Antique Trader May 1, 2022

YORK, Penn. – The legend of bounty hunter Boba Fett, one of the Star Wars universe’s favorite characters, continues to grow. A rare Boba Fett action figure sold for $204,435 at Hake’s Auctions, Wednesday, March 16, setting a world record for the most expensive Star Wars action figure ever sold. The 3-3/4-inch tall, rocket-firing prototype (J-Slot Version) is AFAgraded, encapsulated and fully painted, representing the final phase of development for the action figure that has taken on “holy grail” appeal for serious collectors. The previous Star Wars action figure record-holder sold at Hake’s for $185,850 in November 2019. Originally, the rocket-firing Boba Fett action figure was expected to be released as part of Kenner’s licensed toy line for the 1980 release of the Star Wars sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. The toy was displayed…

LONDON — Skinner Auctioneers of Boston has expanded its global reach after recently being acquired by Bonhams, one of the world’s largest and most renowned auction houses. Now known as Bonhams Skinner, Bonhams announced that the acquisition is part of its local-to-global strategy, following the addition of Bukowskis, the leading auction house in the Nordics (based in Stockholm, Sweden), in January. It will also give Bonhams greater access to the North American market, through Skinner’s salerooms in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts, and its highly effective digital platform for online sales. In turn, Skinner will benefit from Bonhams’ large network and global reach, while maintaining its one-on-one personal approach with consignors and buyers. “Bonhams and Skinner are a great match,” said Karen Keane, Skinner’s chief executive office. “With its international reach, Bonhams brings…

My wife and I are planning a small bathroom remodel, although you wouldn’t know it by the contractor estimates we are receiving. I see a new shower, some tile work, and a little touch-up here and there. Easy-peasy. The contractors see early retirement. But I get it. Everything is more expensive these days. Materials. Labor. Disposal. Hopes. Dreams. It all adds up. That’s not my concern. The problem is the fine print tucked just under my estimate sticker shock. It reads: “This is an approximate cost. Due to the uncertainty of remodeling, the actual cost could be different than the stated estimate.” I’ve done enough small household projects to know that what lies underneath – some phantom problem lurking, unseen, and unknowable, until you rip into things – is what bites you in the…

Collectors continue to push the value of sand bottles by artist Andrew Clemens (1857-1894) as one of the hottest commodities in American folk art. Spirited phone bidding escalated another one of his works well past its pre-sale estimate, selling for $800,000 at Hindman’s American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts sale March 10-11, including buyer’s premium. The pre-sale estimate for the sand bottle was $100,000-$150,000. The sale comes on the heels of a record-setting auction in September 2021 when a Clemens’ sand bottle sold for $956,000, nearly $700,000 more than the previous record set in 2020 for a patriotic presentation bottle during a Skinner event. The latest Clemens’ bottle came from the family of its original owner, railroad freight agent Nicholas J. Goll. Dated 1889, one side of the 10-1/2-inch-high bottle, with polychrome decoration…

You’re forgiven if you don’t know anything about the 1920 U.S. Presidential Election, the one where Republican Senator Warren G. Harding from Ohio thrashed Democratic Governor James M. Cox of Ohio. Harding won a landslide victory, but it is Cox and his young running mate, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who would leave a lasting impression some 100 years later. A rare Cox/Roosevelt pin-back campaign button, a mere 1 ¼-inch in diameter, sold for an unprecedented $185,850 at Hake’s Auctions March 15. The new owner of the world-record button wishes to remain anonymous. Known as a jugate because it features side-by-side images of Cox and Roosevelt, the button has long been considered the “holy grail” of campaign buttons. Any undamaged button from the 1920 presidential campaign picturing the Democratic nominees is precious, demanding values…

VINELAND, N.J. – A bidding frenzy by passionate collectors helped a rare toy of Mickey and Minnie Mouse on a motorcycle set a record, riding to a final value of $222,000 (including premium) at Bertoia Auctions. The sale was one of the highlights of the Monique Knowlton Collection that brought in a total of $2.16 million over a two-day sale, March 11-12; all of the more than 600 lots offered sold. As a former international fashion model who knows the importance of aesthetics, Knowlton also applied her well-cultivated eye for quality and perfection to her antique toy collection, which emphasized condition and rarity, and included outstanding examples of comic character toys, German autos and cycles, Japanese toys, cars, and robots, American toys and more. The Mickey and Minnie motorcycle by Tippco, circa…