The show started off on the right foot with good sales and interest on the first day, Thursday. It looked like the show was going to be a really good one. Then came Friday and Saturday.

The view from my booth at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, Sunday afternoon, September 5, 2010

The Palm Beach Show Group bought the show a few years ago and made a few changes. One was to expand the show to four days, from three. That’s supposed to give the dealers more selling time, but for the most part, it doesn’t work. After all, who comes on the Friday of a four-day show? If you’re a dealer or very interested collector, you come on opening day, Thursday. If you’re busy during the week, you come on the weekend. So it appears that most of the people who come on Friday are just out for a stroll, like going to a museum, except everything is for sale, and you don’t have to buy a thing. And that’s exactly what happened. Nobody bought a thing on Friday.

Saturday looked like it was going to be a better day. Lots of people, lots of questions, and serious interest. Based on the serious interest, I should have had a great day, but unfortunately, not one single person returned and the day was a complete bust.

Fine Galle vase with red fuchsia on a flattened triangular shape

Sunday is a funny day. Some are wonderful and others awful. Never know who’s going to show up. Interest was good and sales picked up considerably, with special interest in French glass.

All in all, a decent show for me. I spoke to several other dealers. Most of them didn’t lose money, a few did very well, and the rest were satisfied, but with lowered expectations.

Also on the bright side, the Hilton hotel was wonderful, with an incredible view of Camden Yards from the balcony. Lots of comfortable chairs. It’s as close as you can get to being at the game, without being at the game. The Orioles lost to Tampa Bay, 8-4 — good for the Yankees.

The view of Camden Yards from the Hilton Hotel, September 4, 2010

I recently added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps, 1 Grueby vase, 1 Newcomb vase, Daum Nancy glass and a fabulous Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase. This coming week, I’ll be adding many new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your comments or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer you in a future blog.

Daum lamp with violets decoration

Daum repeated many decorations, including scenes depicting every season of the year. Many different flowers were also used. Vases and lamps with violets are highly collectible and have been since Japanese buyers singled them out in the late 1980s.

Daum 4-inch pillow vase with blackbird decoration

Blackbird decoration is another one that Daum repeated. It is one of the rarest and most desirable decorations. It’s available in a variety of shapes, from lamps to miniatures.

A fine Daum blackbird miniature 'broken egg'

Prairie vases by Daum show a field with many tiny wildflowers, each hand-enameled. The flowers appear raised and create a gorgeous decoration. Prairie vases are especially rare and command premium prices starting at approximately $10,000.

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Galle also repeated many decorations, including a variety of flowers, as well as scenes. Dragonfly and water lily decoration was especially popular and frequently depicted. This decoration is prized by collectors.

Two lovely examples depicting Galle's dragonfly and water lily decoration

I recently added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps, 1 Grueby vase, 1 Newcomb vase, Daum Nancy glass and a fabulous Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase. This coming week, I’ll be adding many new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your comments or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer you in a future blog.

Daum Nancy winter scenic footed bowl, Christie's New York, lot 217, July 22, 2010

The French cameo glass section of the sale began with lot 204 and ended with lot 236. A nice selection of Daum Nancy and Emile Galle glass passed the block during that time. The top lot of the group was #217, a Daum Nancy winter scenic footed bowl, estimated to sell for $1,500-2,000. It sold for 10 times the high estimate for the extraordinary price of $20,000. It was a hair taller than 3″ and in my opinion should have sold in the $3-4,000 range.

Daum Nancy winter scenic vase, Christie's lot 216, July 22, 2010

A larger 9½” Daum Nancy winter scenic vase, lot 216, was the second highest lot of the French cameo glass. It was estimated to sell for $2-3,000 and sold for $18,750, again many times the high estimate.

Daum Nancy 8¾ inches bellflower vase, Christie's lot 225, July 22, 2010

Another superb price was achieved by lot 225, a Daum Nancy floral vase with purple bellflowers. It sold for over 8 times the high estimate of $1,800, realizing $15,000.

