Would you pay $3.2 million for a comic book? Someone did.

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Philip Chasen

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.

Action Comics #1, sealed in plastic

A copy of Action Comics #1, which introduced Superman to the world, was put up for auction on eBay. By the time the sale ended on August 24, 2014, a new world record of $3,207,852 was established — not bad for a comic that originally sold for 10¢ in 1938. This example was sealed in plastic by Comic Guaranty LLC (CGC), a comic book grading service, and graded 9.0 (out of 10). That made it the highest-rated example of the estimated 50-100 examples thought to still exist, of the original 200,000 printed. It had been stored in a cedar locker for decades, so it had perfect white pages and no damage — just what collectors desire.

Darren Adams, with his Action Comics #1 (photo courtesy of eBay)

Many times the name of the purchaser or seller is not known, but in this instance, we know the identities of both. Darren Adams, the owner of Pristine Comics, was the seller, who purportedly paid over $1,000,000 (but how much over only he and the seller know). Vincent Zurzolo and Stephen Fishler were the buyers. They are the partners of Metropolis Collectibles of NYC, the bigshots of the vintage comic book world. Their belief is that their purchase is a good investment that will realize a profit.

Vincent Zurzolo (right) and Stephen Fishler with a different copy of Action Comics #1

In my eyes, it’s a game of musical chairs. I wouldn’t want to be the last one standing, with a $3.2 million comic book, when the music stops. In the meantime, the prices keep marching on. The last eBay auction of Action Comics #1 was in 2011, when it set the then current record of $2,161,000. Prior to that, in 2010, Comic Connect was the first auction house to break the $1 million barrier with another copy.

Christopher Reeve as Superman

Christopher Reeve was probably the best-known of all the actors who portrayed Superman. In 1995, he became a quadriplegic after being thrown from a horse during a competition. Darren Adams intends to donate 1% of the sales price to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation for spinal-cord injury and paralysis research.

The show will be held in the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014

Our next show is new to our schedule. The NYC Big Flea Market will run from September 27-28. The new promoters, D’Amore Promotions, will be using the same Pier 94 that is used by USA Antique Shows for their November and March shows. This one will be substantially different, with an entirely new cast of dealers. Click here for more information. It should be good, so I’m really looking forward to it.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

A Chinese bowl, used by the family cat as a bed, sold for £108,000 at auction, August 6, 2014

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Philip Chasen

15th century Imperial Ming dynasty bowl

A Chinese bowl, used by the family cat for sleeping, was sold at auction in the UK on August 6, 2014 for £108,000 ($177,763). Reeman Dansie Auctioneers of Colchester, UK, estimated the bowl to sell for £200-300, considering it was in poor condition.

The underside of the 12″ diameter bowl

The good news was that the bowl was probably authentic and from the 15th century Imperial Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644). Chinese fakes are a big problem, so the provenance and condition convinced the bidders that this was the real deal. The bowl had been passed down for generations in the family of Major General John Tulloch, who brought it back to England from China in 1900. At some point in its history, it was broken in two and repaired with staples. This was one of the rare times that poor condition added to an object’s value.

A staple used for the repair can be clearly seen

The bowl was one of nine Chinese lots consigned by the family to the auction. All of the items did very well, mainly because of the rock-solid family provenance. For example, an 11″ vase from the 19th century sold for almost £40,000 ($65,847) even with a damaged lid. Most of the bidders were Chinese, looking to repatriate their heritage. Chinese antiques have been on a decade-long tear since the rise of a wealthy upper-class in China. The winning bidder for the bowl bid by telephone from mainland China.

The show will be held in the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014

We decided to add a new show to our schedule, the NYC Big Flea Market. The new promoters, D’Amore Promotions, will be using the same Pier 94 that is used by USA Antique Shows for their November and March shows. This one will be substantially different, with an entirely new cast of dealers. Click here for more information. It should be good, so I’m really looking forward to it.

Think You Might Have a Valuable Old or Rare Book?

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Philip Chasen

This is a guest post by Adam Weinberger of RareBookBuyer.com, a New York City book dealer with over thirty years’ experience. Please feel free to contact him with your questions about old and rare books.

Historia de omnibus gothorum sueonumque regibus (History of all Kings of Goths and Swedes) is an important (and inventive) Renaissance work on the history of Sweden, written by Johannes Magnus, the last Catholic archbishop of Sweden, published in 1554.

