I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

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Very few authentic Tiffany Studios lamps come up for sale in Europe, but occasionally one does. Aguttes, a French auction house, sold one on March 24, 2022 in their 20th Century Design sale. The lamp was a rare 16″ diameter Grapevine shade on a Bamboo base; a strange combination, in my opinion, but apparently original as presented.

Figuring out the value of this lamp was difficult because there were no comparisons with the usual suspects; Tiffany floral, leaded lamps. This one was built with six green glass bent panels and overlaid with Grapevine filigree. Who could I sell this lamp to? Most probably a collector of the Grapevine desk set who had the means to pay for it; i.e., a small subset of Tiffany lamp buyers. Seems like caution should have been my operative word.

I did my due diligence by getting a condition report. The shade was unsigned; a negative, but not a deal breaker. The base was a very good model, but usually seen with a matching Bamboo shade. The condition was superb, including the glass panels and the patina on both the shade and base. The sockets had been changed to European; a negative because of the cost of changing them back to American. I had to weigh it all in determining what I was willing to pay.

Selling as lot #34, it had an estimate of €6,000 – €8,000. I decided to bid up to €12,000, but got carried away when the bidding passed that. I dropped out at about €15,000. It sold for €19,500, including buyer’s premium; approximately $21,418. I was the underbidder. I don’t think I would have been the buyer even if I had gone a little higher. The other bidder seemed determined.

And so it goes. You win some and you lose some. I’ll keep searching. If you have any Tiffany lamps for sale, please think of me.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

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No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

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Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.

I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

Bonham’s, the UK’s third-largest auction house after Sotheby’s and Christie’s, has decided to expand its reach within the United States with the purchase of the venerable Massachusetts-based auction house, Skinner Inc. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. I’ve been buying at Skinner’s for decades, and remember Mr. Skinner. I shouldn’t have been surprised as Bonham’s bought Butterfield’s Auction in California in 2002. Now I’m curious about some other auction houses, like Doyle New York, for example. If they’re acquired, it will no longer be a surprise.

Click on the following link for Bonham’s announcement.

P.S. Bonham’s is trying to become a powerhouse. On March 22nd, Bonham’s purchased another auction house, this time Denmark’s leading auction house, Bruun Rasmussen. Click here for the announcement.

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No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

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Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.

I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

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I said I would devote an entire blog post to a single lamp that I sold a few weeks ago. So here it is.

I did a complicated deal with a couple of real gentlemen in Canada. Many items came my way and a few items went their way. The best of the lot coming my way was a Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Acorn chandelier. Yes, that’s not a typo. The lamp had all the original hardware from the day it was made into a chandelier.

It was filthy, but you could see the color was great and the condition was excellent. The sky blue at the top was dramatic and the rust-red at the bottom was gorgeous, as was the transitional glass in the middle. It would have been difficult to sell as a chandelier, so I had my restorer remove the hanging hardware and I put it on a proper, original base with a great patina, original cap, etc. Now it’s a stunning table lamp. I have no doubt that Mr. Tiffany himself would have approved.

I debated and debated whether to keep it for my private collection or sell it. Selling won out, but I definitely have my regrets. It sold to the first client I offered it to. My wife is not happy with my decision. I’ll never get another one like it, but now it’s water under the bridge.

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No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

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Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.

I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

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Doyle New York sold the mostly French glass collection of Dr. Thomas Chua on March 4, 2022. Sales totaled $435,111, more than double the pre-sale estimate of $124,150-184,650. Spirited bidding pushed the sell-through rate to 98%. Following are a few of the highlights.

The top lot of the sale was #89; and hard to explain. The only thing special about it were the internal foil specks. The colors were mostly undesirable brown and green. The shape was nice, with a pinched-in rim, but nothing special. The size was small at 4½”. Yet it sold for $13,860, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $700 – $1,000. I probably wouldn’t have bought it even if had only brought $1,500. Like I’ve said before, sometimes bidders have more cents than sense.

Chat (Cat) decoration in Le Verre Francais is one of the rarest and most desirable. Lot #145 was a sterling example, with a great shape and superb color. At 10″ tall, it was a wonderful example. It sold for $11,610, including buyer’s premium, against a ridiculously low estimate of $300 – $400. I don’t buy much Le Verre Francais nowadays as I exhibit at very few shows. But if I did exhibit at more shows, I probably would have bought this vase.

There were only a few offerings by Tiffany Studios. Lot #183 was a so-so example of a Favrile glass floor lamp. It had nice color and ribbing in the shade, but there were quite a few chips on the fitter rim. The base had an unattractive statuary bronze doré finish. It was loose and needed help. It sold for $10,080, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $3,000 – $4,000. Seems about right. It would have sold for thousands more if the shade were in perfect condition and the base had a nicer finish.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

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No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

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Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.

I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

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Business continues to be good, with sales of Tiffany lamps and French glass leading the way. Following are few of the more notable sales.

