Some good results at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ Modern Design sale, May 12, 2016

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.


Leslie Hindman Auctioneers held a Modern Design sale on May 12, 2016, with some good results.

Loetz Phänomen vase, Hindman lot #267

Loetz Phänomen vase, Hindman lot #267

Lot #267 was a rare and desirable 6¾” Loetz decorated Phänomen vase, property of the estate of John P. Landis. It flew past its pre-sale estimate of $4,000 – $6,000, bringing $20,000, including buyer’s premium. I knew how rare it was so I was on the phone bidding, but I never even got to make the first bid — way too much for a dealer.

Left, Hindman lot #494. Right, the original candlestick.

Left, Hindman lot #494. Right, the original candlestick.

Lot #494 was a rare Tiffany Studios candlestick that needed professional help. Regardless, it easily exceeded its high estimate of $12,000, realizing $17,500, including buyer’s premium. Someone had converted it into a ridiculous lamp by removing some original parts and adding modern parts. With the right professional help, it’s possible to find original parts and return it back into its original state as a candlestick. Almost surely that’s what’s going to happen. Nobody in their right mind would pay $17,500 unless they could do it. Should be worth $35,000+ when it’s done.

Tiffany Greek Key table lamp, Hindman lot #495

Tiffany Greek Key table lamp, Hindman lot #495

A Tiffany Studios 16″ diameter Greek Key table lamp, lot #495, brought a decent price. It sold within its pre-sale estimate of $15,000 – $25,000, realizing $23,750, including buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Discovered $137 million Caravaggio painting deemed authentic

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.


Discovered Caravaggio painting shown at news conference

Discovered Caravaggio painting shown at news conference

Can you imagine going into your attic and finding a painting worth $137 million? It won’t happen in my attic, nor yours, I imagine. But in April, 2014, it did in the attic of a private house near the French city of Toulouse, 400+ years after being painted. For the CNN story and video of the discovery, click here. Then click here for the artnet news story of the authentication.


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Soft results for Gil Elvgren paintings at Heritage Auction’s Illustration Art sale, April 26, 2016

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.


Gil Elvgren painting Gay Nymph, 1947, sold at Heritage Auctions in May, 2011 for $286,800

Gil Elvgren painting Gay Nymph, 1947, sold at Heritage Auctions in May, 2011 for $286,800

Heritage Auctions held an Illustration Art sale on April 26, 2016, with total sales of $1,695,956. Included in the sale were several pin-up paintings by acclaimed American illustrator, Gil Elvgren. His works regularly sold for over $100,000 at auction, with six selling for over $200,000. The average now seems to have cooled into the $60,000 range.

Gil Elvgren painting Roxanne, 1960, Heritage lot #71051

Gil Elvgren painting Roxanne, 1960, Heritage lot #71051

The top lot of several Elvgren paintings at the April sale was #71051, a painting entitled Roxanne, from 1960. It sold well below its pre-sale estimate of $100,000 – $150,000, realizing $68,750, including buyer’s premium.

Elvgren painting Charming, Heritage lot #71052

Elvgren painting Charming, Heritage lot #71052

The next lot, #71052, was the second best Elvgren of the sale. It sold within the more realistic estimate of $50,000 – $70,000, realizing $62,500, including buyer’s premium.

Three other Elvgren paintings in the sale sold from $47,500 to $60,000. It could be a bear market in Elvgren paintings or a great buying opportunity. Only time will tell.

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


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

St. Michael’s Church in NYC is the perfect venue for meetings of the Art Glass Forum

The main windows of St. Michael's are spectacular

The main windows of St. Michael’s are spectacular

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.


One of the many original Tiffany Studios windows in St. Michael's, with fantastic drapery and mottled glass

One of the many original Tiffany Studios windows in St. Michael’s, with fantastic drapery and mottled glass

The Art Glass Forum holds their monthly meetings at St. Michael’s Church on W. 99th St. in New York City. It’s the perfect venue for a glass collector’s club, many of whose members collect or sell Tiffany Studios Favrile glass and lamps. Much of the interior of the chapel was designed and made by Tiffany Studios. It’s a gorgeous and fitting location.

