Valuable Household Items to Watch Out For

It’s a question I’m often asked - ‘What’s collectible’?  And it’s a good one in this seemingly soft marketplace where supply outweighs demand.  In working with clients and downsizing and estate professionals alike I’ve been asked numerous times to put together a list of stuff to watch for when you are sorting through a home and its lifetime of accumulation; so here it is. Most people know that fine jewelry and Group of Seven paintings are going to hold value, so this is really a list of unexpected items that you may overlook or wouldn't think of.

 

Old Toys

Often times in going through an estate I find a stash of children’s toys from the 1950s. Vestiges of the baby boomers being babies, it may be a collection of dinky toys, or Barbies or a stuffed Punkinhead. They sit in the closet - to precious for parents to throw out but not something their original owners want anymore. If still in good condition, these items have a collectible value.

 

Costume Jewelry

Yes everyone knows to grab the jewelry box because gold and diamonds have value, but I’m talking about costume jewelry like rhinestones and plastic stuff. Just because something isn’t made from ‘the real thing’ doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. Don’t dismiss these pieces, there have been whole books written on the subject and fortunes made in buying and selling costume jewelry. A month ago a plastic pumpkin brooch sold on eBay for $8,400.

 

Militaria

Still desirable are military items. The further away we get from WWI and WWII the rarer this stuff becomes, and the fascination and thus the demand grows. In this category the more the better, a single pin may only bring a few dollars but if it’s part of a larger collection of stuff that belonged to the soldier then it creates a story, and this is what collectors will pay a premium for.

 

Christmas & Halloween

This may or may not catch you off guard. Halloween actually supersedes Christmas in some ways as the most collectible holiday. It may be due to the fact that there is a lot more Christmas stuff than Halloween which is a relative minor holiday by comparison but both are certainly hot collecting fields. I’m talking old paper decorations to glass ornaments, postcards to figural pieces. The key here is the older the better.

 

 

Photos

Yes, photos. And I mean snapshots. Photography was invented in about 1820 so by 1900 virtually every household had a camera. Flash forward 5-6 generations and what we’ve got is tons of photos that we have no attachment to or memory of, this creates the supply, all these photos are now coming into the market. As for collectability, they are a cheap thing to start collecting and intensely personal and thus fascinating for a whole variety of reasons to the collector. For more info you can click here to visit a blog entry I wrote about photography.

 

 

Buttons

Yes another surprise. They are something that virtually every house has and they often get thrown out or sent out for donation, but buttons can collectible. This is a bit of a needle in a haystack because it’s only one in a thousand that are worth good money but they’re worth more than a toss.

 

Dress Patterns

Sought after by collectors and designers and dressmakers alike, vintage women’s dress patterns are hot. Again these are things that are found in many homes and often end up in the trash but groupings regularly go for good money, while the odd desirable single patterns have been known to go in the high hundreds.

 

 Silver

Namely sterling silver. Whether it's flatware or larger pieces, it’s really important to know if what you’re dealing with is sterling or silver plate. Most North American pieces should be stamped ‘Sterling’ or ‘925’ and European often ‘800’ so that’s helpful. It gets a little trickier with British sterling because of the hallmark system they use. Hallmarks are a series of little square marks, but be careful because silver plate companies got smart early on and started using similar markings. Go to www.925-1000.com for more information.

Top Ten selling books: Sex sells while Spiderman climbs to the top!

Here we have eBay's top ten selling books from the last few years, starting with number 10.

10. Wizard of OZ  $8,243

1st edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. (Sold January 21, 2010).

9. 1st Alchoholics Anonymous $8,351
First Edition, Alchoholics Anonymous book, dated 1939. (Sold March 11, 2010).

8. Ulysses 1935 Edition $12,900
"Ulysses" 1935 Limited Edition signed by James Joyce and Henri Matisse. (Sold February 23, 2010).

7. Astronomy Book $15,202
1617 Astronomy Book. Sold (February 3, 2010).

6. Antique Homann Atlas $16,100
Homann Atlas (1728-50) with 97 engraved, hand colored maps.  (Sold September 25, 2010).

5. Medieval Book of Hours  $17,799
Medieval Book of Hours written in Rouen, France, circa 1470. (Sold June 1, 2010).

4. National Geographic $20,155
National Geographic Magazine set (1888 - 1990) includes issue #1. (Sold January 18th, 2010).

