighted the 835-lot Spring Premier Toy Auction at Milestone Auctions which realized $700,000 during the one-day event in late May. The undisputed leader of the postwar Japanese rarities was a Masudaya 15-inch battery-operated Target Robot from the Gang of Five series. Extremely bright and beautiful, the alloriginal robot came with its correct dart gun and two darts, as well as its original pictorial box. Entered with an estimate of $20,000-$25,000, it went the distance and then some, selling for $34,440. Target Robot's wingman was a rare Yonezawa batteryoperated Jupiter Robot. All original and complete with its correct remote control battery box, it was an exceptionally…

The Saturday Evening Girls Club is a wonderful example of how young immigrant women developed useful skills to make a living in America at the turn of the century. Their pottery work still enthralls collectors today, as evidenced by a recent auction at Rago that offered several pieces of Saturday Evening Girls (SEG) pottery, also known as Paul Revere pottery. Of particular interest were pieces by SEG artists Sara Gainer and Frances Rocchi, which sold for $35,280 each, far surpassing presale estimates. Galner's exceptional glazed earthenware scenic vase from 1913 is decorated in cuerda seca and had an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. Rocchi's early and important center bowl with roosters from 1909 is also glazed earthenware and more than doubled its high estimate of $15,000. Galner and Rocchi were…

A couple of years ago, I introduced you to the elusive Monet jewelry dating to the 1930s. I still find the older pieces made by this company to be intriguing, but when it comes to jewelry I love to wear, a fast forward to the 1960s is in order. In my prior peek at Monet, I mentioned that my view of this company's jewelry took a turn when I was fortunate enough to procure several Monet estate finds dating to the ‘60s and early ‘70s. I still have, and wear, a couple of those pieces I purchased about 30 years ago. They came from the estate of a former newspaper society reporter who lived in Madison, Wisconsin. Vintage jewelry, accessories, gowns, furs – that estate sale was a vintage lover's…

Morphy Auctions' recent three-day Firearms and Militaria auction surpassed expectations and generated nearly $7 million in sales, proving that collectors still feel patriotic about military items and history. Militaria collectibles are prized artifacts for history buffs and collectors with an affinity for one or more military branches. Morphy's offered a wide variety of items, including caps, drums, insignia, medals, military orders, swords and uniforms. The top lot was a rare and desirable German WWI Model FG-42 machine gun that sold for $456,000, crushing its estimate of $250,000 to $350,000 (not pictured). It came from the estate of its original American owner, a 101 st Airborne paratrooper. Some of the most sought-after items are those that can be traced back to an individual serviceperson or historical figure. If it comes with…

Afternoon picnics were a common activity for American families in the Victorian era, and cemeteries were one of the favorite spots they gathered to spread their blankets and enjoy the day. That might sound a bit macabre to modern sensibilities, but considering there were no public parks then, it makes perfect sense. For residents of New York, Green-Wood Cemetery was one of the most inviting places to visit dead loved ones in peaceful contemplation and a beautiful, natural landscape. Celebrating its 185th year and now a National Historic Landmark, Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery opened in 1838. Founded by Brooklynite Henry Evelyn Pierrepont and designed by engineer David Bates Douglass, it was one of the first rural cemeteries in America. It sprawls across 478 acres of maze-like winding walkways, rolling hills and…

James Montgomery Flagg was 39 when the United States entered World War I in 1917, much too old to enlist. Instead, Flagg drew on what he did best, and in the process influenced not only the war effort but also the face of a country. A leading illustrator of the time, Flagg's dramatic creation of Uncle Sam exhorting “I Want You for U.S. Army” so resonated with the public that it became a recruitment marvel and one of the most enduring images of the 20th century. Flagg didn't invent Uncle Sam but, with the top hat, goatee, the burning eyes and long finger pointing at the very soul of ablebodied men, he did transform him into a powerful and convincing figure. The poster struck a patriotic nerve, with a staggering…

A recent Bonhams auction that took place in Paris featured 160 lots of classic European art, porcelain, furniture, statues, lighting and other decorative arts from the 18th and 19th centuries. The antiques market is still strong for the classics, with their rich history, elegant design and intricate details. To attract new customers and modernize sale names, the major auction houses have rebranded their high-end 18th & 19th century decorative arts sales as “classic design.” In the late 17th century a “porcelain fever” broke out in Europe because of Europe's new Asian trade partners. Owning porcelain from China or Japan was a show of status and wealth. Famille Rose is a name Europeans used for Chinese porcelain in patterns with rose as the predominant color. A Famille Rose fishbowl decorated with…

Decades ago, serving trays for food and drinks were small pieces of decorative art apart from their use at meals and parties. A recent Morford's Antique Advertising auction in Cazenovia, New York, featured a variety of these antique trays. Advertising tin trays for beer are very popular and command high prices. For example, a tin lithographed tray for the St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association (“America's Largest and Favorite Brewery”) sold for an impressive $2,372 despite having scattered stains and scratches. The oval tray looks like a picturesque postcard, as it features a bird's-eye view of the brick Anheuser-Busch factory complex and boasts a rim with hops and barley. A rare serving tray from Toledo, Ohio's Independent Home Brewing Co. was also popular, selling for $1,086. The oval tin lithograph features…

Imagine discovering a Coca-Cola ghost sign hidden behind a concrete wall for more than eight decades. That's exactly what happened on April 1, 2023, in Long Branch, New Jersey, when “the SICA building (Shore Institute for Contemporary Art) was demolished to make way for a new 31-unit development project (SICA Lofts),” according to Dan Silverman, one of the owners of Prime City Ventures, the developer of the project. When constructed 80-plus-years ago, the SICA building was put up just inches away from the neighboring property, which is why the sign remained hidden all those decades. As the demolition team took down the SICA building, the antique Coca-Cola sign was revealed. “The city reached out to us right away and expressed interest in the sign,” said Silverman. “Construction is in full…