Some smoking results for Tiffany Studios and French cameo glass at Doyle’s Belle Epoque auction, February 8, 2012

Posted on February 13, 2012 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. Setup for the important Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show starts on Thursday, February 16th, so I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to post this Thursday, but I’ll try.

Doyle New York held their Belle Epoque sale on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012. There were some fine items in the sale, including Daum vases, a Gallé lamp, Tiffany vases and a rare Tiffany Studios settee. They all did well, but the settee was on fire (well, not literally). The sale totaled $1,775,439, against a pre-sale estimate of $964,100 – $1,456,900, with 86% sold by lot and 95% sold by value.

Rare Tiffany Studios settee, Doyle lot #439

Top lot of the sale was #439, a Tiffany Studios settee, circa 1890-91, from the music room of the Louisine and Henry Osborne Havemeyer mansion in New York. Estimated to sell for $125,000 – $175,000, it soared to $422,500, including buyer’s premium. All you need to get similar results is to consign your rare Tiffany Studios objects that descended in your family from the 19th century. (Good luck with that!)

Tiffany paperweight vase, Doyle lot #437

The most important Tiffany Favrile vase in the auction, lot #437, was a calla lily paperweight vase, 16½” tall, that sold for $40,625, four times its $10,000-15,000 low estimate.

Rare wheel-carved Daum vase with silver mounts, Doyle lot #391

A fine Daum vase, lot #391, also had a great day. The vase was decorated with vivid blue cornflowers, wheel-carved and with an elaborate silver floral foot (probably original). Against a conservative estimate of $3,500 – $4,500, it shot to $22,500, including buyer’s premium.

Fine Gallé table lamp, Doyle lot #413

Gallé was well represented with a gorgeous purple and yellow clematis lamp, lot #413. It more than doubled its pre-sale estimate of $12,000 – $18,000, to sell for $37,500.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Doyle’s Belle Epoque results.
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There’s only one more show for us in Florida and that’s the important Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show this coming weekend. It opens to the public this Saturday, February 18th, at 11 AM and continues until Tuesday, February 21st at 6 PM. It has some of the best dealers in the world exhibiting.

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Incredible Daum egg with swan decoration, 5½ inches long

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The results of the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show, February 2-6, 2012

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Philip Chasen

Monday afternoon in my aisle

The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show opened on Thursday, February 2nd, and ended yesterday, February 6th. After speaking to many dealers, I can report the results as good to excellent. One dealer I didn’t know visited my booth unsolicited. He told me he reads my blog regularly and wanted me to know that his results were already excellent and it was only Friday.

A dealer in furniture and bronze told me he finally hit his “magic” number. It was pretty easy to figure out the magic number was $1 million. Now that’s an eye-popping show. I’ve heard of other dealers selling $500,000 to $750,000, but never $1 million. Kudos for a great show!

My booth

Attendance at the opening on Thursday was very good. A dealer told me he thought there 1000 people waiting at the front door at noon (perhaps an exaggeration). First day sales are usually best, because that’s when the most motivated buyers come. Personally the first day was best. Attendance, interest and sales seem to drop on a daily basis, as the least motivated buyers come into the show at the end. Overall, my show was very good — I’ve had some better and many worse. Interest was best in Pairpoint puffy lamps, French cameo glass and Icart etchings (a result I couldn’t have predicted).

Back to the other dealers. Most were very satisfied with their results. A few said excellent, most said good, and very few said fair to poor.

Another view of my booth

The show ended on Monday, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. There are almost no buyers on Monday, and the few that were there could easily have made up their minds on Sunday. To make things worse, the show ended at 6 PM on Monday, instead of 5 PM, or better yet, 4 PM. Management made announcements not to pack early, but there was no one there, so why not? 75% of the dealers were packing early. Eliminate Monday from the show and everyone will be happier. The results will be the same — same attendance, same sales. The only difference is that everyone will be spared an unnecessary day at the show.

There’s only one more show for us in Florida and that’s the important Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show. It runs from February 18 to February 21 and has some of the best dealers in the world exhibiting.

We’re off this week and it couldn’t come at a better time. We’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!

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Is this Daum creamer fantastic or what? Just in.

The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show opens on Thursday, February 2, 2012

Posted on February 2, 2012 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. Since the Original Miami Beach Antique Show closes on Monday, Feb. 6th, I will post again on Tuesday, Feb. 7th, with the results of the show.