If you’re like me, you probably have a relative with an attic full of dusty old books. Some of them may be one hundred years old or more. You’ve probably also asked yourself: are those old books valuable? Could you have a hidden treasure, like the people on Antiques Roadshow?

The answer isn’t always obvious. Many old and rare books aren’t inherently valuable. But there are a number of factors you can look at to help you decide whether or not your old book is worth something.

The oldest known American checkbook was issued by the Bank of New York in the 1790s and includes a payment to Alexander Hamilton!

The first factor is rarity: how many other copies of your book are out there? The more rare it is, the more valuable it’s likely to be. It may surprise you, but most books from the 19th century are not very rare—especially bibles and other religious texts. Tens of thousands of copies still exist. Books printed before 1800 have a better chance of being valuable. First editions of a book tend to be rarer and more valuable than subsequent editions. And any kind of unique material—manuscripts, journals, original artwork—is worthy of study by a professional dealer.

The next factor to look at is importance. Was your book influential, groundbreaking, or scandalous? Did it change the course of literature, science, or history? Those are the kinds of books that collectors and dealers are usually interested in.

A page from The Google Book, a nonsense animal poem written by the English economist V.C. Vickers in 1913. Only 100 copies were printed of the book, making it very rare.

If you’ve concluded that you have a rare and important book, you next want to look at condition. Is your book in good shape? Just because it looks better than you will in 150 years, don’t assume the answer is yes! Condition can make a big difference in value: The book’s binding should be strong and original. The paper should clean and unspotted. None of the pages should be missing.

Ok, let’s say your book is rare, important, and in good shape. Next you want to know where it came from. That’s called provenance. An interesting provenance can often increase a book’s value. Who owned the book before you? Look for inscriptions or bookplates (an owner’s sticker). Maybe someone important owned the book in the past. Or perhaps it was part of a famous collection. Or it was inscribed to someone close to the author. All of those are examples of interesting — and potentially valuable — provenances.

The last factor to understand is desirability. This one is hard to pin down. It basically means, will someone out there want to buy your book? In some ways, desirability is a combination of the other factors: collectors often look for a combination of rarity, importance, condition and provenance. But it’s possible to have an ancient first edition in pristine condition that no one wants to buy. In that case the book is most valuable—to you!

If you think you have a valuable book, speak to an experienced book dealer. RareBookBuyer is happy to offer free appraisals of your old or rare books. You can contact us by email, webuyrarebooks@gmail.com, or call us at 646.469.1851.

The show will be held in the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014

We just decided to add a new show to our schedule, the NYC Big Flea Market. The new promoters, D’Amore Promotions, will be using the same Pier 94 that is used by USA Antique Shows for their November and March shows. This one will be substantially different, with an entirely new cast of dealers. Click here for more information. It should be good, so I’m really looking forward to it.

Norway museum returns Nazi-stolen Matisse painting to heirs

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Matisse’s Profil Bleu Devant la Cheminée

Henri Matisse painted Profil Bleu Devant la Cheminée (Woman in Blue in Front of a Fireplace) in 1937, which was purchased by the French collector and gallery owner, Paul Rosenberg. In 1941, the year after Rosenberg and his family escaped to the US, the Nazis looted 162 of his paintings, including the Matisse. After several changes of hands, the painting found its way into the collection of the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (Henie Onstad Art Center) in Norway in 1961, where it remained until recently. The museum was founded by the shipping magnate Niels Onstad and his Olympic figure-skating champion wife, Sonja Henie.

The Henie Onstad Kunstsenter near Oslo, Norway

Rosenberg and his heirs made many attempts to recover the painting, but were unable to locate it. Ultimately, the painting was discovered in the collection of the museum. Christopher A. Marinello, an attorney, and chairman and founder of Art Recovery Group, led the successful negotiations for the return of the painting to Rosenberg’s heirs, which has an estimated value of $20 million. While it’s great to hear about the return of an important painting, it should be noted that this is only one of an estimated 650,000 artworks and religious items stolen from Jews and other victims by the Nazis.

Museum Chairman Halvor Stenstadvold (left) and Christopher Marinello made the announcement in Norway

The principles that formed the basis for the return of much Nazi-confiscated art were promulgated at the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets, November 30 to December 3, 1998, when the Department of State and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum hosted more than 40 governments. For the complete details, click here.