3. Vintage Playboy Magazine $39,900
1953 Playboy Magazine featuring Marilyn Monroe. (Sold April 13, 2011).

2. Antique Golf Poem/Pamphlet $50,400
1751 pamphlet featured an early Golf poem. (Sold January 19, 2011).

1. Spider-Man Comic Book $107,300
1962 Amazing Fantasy #15 / Spider-Man Comic Book. (Sold October 19, 2011).

I find this interesting for several reasons. Firstly every home has books, and usually many, many books, and the old needle in a haystack expression comes to mind when thinking about ones that are valuable. So it’s always a question people have when clearing an estate or downsizing.

Secondly, it is a category that is rather hard to navigate when determining value because of things like condition, edition number, hardcover vs. soft cover, autographed or not, Canadian edition vs. US edition not to mention weeding out those ‘Book Club’ versions which seem to carry no value except decorative.

I pre-warn my clients that there will be books that won’t sell and in fact that certain charities won’t even want for free. It’s a case of supply and demand and changing lifestyles again. With so many books in every single house there simply aren’t enough collectors or book enthusiast to pick them up. And if you think about it people aren’t even reading paper bound books so much anymore, they’ll purchase the e-book version for their Kindle or buy the audio version for the car or iPod.

Let’s talk about the top five. At number 5 we have what sounds like an incredibly valuable and interesting book, a circa 1470 Book of Hours. To me, I would think a medieval book should be number one. It’s not however, it’s number five.

Number 4 is definitely interesting, a complete set of National Geographic magazines. Now before you go running downstairs to inventory your own collection of NG, the key word here is complete. National Geographic began in 1888 and there were 165 subscribers (versus 10 million by 1980) so to say that these early editions are rare is a big understatement. The first eight years of publication are called the ‘red brick’ editions and are the most highly sought after. But by 1896 they were printing more than 1200 magazines a month which makes anything past this date, relatively speaking more common. So the value is in these first 8 years of publication.

Number 3 is the Holy Grail of Playboy magazine, edition #1 with Marilyn Monroe on the cover. Let’s face it, sex sells (just ask Hef) and with the most famous sexy symbol of all time on the cover how could they go wrong.

Number 2. Ah yes, an incredibly early and rare golf pamphlet. Not surprised on this one, there always seems to be good money for sports collectibles and or ones related to ‘rich men’s’ hobbies; golf, horses, sailing come to mind. And in my experience good golf collectibles have always commanded a premium.

Number 1. I want to be surprised, but I’m not totally. But let’s face it, the #15 Spider Man comic book is the top selling book of the past few years on eBay??? And by more than double selling for a whopping $107,000! Well it must be an incredibly rare one with a very low printing, and comic collectors are an incredibly passionate group when it comes to their field. We have to keep in mind also that this is a top ten EBAY list, which is a ‘collectibles’ marketplace where collectibles sell best. However it still shocks me. Does whatever a spider can…and then some!

 

A hot collectible that is found in almost every household

 

People often ask me ‘What’s hot?’ in terms of antiques and collectibles. It’s a question that usually follows my grim speech about the largely declining resale marketplace.

One of the first things that comes to mind is photos. And I’m referring to everyday snapshots, the kind that are often found in shoeboxes in closets. Many times people are shocked by this ‘You mean collectors are interested in photos of people they don’t know?” they ask. And the answer is Indeed they do, it’s called vernacular photography;  photos taken by unknown or anonymous photographers for themselves, family photos essentially. And it’s a burgeoning collecting field. 

Supply

Photography was invented in the 1820s so by 1900 almost every household had a camera. Flash forward 5-6 generations and what we got are literally thousands of snap shots of ancestors we didn’t know. These often have little interest to families and therefore end up being given away, sold or (god forbid) thrown out and are currently flooding flea markets, auctions and antique store shelves.

Demand

Now one of the big appeals to photography is the human element. Nothing is much more personal than a photo, it allows us to look into a person’s face, examine their clothing, analyze the people they are with or the situation they are in, and imagine what was going on or why the photo was taken, by whom and so on. It allows us to fill in our own narrative.

Diversity

Additionally, the potential variations within the field are limitless. For example, I have a client who collects photos of wedding cakes, some people collect images with dogs or cats in them, while others may be interested in photos that depict a certain geographic area like their city or cottage area. So you can see there are literally thousands of categories appealing to a huge range of collectors.