We're starting to get set up on Tuesday

The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show started setting up on Tuesday, January 31st and continued until Tuesday, February 1st. As the show is huge, it was quite an undertaking to get all the dealers in and ready for business. Lots of business was transacted during set-up — I would estimate millions of dollars before the first paying customer will walk in the door on Thursday, February 2, 2012. I personally saw tens of thousands of dollars in business transacted.

We're set up and ready for business

This show is one of the most exciting of the year for a variety of reasons. First, the show is huge. Second, many of the exhibitors exhibit at very few shows. Third, the quality of the exhibits is very high. Fourth, buyers fly in from all over the world. Fifth, the show is in Miami Beach in the middle of winter (whoo hoo!). I wouldn’t be surprised if the total of all the merchandise for sale totaled $1 billion. I would also guess that many tens of millions of dollars of business will be transacted over the course of the show.

Rare and important, large Le Verre Francais Palmiers Bleus vase

I was lucky to buy some superb items during the set-up. In no particular order, I bought a rare and important Le Verre Francais Palmiers Bleus vase; a superb Tiffany Favrile green-black millifiori vase; a Tiffany Studios green turtleback swivel desk lamp; an R. Lalique highly opalescent box, Houppes; a Handel boudoir Venice scenic lamp; and finally a large 19th plaque of a beautiful woman.

Rare Tiffany Studios Turtleback swivel desk lamp

The show runs from Thursday, February 2nd at noon, until Monday, February 6th at 6 PM. If you haven’t made your plans to come, there’s still time. The weather is great and so are the restaurants. You’ll thank me.

There’s only one more show in Florida for us after this one and that’s the important Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show. It runs from February 18 to February 21 and has some of the best dealers in the world exhibiting. We have a week in-between to rest and we’re really looking forward to it.

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Is this Daum creamer fantastic or what? Just in.

Setting up at the Miami National Antiques Show, January 25, 2012

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Philip Chasen

We're just starting the setup

The Miami National Antiques Show started setting up yesterday and continues setting up until 5 PM today. By tomorrow, there will be a dazzling display at the opening of the show, which opens to the public on Friday, January 27th at noon and continues until Sunday, January 29th at 5 PM.

There's plenty left to do, but we'll get it all done on time

Although the show is smaller than it used to be, it still has high-powered exhibitors with spectacular items for sale. Many of the dealers will go on to exhibit at the Miami Beach Convention Center Show next week, but not all. A visit to this show is a great way to get first crack at many of the items that will be for sale next week. You’ll like what you see.

The third show of our Florida circuit starts next Thursday, February 2nd, with the important Miami Beach Convention Center Show. If you decide to visit only one of the Florida shows, make sure it’s this one! You’ll thank me. It’s huge and filled with the best dealers and a fabulous array of merchandise that you won’t find anywhere else. The big bonus is the weather. The temperature has been in the 70s and 80s every day. No more excuses! Make your plans now.

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Wonderful Gallé dragonfly vase, just in

The Palm Beach Winter Antiques Show, January 20 – 22, 2012

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Philip Chasen

Friday afternoon, 2:15 PM, in the ballroom where my booth is located

I thought it might be interesting if I gave you a contemporaneous blow by blow description of the Palm Beach Winter Antiques Show as it progresses. Here goes.

Friday, 1:00 PM. The show opened at 11 AM and I’m already crawling out of my skin. The show is off to a slow start, with very light attendance. Those few people who came to the booth never even asked to see a single item in the showcases.

Sold one good item at the preview party last night, but to the dealer in the next booth. There were very few people at the party and not one serious buyer among them.

Friday, 3:05 PM. Attendance is still very light. No serious questions. One small sale to another dealer on the floor. Played 4 games of Spider Solitaire and 10 games of Words with Friends (I’m winning many of them). Now I’m off for a walk because my rear end is flat.

Friday, 5:20 PM. There are very few buyers walking around and no questions about anything. Just doing busywork (like writing my blog). Luckily, I have a free wifi connection from the hotel.

Friday, 6:45 PM. The ballroom is almost empty, so we’ll leave five minutes early. I need a drink!

Saturday afternoon, 4 PM

Saturday, 1:00 PM. The show started off very slowly today, but the attendance has picked up a bit. I actually showed a few items to different people. They seemed more than a little reluctant, but definitely interested.