The show will be held in the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014

The results of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair, August 21-24, 2014

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Philip Chasen

There was a good crowd at the opening on Thursday morning

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair closed yesterday, Sunday, August 24th. It was an interesting show for us, but the bottom line was disappointing. The show started weakly on opening day, then got stronger on Friday. We were hopeful that the weekend would be good, but it wasn’t. Attendance was best on Saturday, but we only made two small sales. Sunday attendance was fair, but we only made one sale to the public, but two good sales to dealers on the floor of the show. Sales were down over 50% from the average of the last several years.

Sales were not commensurate with interest and the number of questions

I asked several dealers for their results. Some allowed me to use their names and others preferred to remain anonymous. Jack Ophir of Englewood, NJ, said “Our show was consistent with previous year’s successes.” Butler & Butler of Sarasota, FL remarked “Considering the market, we were delighted. We saw lots of previous customers and some new ones.” Alfred Cali of Cleveland, OH told me “We did well, mostly artwork.” An East Coast Art Nouveau dealer said “Traffic was off and I would have preferred more sales.” Sayed Hosseini of Antique Legacy of Upland, CA, remarked “It was good.” Brothers Bob and Rick Kaplan of CA said “The show was disappointing. We did 50% less than last year with unusually small crowds.” Chris Mulloy of Palm Springs, CA was happy. “The show was fantastic. All my customers came and were true to me.” Jeff Myers was also pleased. “My show was very good.” And finally one of the major dealers of the show said “We did well, but not great”.

The show will be held in the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014

Setting up at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair, August 19-20, 2014

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Philip Chasen

We can drive right up to our booths in Baltimore

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair will be open today, Thursday, August 21, as you read my blog. We’ve spent the last couple of days setting up the show. It was hard work, but worth the effort — the booth looks great. It’s filled with lots of new goodies that we’ve been buying both from private homes and other dealers. During setup, all the dealers shop from each other, including me. I was able to buy some lovely items.

The show is fabulous. Just like in the winter for Miami Beach, dealers save their best items to bring to this show. It’s worth the effort because many of the attendees travel great distances to attend. Only motivated people are willing to do that, so the crowd includes serious buyers. People travel to this show from all over the world, not just the USA. They come to see the dealers who exhibit at very few shows and the vast assortment of great merchandise.

What other city offers this? Jimmy John’s is next door to the Convention Center

You’ll not only enjoy the fabulous show, but also Baltimore. It’s changed greatly since we started exhibiting there over 30 years ago, all for the better. Entire neighborhoods have been transformed, which include really great restaurants. If you’re a foodie, like I am, you’ll love the choice. Then take advantage of the Inner Harbor and its activities, including a world-class aquarium.

See you at the show! We’re in the extreme right-hand corner as you enter the show, in booth #2100. Come and say hello!! The show runs until this Sunday, August 24th, at 6 PM. Then tune in on Monday for the results of the show.

How can you tell if an etching is authentic?

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Philip Chasen

There isn’t much going on in the summer, so I’ve decided to reprint another one of my most popular blogs — How can you tell if an etching is authentic? Here it is in its entirety.

Louis Icart pulling a proof of Joy of Life from the etching press

First one has to understand the process of producing an etching. The artist does his work on a copper plate, so the “original” is a copper plate that’s rarely for sale. To produce the image, the plate first is hand-inked. Then the paper is laid down on top and the two pass together through the etching press, under tremendous pressure. The pressure transfers the image to the paper. Since the copper plate has thickness, it “dents” the paper around the edge of the image. This “dent” is called a plate impression. You can see it and feel it around the edge of the plate. So #1. A real etching has a plate impression.

Since the process is not photographic and there is no printing press, there are no dots in the image. If you use a magnifying glass to look at a photograph in a newspaper, you can see the entire image is made up of dots. Use a magnifying glass with an original etching and there are no dots. So #2. An authentic etching does not have any dots in the image.

After the edition is printed by the master printer, it is given back to the artist for hand-signing. Prints or other fakes have copies of the signature. So #3. Authentic etchings are hand-signed by the artist, usually in pencil.

In the case of Louis Icart, a raised seal called a blindstamp, was created in mid-1926, and is usually found in the lower left corner, just below the image. Most Icart images produced after this time have the blindstamp, but don’t use this information as a crutch. There are some fake etchings that have fake blindstamps. And conversely, there are many authentic Icart etchings that do not have blindstamps. Supposedly the etchings without blindstamps were not for export from France, but personally I’ve found too many instances where this rule doesn’t pertain.