Affordability

There’s something for every budget. Lastly, because you can go down to your local flea market or antique show and buy a photo starting at a few dollars or less, it means the bar to entry to starting a collection is very low and virtually anyone can begin. It makes them very accessible to a lot of people.  The reverse is also true, some photos and photo albums regularly sell in the hundreds and thousands of dollars locally and on eBay. An early photo of Billy the Kid sold for 2.3 million dollars in 2011.

So there you have it, supply, demand, diversity and affordability all colliding to create a very robust and growing field of collecting.

 
Tips

· Black and white is a good cut-off point. Anything later is generally of less interest.

· Unusual subject matter (different lifestyles, exciting images, buildings that don’t exist anymore).

· Specific subject matter (profession related, local interest).

· Gay interest. Photos depicting the gay lifestyle and same sex affection are very popular.

· Photos that tell a story. Photo albums that are well laid out and follow someone’s journey, through life or on a trip can be of interest to collectors.

5 Tips When You Start Downsizing "Stuff"

Empty your mind.

Forget everything you think you know or were told about the items you’re looking to downsize. The resale market for household contents, furniture and collectibles is like any other market, certain things go up in value, certain things go down, they don’t just go up - despite what Granny told you. In fact it’s quite the opposite, antiques and collectibles are very much affected by changing tastes and lifestyles and their values rise and fall based on a variety of factors.

Additionally the current trend is not as much about vintage (the fancy word for used) but rather Ikea, where you can furnish a home for half the price and half the perceived ‘hassle’. This and the fact that we are currently paying the price for the Baby Boomers mass consumption of everything over the last 60 years. And guess what? They’re now downsizing and wanting to get rid of most of it. So seriously – where is it all gonna go? Go into this process with a clean slate mentality, an open mind about what the market (and the people in it) are going to tell you.

Discount nothing.

Despite the downturn in resale there are still things you don’t know have value.  Remember those ever changing collector tastes? It can work for or against you - you never know what may bring in $$$. 

So stop before you throw too much away and consult a professional. I’ve seen too many well intentioned clients clear out the junk and in so doing throw out collectible items they could have gotten good and easy money for. Remember there are people who earn their living off of garbage picking. No joke.

Research and reconnaissance.

Walk into a consignment shop, go to a flea market or attend an auction. This will start to prepare you for what current market values are in your area. This is especially good for larger items like furniture. Important note: and you can expect to get 1/3 to 1/2 of what the lowest price a retailer is willing to take.  

Free knowledge.

Most people miss the biggest opportunity of all in my opinion, to peruse the world’s largest online marketplace (AKA free price database) – eBay! This has been a game changer on so many levels. For smaller items like china, glass, figurines, even books and records this is the place to go, because bottom line whether your buyers are online or not, if they can buy it on eBay for less why would they pay you more? And if you’re asking much less than what it’s selling for on eBay, you also need to know. Important note: make sure to look at sold prices vs active auctions or items that didn’t get any bids at all. For this you’ll need to register, but who cares it’s free and the information and insight it provides is well worth it.

Other good online marketplaces include Craigslist and Kijiji which are like classifieds where local sellers will list the price they are asking.

Choose a professional wisely, then breathe.

Think about what is important to you when it comes to this process of disposing property. For some people its ease and convenience, for others it might be financial – getting the top dollar, while others may have a schedule they need to stick to, perhaps an impending closing date that stuff has to be gone by. Whatever the key objectives are they are going to help determine who and how best is going to work in your situation. Interview a few different outfits - organizers, dealers, auctioneers, estate services, ask for references and make sure they’re going to be able to satisfy your objectives.

Now once you’ve decided on one - stick with it and don’t look back. Getting all twisted and tormented because you didn’t get enough for one thing or another serves no purpose. If you’re dealing with a reputable, knowledgeable professional chances are what they may lack on one thing they’ll make up for on another. They’re going to work hard to get you where you need to go so go easy on them and remember there aren’t too many millionaire antique dealers, they work hard for their money!

The Blue Mountain Pottery Angelfish

An article I co-authored a few years ago...

The Blue Mountain Pottery Angelfish
A Star is Reborn

In many areas of antiques and collectibles, it is sometimes curious why a particular item catches the attention of collectors. Possible reasons include: rarity, colour, size, style, price, age and designer. When it happens, acquisitive desire drives the price higher and faster than it would otherwise go. The angelfish made by Blue Mountain Pottery in Collingwood, Ontario, provides a fascinating case study.