Saturday, 1:40 PM. Finally broke the ice to the public — made a small sale to a lovely older couple.

Saturday, 3:55 PM. Busy for a while. A few bona fide customers inquired about various vases, but no dice. A gentleman brought in some French cameo glass vases that I wound up buying. Made another sale to a dealer on the floor. Three of my four sales have been to dealers at the show.

Saturday 6:20 PM. There isn’t a single client walking around, so we’ll leave a little early. The show never should run to 7 PM on a Saturday night. It should have ended at 6 PM.

Sunday, 1:15 PM. I dropped Lia off at the show earlier and left to buy lunch and find a portable TV to watch the NY Giants defeat the 49ers. Did you know they’re nearly impossible to buy in a store? First I went to Walmart, then Brandsmart, then Best Buy. Finally the Best Buy salesman said he had a couple for sale in the trunk of his car. So I bought one — I hope it didn’t fall off the back of a truck. He assured me it hadn’t.

Attendance is still slow, but there have been a few questions. We’ll see if any of them turn into sales.

Another section of the show on Sunday, 4:15 PM

Sunday, 4:10 PM. One of our clients showed up — a lovely lady. She purchased several of the rarer Tiffany Studios desk pieces, so we are ending the show on a positive note. In 50 minutes, we’ll start packing up and get ready for the next one.

After all the bother with the portable TV, it didn’t work in the building. The signal was too weak and only worked outside. I called the salesman who sold it to me and he agreed to take it back.

Sunday, 8:05 PM. ESPN.com showed the results in a timely fashion, but no voice or video. The NY Giants finished the first half ahead 10-7 (Go Giants!). We finished packing and now I can go to the hotel bar and watch the second half. Did I say Go Giants?

The show was disappointing, but far from a disaster. Attendance was much lighter than I had hoped, as was interest and sales. I didn’t add everything up, but either we broke even or made a ham sandwich. That’s a lot of work for a ham sandwich. Will we do the show again? Doubtful. There’s a Pier Show in New York at the same time, with significantly lower costs for us. We could stay home in New York for an extra week and then travel to Florida for three shows, instead of four. That’s probably what we’ll wind up doing next year, but that could change.

The second show of our Florida circuit starts this Friday, January 27th, with the Miami National Antiques Show (aka The Airport Show), at the Doubletree Expo Centre, Miami Merchandise Mart, in Miami. Make your plans to visit us at any of our Florida shows. They’re filled with the best dealers and a fabulous array of merchandise that you won’t find anywhere else. The big bonus is the weather. The temperature has been in the 70s and 80s every day (while it’s 10 degrees in Chicago, as I write this). No more excuses! Make your plans now.

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A really gorgeous scenic blue Gallé vase, just in

The Palm Beach Winter Antiques Show starts on Friday, January 20, 2012

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Philip Chasen

The cheese table at the preview party, about 7 PM

My booth is almost set up

The Palm Beach Winter Antiques Show begins on Friday, January 20th, at 11 AM and ends on Sunday, January 22nd, at 5 PM. It’s Thursday night, as I write this post, and the preview party is underway. 45 minutes into the party, there are very few guests, but there is a lovely spread of different cheeses, crackers and fruit, right in front of our booth. There also are waiters circulating with wine and hors d’oeuvres. So that part of the party is quite nice. The problem is preview parties themselves. I rarely sell anything at them and I don’t expect this one to be any different.

Another view of my booth, including a fabulous Tiffany Studios 10-light lily lamp

Setup went smoothly — easy entry to the ballroom and no untoward problems. The booth is very awkward because even though it’s a standard 10′ x 20′, it’s oriented the wrong way, with the smaller measurement to the front. But there is an aisle next to the booth, so people can enter from the front or the side. The booth looks great, with a carpeted ballroom setting being especially conducive to setting up and hopefully to selling too.

One of the many fine exhibitors at the show

We haven’t exhibited at this show before, but in speaking to some of the dealers who’ve been here before, the general quality of the show has gone up since the new promoter, Rosemary Krieger, of Dolphin Promotions, has taken over this year. The show is high quality and the public should be very pleased with the varied and powerful offerings.