Don’t forget to make your last-minute arrangements for the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair. It starts this Thursday, August 21st at noon and continues until Sunday, August 24th at 6 PM. I promise you’ll enjoy the show and the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Please come to my booth, #2100, and say hello. Thursday’s blog will be from Baltimore on opening day of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair and next Monday I’ll post the results of the show.

How to clean antique glass including Tiffany Studios Favrile and French Cameo Glass

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Philip Chasen

There isn’t much going on in the summer, so I’ve decided to reprint one of my most popular blogs — How to clean antique glass including Tiffany Studios Favrile and French Cameo Glass. Here it is in its entirety.

Having sold many thousands of antique glass vases over the years, I’ve learned a lot about how to clean them from trial and error and a few mistakes. It also doesn’t hurt to have a Master’s Degree in Chemistry.

Most people are quite timid about using chemicals on glass. They’re afraid they’ll ruin their vase by removing the decoration or somehow damaging it. There are very few times this would actually be true. Cold-painted decoration on a vase could be ruined by the use of some chemicals but Tiffany Favrile vases and French cameo vases by Daum, Galle, and others have no cold-painting, so all of the steps I describe below are appropriate. If you suspect that your vase has cold-painting on it, test a small area with one of the cleaners below, using a Q-tip. If any color comes off, stop and use only the mildest cleaners.

Eco-House citrous thinner

The first step is to remove any sticky substances, which will dissolve in organic solvents such as mineral spirits or acetone (nail polish remover). There are also some good commercial products available, such as Goo Gone, available at stores like Office Depot, or online. Another product I like is citrous thinner, made from orange peels. It smells a lot better than the other solvents and is quite effective. Click here if you’d like to order it.

Start by looking for anything sticky with your eyes and your fingers. Wet a rag or paper towel with just a little solvent. Rub the affected area until the dirt or stickiness is gone. Mineral spirits is a gentler solvent than acetone, so try it first. Mineral spirits is especially good for removing the gum from old labels. Use acetone second, if you need a stronger solvent. These various solvents will also remove crayon, sap, or any similar substance.

Easy-Off Fume Free

Next we’re ready for aqueous cleaning. I suggest you do this in a sink. Most of the cleaners will make your vase slippery, so be very careful not to lose control and break it. The gentlest cleaners are dishwashing liquid or Windex. I like to use them with an old toothbrush. Scrub the vase with the first cleaner and see if the dirt comes off. If it’s stubborn, you can proceed to the next level of cleaning power with commercial products like Scrubbing Bubbles or Dow Bathroom Cleaner. Repeat the process. Spray the vase, let it sit for a few minutes and clean again with a toothbrush or similar brush. If that’s not strong enough, you can go to the highest level of cleaning power — Easy-Off. There are two types of Easy-Off available. The blue can, labeled “Fume Free” is the one I recommend. (It’s not really fume free, but it’s not too bad.) It’s powerful and should remove any leftover dirt. Finally rinse your vase thoroughly in plain water and dry completely with an old towel. If it’s safe, let it dry upside down. It’s a good idea to use gloves to protect your hands, an apron to protect your clothing and glasses to protect your eyes. Easy-Off in the yellow can is lye (sodium hydroxide). It’s very powerful. It will eat through the dirt nicely, but also through your clothes and skin as well as severely damage your eyes. Immediately flush with plain water if you have an accident. You’ll know you’ve gotten it on your skin if it feels slimy.

To clean the inside of your vase, you’ll need various brushes to reach hard-to-get-to areas. Just use one of the sprays above, let sit, and brush away. Justman Brush Company sells hundreds of different brushes.

A vase whose glass has been etched on the interior

Vases that have been used with water over the years can present bigger problems. The first problem may be scratches on the inside of the vase. The second and more serious problem goes under the general category of “sick” glass and may include etching of the glass interior or depositing of lime or other minerals, which usually shows as a white deposit. Cleaners will not effectively fix these problems. The only real way to treat problems of this sort is to go to an expert who can “tumble” the vase to resurface the interior. It’s basically the same as sandpapering the entire interior — great for a transparent vase, but not as good for a vase that has a finish on the interior, like an iridescent vase. Use this link for Paul Nulton, who does this kind of work.

Sometimes with a minimum amount of work, the results can be quite gratifying. Many vases were kept in homes where the owners smoked or the air was smoky from fireplaces or stoves. This shows as a dingy brown coating. Cleaning this off often reveals unexpected bright and beautiful colors.

