The results of Rago’s Early 20th Century Design sale, January 20, 2018

Please note that I am permanently changing Thursday’s post day to Friday.

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Fridays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Friday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


Rago Auctions, Lambertville, NJ, held an Early 20th Century Design sale on January 20, 2018, with mixed results. A few items did very well, but many brought less than stellar prices. Personally I was the beneficiary, so I was able to buy a number of items for resale.

Tiffany Dragonfly tray, Rago lot #806

One item I knew would do very well was a large, 14¾” diameter, Tiffany Studios’ enamel on copper tray with dragonfly decoration. It doubled its high estimate of $15,000, realizing $37,500, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany mosaic inkwell, Rago lot #802

Another Tiffany Studios’ rarity, a mosaic inkwell with original chamois, also did well. Estimated to sell for $7,000 – $10,000, it realized $26,250, including buyer’s premium.

Gallé monumental, red floral vase, Rago lot #797

Lot #797, a monumental Gallé red poppy vase, led the group of 19 French cameo vases and lamps. It sold near its high estimate of $10,000, realizing $11,250, including buyer’s premium. Although this would seem to be a good result, the estimate was very low, so it’s not as good as it seems. My opinion is that the vase should have a retail price of $20,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.


Our next show is not until May 18-20, 2018, when we’ll exhibit at the 2nd edition of the resurrected Chicago Antiques + Art + Design Show at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. It’s a wonderful venue for a show that deserved to be restored from purgatory.

We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items as often as time permits. 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.

Some superb results at Sotheby’s Important Design sale, December 13, 2017

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


I was leafing through my catalogs when I noticed one from Sotheby’s Important Design sale on December 13, 2017. There were some great results that tie into the Arts & Crafts Conference we just finished last week. My post is a little late, but I hope you find it interesting and worth reading.

The top lot of the sale was #54, a Claude Lalanne Bureau Crocodile
that realized $2,175,000

Sales totaled $13,948,625 for the 165 lots offered. Three Crocodile lots, #s 52-54, by Claude Lalanne, topped the sale. However my interest is with the Arts & Crafts and the Art Deco lots in the sale.

Greene & Greene lantern from the Robert R. Blacker house in Pasadena, CA, Sotheby’s lot #83

Lot #83 was a beautiful Greene & Greene lantern with iridescent glass from the Robert R. Blacker house in Pasadena, California. It sold near its low estimate of $250,000, realizing $287,500, including buyer’s premium.

Frank Lloyd Wright Tree of Life window from the Darwin D. Martin House, Buffalo, New York, Sotheby’s lot #90

Seven lots of windows by Frank Lloyd Wright were included in the sale. Three lots, #s 88-90, all achieved the same result of $435,000 versus estimates of $200,000 – $300,000.

A rare R. Lalique Luxembourg vase, Sotheby’s lot #107, sold for $150,000, including buyer’s premium

Two good pâte-de-verre vases by Argy-Rousseau, #s 105-106, failed to sell, with identical estimates of $30,000 – $50,000, while five lots of R. Lalique glass all sold mostly at or above their high estimates.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.


Our next show is not until May 18-20, 2018, when we’ll exhibit at the 2nd edition of the resurrected Chicago Antiques + Art + Design Show at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. It’s a wonderful venue for a show that deserved to be restored from purgatory.

We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items as often as time permits. 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.

The results of the 31st National Arts & Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC, February 16-18, 2018

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


There were about 200 people on line at the opening on Friday

If you’ve never visited the National Arts & Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn, you don’t know what you’re missing. There just isn’t another show anywhere like it. Let’s see. The venue is the astonishingly beautiful, historic Grove Park Inn. The show is contained, so it’s its own thing, with a personality. Everyone, including the dealers and attendees, was smiling and in a good mood. It’s Arts & Crafts heaven, with a ballroom filled with antique dealers and hallways filled with the finest craftsmen of modern Arts & Crafts lighting, ceramics, rugs, bronze, textiles and anything you can think of. The show hours are short and sweet — 5 hours on Friday, 6 hours on Saturday and 5 hours on Sunday, ending at 4 PM. Clients have enough time to make up their minds and dealers leave refreshed instead of exhausted. Nobody doesn’t like this show. It’s our favorite of the year.

My booth on Friday

As opposed to the Original Miami Antiques Show last week, this show started with energy and enthusiasm. At 1:00 PM on Friday, the crowd rushed in and the action started right away. We were busy almost all the way to closing at 6 PM. Friday was a good day.

The aisles were crowded early on Saturday

Saturday was another story with a much slower pace. What a difference a day makes. We ended the day disappointed with one small sale.

We sold this wonderful Martin Brothers bird tobacco jar on Sunday

Sunday was slow until a flurry of activity mid-afternoon. We wound up making three good sales to make it our best-ever Grove Park show!

We look forward to next year’s show. Put it on your calendar and make sure you attend next year. I promise you you won’t regret it!


