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Auction Results Show What's Selling   Getting The 'Real' Numbers New York - Finding that perfect blend, whether it be one's morning coffee, or a list of the current market's best-selling and most popular antique and vintage items can often require a little experimentation to get the desired effect. However, one source that often trumps all the rest when it comes to the simple facts regarding popularly sold items (and nothing more), are the hard and cold "realized" sales numbers provided by auction houses. When fully aggregated over a relative period of time, these statistics can add some serious heft to the tale of what's actually selling within the decorative arts world at any given moment. Which means that if you're searching for sales patterns that can have a meaningful impact on your bottom line as an antiques and vintage dealer, or as a collector wondering about present day values, then it's probably going to be worth your while to take note of how 2024's auction results are trending when it comes to marketplace sales. With that notion in mind, staff writers decided to reach out to a few auction houses, gathered some statistical reports, and then tabulated the information, which revealed several categories that have been performing exceptionally well recently, as shown in the results below.   Hermès Handbags 1. Fine Art and Jewelry: High-value sales in fine art, including Impressionist and mid-century Modern art, continue to be prominent. Antique and vintage jewelry, especially from renowned designers, is also fetching high prices at many of the top tier auction houses according to both Chirstie's and Sotheby's. 2. Luxurious Vintage Handbags: Especially those which come adorned with diamonds and gold hardware have been fetching impressive prices. For instance, Heritage Auctions recently sold one Hermès example for $185,000. Even basic Hermès bags, like the Rouge Garance Evelyn, can still sell well. An Evelyn bag recently displayed a 'sold' listing on eBay for just over $2,000. 3. Vintage Political Collectibles: Perhaps it's just a spinoff effect from the current political landscape, but many online auction sites are reporting strong sales of Items related to political campaigns, such as buttons, posters, and memorabilia featuring images of candidates from the 1920s or earlier. Collectors are apparently appreciative of the historical significance and nostalgia associated with the pieces as the significant move up in pricing seems to reflect this interest.  Casio Watches 4. Mid-Century Modern Furniture: According to LiveAuctioneers, this style remains highly desirable, with pieces from designers like Eames and Herman Miller continuing to achieve significant price increases. While demand was down slightly in some eastern urban areas like New York City, the overall auction results seemed to indicate that the interest in mid-century modern furniture continues to be a popular choice in almost all other locations across the country. 5. Vintage Watches: Collectibles, including vintage watches from brands like Rolex, Cartier, Bulova, etc. are all highly sought after in the current market with strong realized prices. However, according to the curated online auction site Bidsquare, condition, rarity, and provenance still play a crucial role in determining their final value at hammer-time. Other more common bands such as Timex and Casio also proved to be winners with bidders. 6. Kitchenware and Barware: While many may have thought that the explosive resurgence in vintage kitchenware items, especially from brands like CorningWare, may have come and gone, according to numbers from the online auction site HiBid, nothing could be further from the truth. Cornflower Blue examples continue to list at extremely high prices with some selling in the thousands of dollars - apparently driven by collectors' nostalgia and their increasing scarcity as online buyers snap up dwindling supplies.  1936 Monopoly Game 7. Lighting: Custom-made and vintage lighting fixtures, particularly those with an industrial bent or post-steampunk motif, are in high demand according to curating staff from Kovel's Antique Trader (one of the nation's leading antique publications), who say their reporting of auction results has consistently shown strong numbers for individualistic and one-of-a-kind creations, as well as for lighting pieces from the 1970s, including space-age designs and copper chandeliers from the early 1980s. 8. Toys and Board Games: When it comes to recreational items, the online auction site Invaluable says that vintage toys, such as diecast cars and board games like Monopoly and Risk, are experiencing a boom in collectible interest. These items are apparently particularly popular amongst younger collectors, who also seem to be responsible for driving up recent auction prices over the last year. As with most collectibles in this category, 'condition' is everything.  Not Just "Jordan" 9. Sports Memorabilia: Finally, Goldin Auctions says that iconic sports memorabilia, such as game-worn jerseys and autographed items are continuing to attract high prices, with a Michael Jordan game-worn jersey selling recently for $10.1 million. However, it's not just the uber celebrity sport tie-ins bringing in the cash, according to Goldin's website, as even average examples from the sporting world, such as collector cards and signed equipment from mediocre stars, are also bringing in substantially higher sale prices. While pricing and trends can of course change like the wind, "realized" auction results can nevertheless highlight a broad area of interest within the decorative arts field that is backed by actual sales numbers. And, while many of the items and categories represented here seem to exude a certain historical significance, aesthetic appeal, and a touch of nostalgia, it would also appear that the majority of collectors who are footing the bills for these items are particularly focused on the well-preserved pieces that can offer them a clear line of provenance, and hopefully a potential upside in future value, in exchange for their high-dollar auction house investments. - A.I.A. Staff Writers  NOTE: For readers seeking more information about the Asheford Institute Of Antiques distance-learning program on professional-level appraising, the study of antiques, collectibles, vintage and mid-century modern items, please click here to visit the school's Home Page.
Should you have additional questions about the Asheford program, you can also write to the school at: [email protected] or call the Registrar's Office toll-free at: 1-877-444-4508. Comments are closed.
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AIA StaffWe're providing our students and reader's with the latest breaking news on events and happenings that we think might be of interest to both collectors and dealers alike. Including changes within the world of antiques, vintage, collectibles and appraising that might just have an effect on your bottom line. We're also interested in hearing from you - so if you've got a great newsworthy story, let us know, and you just might find it here! Archives
May 2025
CategoriesLegal Disclaimer: Extraneous opinions, statements and comments made by individuals represented within these posts do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute. The publication naming of specific business entities, organizations, and concerns, contained herein, in no way represents an endorsement or recommendation of services or products by the Institute. Publicly identifiable information contained herein (including, but not limited to contact information), has been intentionally limited where possible, due to privacy and legal concerns related to the digital dissemination of information through online means. All views expressed herein are those of their respective owners. The Institute is in no way responsible, financially or otherwise, for the accuracy or validity of statements contained within published posts from sources that originate and appear outside of the written and expressed views of those submitted by the Institute.
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