I sold the lovely Tiffany Studios 14″ diameter Turtleback table lamp pictured above. I also sold a killer 20″ diameter Acorn table lamp but I don’t have any photos yet. It was so special I will devote an entire blog post to it.

I’ve always loved Daum Nancy’s broken egg shape. Most of them don’t have a foot, but the variation pictured above does. It’s special because of both the shape and the adorable ducklings. The gilding on the rim and foot puts a cherry on the cake.

Gallé’s work from the 19th century was totally different than his 20th century work, where acid-etching became the main technique. The fabulous example above is a real rarity. It’s decorated with two gorgeous, gilded and enameled, stylized dragonflies. The blue-green waves are internal between layers of glass. Look at the background where you can see acid-etched starbursts. Then look closely at the foot where you can see a band of light brown and white dragonflies painted around the circumference. Wait. I’m not finished. Did you notice the fabulous shape with a bent neck and an applied handle? Hold on, there’s more. It’s got a great, original ram’s head stopper. It’s one of the coolest pieces of early Gallé glass that I’ve ever sold.

This week is the week where I’ll spend some time photographing and listing some of my recent purchases. Please take the time to check it out.

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No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

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Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.

I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

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Soulis Auctions, Lone Jack, MO, sold the Sawa Boulden Collection of French, Austrian and American Art Glass on February 20, 2022, with some excellent results, especially pâte-de-vere. Following is a review of a few highlights.

One of the items I tried to buy was lot #600, a gorgeous, blue, moderately large Almaric Walter pâte-de-verre Dragonfly tray, 8¼” x 7″. Estimated to sell for $3,000 – $5,000, it realized $12,000, including buyer’s premium. That was a retail price that I couldn’t pay.

I did manage to buy a wonderful Daum Nancy miniature Swan vase, probably because the main photo did not show the swan, but rather the back with only trees. It was the only item I bought. I was outbid on the other six that interested me.

Lot #655 was another wonderful Walter pâte-de-verre item; a tray with a mouse. I loved it, but wouldn’t pay the final price of $7,800, including buyer’s premium. I didn’t think that I could make a profit at that level.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to log in (free) to view the prices.

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No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.

I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

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I missed the Rago Early 20th Century Design sale on January 20, 2022, because I was vacationing with my wife in St. Maarten. Someone has to do it. :>) Have you ever been there? It’s such a wonderful place. The beaches have the bluest, cleanest water and the island has world-class restaurants, plus gambling, plus it’s safe.

Where was I? Oh, the auction. It included a wide selection of American and European ceramics, glass, desk sets and lamps. Sales totaled $2,272,980.

This review will not include any of the ceramics.

The top lot of the sale was a decent, but not special, Tiffany 16″ diameter Peacock Feather table lamp, lot #298. It came on a rare, very nice base with inset, irregularly-shaped Turtleback tiles. It sold in the middle of its $75,000 – $95,000 estimate, realizing $106,250, including buyer’s premium. It probably would have done much better if it had been a purple example, rather than brown.

The sale included many desk sets from the collection of George Kemeny, the co-author of Tiffany Desk Treasures. Lot #321, a green Tiffany Furnaces desk set in the Art Deco pattern, sold best. It realized $8,125, against an estimate of $6,000 – $8,000.

I don’t understand the result for lot #358, a Gallé 9½” vase with painted daisies. It sold for $16,250, against an estimate of $2,400 – $3,500. What’s up with that? It was nice, but not special enough that it should have sold for $16,250. Sometimes two bidders with big egos clash. I like to say they have more cents than sense. The resulting silly price is a win for the consignor.

I finished writing this post before the Super Bowl, so here are my predictions. The Rams will win by enough to cover the spread. Odell Beckham, Jr. will do something spectacular. Some people say Joe Burrow is another Joe Namath, but I think he’ll have to wait for his ring. (I hope I don’t have to eat my words.)

Monday update: The Rams won, but not by enough to cover the spread. They might have if the referees had called a face mask penalty on the Bengals that led to a Bengals TD. Odell Beckham, Jr. was good before he was injured, but not spectacular. I’m ahead on my online bet even though I lost, because Draft Kings never deducted the bet from my account. Their screwup; my gain.

For the results of the sale, click here.

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Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.

I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

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Skinner’s, Boston, MA, held a 10-day, online-only, Lighting & Design sale on January 21, 2022. The sale included lamps by many different companies, including Tiffany Studios, Duffner & Kimberly, Handel, Pairpoint and others, as well as glassware by both European and American companies. I tried to buy many items, but was successful on only a few.

First and foremost, I wanted to buy a lovely Tiffany Studios 17″ diameter Dragonfly table lamp, lot #1003. I bid strongly and thought I had it, when another bidder or bidders jumped in at the last minute and got it. It sold for an impressive $87,500, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $20,000 – $40,000. The photo above didn’t do it justice. It had much more blue in the background. Congrats to the buyer; too bad for me.

