Will Seippel, CEO of WorthPoint, enjoys watching the gadgets offered at auctions held by our WorthPoint Business Companions. We thought it might be an awesome thought for him to pick out a few of his favourite offered gadgets and clarify why these gross sales stood out to him. Gaining insights from Will is a wonderful method to study shopping for and promoting tendencies in our business. We wish to empower you to purchase and promote with confidence. Check out his ideas on just a few of our companions’ current gross sales.
On Might 29, 2025, WorthPoint added 228,814 gadgets to its Worth Information, totaling $23,419,146 in worth, with a mean lot worth of $102.35.
My objective with this every day column is to be taught alongside you and share insights from the huge WorthPoint database. With a lot data out there, it may be overwhelming to understand all the things it accommodates. That’s why I don’t simply spotlight the most costly gadgets—I give attention to what’s fascinating, rising tendencies, and the occasional oddity that makes amassing so participating.
What a Deal!
Damewood Auctioneers of Northern Virginia provided a bit on Might 21 that flew largely beneath the radar: a “walnut excessive chest” that hammered for simply $632.50. The title was generic, and the pictures, marred by glare and a harsh purple stain, didn’t do the piece any favors. Nonetheless, a more in-depth look reveals one thing fairly completely different—a considerable, seemingly late-1700s Virginia-made chest with traditional Chippendale components, together with reeded columns, bail pulls, and comely ft. Sure, the backboard had been changed, and there was proof of a contemporary shellac job, however for the value, it was a real discount. I’d have fortunately purchased it, refinished it in a darker walnut, and given it delight of place in my dwelling.
What made this piece significantly intriguing was its development methodology: the drawer divider frames had been pegged immediately into the case uprights, quite than utilizing normal dovetails. That is extremely uncommon and will level to a particular regional maker or workshop custom—presumably one which has been documented however not widely known. At 5’5″ tall and 45.5″ large, this isn’t a delicate piece of furnishings, but it surely embodies the quiet energy of Colonial Virginia craftsmanship. It additionally highlights the present undervaluation of enormous, non-trophy colonial furnishings in right now’s market. I’d like to know if Colonial Williamsburg or one other establishment has studied this particular joinery method—it’d unlock extra than simply the identification of a cabinetmaker, however a complete faculty of ignored Southern craftsmanship.
A Prime Performer
On the opposite finish of the amassing spectrum, Dawson’s held a jewellery public sale that includes 309 tons, bringing in a robust complete of $523,612.42. The highest performer was a placing Nineteen Seventies Cartier octagonal wristwatch, which achieved $62,724.89. Crafted in 18ct yellow gold with a cream enamel dial and blue sword arms, the watch featured a manual-wind Jaeger LeCoultre motion and traditional Cartier touches like Roman numerals and a cabochon crown. Regardless of missing its unique field or papers, it nonetheless drew fierce bidding, as soon as once more proving Cartier stays a reliable title within the public sale world.
It’s Magical
Two Harry Potter wands from Deathly Hallows offered at Ewbanks for what appeared like spectacular costs, every fetching $7,327. One wand was from Half 1 and the opposite from Half 2, each key to the story and beloved by followers. Although I’m no professional on the nuances between the 2 movies, these props clearly carry important worth given their central position and established provenance. The Half 1 wand, made for Daniel Radcliffe, even exhibits indicators of damage from filming, making it uniquely genuine. The Elder Wand from Half 2, often called essentially the most highly effective wand within the collection, is equally iconic and comes with a metallic core, highlighting its significance each on-screen and within the story’s climax. These gross sales underscore the enduring attraction of well-documented film memorabilia tied to main franchises.
Abraham Lincoln Artifacts
The standout spotlight of the day was undoubtedly the Freeman’s Hindman public sale that includes 138 Abraham Lincoln-related gadgets, many linked on to his assassination. The blood-soaked gloves Lincoln wore that tragic night time commanded a staggering $1,512,500, serving to drive the sale’s spectacular complete gross of $7,967,194 with a median lot worth of $12,080. This extraordinary assortment captured the eye of collectors and historians alike, providing a deeply private glimpse into one among America’s most pivotal moments.
Different exceptional tons included the handkerchief Lincoln had on that fateful night time, which offered for $826,000, and a broadside issued through the manhunt for John Wilkes Sales space that introduced $762,500. A web page from Lincoln’s 1824 math primer, reflecting his early schooling, commanded $521,200, whereas a cufflink worn by the president that night fetched $445,000. These items underscore not solely the historic significance of the gadgets but in addition the excessive demand for tangible connections to the previous president.
Memento hunters posed an actual problem throughout that interval, very like right now. The theater was finally shut down to forestall looting, however not earlier than quite a few artifacts escaped. A chair from an adjoining sales space on the night time of the assassination offered for $15,360, according to different theater chairs which have surfaced in earlier gross sales and interval drawings. Even a small 4″ x 6″ travertine stone fragment from Lincoln’s receiving vault, acquired throughout restoration work in 1960, discovered a purchaser at $2,432, illustrating the big selection of artifacts collectors are prepared to pursue from such a historic occasion.
Will Seippel is the founder, president, and CEO of WorthPoint. Will has been an avid collector since 1974 and supplier of nearly all issues vintage—with an emphasis on ephemera— since 1984. He’s additionally the creator and founding father of HIP, a web site dedicated to recording the perfect of the world’s historical past that has been saved on movie.
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