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.
/ Gavels n Paddles
Van Gogh oil painting

Van Gogh oil painting, $54.01 million, Sotheby’s

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall An oil on ...
Porcelain beer trays. The value ranges from $600 to $2,500.

Breweriana and Rob Wolfe: A Passion for Collecting

by Rob Wolfe of American Pickers Among the many categories of collectibles I encounter, one that stands out for historical ...
/ Gavels n Paddles
Dorothy’s ruby slippers

Dorothy’s ruby red slippers, $32.5 million, Heritage

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall The ruby red ...
/ Gavels n Paddles
Parcheesi board

Parcheesi board, $4,800, Copake

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A painted wooden ...
Adult Doll Collecting: A Therapeutic Obsession

Adult Doll Collecting: A Therapeutic Obsession

by Shirley M. Mueller, M.D. Elizabeth Kraft Taylor, author of Three Jews Walked into a Shopping Center, recalls her infatuation ...
/ Talk of the Trade
Hidden History

Hidden History

We are a civilization inspired by discovery, whether that leads us to look upwards to the heavens, underground for what ...
/ Gavels n Paddles
Red Sox WS trophy, 2004, $165,000, Bonhams Skinner

Red Sox WS trophy, 2004,ᅠ$165,000, Bonhams Skinner

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall The 2004 Boston ...
Bob Dylan

Building a Music Collection on a Budget

by Laurence Carpenter  In the world of music memorabilia, there’s a common misconception that collecting is reserved for the wealthy ...
/ Gavels n Paddles
Chucky background doll

Chucky background doll, $4,920, Premiere Props

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A “Background Good ...
After ironing, the Hubley box flaps are now straight and true.

Crumpled Cardboard Toy Boxes: Doing the Ironing

By Douglas R. Kelly On the annoyance scale, there are probably worse things than a creased/wrinkled/crumpled box. I just can’t ...
/ Gavels n Paddles
Washington signed letter

Washington signed letter, $162,500, University Archives

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A two-page letter ...
/ Gavels n Paddles
Carhartt Overalls sign

Carhartt Overalls sign, 1910s, $19,690, Miller & Miller

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A Canadian porcelain ...
/ Gavels n Paddles
Sam Maloof 1988 rocker

Sam Maloof 1988 rocker, $20,570, Ahlers & Ogletree

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A walnut and ...
Reenacting History: Education or Entertainment?

Reenacting History: Education or Entertainment?

Working and living in the town where Old Sturbridge Village is located, Sturbridge, MA, we at the Journal are quite ...
Entomology collections and staff in the collection’s storeroom, National Museum of Natural History. Museum geographers Hilary Geoghegan and Alison Hess write that storerooms are “shaped by the emotion attached to the objects they house.” A storeroom, they write, is “a lively space…exhibiting a magical, enchanted materiality.” This demonstrates that it is not only the collectors that are taken with their collections but the museum caretakers of such gifts as well. Deaccessioning parts of museum collections has recently come under scrutiny as these institutions try to remain afloat during hard times.?

Navigating the Heartache of Deaccession

By Shirley M. Mueller, M.D. January is an important sale month at many auction houses. Once again, I’m in the ...
Collecting Religious Artifacts - Cross

Collecting Religious Artifacts: Antiquing on a Wing and a Prayer

by Rob Wolfe of American Pickers  For centuries, collecting religious artifacts and iconography has been a pursuit that transcends time, ...
/ Antique Signs, Gavels n Paddles
Millinery trade sign

Millinery trade sign, $40,000, Hudson Valley

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A star-shaped wooden ...
Sun Rubber Co. Dodge sedan. Where are the wheels?

Rubber Toys

by Douglas R. Kelly Best to get this out in the open, right off the bat: I’m not a rubber ...
/ Ansel Adams, Gavels n Paddles
Ansel Adams photo

Ansel Adams photo, $720,000, Sotheby’s

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A photograph by ...
Washington portrait by Peale

Washington portrait by Peale,$512,500, Cottone Auctions

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A circa 1846 ...
/ Talk of the Trade
Ushering in a new year

Ushering in a new year

As we enter a new year, it’s fun to look back a century to see how far we’ve come while ...
These are very rare Christmas displays that I found locally.

Treasures of Christmas Past: Christmas Collectibles

by Rob Wolfe Christmas is a time to create memories, gather with family, and—let’s be honest—for many of us, it’s ...
/ Gavels n Paddles, Tiffany, Tiffany Lamp
Tiffany Nasturtium lamp

Tiffany Nasturtium lamp, $825,000, Fontaine’s

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A circa 1905 ...
Cast iron beast: The Karl Heusser “ Hela-Bob” bobsled. Photo: Dennis Simanaitis.

Toy Sleds: Just One More Run

by Douglas R. Kelly When my editor, Judy Gonyeau, pinged me a while back and told me that toy sleds ...
/ Gavels n Paddles, Petroliana
Red Indian Motor Oils sign

Red Indian Motor Oils sign, $48,100, Miller & Miller

Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far All prices include the buyer's premium by Ken Hall A rare Canadian ...