Don’t forget to make your arrangements for the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair. It starts next Thursday, August 21st at noon and continues until Sunday, August 24th at 6 PM. I promise you’ll enjoy the show and the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Please come to my booth and say hello. Monday I’ll post the results, which I trust will be good.

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair opens next Thursday, August 21, 2014

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Philip Chasen

This was our booth at the Baltimore show

The important Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair opens next Thursday, August 21, 2014 at noon and continues until Sunday, August 24, 2014 at 6 PM. This is one of the two most important and exciting shows of the year, together with the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show in the winter. The show is really big, so the selection is vast. Some of the dealers exhibit at very few shows, so it’s an opportunity to see some very exciting, high-quality merchandise. Think of something you want to see and chances are good you’ll find it at the show.

We’ll have this important Gallé Lake Como vase at the show

We’ve been shopping and shopping since late spring, so we’re going to have a fresh selection of merchandise, including some real rarities in Tiffany Favrile glass and lamps, as well as French cameo glass by Gallé and Daum. I’ve got an appointment this week to buy some Tiffany glass and lamps from an important private collection. I’ll bring those items to the show.

Billy Rau of M.S. Rau is one of the important dealers at the show

There’s still plenty of time to make arrangements to visit the show. I like to use Hotwire for the best deals on hotels. I just checked for a 4-day stay in the Baltimore Inner Harbor area (right by the show), starting on Wednesday and departing on Sunday. Here’s what I found. A 3½-star hotel is $87/night (my guess is the Sheraton next door) and a 4-star boutique hotel for $122/night (my guess is the Kimpton Hotel Monaco) and a 3-star hotel for $75/night (my guess is the Holiday Inn).

Inside the National Aquarium

I promise you, you’ll enjoy the show and the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Are you a foodie? There are lots of great restaurants. Like the water? There are ferries, street performers, and lots of stores at the Inner Harbor, plus the National Aquarium. Come to the show and let me know what you think. Monday I’ll post the results, which I trust will be good.

The results of the Kansas City Antiques Expo, August 1-2, 2014

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Monday’s post will be up by 10 AM.

Saturday afternoon in my booth

The Kansas City Antiques Expo began on Friday at 10 AM and continued until 6 PM Saturday. This was my first time at the new exhibition facility at the Holiday Inn KCI. Last year, the show was in Overland Park, KS. Our show was going poorly until we made a couple of sales on Saturday afternoon, including a Tiffany Favrile floor lamp to clients who drove all the way from Dallas (500 miles) to see us. (Thank you!!)

This Tiffany lamp is similar to the one we sold at the show

Attendance was very light the entire two days, making it difficult to make sales. Chris Miller, the promoter, is a nice guy who’s trying hard to build the show back up, but is obviously having a tough time of it. I think part of the problem is that it was the summer edition of the show. Colder weather is almost always better for attendance, interest and sales. We’ll probably try the show again in November, as the dates coordinate with our shows in Winnetka, IL and New York, NY.

In asking around, I mostly heard grumbling about the attendance. A few people did well enough to come back, including a dealer from Minnesota who especially wanted to support Chris Miller. Some people told me they won’t be returning.

Now we’re off for a couple of weeks before the big, important Baltimore Summer Antiques Show. It’s the biggest and best show of the summer, and one of the best of the year. It’s to the summer what the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show is to the winter. Buyers fly in from all over the world, including as far away as Japan. There are still great rooms available on Hotwire.com. Here are some hints. A 4-star hotel is available for $101/night. It’s probably the Hilton next door. A 4-star boutique hotel is available @ $114/night. That’s probably the Monaco Baltimore Hotel, a Kimpton hotel. A 3½-star hotel is available for $80/night. That’s probably the Sheraton, also next door. (I make no guarantees, just educated guesses.) Make your plans now to come to the show. You’ll love the show and you’ll love Baltimore.

This fine Handel 18″ diameter Black Bird lamp is a recent purchase

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Would you pay $3.2 million for a comic book? Someone did.

A Chinese bowl, used by the family cat as a bed, sold for £108,000 at auction, August 6, 2014

Think You Might Have a Valuable Old or Rare Book?

Norway museum returns Nazi-stolen Matisse painting to heirs

The results of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair, August 21-24, 2014

Setting up at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair, August 19-20, 2014

How can you tell if an etching is authentic?

How to clean antique glass including Tiffany Studios Favrile and French Cameo Glass

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair opens next Thursday, August 21, 2014

The results of the Kansas City Antiques Expo, August 1-2, 2014