Will Seippel, CEO of WorthPoint, enjoys watching the objects bought at auctions held by our WorthPoint Business Companions. We thought it might be an awesome thought for him to pick a few of his favourite bought objects 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 need to empower you to purchase and promote with confidence. Check out his ideas on a number of of our companions’ current gross sales.
On 1/28/25, we added 262,273 public sale tons to our database, totaling almost $17 million. With a median of simply $64.64 per merchandise, it’s clear that worth is available in all sizes and shapes. Right here’s a peek at a number of the standout objects that caught our consideration.
Write it Down
One of many standout items not too long ago got here from Antikeo, a Louis XVI interval boudoir desk that I’m formally dubbing “The Happiness of the Day”—a reputation which will or will not be a bit extra becoming than the one Antiko gave it. The inlay work on this desk was really outstanding, and the design was as distinctive because it was intricate. The desk is attributed to the famed 18th-century French cupboard maker Charles Topino, identified for his beautiful craftsmanship and mastery of marquetry. The stamped mark makes this piece much more intriguing, which signifies that Topino was probably working independently by this level—no second stamp to substantiate his earlier affiliations, simply his signature contact.
This desk, bought for $34,742.40, is greater than only a practical piece; it’s a real instance of Topino’s genius. The urn motifs and sleek form are unmistakably his, and whereas early Twentieth-century replicas exist, this one is the actual factor. In response to this text, Topino, who as soon as counted on a bourgeois clientele, noticed his fortunes change after the French Revolution, which left him bankrupt and with out patrons.
Present Us Your Bottoms, Please
A current lot of 5 Satsuma immortal items bought by A & C Auctions of Pendle additionally caught my consideration, although I’ve a sense they have been probably older than the Twentieth-century classification instructed. With their distinctive craftsmanship and complicated ornament, these items really feel way more aligned with the Meiji interval when Satsuma porcelain really flourished. The standout piece was a field with completed photos on the inside—an uncommon contact. Whereas all of the items confirmed some put on to the paint, I imagine the lot bought for a lot lower than it may have, particularly given the standard of the work. The important thing difficulty was that to promote it efficiently on-line, patrons would wish clear photos of the bottoms to precisely establish and date the maker’s marks. At simply $295.67, the ultimate value appeared like a cut price, however generally, an absence of detailed pictures leaves cash on the desk!
I’ll Drink to That!
The final merchandise of the day was one other loopy discover—beer steins from Shultz & Dooley, which I’d by no means heard of earlier than. I first noticed them prowling round CTBids once they have been a dwell lot, and it turns on the market have been a number of tons from the identical collector who was downsizing. The gathering included a mixture of whimsical mugs that includes characters like a red-nosed reindeer, Santa, Frankenstein, and even a penguin. The corporate’s historical past is fairly fascinating (and a rabbit gap for beer lovers and collectors), however what stood out was how these quirky steins flew below the radar. This lot went for $824.82, which looks like a cut price contemplating the enjoyable issue and the backstory behind these mugs!
Will Seippel is the founder, president, and CEO of WorthPoint. Will has been an avid collector since 1974 and seller 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 very best of the world’s historical past that has been saved on movie.
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