The window above is signed and dated 1912

The window above is signed and dated 1912

Yesterday’s meeting included a lecture by Amy McHugh, the assistant archivist at Tiffany & Co., entitled Cabinet Curiosities: Silver-Mounted Favrile Glass by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Tiffany Studios. She researches their extensive archives, which include some collaborations with Tiffany Studios. (Charles Lewis Tiffany was one of the founders of Tiffany & Co. and the father of Louis Comfort Tiffany, founder of Tiffany Studios.) Amazing what you can learn at one of the lectures.

The entire wall is made of tiny iridescent mosaic tiles

The entire wall is made of tiny iridescent mosaic tiles

Membership in the Art Glass Forum is open to the public. Yearly dues are quite reasonable, $70 for individuals, $90 for households and $25 for students and young professionals. If American or European art glass interests you, why don’t you join and attend the lectures? Contact artglassforumny@gmail.com. They accept PayPal, checks, shekels, whatever you like.
The colorful iridescent Favrile glass tiles are spectacular

The colorful iridescent Favrile glass tiles are spectacular


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Exceptional Daum Nancy table lamp sells at EJ’s Auction & Consignment, April 30, 2016

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.


Daum Nancy scenic table lamp, EJ's lot #1100

Daum Nancy scenic table lamp, EJ’s lot #1100

EJ’s Auction & Consignment, Glendale, Arizona, held its Biltmore Estate Auction Ring 1 this past Saturday, April 30, 2016. Included in the sale was a wonderful Daum Nancy table lamp, lot #1100.

daum-scenic-lamp-ejs-2The lamp was special, mainly because it was painted by Daum’s best artist, B.S. (See my post dated July 6, 2015 for more on this artist.) At 19″ tall, with a 9½” diameter shade, it was one of the larger Daum Nancy table lamps.

I really wanted to buy this lamp, so I set up telephone bidding. The bidding opened at $11,000, picked up steam, and finally settled at $22,000, for a final price of $25,960, including buyer’s premium. I was left in the dust, and unfortunately not the buyer. $25,960 was a fair price for a retail client, but not a dealer. Kudos to the buyer of this exceptional lamp.


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Identifying the newest Tiffany Favrile reproductions

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.


Several years ago I bought a Tiffany Favrile vase that bothered me somewhat. The vase looked contemporary, but the signature was perfect, so I thought my instincts were wrong. I showed it to another dealer who thought the vase was modern, but I still didn’t listen. After all, I’m an expert on Tiffany signatures and this was perfect.

Reproduction Tiffany Favrile vase

Reproduction Tiffany Favrile vase

Fast forward to today. I now know for a fact the vase was a reproduction. Apparently someone is signing new vases with picture-perfect signatures. It’s like looking at a forged copy of your own signature that’s so good, you’re not sure if you didn’t sign it yourself.

tiffany-reproduction-2Let’s take a good look at the example above. To those who are knowledgeable, the vase is an obvious reproduction. Everything about it is wrong, including the decoration and color, but especially the iridescence. Then look at the signature. It’s perfect, and includes the notation “A. Coll.”, meaning it was in the personal collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Poor Louis is so unhappy, he’s turning in his grave.

What’s the lesson here? You cannot tell an authentic vase, of any kind, from the signature alone. The shape, the decoration, the workmanship, the wear, the age AND the signature all have to say the same thing — I am authentic.


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.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 French cameo glass treasures I’ve owned (and sold) in 2016

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.


The market in French cameo glass continues to be strong, so I am continually buying and selling. Here are a few of the best items I sold since the beginning of 2016.

Daum Nancy Bleeding Hearts lamp

Daum Nancy Bleeding Hearts lamp

Most Daum lamps are acid-etched only, so any Daum lamp with both acid-etching and enameling is a desirable item. In my experience, floral lamps are rarer than scenic lamps, so when I had the opportunity to purchase this rare, colorful, beautiful Bleeding Hearts lamp, I jumped at it.

Burgun & Schverer Orchids vase

Burgun & Schverer Orchids vase

All Burgun & Schverer (B&S) internally decorated vases are the cat’s meow, but some are more special than others. This example, with gorgeous orchids and fine gilded detail, on a lavender-purple background, was one of the best.

A. Walter Lizard pâte-de-verre tray

A. Walter Lizard pâte-de-verre tray

I’ve always been partial to Almaric Walter pâte-de-verre figural objects, especially with lizards or chameleons. This example had beautiful form and color.

