Columns

These sought-after sections offer expert auction analysis, cultural commentary, and more, adding depth, variety, and a personal touch to every issue. Columns include Gavels ’n’ Paddles, Psychology of Collecting, The Beat, Pop Culture Collecting, Toys from the Attic, and Civil War Collector.

February 5, 2021 / Gavels n Paddles

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Lovebird carnival display, $8,540, Pook & Pook, Inc.

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A lovebird carnival display by Baranger, a maker of colorful ...

February 4, 2021 / Antiques Peek

1920s Adam’s Fine Marshmallows tin aka “snake in a can”

Antiques Peek: Gifting For Gags

by Jessica Kosinski Giving gifts is always fun, but there’s a special kind of gift that can sometimes be extra ...

February 4, 2021 / Columns

Lot 740: Steve Martin Oscars poster signed by celebrity attendees at The 2010 Academy Awards ceremony

Great Collections: The Collection of Steve Martin at Julien’s Auctions

Emmy, Grammy, People’s Choice, and Academy Award Winner hardly begin to describe Steve Martin, who has entertained us for decades ...

February 2, 2021 / Gavels n Paddles

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Bill Traylor painting, $293,750, Christie’s

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A folk-art painting by Bill Traylor, titled Two Dogs Fighting: ...

January 29, 2021 / Gavels n Paddles

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Patriotic sand art bottle, $275,000, Skinner, Inc.

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A patriotic presentation sand art bottle meticulously crafted circa 1885-1890 ...

January 25, 2021 / Bob Newhart, Bozo The Clown, Comedy, history of comedy, MAD magazine, puppets, Talk of the Trade

The Funny Side of Business: From vaudeville and slapstick comedy to standup, political satire, cartoons, sketch comedy, sitcoms, and inside jokes, comedy as an art form and business has been around since funny found a receptive, paying audience.

Every decade and generation are defined, in part, by the humor embraced by the zeitgeist of the times and the ...

January 22, 2021 / Gavels n Paddles

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Wayne Gretzky 1979 rookie card, $1.29 million, Heritage Auctions

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A Canadian version of a 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Edmonton ...

January 15, 2021 / Gavels n Paddles

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Eddie Van Halen guitar, $231,250, Julien’s

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A guitar custom-made for rock legend Eddie Van Halen, built ...

January 8, 2021 / Gavels n Paddles

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Hermes leather handbag, $8,750, Crescent City

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A circa 1992 Hermes Kelly Sellier black box leather handbag ...

January 1, 2021 / Talk of the Trade

The Parlor: An Island of Formality. You entered it only rarely, and you weren’t meant to be comfortable there. But every house had to have one, no matter how high the cost.

No room in the American home in the nineteenth century was more tenderly cared for, fussed over, or jealously protected ...

January 1, 2021 / Gavels n Paddles

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Wells Fargo stock certificate, $2,875, Holabird Western Americana

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A rare Wells Fargo and Company (NY) stock certificate from ...

December 29, 2020 / Antiques Peek

Antiques Peek: I Like My Tables On the Side

by Jessica Kosinski When talking about a modern parlor or living room, there are certain items that immediately come to ...

December 25, 2020 / Gavels n Paddles

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Coca-Cola litho sign, $6,000, Rich Penn

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A Coca-Cola litho on cardboard “Prevent Forest Fires” sign, 33 ...

December 18, 2020 / Gavels n Paddles

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Mackintosh bedside cabinet, $328,000, Lyon & Turnbull

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A bedside cabinet by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (Scottish, 1868-1928) sold ...

December 16, 2020 / Antique & Collectible News, Columns, Expert Insights

Archeologists have discovered what they claim is the world’s oldest natural pearl on Marawah Island, off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The pearl dates back 8,000 years to the Neolithic period – the last stage of the Stone Age. It was found in a layer at a Neolithic site that dates to 5800 B.C. to 5600 B.C. “The presence of pearls at archeological sites is evidence that the pearl trade existed from at least as far back as the Neolithic period,” said Abdulla Khalfan Al-Kaabi, the director of the archeological survey.

Exploring Antique Technologies: Science and Sparkles – Demystifying your Jewelry Collection

by Kary Pardy How many times have you looked through a jewelry display at your favorite antique shop and was ...

December 16, 2020 / Antiques Peek

Early promotional card for birthstones featured at the local jeweler

Antiques Peek: Birthday Bling

by Jessica Kosinski Have you ever received or purchased jewelry that featured your birthstone? The tradition of birthstones incorporated in ...