Wellesley House, another of the fine exhibitors at the show

The results will be in by Sunday night and I’ll post them on Monday. Tune in again.
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The second show of our Florida show circuit starts next Friday, January 27th, with the Miami National Antiques Show (aka The Airport Show), at the Doubletree Expo Centre, Miami Merchandise Mart, in Miami. Make your plans to visit us at any of our Florida shows. They’re filled with the best dealers and a fabulous array of merchandise that you won’t find anywhere else. The big bonus is the weather. The temperature has been in the 70s every day (and 10 degrees in Chicago as I write this). No more excuses! Make your plans now.

A very rare Le Verre Francais mini vase, 3½" tall

You have to visit the Musée D’Orsay when in Paris

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Philip Chasen

The Musée D'Orsay, situated on the left bank of the Seine, near the Eiffel Tower

The view on entering the museum

We just returned from a brief business trip to Paris and luckily had time to visit our favorite museum in the world (at least as of today). The Musée D’Orsay is located in what used to be a railway station, the Gare D’Orsay. The beautiful Beaux-Arts building was transformed over a nine year period from 1977 to 1986, after being saved from the wrecking ball by receiving landmark status. The result is a spectacular museum, both from the perspective of its architecture and its collections.

Hand-carved Art Nouveau library by François-Rupert Carabin

The Art Nouveau collection includes furniture, glass and ceramics, with some truly incredible objects. One of my favorites is a wonderful hand-carved wood library by the great French sculptor, François-Rupert Carabin.

Woman with Umbrella, one of the many Claude Monet paintings in the museum

The museum has a vast collection of French Impressionist paintings by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Pissarro, Degas and others. If you love Impressionism, as I do, you have to visit just to see the art. And don’t miss the breathtaking paintings by James Tissot — wow!

An amazing Tiffany Studios window of a Toulouse Lautrec painting

Convinced yet to visit Paris and the Musée D’Orsay? It’s closed on Mondays, otherwise open every day, including late on Thursday. Spend several hours and have a really great time!
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The first show of our Florida show circuit starts this Friday, January 20th, with the Palm Beach Winter Antiques Show, at the Embassy Suites (formerly Crowne Plaza), 1601 Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach. Make your plans to visit us at this show or one of our other Florida shows. They’re filled with the best dealers and a fabulous array of merchandise that you won’t find anywhere else. The big bonus is the weather. The temperature has been in the 70s every day.

A really gorgeous scenic blue Gallé vase, just in

Original artwork by Louis Comfort Tiffany on display at the Nassau County Museum of Art

Posted on January 3, 2012 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. There will not be a Thursday post this week because we’ll be in Whippany, New Jersey setting up the Birchwood Manor Antiques Show. (Hope you can visit us this coming weekend, Saturday, January 7 – Sunday, January 8. Which reminds me to wish all of you a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

Part of the Tiffany exhibition at the Nassau County Museum of Art

The current exhibition at the Nassau County Museum of Art is entitled The Paintings of Louis Comfort Tiffany: Works from a Long Island Collection. To the best of my knowledge, no other museum has ever displayed such a comprehensive collection. The exhibition will end on March 18, 2012, so there’s still plenty of time to visit. Make your plans to see this superb collection before it’s too late!

Louis Comfort Tiffany oil on canvas painting of a North African scene

Starting in his twenties, Tiffany traveled extensively in the Middle East and Europe. His paintings illuminate his travels and serve as a wonderful record.

Oil on canvas painting Pushing Off the Boat at Sea Bright

Tiffany painted Pushing Off the Boat at Sea Bright on his visit to Sea Bright, NJ in 1887.

A rare tropical scenic Tiffany Studios window, on display at the exhibition

In addition to the 125 paintings and watercolors, the exhibition contains a few fine examples of windows and lamps from Tiffany Studios. Photos do not do justice to the exhibition, so run, don’t walk, to the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, Long Island, New York! Here’s the link to the Museum’s website, Tiffany exhibition.

One of the many new superb Daum Nancy vases I will be exhibiting at my upcoming shows

Superb results at Sotheby’s Important Tiffany sale, December 15, 2011

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Philip Chasen

Sotheby’s New York held its Important Tiffany sale on December 15, 2011, a day after Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts sale. Sotheby’s separated its 53 Tiffany Studios’s items into one catalog and its Important 20th Century Design items into another. Continuing the excellent results for Tiffany Studios items, the sale totaled $4,597,875, with 83.0% of the offerings sold by lot and 78.2% by value. That worked out to an impressive average price of $104,497 per sold lot. The Important 20th Century Design portion of the sale grossed $5,106,251, for a combined total of $9,704,126.