Daum Swallows vase

Daum Swallows vase

Swallows are rare subject matter for Daum. This example had extraordinary color and detail, gilded rays of sun, and a beautiful form — all the makings of a special vase!


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

A Computer Paints A Rembrandt, And It Looks Just Like The Real Thing

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.


A computer-generated

A computer-generated “Rembrandt” painting

Advances in computer science and 3-D printing have led to the creation of a new painting that Rembrandt could have painted. For the complete story, click here. Then make sure you click here to watch the impressive video.


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.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 Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair, April 15-17, 2016

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.


One of the delicious food stations at the preview party

One of the delicious food stations at the preview party

If you read my blog regularly, you know I’m not a fan of preview parties. I still haven’t figured out who gains by having them, but certainly not most of the dealers and specifically not me. I can’t remember the last time I made a sale at any preview party, including this one. At least if I have to suffer through one, let it be like this. The party was classy, with unlimited wine, alcohol and delicious food. All the dealers and guests were treated the same, unlike some preview parties where the dealers are treated like second-class citizens. Kudos to the planners and the chefs.

Our booth was busy on Friday morning

Our booth was busy on Friday morning

The show started off strongly with good attendance and good sales on Friday morning. Things slowed down after that, with an occasional sale. Attendance was good on Saturday, but sales were non-existent until one of our loyal, best clients showed up. Sunday was decent with a couple of sales. French glass, and Daum in particular, sold best. Overall our results were off from last year (which was exceptional), partly because our best clients couldn’t attend.

We sold this gorgeous piece of internally decorated Burgun & Schverer glass at the show

We sold this gorgeous piece of internally decorated Burgun & Schverer glass at the show

In asking around, I received the following comments from fellow dealers. Zane Moss, Zane Moss Antiques, Sharon, CT, dealers in period English furniture, told me “Very good. We sold seven pieces of furniture and did better than last year.” Robin and Ron Greenwald, Greenwald Antiques, Cleveland, OH, decorative arts dealers, were a little disappointed, as were others I spoke to. “There was a terrific crowd, sometimes 3-4 deep. Business was a little down from last year. Jewelry sales were good.” Virgil Rogers, Only Authentics, New York, NY, vintage handbags dealer, had a similar opinion. “We had a fair to medium show. Business was a little down from last year.” Still another dealer had a similar opinion. Marty Shapiro and Kay Gregg, Finnegan Gallery, Chicago, IL, period garden and architectural antiques dealers, told me “We did fair, not as well as last year, but last year was stellar.” Finally, neighbors from Oyster Bay, NY, T.J. Antorino, T.J. Antorino Antiques & Design, decorative objects and jewelry dealers, shared a similar fate. “We had a mediocre show at best, especially compared to years past.”


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.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 Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair, April 12-14, 2016

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.


Click on the image above to buy tickets

Click on the image above to buy tickets

Setup for the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair started this past Tuesday, April 12, 2016, and continues today until the preview party tonight. It couldn’t have gone more smoothly. Our booth is large enough that we weren’t stepping all over each other. Now that it’s finished, it looks great.

Lia and Bill were hard at work

Lia and Bill were hard at work

We’re in one of the permanent buildings, while a huge tent has been set up for many of the other antiques dealers. The show is classy, with seriously fine dealers displaying quality merchandise. This is no flea market. The show opens to the public tomorrow, Friday, at 10 AM, and continues until Sunday, at 5 PM. It’s a fun show you’ll be glad you attended, with a great variety of plants, garden items and antiques. The forecast for all three days is sunny, with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. You couldn’t ask for nicer weather for a day at the show.

We have a fabulous display of bronzes by Kauba, Barrias and Boucher

We have a fabulous display of bronzes by Kauba, Barrias, Boucher, and others

We’re displaying some of our best antiques ever, with great French and American glass and lamps and many more bronzes than we usually have. We’ll have everything for sale at the show, including Daum, Gallé and Tiffany glass; many nice Tiffany lamps, including a rare Nasturtium and lots of other items, too numerous to mention.

Village Braider, Plymouth, MA has a beautiful display

Village Braider, Plymouth, MA has a beautiful display

If you’re in the greater Chicago area, this is one show that’s worth the trip. Please stop in, say hi, and take a look at our great items, all for sale!

Make sure you tune in on Monday for the results of the show.


If you’re selling, please let me know. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.