December 11, 2020 / auction results, cloisonné enamel triptych icon, Doyle in New York City, Gavels n Paddles, Native American on Lookout by Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, Russian Works of Art

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Russian triptych icon, $25,000, Doyle

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A patinated metal and cloisonné enamel triptych icon, featuring a ...

The 100 Year Perspective

On January 1, 1921, California beat Ohio State 28-0 in the Rose Bowl. In that same week, the country’s first ...

December 4, 2020 / Alberto Giacometti, Alfa Romeo, Alfa Romeo B.A.T. concept cars, auction results, concept cars, female sculpture from 1947 titled Femme Leoni, Gavels n Paddles, Girgio de Chirico, Girgio de Chirico's Il Pomeriggio di Arianna, Il Pomeriggio di Arianna, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Sotheby's, Sotheby's New York City

Three Alfa Romeo B.A.T. concept cars together brought $14.8 million in sales of Contemporary and Impressionist & Modern Art held October 28th by Sotheby’s

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Alfa Romeo concept cars, $14.8 million, Sotheby’s

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall Three Alfa Romeo B.A.T. concept cars together brought $14.8 million ...

The Roman gladius was a short (two feet), sharply-pointed, double-edged sword and its design had evolved over the centuries to be the ideal weapon for the legions of the Roman Empire. It was forged from high-grade steel and was primarily suited for the Roman fighting style, where shield usage was heavy and swords were called upon to thrust and stab through the shield wall. In their book From Sumer to Rome: the Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies, historians Richard Gabriel and Karen Metz wrote that in the hands of a highly trained legionnaire, the gladius “was the most deadly of all weapons produced by ancient armies, and it killed more soldiers than any other weapon in history until the invention of the gun.” photo: Wikipedia

Exploring Antique Technologies: Shaped in Steel – Dissecting the Technology Behind your Edged Weapons

by Kary Pardy There are lots of reasons to be drawn to edged weapons, and their beauty and history are ...

Antiques Peek: Military Badges

by Jessica Kosinski As modern humans, we are used to conflict; whether in the form of a small disagreement with ...

November 27, 2020 / American Life Bitters bottle, American Life Bitters bottle made in Ohio circa 1865-1875, circa 1815-1835, circa 1865-1875, Constitution Bitters bottle, Gavels n Paddles, Gavels n Paddles, Glass Works Auction, Glass Works Auctions, pattern globular bottle, St. Drake’s Plantation Bitters bottle, Zanesville Glass Works, Zanesville Glass Works in Ohio

An American Life Bitters bottle made in Ohio circa 1865-1875 sold for $42,000 in an online-only auction held Sept. 21-28 by Glass Works Auction

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: American Life Bitters bottle, $42,000, Glass Works Auctions

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall An American Life Bitters bottle made in Ohio circa 1865-1875 ...

November 27, 2020 / artist, auction, Doyle Auction, Doyle in New York, film producer Walter Manley, Friedeberg chair, Gavels n Paddles, Maison Jansen, Maison Jansen upholstered chair, Maison Jansen-designed home, Mexican Surrealist artist, Mexican Surrealist artist Pedro Friedeberg, Pedro Friedeberg, Recent Auction Results, upholstered club chairs, Walter Manley

A ‘Hand Chair’ by the Mexican Surrealist artist Pedro Friedeberg, introduced in 1962, sold for $10,000 at Doyle Auction

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Friedeberg chair, $10,000, Doyle

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A ‘Hand Chair’ by the Mexican Surrealist artist Pedro Friedeberg, ...

A French Atmos perpetual time clock from the 1940s sold for CA$6,490 in an online-only Canadiana & Historic Objects auction held October 24th by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: French Atmos Clock, CA$6,490, Miller & Miller

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A French Atmos perpetual time clock from the 1940s sold ...

November 13, 2020 / circa 1910 Roycroft Ali Baba bench, Gavels n Paddles, Gavels n Paddles, mosaic, mosaic tabletop tile, mosaic tabletop tile by Roy Lichtenstein, Neue Auctions, Neue Auctions in Beachwood Ohio, Online Auction, online Fine Art & Antiques auction, rare and unusual mosaic tabletop tile, Recent Auction Results, Roy Lichtenstein, Roy Lichtenstein (American, Roy Lichtenstein tile, Roycroft, Roycroft Ali Baba bench, Roycroft bench, tabletop tile by Roy Lichtenstein

A rare and unusual mosaic tabletop tile by Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997)

Gavels ‘n’ Paddles: Roy Lichtenstein tile, $36,900, Neue Auctions

Recent Auction Results from Near & Far By Ken Hall A rare and unusual mosaic tabletop tile by Roy Lichtenstein ...