Galle water lily vase, 11¾ inches, Christie's lot 207, July 22, 2010

Gallé vases also performed well, but not as well as Daum. The top Gallé lot of the sale was #207. Estimated at $2-3,000, it sold for $8,125, almost three times the high estimate.

Good French cameo glass continues to do well, even under trying conditions in today’s market.

I recently added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps, 1 Grueby vase, 1 Newcomb vase, Daum Nancy glass and a fabulous Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase. This coming week, I’ll be adding many new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your comments or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer you in a future blog.

A rare Tiffany Studios tripod 10 inch Linenfold floor lamp

I’ve really succeeded this time. I’ve been lucky to find several fine Tiffany Studios floor lamps, including rare examples with unusual bases and fine Linenfold or Favrile glass shades. And how about a superb 18″ Tiffany Studios Belted Dogwood table lamp?

A rare and very desirable Daum Nancy Blackbird vase

I always try to carry a large selection of the finest French cameo glass, which I’ve been able to add to with some recently acquired beauties. You can view photos on my website of much of the great Gallé, Daum Nancy, and pate-de-verre glass.

The Denver Antiques Show, July 16-18, 2010

My first show this summer will be in Denver, July 16-18. I hope everyone comes out to support the show. I exhibited there last summer for the first time and had a pretty good show — good enough to return in the fall. Unfortunately that didn’t go well. This third Denver show will be the test — best of three. Two good shows and I’ll be back. Two bad shows and goodbye to Denver. Over the years, I’ve had to eliminate many good cities from my schedule because I couldn’t do enough business to make them worth my while. Gone from my schedule are San Francisco, Indianapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, New Haven, Hartford, Sarasota, Houston and others. Too bad, because I really like some of those cities, especially San Francisco and Houston.

The week after Denver, we’ll be at the Redondo Beach Antiques Show, just south of LA. One week off and then back to the same general area — Pasadena. A couple of weeks off and then on to Chicago and finally Baltimore over the Labor Day weekend. Try to make the time to come and see us when we get to or near your city. Some of the shows are worth a trip from anywhere. For a complete list of my shows, please click on the following link. Philip Chasen Antiques show schedule.

I just added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps, 1 Grueby vase, 1 Newcomb vase, Daum Nancy glass and a fabulous Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase. This coming week, I’ll be adding many new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your comments or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer you in a future blog.

Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann commode, circa 1925, Christie's lot #97, June 17, 2010

The top lot of Christie’s sale was #97, an Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann burl walnut and ivory commode, circa 1925. Estimated to sell for $150,000-200,000, it quadrupled the low estimate to sell for $614,500, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Studios Grape chandelier, Christie's lot #45, June 17, 2010

A beautiful Tiffany Studios Grape chandelier, lot #45, was the second highest lot of the sale. It more than doubled the low estimate, selling for $398,500, against an estimate of $150,000-200,000. It continued the trend of strong results for the best examples.

Tiffany Studios 16 inch diameter Linenfold table lamp, Christie's lot #29, June 17, 2010

At the other end of the spectrum, there were bargains to be had. Lot #29 was a 16″ diameter Tiffany Studios Linenfold table lamp. It was estimated very conservatively at $8-12,000 and sold for $9,375, including buyer’s premium, slightly below the low estimate. At retail, the lamp is estimated to sell for $15-20,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Christie’s 20th Century results.

I just added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps, 1 Grueby vase, 1 Newcomb vase, Daum Nancy glass and a fabulous Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase. I’m spending a lot of time this spring adding new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your comments or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer you in a future blog.