By the time you read this post we’ll be on our way home. Our next show is not until May 18-20, 2018, when we’ll exhibit at the 2nd edition of the resurrected Chicago Antiques + Art + Design Show at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. It’s a wonderful venue for a show that deserved to be restored from purgatory.

We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items as often as time permits. 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.

The results of the 2018 Original Miami Antique Show, February 9-12, 2018

Thursday’s post will be delayed until Monday to include the results of the the 31st National Arts & Crafts Conference this weekend.

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


My lovely wife Lia is helping a client

We bought this fabulous Tiffany lamp at the show and sold it before the show was over

The 2018 Original Miami Antique show at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Center is now history. Personally we did okay, certainly not great, selling mostly French cameo glass and Tiffany lamps and desk items. The pace was plodding, with a sale here and there. Most of the action took place each day before 4 PM, with very little after then.

Saturday afternoon in my booth

The coolest booth in the entire show, Eduardo Cohen, Buenos Aires, Argentina, displayed model airplanes and ships. Unfortunately I believe he had a poor show.

It’s a huge show that’s spread out over several buildings, with one whole building filled with just jewelry dealers. The other buildings were full of a very diverse group of antique dealers.

Monday was a total bust. I have no idea why show management insists on ending a show on Monday. Four-day shows should run Thursday –  Sunday. It put me in a foul mood, so I didn’t feel like asking other dealers how they did. Sorry. Blame the management.

The construction on the Washington Ave. (east) side of the Miami Beach Convention Center is ahead of the west side.

We’ve signed a contract for next year’s show at the renovated Miami Beach Convention Center. Got my fingers crossed that the construction proceeds smoothly so we can return to Miami Beach.


By the time you read this post we’ll be on our way to Asheville, NC, to exhibit at one of our favorite shows of the year, the 31st National Arts & Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn, this coming weekend, February 16 – 18. It’s a great show that I recommend you make the effort to attend.


I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items 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.

Setting up at the Original Miami Antique Show, February 7, 2018

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


We spent yesterday setting up our booth for the Original Miami Antique show at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Center. Our booth is a bit smaller than last week, but setup is still going smoothly. We’ll have it all done for Friday’s opening at 11 AM.

We’ll have this fabulous, just acquired, Tiffany lamp in our booth

The show is much larger than last week with many additional dealers with incredible and varied selections. Nobody will be disappointed when they visit this immense show. It continues through Monday at 5 PM.

Based on the action last week, I’m cautiously optimistic. I will delay my usual post-show Monday post until Tuesday, since the show ends on Monday.


Next week we’ll exhibit at one of our favorite shows of the year, the 31st National Arts & Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, February 16 – 18.


I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items 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.

The results of the Miami Antiques + Art + Design Show, February 2-4, 2018

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


There were a few people in our booth on Sunday

The Miami Antiques + Art + Design Show is over. We did quite well, selling across the board including four lamps, French cameo glass and Tiffany lamps, glass and desk pieces. Attendance was fairly decent the first two days, but Sunday was quite slow. Even still we sold every day including two sales on Sunday.

A Tiffany Studios 7-light lily table lamp was one of four lamps we sold

Asking around, I heard about 50/50 good comments vs. complaints. Glass dealers did fairly well while painting dealers I spoke to did not.

Now we’re getting ready for the big Original Miami Antique show at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Center. It opens to the public this Friday at 11 AM and continues until Monday at 5 PM. Got my fingers crossed it will go well. It’s a much bigger show than last week’s Airport Show, so there’s more action. If you can only make one show in Miami, this is the one. I’m looking forward to seeing you there. Stop by and say hello.

Can’t wait to get back into the renovated Miami Beach Convention Center next year. Construction is supposed to be finished by August, 2018, so I’m hopeful it will come true. More on that in a future blog post.


I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items 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.

Setting up at the Miami Antiques + Art + Design Show, January 30 – February 1, 2018

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


Setup at the Miami Antiques + Art + Design Show is half over. We moved our booth to #513 in aisle 5, so we could have an end cap. (So called because it’s at the end of a row and crosses between two aisles, 5 and 6.) It’s going well, but it’s a big job with so many items. No worries, though, as it’s a gigantic space, with plenty of room for everything. We’ll have it all done by the time the show opens to the public tomorrow, Friday, at 11 AM.

We’re just getting started in our booth

Rick & Bob Kaplan, California

The show is a wee bit smaller than last year, with two fewer aisles. It’s still full of the highest quality antiques you could ask for, in any category from silver to jewelry to paintings to glass and lamps (me!) and everything in between.

Bruce Horton Antiques, Bridgeport, PA

You will be thrilled with the size and quality of the show. Come visit and help make the show a big success. It’s always good but this year it’s great!

Next week we’ll exhibit at the Original Miami Antique Show at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Center. Hopefully this is the last time we’ll exhibit there. Got my fingers crossed we’ll be back in Miami Beach next year at the renovated Miami Beach Convention Center.


I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items 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.