First produced in the mid 1950s, the angelfish was illustrated in the earliest known Blue Mountain Pottery catalogue as number 58. Its popularity continued into the mid 1980s when it was discontinued. A 30-year production run of any item in the burgeoning trend-conscious consumer market of the postwar period is quite remarkable.



       The name angelfish was given to number 58 by collectors. Early Blue Mountain Pottery catalogues identify each item only by a model number, while later ones use numbers as well as names. Number 58 was called Fish. Since other Blue Mountain Pottery figures were also called Fish, using the name angelfish avoids any confusion when referring to this piece. (Number 58 became 1-058 in the 1970s when prefix numbers 1 through 6 were used to identify different types of items. Category 1 included vases, jugs and decorative figures. Prefix coding was dropped by 1980. When the number of models reached 1,000, the angelfish became 0058.)

"It's a very imaginative design," says Dr. Richard Winterbottom, ichthyology curator at the Royal Ontario Museum. "It doesn’t really look like any specific kind fish, but has some similarity to the black crappie found in Georgian Bay. I think, however, it’s more an impressionistic interpretation of a South American freshwater angelfish that is common in the aquarium trade -- but with a big bite out of the top of it!"

Although the angelfish was usually made with Blue Mountain Pottery’s traditional streaky green glaze, it did appear in the company’s harvest gold (brown and yellow) collection and was featured on the cover of the 1981 Harvest Gold catalogue . Examples in other popular glazes such as mocha, slate, jade, red or blue have not been seen by collectors or found in known Blue Mountain Pottery catalogues. But a few collectors do have a rare green example with a blue base. Since the angelfish itself is supported by a pedestal of waves, it seems only appropriate that the water be blue. "The angelfish looks more interesting when its base is blue," says collector Sharon Bennett of Parry Sound. "The all-green fish are very attractive too, but the blue reminds me of a sparkling lake in summer. This angelfish is one of my prized pieces of Blue Mountain Pottery."

The angelfish was designed by Dennis (Zdenek) Tupy. Born in Breznice, Czechoslovakia in 1929, he completed the three-year program at the Strední prumyslova skola keramicka (Secondary School of Industrial Ceramics, founded 1884, www.keramichkaskola.cz) in the town of Bechyne. Tupy graduated at the top of his class, specializing in design and mould making. Escaping military service in his homeland, Tupy came to Canada in 1951, eventually settling in Collingwood where he worked for fellow Czech Jozo (Josef) Weider (1909-1971), owner of the Blue Mountain Winter Park ski resort. With Weider’s assistance Tupy began Blue Mountain Pottery in 1953 at the age of 24. "Dennis, do something big!" Weider said one day according to Tupy who is now 76 years old and still living in Collingwood. "So I made the fish," explains Tupy. "It’s what came into my head. My ghost told me to do it." Tupy often uses the word "ghost" to explain the source of his design inspiration. It seems a fitting term, similar to "voice" or "muse." It's the unpretentious way he puts his superlative talent into words. It is how he explains the way his mind and hands work together.