Gallé pond lily vase with dragonfly, 8¼ inches

The dragonfly is the quintessential symbol of the Art Nouveau movement, so it’s understandable that the addition of a dragonfly to a French glass object is important. Of all the French glass makers, the firm of Emile Gallé most often incorporated dragonflies into their decorations. The scenes were usually ponds with water lilies, with dragonflies hovering above. Gallé produced many vases with water lilies, but only a small percentage of them included a dragonfly.

Gallé banjo vase with dragonfly

What does the addition of a dragonfly do to the value? For sure the price goes up, but by how much? Double is a good starting point, assuming all else is equal. It could be less, it could be more, but double is a good starting point. What does a dragonfly do to a vase’s desirability? As a long time dealer in French cameo glass, the answer is “A lot”. I’ll get twice as many questions at a show and sell the object in half the time.

Daum Nancy bottle with applied dragonfly

Dragonflies on Daum glass are often applied and wheel-carved. That moves it up into the realm of sophisticated glass, and sophisticated glass doesn’t come cheap. Most Daum items with an applied and wheel-carved dragonfly start at $10,000.

I just added over 10 Galle vases to my website, 7 Tiffany lamps and 1 Newcomb vase. I’m spending a lot of time this spring adding new items. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog.

Fine 8½ inch Grueby vase

I exhibit at shows around the country and one question that is often asked of me is “How do you get these things?” Well, here’s one day in my life that will partially answer the question.

Yesterday, Saturday, was planned in advance. There were three auctions around the country where I was going to bid. That’s usually a simple matter of arranging with the auction houses to leave bids (called absentee bids) or bidding on the telephone. I don’t usually like to leave absentee bids because a dishonest auctioneer can run the bid, which means he will execute the maximum bid, rather than bidding competitively with the audience. An honest auctioneer won’t do this, but even after many years in the business, it’s difficult to ascertain the truly honest ones. I will leave absentee bids at auction houses that have proven their honesty to me.

So far, so good, until a fly got into the ointment. One of the auctioneers changed some of the usual rules. He decided not to permit any phone or absentee bids whatsoever. From a business point of view, that doesn’t seem to make any sense. There are bidders who don’t have the ability or the desire to travel big distances to bid on an item. This auctioneer was closing the door on all bidders around the United States and the world, who were not within traveling distance. That makes even less sense in today’s Internet world, as bidders from remote locations have the ability to find an item and bid on it. Auctions are supposed to be competitive events where the highest bidder gets the item. To be fair, there is something positive to be said for this rule change. Those people who are willing to travel to personally attend such an auction are qualified and determined. After making the trip, they’re not going home empty-handed. They’re going to bid strongly, including on items they didn’t intend to until they showed up in person.

OK, back to Saturday’s plan. My wife and I were willing to drive 4½ hours to upstate New York to attend an auction with six Icart etchings, a Gallé faience vase and a Rookwood iris glaze vase with fish. The logic was that I’m a strong bidder and there was a decent likelihood that I could go home with most or all of these items at good prices. So we left Long Island at 10:45 AM and started driving upstate. At about 11:30 AM, I got a call from auction house #1 and successfully bid on a fine Grueby vase (see photo above), but was forced to pay more than I had originally planned. But the vase is such a nice example that I’m happy to get it.

We arrived at the auction house in upstate New York at about 3:30 PM and viewed the items. They were as represented, so now we had to amuse ourselves until the auction started at 5 PM. Unfortunately there was nothing in the area to do, so we aimlessly drove around until the auction began. In the meantime, auction house #1 called again for me to bid on a very nice Gallé vase. The estimate was $1/1500. I was prepared to bid $1800 plus the buyer’s premium, for a total of about $2100. The bidding began at $500 and I bid $550 and then, amazingly, the bidding stopped. I bought the vase for $550 + buyer’s premium, for a total of $649. ?#%@#&?? I never look a gift horse in the mouth and this was a nice gift.

