Will Seippel, CEO of WorthPoint, enjoys watching the objects bought at auctions held by our WorthPoint Business Companions. We thought it could be an ideal 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 option 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 couple of of our companions’ current gross sales.
On July 22, 2025, WorthPoint added 248,517 objects to its Worth Information, totaling $15,202,880.22 in worth, with a mean lot worth of $61.17.
The Magic of Magic Lantern Slides
Magic lantern slides is usually a bit troublesome to evaluate relating to worth. They’re fragile, out of date, and never one thing the common individual has a projector for. For these unfamiliar, a magic lantern slide is a photographic picture printed on glass, designed to be projected utilizing an early system powered first by flame and later by electrical gentle. Provided that open flames have been usually used, it’s no shock that fires often occurred—generally with devastating outcomes. Regardless of these hazards, the slides stay fascinating relics of Nineteenth-century visible storytelling.
Whereas many slides have been mass-produced and depict widespread scenes, some uncommon or compelling photos nonetheless maintain actual worth—particularly now that images accumulating is a scorching market. Flint’s Auctions within the UK not too long ago had a sale that featured early photographic gear and slides, totaling $156,302 throughout 330 tons. The highest merchandise was an exquisite moist plate sliding field digicam, which bought for $18,480.67. Among the many most intriguing photos was a stereo daguerreotype thought to point out inventor and microphotography pioneer John Benjamin Dancer working in his lab. I didn’t even know stereo daguerreotypes existed till this got here up! One other notable lot was a set of 32 “East London” collection lantern slides exhibiting gritty scenes of 1800s working-class life, harking back to Dickens—it bought for $4,704.17.
Dancer’s work was significantly fascinating. Born in Manchester in 1812, he was skilled as a scientific instrument maker and shortly turned a key determine in images’s early improvement. He was among the many first to experiment with microphotography, creating small photos that would solely be seen underneath microscopes. In 1856, he patented a stereoscopic digicam that enabled 3D photographic photos—a serious innovation. His stereo daguerreotypes, just like the one probably featured within the public sale, provide a unprecedented have a look at Victorian science and visible tradition. In the present day, photos attributed to him are museum-worthy and extremely uncommon on the open market.
WorthPoint’s highest recorded worth for a magic lantern picture is $5,160, achieved in 2024 for a slide depicting Shoeless Joe Jackson. That specific instance got here from the “For the Love of the Recreation” public sale. Whereas most slides promote for extra modest quantities, sure topics—early baseball, distinctive road scenes, or pioneering scientists—can nonetheless fetch sturdy costs.
Oddity of the Day
In the present day’s oddity was a toss-up between two very completely different however equally curious objects: quite a lot of twelve Tennessee crankbait lures and a towering Japanese cloisonné temple vase. The lures, provided by JD’s, have been uncommon balsa wooden crankbaits made by the Tennessee Shad Company. Whereas they bought for $240, they appeared extra fascinating than invaluable—maybe interesting to area of interest collectors who respect their distinctive designs and square-billed lips.
Feels Like a Steal
Then again, I used to be much more captivated by the five-foot-tall Japanese vase from Tom Corridor Auctions. At simply $483, it felt like a steal for a chunk attributed to the Meiji period (mid-Nineteenth century to early twentieth century). As with the Sith in Star Wars, these vases doubtless got here in pairs—but just one confirmed up right here. It had clearly frolicked open air, which explains the unlucky polyurethane clear coat and the open base, doubtless lacking to show drainage or due to previous show selections. Even with these flaws, the vase was placing—daring in scale, wealthy intimately, and lined in coiling black dragons framed by intricate cloisonné work. If you happen to might overlook the restoration missteps, it was quite a lot of artwork for the cash. The one problem: getting it house from Pennsylvania with out summoning the Drive… or not less than a shifting truck.
Will Seippel is the founder, president, and CEO of WorthPoint. Will has been an avid collector since 1974 and vendor 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 most effective of the world’s historical past that has been saved on movie.
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