The market for Handel and Pairpoint lamps is weak. Prices are down 50% or more from the peak of the market a couple of decades ago. One lamp that did reasonably well at the sale was a rare Pairpoint puffy Orange Tree table lamp, lot #1013. It sold for $25,000, including buyer’s premium, against an estimate of $15,000 – $20,000. Some of the Pairpoint lamps in the sale sold for as little as 33 cents on the dollar.

I informed Skinner’s that lot #1112, which was listed as a Gallé vase, was a reproduction. They subsequently amended their listing to Gallé-style vase. It still sold for $2,000, including buyer’s premium. It should have sold for a tenth of that.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

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No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

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Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.

I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

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Paolo Sparano Vitelli, Florence, Italy, sent me an unsolicited email earlier this month offering me a very fine Daum Nancy Dutch Winter 14″ scenic vase. I made an offer, we negotiated and then he responded “I appreciate your fair offer but I already receiving a lot of heat (the good one) regarding this piece and had already higher better offer, not enough honestly. I do not want to transform this in a online auction between parts and keeping in mind you should be able to do your profit but for less than 7500€ + PP commissions (2.4%) + shipping cost (around 90$ thru DHL professionally packed) for this pristine piece with the right presentation and really good size i will certainly keep it and probably pursue/offer for the final collector. First dealer/gallerist reaching my fair premisses (sic) will got it, it’s my commitment.” Please note my commitment.

I answered “It hurts me to pay so much, but I love it, so I will take it at €7.500 + fees.” (approximately $8,500) I went to pay immediately with PayPal when I saw that their bad exchange rate + fees would cost me another few hundred dollars, so I advised Paolo that I would pay by wire transfer immediately after the weekend. In the meantime, I wanted proof that Paolo really possessed the vase, so I asked for a photo. He also sent me a photo of his identity card and driver’s license (which I will not publish here).

We had a few more email exchanges. Here’s mine on Saturday, Jan. 22nd. “I’ll send you a wire transfer from my international account on Monday. As soon as it’s done, I’ll send you a copy. You should receive the funds before the end of the week.” He replied 3 minutes later “Just keep me updated please.”

I initiated the wire transfer on Monday morning, as promised, when I received the following email a short while later. “I’m calling this deal off. I have a long line of dealers and collectors trying to have it and i’m (sic) waiting your response / funds for too long. Maybe it’s not your priority, but this is not the correct way to do business in my humble point of view. Thanks again but DO NOT send any transfer anymore.”

Paolo couldn’t have been more transparent. It’s clear he received a higher offer. No one goes from sweet to indignant in a flash without an ulterior motive. Apparently he’s quite disreputable and dishonest. Shame on you, Paolo. To keep his honor, he should have rejected any competing offer, no matter the amount, since our deal was mutually agreed upon. Luckily I was able to stop the wire transfer because the money wasn’t going to be deducted from my bank account until the next day.

I haven’t had a bad deal like this for decades and hope not to have another one like it. Fortunately for me, most people I deal with are honest, not unscrupulous like Paolo. You can deal with him at your own peril.

On the other hand, I just did a deal with a couple of gentlemen in Canada. They shipped me a collection for my inspection before I paid for it, just on my word. The deal couldn’t have gone smoother. Thank goodness for the honorable people in this business.

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No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

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Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.

I will do my best to publish a new post every Monday.

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I assume you would like an explanation. Fair enough. I sold a phenomenal number of items and did very well. So the show was fantastic. But I didn’t sell these items to the public. I sold them to my own clients via email, texts, photos and phone calls. I only made two sales to the public. If those were the only sales I had made, the show would have been a disaster. So the show was terrible.

I really had no idea how Covid would affect the show. The answer is that many clients did not come. The best clients are the ones who fly or drive in from wherever. They’re serious clients who make the effort to travel long distances, in some cases. Local people who stroll in from a leisurely drive have very little invested. Many of them are not serious. As a result, attendance was lighter than usual and interest was way down.

We gave out lots of business cards — a very bad sign. People take business cards in a disingenuous attempt to leave gracefully. It’s just a ruse, as most of the time they’re not really interested. If that’s the case, they should say so and not ask for a card. One old-timer many years ago told us he doesn’t give out cards for this exact reason. He seemed like a curmudgeon at the time, but insightful in retrospect.

Both of my sales to the public were Daum Nancy. One was a gorgeous Birch Tree scenic vase and the other was a fantastic box with padded and wheel-carved poppies.

Of course I’ll do the show again next year, but my expectations will be different. If Covid is still important in a year, it will continue to have negative consequences. If it fades in importance, I suspect many more people will be willing to make the long distance trip. Got my fingers crossed, not just for me, but for humanity.

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No shows until October 20, 2022, when we’ll exhibit at the Baltimore Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Two weeks later we’ll exhibit at the Antiques + Modernism Show in Winnetka, IL, starting on November 4, 2022.

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Let me know what interests you, even if you don’t see it on my website. I’ve got lots of items that I haven’t listed yet and I know how to locate what you desire.

I 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.