Louis Icart original etching Bubbles

Back to the live auction. First came the Gallé faience vase, a large early example that ordinarily I would have no interest in. This vase was for collectors of Gallé esoterica, and I don’t know many such collectors, so I wasn’t going to bid much. I was outbid and relieved. Then came the Rookwood vase. Rookwood sales have been few and far between recently, so again I wasn’t going to bid a lot. I was outbid again. Then at 6 PM, the auctioneer began selling the Icart etchings. First up was the best one, Bubbles. I had hoped to buy it in the $1,500-2,000 range. I bid $3,000 and was outbid by a young couple in the back, who paid $3,100 + buyer’s premium, for a total of $3,472. Disappointment! Pals, another good one came up next. Again outbid by the same couple. Drats! The third one was Silk Robe, another good one. Same result. Triple drats! This evening is not going quite as planned. I started thinking I was going home with nothing when Orchids came to the auction block. This time I was the successful bidder. Yay! Mockery and Don Juan were next and I was able to buy both. The trip wasn’t a total waste.

Daum Nancy covered salt, similar to the one sold at a Florida auction

We were able to leave fairly early at about 6:45 PM and started driving home, though at times through torrential rain. At 8 PM, auction house #3, in Florida, called me to bid on a Daum Nancy covered salt. It was the only good item in a small auction. It wasn’t well advertised and I only found out about it because the auctioneer sent me an email asking for an authentication. So I knew I could sneak up on this item and get it for a bargain. Wrong!! Again outbid, as the salt sold for $1,232.

Home at 10:45 PM, 12 hours after we left. Expenditures — 12 hours time x 2 people, gas, tolls, wear and tear. Bounty — 1 Grueby vase, 1 Gallé vase, 3 Icart etchings. It looks so easy when people visit us at shows and see all the merchandise nicely set up. Multiply this story by the hundreds of items that we display and you have a partial answer to the original question, “How do you get these things?”

Today I’ll be adding to my website several new Galle vases that I’ve recently acquired. I added a few the other day and today more. Please take a look. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog.

My booth at the Merchandise Mart Antiques Show

The Chicago Merchandise Mart Antique Show was held this past weekend, April 30-May 3, 2010. Attendance was very good, but appeared to be down a bit from previous years. Dealer results were mixed, after having spoken to more than a few dealers. Many dealers did well, but more than a few had less than favorable results. One dealer was more upset that he had lost two weeks of his time than with his poor sales. Several dealers did not cover their expenses. One major dealer said that he had an important painting in a client’s home on approval. If the client buys the painting, he will turn a profit. Otherwise, he will probably break even.

Rare Gallé anemone floral vase on green background

On a personal note, my show was good, with interest strongest in French glass. I wish to thank all of my clients who buy from me year after year. Without their loyal support, this would have been a rough show, as sales to new clients were few and far between.

No shows until mid-July, when I kick off the summer season in Denver. This will be my third (and hopefully not last) time there, if business is good. I’ve had mixed results there, so we’ll see if the locals come out and support me. Then on to Redondo Beach, CA, Pasadena, CA, Chicago O’Hare and finally Baltimore over the Labor Day weekend. I will still be actively buying and selling during this break, mostly from my website, so email or call and let’s do some business!

I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. In the last few days I’ve added to the Gallé glass and Icart etchings listings. Please take a look, as every day I’m adding more. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog.

Daum vase with herons, Christie's lot 225, March 2, 2010

Lot 225 was a Daum bowl with a desirable herons in flight decoration. Medium size at 5″ tall, it was estimated at $2-3,000. On a good day, it should have sold for a maximum of $10,000, but on this day it sold for $32,500, including buyer’s premium — 10 times the high estimate. That’s impressive. Helllooo, bidders at Christie’s. I’ve got some really nice French cameo glass for sale for a lot less money.

