Table of contents for May 1, 2023 in Kovels Antique Trader

Sometimes, patience – with a smattering of online good fortune – is a virtue. Just ask Chandler Lesesne West, the owner of a vintage clothing Etsy store who purchased a small silk purse for $1 online more than a year ago then forgot about it. Thanks to some online detective work, she discovered it was a vintage Cartier piece and recently sold it for $9,450 at auction. “This is the story of how this antique handbag that I bought for $1 ended up being worth two to three times my rent,” West, of Charlotte, North Carolina, said at the beginning of a video, shared to TikTok. West found the purse in 2021 while sourcing items for her Etsy store at an online estate sale. After purchasing “a large lot of…

Remember the excitement of a Christmas morning at just 3 or 4 years of age? The way the magic in the air hung so heavy it felt as though one was swimming in it—as if the stairway from bedroom to living room was a waterslide awaiting its rider and promising a surprise splash ending sure to cause sheer delight. What if you had the opportunity to relive that brief moment in time all over again—to experience that innocent and youthful thrill of childhood enthusiasm as an adult of 40, 50, 60 years of age? Chances are, it would take a lot to recreate it—such as, say, five or so buildings stocked with vintage toys, perhaps? Last September, at the Mecum auction of Elmer's Auto and Toy Museum in Fountain City,…

Linnaeus, the Swedish taxonomist, created his system of terminology, which standardized the classification of all living things. In the botanical world this classification of plants gave rise to Botanical art, as a means of illustrating written works on the interesting subject of plants. Those earlier botanicals were mainly herbals, displayed as woodcut prints; many were mere sketches and not entirely accurate. Interest in ornamental and flowering plants flourished in the first half of the nineteenth century, with England as the point of confluence of this phenomenon. It was the result of several species of here-to-for-unknown varieties being introduced into Victorian England that sparked this interest. This led to the development of thousands of new varieties of hybrids, with innovations in form, size, and especially color. In the world of the…

Ralph and Terry Kovel published their first book in 1953, Kovels' Dictionary of Marks - Pottery and Porcelain, and together served as pioneers in the fledgling antiques and collectibles field in the truest sense. After 70 years of serving as the voice of the hobby, Kovels, Inc.’s assets have been acquired by Active Interest Media (AIM), publisher of Antique Trader magazine and a host of other collectibles brands. “After 70 years it was time to entrust the Kovels brand to a new home,” said founder Terry Kovel. “We couldn't think of a better place than with Antique Trader, a publication like ours that collectors trust and enjoy learning from.” Terms of the sale, which closed March 23, were not released. Kovels and Antique Trader provide AIM with two of the…

A curated home is intentionally decorated. It incorporates collected items carefully chosen to work together to create a home that looks personal, interesting, and cohesive. These items often have a story to tell. For some, a curated home showcases the best furnishings, the best finishes, and the best of everything. While hardly practical for everyone (most of us?), such a home featuring the best can be fun to peek into, as illustrated by items sold at a recent “Curated Home” Heritage Auctions event.…

It was the day after Christmas, and four of us were huddled around the spiffy red Easy-Bake Oven our friend Julie got from Santa, patiently waiting for our chocolate cake to finish. We excitedly took turns peering into the tiny plastic window to watch it bake, not knowing — or likely caring if we did know — that we might scorch our young retinas by staring into the white-hot heart of that 120-watt inferno. After waiting for an excruciating 10 minutes, the cake was finally ready. Julie carefully covered it in fudgy frosting and split it four ways. This amounted to one bite each, but it was the best chocolate cake we ever ate because we baked it ourselves. We felt so grown up — a magical thing to a…

1. Brimfield Antique Flea Market – Brimfield, Mass. With 5,000 dealers stretched over 21 fields along one mile of Route 20 in Brimheld, Massachusetts, the annual flea markets are believed to be the largest and oldest outdoor antiques shows in the country. It began in 1959 in auctioneer Gordon Reid's backyard but today attracts more than 1 million visitors every year during the May, July and September events that run six consecutive days. Various fields may be themed to antiques and collectible categories, such as pottery, or rustic furniture. Brimheld is amazing, but be prepared to walk - a lot. So it's a good idea to wear good walking shoes and to pack some water and a snack. Also keep in mind: cash is king. Your bargaining power is greatly…