Money as Treasure, Money as Prisoner: The Safe Bank
J.K. from the 805 area sends me this photograph of two toy iron banks. The concept of a place to save money which is a toy and also decorative is …
A Nice Find by Moi!
Yes, I did it again, I went to another thrift store during my tea break from work, and this time I found something wonderful – a Nootka (Northwest Native American) …
A Hurrell Hollywood Photograph of the Producer of Casablanca
I love the glamour photography of Hollywood Star Maker George Hurrell. The last thing my son’s high school yearbook photographer wanted to see at Lock’s portrait appointment was my copy …
Rare set of Chinese porcelian tells a soldier’s story
D.K. sends me a pair of teacups and saucers that belonged, he supposes, to either his world-traveling grandparents, or his dad. They are delicate Chinese porcelain. Which story “fits” the …
Measuring up to ABBA’s Piano’s Value
Rick’s Café upright piano from Casablanca sold for $3.4 million in 2014. John Lennon’s “Imagine” piano sold for $1.67 million in 2000. But your piano is worth less than you …
Hunger for mid-century modern extends to some tableware
C.H. read my mid-century modern column and has a question about mid-century ceramic dinner services, like her mom’s “Golden Harvest” by Stangl, “Apple” by Franciscan and a set designed by …
What’s a Mork and Mindy Script Worth?
C.H. from Santa Barbara found a Mork and Mindy script, along with a few other TV classic scripts, in a beat up cardboard box at a Pomona Antique mall; the …
From Goodwill to good grief: The value of mid-century modern pieces 8/1/2017 0 Comments
J.V. has a mid-century modern ceramic vase by one of Scandinavia’s most influential post-war designers, Stig Lindberg (Swedish, 1916-1982). Lindberg was the archetypal early modernist designer, with his quirky horn-rimmed …
The Dire Melody of Time
T.A. from Valencia sends me this tall case or long case clock, not technically a “grandfather” clock, because the term “grandfather” only entered parlance due to a popular song written …
The Watteau revival
D.L. is an amateur collector who has inherited a rococo artwork. Rococo is a flamboyant French style of the 18th century, a reaction against the grand classic style of the …