We’re back from vacation, so I’ll begin posting new blogs twice weekly, starting Monday, Christmas Day. It will be a good one on an important and unexpected merger in the auction business. You won’t want to miss it.

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. Now that the weather is colder, I have gone back to publishing twice weekly, as often as possible.

November 21, 2017 was a busy day for auctions, with four auction houses holding simultaneous sales, including Leslie Hindman, Bonham’s LA, Heritage and Doyle New York. I had catalogs from all of them, but I was (and still am) so busy I didn’t realize it until the sales were over. I did manage to buy some nice items at two of the sales, but I should have paid more attention to the sale at Doyle’s. It was a disaster for them, but a gold mine for buyers.

Lot 168 was a beautiful 11″ Daum Nancy vase, estimated to sell for $2,000 – $4,000 — a fair, but low estimate. The vase actually sold for $1,250, including buyer’s premium. It’s a vase that I could have easily sold in the $6,000 – $8,000 price range. Ouch! That hurts.

Lot #174 was more of a dealer lot. By that I mean it was a marriage of a 10″ Tiffany Favrile shade and a Handel base that a lamp dealer could make into two proper lamps. Namely you would need a suitable Tiffany Studios base for the shade and a 10″ Handel or Steuben shade for the base. It sold for the low estimate of $3,000 ($3,750 including buyer’s premium). It wasn’t the greatest of lamps, but it was well worth the money, especially to a dealer.

One more example was lot # 170, a beautiful French hand-carved and marquetry game table. It sold for only $1,875, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-auction estimate of $3,000 – $5,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

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No more shows until February 2, 2018, when we’ll exhibit at the Miami Airport show. That gives us time to beat the bushes to find new treasures and take some time to smell the figurative roses. November is usually a good month for business. Then business dies in December because most people are looking for less expensive Christmas gifts than we offer. Occasionally we make a Christmas sale, but that’s the exception, not the rule. Cold weather and the New Year bring a new wave of enthusiasm.

I will update my site as often as time permits. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.