Exactly where the idea for a huge flat fish came from is anybody's guess. It was, after all, a half century ago, and Tupy doesn't remember everything his muse told him that day. No matter, the angelfish design sprung from his genius. And equally important, it was exceptionally stylish for the time. Made in large two-part moulds, the angelfish were heavy and awkward to produce. When removed from the mould, extreme care was necessary to prevent the fins from being knocked and broken. Further handling during the glazing and firing process presented many other opportunities for further damage. Early angelfish with flat glazed bottoms had to be raised on two triangular stilts, each with three points, or, alternatively, three bar stilts. This prevented them from sticking to the kiln shelves during firing. This laborious balancing act had to be done very carefully to ensure that pieces did not touch or rub against each other, thus ruining the glazed finish. After firing, the stilts had to be broken off the bottom of the angelfish. This left rough areas that had to be smoothed by a belt sander. Great care had to be taken during this step as well. All this even before the angelfish was packed, shipped and displayed on a store shelf. (When moulded maker's mark first appeared on angelfish beginning in 1967, three-part moulds were used. The additional part was for the base of the piece. Bottoms were no longer flat, but slightly concave to allow clearance for the raised mark.)   Since these pieces had unglazed footrims, stilts were unnecessary. The angelfish was a popular item when it first appeared around 1955. Although early examples, including the ones with blue bases, have flat glazed bases that bear no maker's mark, they were identified with factory stickers and hangtags. From 1967 to 1972 angelfish were moulded with the Three Trees mark, from 1972 to 1976 the BMP Canada mark, and from 1976 to 1986 the Vase and Waves mark. Surprisingly, the long term popularity of the angelfish did not inspire other potteries to copy it. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, if one pottery produced a commercially successful item, others would often copy it to reap windfall profits. But the myriad of production challenges facing Blue Mountain Pottery in their efforts to make the angelfish would have been immediately obvious to pirating potters. For them, the difficulties were too great. And they could never successfully replicate that streaky green glaze. This clearly demonstrates the high level of ingenuity and technical expertise at Blue Mountain Pottery. One known exception, however, was Danesi Arts (1937-1975), a Toronto plaster and pottery giftware manufacturer. Their ceramic items (produced from 1955) were cast from original designs created by founder Primo Danesi or commercial moulds. A Danesi copy of the Blue Mountain Pottery angelfish appeared on eBay in June and sold for $45. Its slightly smaller size indicated that it was moulded from a Blue Mountain Pottery original. An early angelfish is often immediately recognizable by the slight iridescent look of its glaze. This is a natural ageing effect that happens to the surface of certain types of glass, as well as glass-based formulas such as ceramic glazes. Although designed as a vase, few examples of the angelfish are found today with water marks or scaly residue. It seems that most buyers appreciated its bold sculptural design. William Rolling was employed at Blue Mountain Pottery from 1964 to 1979 as the factory superintendent. Born in Collingwood and now retired, Rolling worked in the town’s Kaufman Furniture factory before coming to Blue Mountain Pottery. In addition to his managerial duties, he also prepared the clay, and cast, glazed and fired angelfish. "I worked in a barn on Jozo’s farm that had been converted into a self-contained pottery," explains Rolling. "This location was in addition to the two main factories, the one on Pine St. and the other on Mountain Rd. We didn’t call them angelfish then. Each model had a number. I still remember them all today. The angelfish was always referred to as number 58." Following the first meeting of the Blue Mountain Pottery collectors in Collingwood in July 2003, and subsequent club formation a year later, the focus on collecting has sharpened. The closure of the Blue Mountain Pottery factory in December 2004 has further spurred collector interest. These events have brought many vintage pieces of Blue Mountain Pottery into the market (antique malls and eBay), and prices for the more unusual colours and shapes have been increasing rapidly. The popularity of the angelfish received an unexpected boost when it appeared on the cover of the Winter 2005 issue of the Toronto-based Antique and Collectibles Trader magazine. It promoted the magazine’s feature article, Blue Mountain Pottery: Canadian Icon. During January and February, 15,000 copies were widely distributed throughout Ontario. About a dozen magazines have been offered on eBay, either individually or as a bonus with the purchase of a piece of Blue Mountain Pottery. Although the angelfish was used as the lead photograph in the magazine article to illustrate Blue Mountain Pottery's renowned streaky green glaze, it was not intended by the author to be the cover shot. The preference was for a grouping of pieces to illustrate the colourful range of the company's glazes. But the magazine editor chose the angelfish, making it instantly symbolic of all Blue Mountain Pottery production. Once the "must have" desire was ignited among collectors, angelfish prices began to climb. In 2001, they sold for about $10. Last summer, angelfish could be bought for under $50. But by April the price had risen sharply to $250. Since then, prices have softened, but remain in the $150 to $225 range. In May, an angelfish in Harvest Gold, a much rarer glaze colour than green -- sold for $385. But it is not only Blue Mountain Pottery collectors