Tiffany Studios Wisteria table lamp, Sotheby's lot #238

Top lot of the sale was #238, a beautiful Tiffany Studios Wisteria table lamp, which sold for $842,500, including buyer’s premium — well above the pre-sale estimate of $400,000 – $600,000.

Three Tiffany Studios wall sconces, Sotheby's lot #231

The most mystifying result of the sale was lot #231, a set of three relatively simple (except for the bronze balls) Tiffany Studios wall sconces. Estimated to sell for $25,000 – $35,000, they sold for an astonishing $182,500. Bidding slowed and almost finished near $45,000, when two determined phone bidders continued to duke it out to $182,500. Another happy consignor hit the jackpot! There’s no other way to describe it. If I had displayed these sconces at a show and asked $182,500, I would have been laughed out of the show.

Original oil painting on panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Sotheby's lot #201

Prices and interest have been steadily rising on original artworks by Tiffany. The current exhibition at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, Long Island, NY, displays a vast collection of Tiffany artwork. (More on that in a subsequent blog.) Perhaps that had some influence on the sale of lot #201, a small, original oil painting on panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany, of a Mediterranean seascape. Estimated to sell for $15,000 – $20,000, it realized $53,125.

For the complete results of the Tiffany sale, click on the following link. Sotheby’s Tiffany results.

Very rare R. Lalique red vase, Ronces

I’d like to show you some of the new items I recently acquired

Posted on December 19, 2011 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. This Thursday’s blog will be a review of the results of one of December’s 20th Century Decorative Arts auctions. (There have been many.)

Rare Le Verre Francais vases - Poissons and Palmiers Bleus

December is always a very busy month for antiques, mostly for buying, and not as much for selling. People get busy with their Christmas shopping and that doesn’t usually include a valuable antique. But sometimes it does, so I’m always ready to provide emergency service. If you still need a fine antique gift, I can work very quickly and so can UPS or FedEx.

Two of three Tiffany Favrile red vases available for sale

I’ve been buying out of control, and that’s good. Business is usually best in winter, especially at the Florida shows, so I’m loaded for bear. I was lucky enough to be able to buy some incredible items by Tiffany Studios, Daum Nancy, Emile Gallé, R. Lalique, Le Verre Francais and others. I’ll illustrate a few of them in this blog. Please check my site for new items, because I’ll be adding them as fast as I can. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Fantastic Tiffany Studios Art Nouveau smoker stand with original enameling

Among the many Tiffany Studios items I bought are vases — red, red decorated, Cypriote, millifiori, etc. For lamps, I purchased a 20″ Arrowroot, a 10-light lily and a 7-light lily. For miscellaneous, I have a Tiffany Studios pottery vase, lots of desk items, and an incredible Art Nouveau smoker stand with original enameling, unlike any I’ve owned before.

One of the best Daum Nancy vases I've acquired in years

The French cameo glass market, especially Daum Nancy, has been solid for years, and shows no signs of slowing. I recently acquired some fabulous items, including a very rare and beautiful farm scene, two rain scenes and an unbelievable collection of about 25 miniature vases.

You can see everything I have for sale if you visit me at one of my winter shows. The first will be at Birchwood Manor in Whippany, NJ, the weekend of January 7-8, 2012. Then a week’s break and off to Florida for the start of our Florida circuit, first in Palm Beach (Jan. 20-22), then two in Miami (Jan. 27-29 and Feb. 2-6), and then back to W. Palm Beach (Feb. 18-21). If you can’t visit me at one of my shows, I’m always available by email, philchasen@aol.com, or phone, 516-922-2090. We can ship to anywhere from anywhere.

Very rare R. Lalique red vase, Ronces

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: Philip Chasen

Some smoking results for Tiffany Studios and French cameo glass at Doyle’s Belle Epoque auction, February 8, 2012

The results of the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show, February 2-6, 2012

The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show opens on Thursday, February 2, 2012

Setting up at the Miami National Antiques Show, January 25, 2012

The Palm Beach Winter Antiques Show, January 20 – 22, 2012

The Palm Beach Winter Antiques Show starts on Friday, January 20, 2012

You have to visit the Musée D’Orsay when in Paris

Original artwork by Louis Comfort Tiffany on display at the Nassau County Museum of Art

Superb results at Sotheby’s Important Tiffany sale, December 15, 2011

I’d like to show you some of the new items I recently acquired