Daum winter scenic vase, Christie's lot 217, March 2, 2010

Daum winter scenic vases have been desirable for many years, usually commanding a premium over other scenic vases. But on March 2nd, the premium got a lot higher. Lot 217 was a nice Daum winter scenic vase, 10″ tall. It carried a pre-sale estimate of $2-3,000 and should have sold for two or three times the high estimate. Bidders on this day pushed the price to $20,000, including buyer’s premium — an outstanding price for a winter scenic.

Use this link to view all the results for the French cameo glass at Christie’s Interior sale of March 2, 2010. French cameo glass at Christie’s Interior sale.

Gallé fire-polished vase, Christie's lot 25, March 16, 2010.

The party continued with a few lots of French cameo glass in the 20th Century Decorative Art & Design sale of March 16, 2010. Several items brought exceptionally strong prices, starting with lot 25, a Gallé fire-polished vase, 12″ tall. To my eyes, the vase was nothing exceptional and should have sold within the pre-sale estimate of $4-6,000, but apparently the bidders disagreed. They pushed the price to $30,000, including buyer’s premium.

Several other lots soared past their pre-sale estimates, including a Daum winter scenic vase in the style of Muller at $30,000, a monumental Muller vase with poppies at $35,000 and a Daum Art Deco vase with wheel-carving at $37,500. It’s a pleasure to see such strength in the French cameo glass market. Hopefully it will be felt everywhere, not just at Christie’s.

Here’s the link to the French cameo glass results at Christie’s March 16, 2010 sale. French cameo glass at Christie’s March 16, 2010 auction.

I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. I’ve already listed new items under Gallé glass, Daum Nancy glass, Tiffany Studios glass and Marblehead pottery, to name a few. Please take a look, as every day I’m adding more. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Sunday afternoon at the NYC Pier Show, March 14, 2010

The weather in NYC was miserable this weekend, especially Saturday. Heavy, steady rain accompanied by strong wind, made for a rough day. Ordinary inclement weather is usually good for attendance and business at shows, but awful weather can have a negative effect. Attendance was down from the previous show, but still decent. The show didn’t have its usual buzz and snap. Business was off on Saturday from the previous show, but not drastically.

Very attractive Gallé 10-inch scenic vase

Sunday’s weather was slightly improved — just nasty, but not raining cats and dogs and not nearly as windy. Attendance got off to a very slow start because the show opened at 10 AM. There is no good reason whatsoever for a show to open at 10 AM on a Sunday, especially with the change to Daylight Savings Time. Everyone’s body clock told them it was 9 AM. Anyway, most people sleep late on Sunday. For the first hour and a half, dealers were all sitting around waiting for the first person to come and ask a question. Everyone would do the same business if the show hours were 11 AM – 5 PM on Sunday and the dealers would all be elated. (Hello Irene. [Irene Stella is the promoter of the show.] How about it?)

Superior quality Tiffany 12-inch blue Favrile vase with green hearts and vines

Business picked up a little on Sunday, but overall sales were somewhat disappointing. Sales were diverse at the show, with Tiffany, Quezal, Gallé, Daum, and Icart garnering the most interest. In speaking to several other exhibitors, most were satisfied with their results, but none were ebullient.

Now here’s something not to do at a show. Les Fisher, an Italian restaurant owner from the south shore of Long Island, came into my booth on Saturday. He decided to buy an expensive Art Nouveau bronze, and after a bit of negotiation, he agreed to purchase it if I gave him time to pay it off. I do that with lots of people, so I had no problem with the arrangements. He shook my hand, told me he would be in on Sunday, not only with a significant deposit, but lunch from his restaurant. Very nice. The only problem is that Les never showed up, never called, and never answered two phone calls. Not only is that not nice, but irresponsible, inconsiderate and rude. The item was marked sold for several hours and as a result, might possibly have resulted in the loss of the sale to another client. The courtesy of a phone call would have been the least that he should have done.

I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. I’ve already listed new items under Gallé glass, Daum Nancy glass, Tiffany Studios glass and Marblehead pottery, to name a few. Please take a look, as every day I’m adding more. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.