that go after the angelfish. Since its look is so 1950s, many buyers eagerly seek out this piece to complement their retro style décor. Oddly enough, an angelfish appeared on eBay in late January with its tail completely broken off and missing. The long-time U.S. seller included 10 large photographs showing every angle of the fish, including the area were the tail had been. Still, the opening bid was $24.99US. Needless to say, there were no bidders. It was re-listed at $9.99US and ignored yet again. In June, an angelfish was listed on eBay with two minor chips on its fins. The opening price of $9.99US did not entice a single bid. Unless a piece is so rare that minor condition problems can be forgiven, collectors only want perfect examples, regardless of price. Sometimes good repairs can be difficult to detect. When buying an angelfish, check the fin tips. It is easy to disguise repairs in these areas once they have been sprayed. Also, check the sides of angelfish to see that they have not been accidentally pushed in or dented during the production process. Make sure that all the fin tips come to relatively sharp points. Sometimes the tips were broken off in the factory, but to save the piece it was still glazed but sold as a second. A noticeable glaze drip on the bottom tail fin would also make an angelfish a second. Collectors sometimes enjoy a particular piece so much that they keep buying more examples of it. Bryce Eaton in Brainerd, Minnesota, has 26 angelfish. "The style and shape really appeal to me," says Eaton. "I bought the first one at auction 14 years ago. I don’t really need any more, but I find it hard to resist bidding on them. They're displayed as a "school” on my dining room buffet." With a collection that large, it is easy to notice slight differences. Some angelfish are an inch taller or longer than others. Sometimes the vase opening is slightly wider or longer. These variations were the result of the shrinkage characteristics of the various clays that were used during the long production period of this piece. Also, as the moulds wore out, new ones had to be created. Minor size and design variations would invariably occur during this handmade process. A recent sampling of eight angelfish gave the following results: lengths ranged from 15-1/4 to 16-1/4 inches, base widths from 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 inches, and heights from 16-1/2 to 17-1/2 inches. When the angelfish were lined up by date of manufacture, no correlation was found between size and age. From a survey of existing catalogues, the 1974, 1976 and 1977 editions list the height as 17-1/2 inches, while the 1969 catalogue says that it is only 16 inches. The 30-year lifespan of the angelfish demonstrated its long-term popularity. Its large size meant that it was a costly item to manufacture. The earliest known price list from the late 1950s shows that it sold for $12,  the most expensive item available. In today's money, that is equivalent to $87. (A large tenpins jug, pineapple vase, and tulip vase followed at $10 each.) A survey of existing Blue Mountain Pottery catalogues shows that the price of the angelfish steadily increased to $39.95 in 1986, its last year of production. Compared to other pieces, it never ranked lower than the seventh most expensive item (topped in different years by a tea service, three-tier buffet tray, bottle vase, four large animals, two types of hanging planters, and two versions of a lazy susan). When Robert Blair bought Blue Mountain Pottery at the end of 1986 (becoming its last president and owner), the angelfish was replaced with a realistically sculpted version, called Tropical Fish, number 132 (see photo). It was almost as large: 12 inches long, 4-1/2 inches wide, and 16 inches tall. It was made in green from 1987 to 2000, in blue from 1998 to 2004, and in white (with a white clay body) in 2000. The Tropical Fish remained in production until the factory closed in 2004. It was always among the highest priced items and ranged from $29.95 to $39.95 (exceeded only by a large elephant made from 1980 until the factory closed, the Romar Collection from its introduction in 1997, and the Robert Wilson Collection from its launch in 2002). Coincidentally, this fish was also designed by Dennis Tupy. He left Blue Mountain Pottery in 1960 to open his own pottery, Canadian Ceramic Craft, in the earlier Blue Mountain Pottery factory in the village of Craigleith, 11 kilometres west of Collingwood. (Tupy later built a new factory and showroom in Collingwood, renaming his company Rainbow Ceramics.) At Canadian Ceramic Craft, Tupy's second angelfish was in production by the early 1970s (Tupy also made a very complex piece, number 100, combining two angelfish positioned at different heights and angles.). When he retired in 1984, Robert Blair took over the factory for two years until his purchase of Blue Mountain Pottery. (Blair had been a manager at the Blue Mountain factory from 1971 until his retirement in 1982.) At Rainbow Ceramics, Blair used the existing moulds which included Tupy’s fish (originally called number 88 and renumbered by Blair as 132). When he became the new owner of Blue Mountain Pottery, Blair continued the production of the fish, a far more stylish version for the 1980s than the earlier angelfish The appeal of the first angelfish, both then and now, is its design. Having a relatively flat profile, it can easily sit on a window sill, mantel or shelf. Its distinctive outline is instantly recognizable and its broad flat sides gave the Blue Mountain Pottery company a superb opportunity to demonstrate its unique glazing abilities. Many collectors agree that the design of the angelfish is stylish, dramatic and timeless. Beyond that, it is just plain fun. All this is a reflection of the magic of Tupy, an exceptionally talented artist who, working with his muse, created a ceramic masterpiece for Canada. By Todd Milks and Conrad Beernacki

