Tiffany Studios turtleback inkwell, Nadeau's lot #150
Nadeau’s Auction Gallery of Windsor, Connecticut, sold a killer Tiffany Studios inkwell on Saturday, October, 30, 2010. Their auction description was as follows:
Description: Tiffany Studios RARE ‘TURTLEBACK TILE’ AND BRONZE TRIPLE INKWELL, with two gold iridescent liners, three metal inserts, stamped TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK, 1071
Dimensions: ht. 4 1/4in., dia. 6 1/4in.
Estimate: $15,000 – $25,000
Starting Bid: $7,500
In their written description, they left out the fact that the inkwell rotates — a rare feature, however they did mention it just before selling the object. The bidding started at $15,000 and continued in $1,000 increments until the final price of $30,000 ($37,500 with the buyer’s premium). In my opinion, the price was a bargain if the buyer was a collector and a bit high if the buyer was a dealer. I had guessed the final price would be closer to $50,000, considering the beauty, rarity, and desirability of this very fine inkwell.
Tiffany Studios Tyler Scroll table lamp, Gaudreau's Auction Company
On the same day, Gaudreau’s Auction Company of Killingly, Connecticut, sold a Tiffany Studios Tyler Scroll table lamp, in as-found condition. The lamp had an original kerosene burner and a very dirty shade. It had never been electrified. The unreserved lamp was sold at the high end of the $10,000 – $20,000 pre-sale “guesstimate” for $20,000 ($22,000 with the buyer’s premium) — a very fair price for the lucky buyer, followed by loud applause from the audience. The lamp was not pictured in any advertisement, only described. One had to visit the auction site to see photos of it.
I don’t think any sweeping conclusions can be drawn from these two results, except to say that if you had enough spare change and the knowledge of when and where they were selling, you could have bought two winners.
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