Innehållsförteckning för April 2024 från Kovels Antique Trader

Matthew Ables felt a little “Goofy” when he tried to use a Disney World ticket from 1978 he found at home to enter the Florida theme park in Orlando recently. But he needn't worry, because even a vintage ticket with a face value of $8 allowed him entrance into The Magic Kingdom. No wonder they call it “The Happiest Place on Earth.” In a TikTok video with more than 12 million views, Ables said he found a ticket book from 1978 at home that had been “collecting dust” all these years. “I tried getting into Disney World with a 46-yearold ticket originally worth $8,” he said at the start of the video. What made the ticket special was the fact that there was no expiration date. Depending on the month…

Rail & Road Auctions’ two-day sale on Jan. 4 and 5 proved that railroadiana is still full steam ahead with collectors. Bidders were so eager to get the more than 600 lots offered in the Railroadiana and Railroad Collectibles auction that they pushed many far above estimates, including the top lot: a section of red carpet used on the legendary New York Central 20th Century Limited Train. The 70-inch by 76-inch piece sold for $9,638, more than double the high estimate of $3,500. Dating from the 1920s or 1930s, the carpet has an Art Deco design and features the 20th Century Limited herald against a red background. The artifact is a special piece that evokes the class and style that the New York Central used for its flagship passenger train,…

CALIFORNIA Every first Sunday of the month, Alameda. Alameda Point Antiques Faire, 3900 Maine St., Alameda, CA. The Alameda Point Antiques Faire is the largest antiques show in Northern California, boasting 800 dealer booths. All items 20 years old or older. For more info, visit alamedapointantiquesfaire.com. Every first Sunday of the month through May, Palm Springs. Palm Springs Vintage Market, PS Cultural Center at the Camelot Theater, 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs. For more info, visit palmspringsvintagemarket.com. Every second Sunday of the month, Pasadena. World's largest flea market at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena. More than over 2 million items offered for sale by more than 2,500 vendors. Shop for rare and unusual, vintage collectibles, antiques, new items, arts and crafts and second-hand items. SH: early birds, 5-9am; regular admission:…

Auction Highlight Decades after her tragic death in 1997, PRINCESS DIANA'S historic fashion remains in demand. One of the late Princess of Wales’ dresses sold for $1,148,080 recently at Julien's Auctions, more than 11 times the estimated selling price. The price set a record for the highest amount paid for an article of clothing worn by Princess Diana. The dress, a midi-length royal blue and black gown, was designed by Jacques Azagury. A designer sketch by Azagury of the royal dress was also part of the auction, selling for $5,080. In September of 2023, Diana's “black sheep jumper” sweater sold for $1,143 million, the previous record amount for her clothing.…

from the editor I've been thinking a lot lately about Frank Sinatra, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and, unfortunately, the pop-artist Jeff Koons. With the recent lunar touchdown of the Odysseus spacecraft, the three are now forever linked to the moon, but for very different reasons. We can talk about Koons in a bit. But first, here's Sinatra and Aldrin. It's July 20, 1969. An estimated 650 million people watch in grainy black-and-white wonder as Neil Armstrong steps onto the moon. Armstrong's static and distant words hang in the air, waiting to be chiseled into history: “That's one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.” And there you have it. The first person on the moon. Tough act to follow, this Armstrong guy. But that's exactly what Aldrin, Armstrong's Apollo…

Costume Jewelry Kramer of New York is one of those names dealers run across pretty frequently when sourcing costume jewelry. That usually means a company saw a good amount of success back when the jewelry was newly made. Nevertheless, it's not a brand most fervent collectors get overly excited about. It might be on the uptick, though, since I've noticed pieces lingering in online shops being snatched up these days indicating a growing base of fans out there in jewelry land. My personal opinion of Kramer jewelry? It's always been pretty high. Some of the lines this company marketed in the 1950s are over-the-top gorgeous and many are undervalued today in comparison to rhinestone pieces sold by other companies. I was recently chatting about Kramer with a jewelry friend I've…

