Beloved Huckleberry Hound Evokes Memories
JT, with tongue in her cheek, sends me two of her husband’s favorite toys: a 1959 Huckleberry Hound, marketed by the Knickerbocker Toy Co., and a Knickerbocker Pouty Bear, from …
Gate Leg Table, Jacobean or not?
Featured at the Unity Shoppe’s second hand furniture shop on State Street, P sends me a photo of a table she’s considering buying. She wonders about the period, the style, …
A Medieval St. Catherine Figure Discovered in Santa Barbara
LS attended a financial planning seminar lead by the great Santa Barbara money guru JP. JP suggests to her clients that they contact me to establish the value of their …
How much are vintage Barbie Dolls worth?
In this video I talk about the vintage line of dolls in the Barbie series, including Midge, Skipper, Ken, and the accessories that go with them. Watch to find out …
Beginner’s Luck Ends in a Huge Find
Today Mr. R. came into my office with a drawing he found in Singapore. Turns out this is a significant drawing by Ole Johnsen, born and active in Seboy, Denmark …
Camel Flask a Midcentury Icon of Hong Kong
TE asked, “What midcentury collectibles come from the famous place called Hong Kong?” TE recently found, in a local thrift store, a thermos tea or coffee flask, with distinctive rings …
Benjamin Franklin’s Book, in Defense of Cougars, 1745
Dr. B. sends me a photograph of a little book by Benjamin Franklin titled The Old Mistresses’ Apologue, a 1956 printing of a letter Franklin wrote in 1745. I see …
Midcentury Cool Chord Organ
JS sent a photo of a Thomas Organ Company model C-12 “Multi-chord” mini organ, late 1950’s, manufactured in Italy. They made this little gem for tabletop performances, but you can …
The Art of Connoisseurship
Last week I met with a bank representative in charge of major collections of art about the options that collection offers the connoisseur in regard to financial planning. We call …
What’s a Temple Lion, and Why a Lion?
Apologies to FK, who sent me a photo of her Temple Lion sometime in the deep past. She asked if her Chinese ceramic was in fact late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) …