Pablo Picasso was quite good at painting things

Yesterday in an effort to finally satisfy the battle royale regarding whether or not Pablo Picasso was a rather talented artist the folks at Christies decided to finally put an end to the debate and declare that the Spaniard was, in fact quite good, presumably making him very happy. Or sad. Or at the very least still very deceased and still not as rich as he'd like to be.


You know that moment when your child comes to you and has suddenly decided to dress slightly odd and tells you that he has decided not to follow your advice and take over the family fruit stand business but instead wants to change his name from Fankie Jr to Shiloh and instead become an artist?

That's typically when we spend our nights crying and convulsing and wondering where it is that we went wrong and ultimately end up suing the school system. Maybe it's time to re-think that impulse and prepare for a lifetime of encouraging Frankie...errr....Shiloh...errr....whatever and prepare for a retirement of relaxing baths in liquified rubies and diamond encrusted Pumas for pets.


For those of you who missed the news, Pablo Picasso is officially one very rich Spaniard. Actually, that isn't exactly true....but whoever owns his “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" painting sure is (or was) and they splashed out a whopping $106 million to prove it.


If you are ever looking to make the Venus De Milo applaud, and high five this is probably a good place to start.

History has a funny way of being fairly relevant. First of all unlike the future, there is always plenty of history. Secondly also unlike the future we can always count on history and thus some of the bits that people left behind whilst making it to continue to become more and more valuable. The other nice thing about history is that we can always just forget about the portions that we no longer care for very much and slightly embarrass us. A bit like The Crusades or Parker Stevensons hair.

You can't however deny and stand in jaw dropping awe of the fact that a mans work netted $106 million to somebody who not only had that kind of change lying around in the cup holder of what must surely be an SUV so vast it Saudi Arabia must sink 3 inches into the ocean every time he fills it with gasoline, but that they are willing to pay it so that they might enjoy his work.

Or did they?

Who would or could buy this piece?

>From The New York Times today;

Though Christie’s did not reveal the painting’s buyer, it was almost certainly an oligarch or hedge fund mogul. The auction house’s chief pointed to “depth of buying from Russia, China and the Middle East.” Christie’s brought in nearly 30 percent more than the bottom of its expectations from the New York sale of 56 artworks.

Moreover, the gaggle of emerging market heavyweights like Roman Abramovich of Russia were said to be bidding against some of the hedge fund world’s most prolific collectors, including Citadel Investment founder Ken Griffin and the Connecticut billionaire trader Steven Cohen.

Admittedly it's slightly sad to think that is piece of artwork is an investment, and won't be hanging on any bathroom walls for the owner to enjoy it any time soon. It's now just another holding, not unlike the Beatles back catalogue or The Elephant Man.


Who knows what dear old Pablo would think about all of this but hopefully he's at least having a good laugh and toasting the good life somewhere. Meanwhile, here on earth maybe it's time we go buy Frankie Jr...err....Shiloh.....errr.....oh...never mind some new crayons and a chunk of old cardboard to scribble on.

Shiloh or whatever it is you're calling yourself these days.....get on with it......Mamma needs a new Gulfstream jet...."

Canadian Art Find

This week we are starting work on a lovely estate located in a penthouse just north of the city. The couple, originally from Forest Hill, moved up to this enclave favoured by well heeled retiring seniors about 20 years ago.

Several years ago the father sadly passed away and his wife has now moved into an assisted living situation with the help of her children. With the condo sold, they are faced with selling unwanted and unneeded items; that's where we come in.

On the living room wall, visible when you first walk in, is a large oil by Canadian painter Harold Town. Dated 1959, it is a good period for Town, one hotly sought after by collector's. It has never been a favourite of the children, and understandably so, it has frenetic, almost angry brushwork in varying shades of red, making for a somewhat gruesome tableau. (The Harold Town pictured, while similar, is not the painting we are referring to).

However, it IS a very important piece of artwork and one that the family has decided to sell.

It's interesting when it comes to a piece like this, Harold Town is an important artist, a founding member of the Painters Eleven and his work always does well, particularly an original oil of this size from the this period. And while antiques may come and go in and out of fashion, and even stocks and bonds will rise and fall, art, GOOD art, almost always seems to go up in price. This makes it a pleasure to sell, there are interested and eager buyers. Imagine that, a rare occurrence in today’s antique marketplace!