PAUL MCCOBB (1917-1969) was the quintessential designer for the middle class who outfitted starter homes in postwar subdivisions as gracefully as he did the suburban colonials of law partners and business executives. His gift for producing fine quality furniture at a reasonable price has arguably never been matched. In his time, he was as famous as Charles and Ray Eames. In 1957, Bloomingdale's showed 15 McCobb room settings, stocked with 348 designs. “We treat Paul's furniture like sugar in the grocery store — it's a staple,” the store's modern furniture buyer told The New York Times that year. Success came with the 1950 release of the Planner Group. The pieces, which were Shaker-simple and slim, in novel combinations of birch, maple and iron, fit the tight footprints of postwar houses…

Q: I received this glass vase as a gift from a friend, now deceased, over 20 years ago. They said they purchased it from a shop that had many antiques and odd things. They said it was marked on the bottom but offered no other information. I put it away and didn't think much about it until I started reading your magazine. It is 12 inches tall and three inches across at the top and widens to the base. The design on the vase of circles and stems can be felt on the outside of the vase when touched. There is a small mark on the bottom that appears to be dark blue with red or pink. If you run your hand inside the vase, it doesn't feel flat. More…

Swann Galleries kicked off its winter season with a bang on Jan. 25, setting six world auction records by artists of the Works Progress Administration. More than 200 works were offered in Swann's fourth annual sale devoted to artists of the WPA, an American New Deal agency that employed millions to do public works projects, including constructing public buildings and roads. Many artists honed their craft while employed in New Deal programs, resulting in the auction's wide range of objects, including dioramas, mural studies, paintings, photographs, posters, prints and work program signage. The American artists who participated in the New Deal art programs not only benefited financially from the government funding but also emerged as seasoned experts of their craft, and the Post-War era of art blossomed in America. Works…

Auction Highlight Throughout history, hats have indicated a person's religion, occupation and social status. Many of us were born at a time when people typically wore hats every day, in fact, were required to wear hats every day. Others of us were born at a time when hats were no longer an everyday accessory. Yet, the culture of hats has been so deeply established in our ethos that we are still able to recognize and identify different types of hats and associate them with a definite country, occupation or religion. Though most of us do not wear them, most of us can identify a sombrero, a fez, an Aussie bush hat, a tam o'shanter, a glengarry, the Alpine Tyrolean hat, the Russian fur ushanka, a Greek fisherman's hat, the conical…

“ I can poke fun at myself, I know myself better than anyone else, and I'm free.” AAAA Convention Set For July 17-20 The annual Antique Advertising Association of America's annual convention will be held July 17-20 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin (Columbus), Ohio, the site of three successful AAAA conventions. The AAAA is America's largest club for collectors of all popular and antique advertising. The convention registration fee is $95 per person, which includes all fun convention activities, one buffet lunch, one banquet dinner, made-to-order breakfast buffet for hotel guests each day, a hotel reception for hotel guests each evening with light snacks and up to two beverages (including beer/wine/cocktails), and a light offsite lunch one day. The convention will feature presentations by Jack Dixey, noted authority on…

Antiquing Adventure Branson, Missouri, captures the heart of Americana. It's where you can immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of American history, culture, and artistry. From the “chicken-pickin” of country guitar to the nostalgic treasures found in antique shops, every corner of Branson echoes with stories of the American journey. The city's vibrant theater scene brings these stories to life with performances that honor the nation's past and celebrate its spirit. Whether it's a foot-tapping country music show, the soulful inspiration of gospel or Motown favorites, or the thrill of discovering a vintage artifact, Branson offers an engaging and patriotic experience connecting visitors to America's roots. Collectible Americana Defined Americana in antiques and collectibles encompasses items that characterize the United States, its people and its culture. Traditionally, Americana collectors have…