Best-Selling Antiques: Auction Results Are In

Auction Data Shows Most Popular Items Sold

What's Actually Selling At Auction?

New York - The antique and vintage markets have proven remarkably resilient over the past twelve months, navigating economic shifts and evolving consumer tastes to deliver some truly exceptional sales. While certain traditional categories have seen adjustments, a vibrant energy, fueled by both seasoned collectors and a new generation of enthusiasts, continues to propel the market forward. Auction houses, both the established giants and their online counterparts, have witnessed strong results across a diverse range of items, offering a compelling snapshot of what's hot and what's being keenly sought after in today's decorative arts marketplace.

In the realm of fine art, the enduring power of iconic names remains undeniable. Christie's 2024 spring sales in New York, for instance, saw strong prices for works by Impressionist and Modern masters. As Kim Dewer, a specialist at Christie's noted during a post-auction briefing last year, "The market for top-quality examples by blue-chip artists continues to be incredibly robust. Collectors are seeking not just beauty, but also rarity and historical significance." This was evident in the impressive figures achieved for works by artists like Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, whose pieces consistently command multi-million dollar prices, often fueled by intense bidding wars both in the room and online. Sotheby's also echoed this sentiment, with their recent "Leonard & Louise Riggio: Collected Works" sale in May 2025 realizing over $271 million, demonstrating the premium placed on exceptional collections assembled with discerning taste.​

Leonard & Louise Riggio Collection: René Magritte Hammers Down At $30 million

However, this narrative appears to extend well beyond just the traditional high-end art market, with the more "pedestrian" decorative arts sector also witnessing its own set of rising stars. Online auction platforms like LiveAuctioneers, which aggregates results from thousands of global auction houses is able to offer a broad view of major trending categories. Their data over the last year indicates a notable increase in prices and demand for specific styles and periods. For example, interest in Art Deco furniture and decorative objects has remained strong, with pieces featuring geometric designs and luxurious materials fetching impressive sums. As reported by Better Homes & Gardens earlier this year, "Geometric shapes, bold colors, and luxurious materials that are characteristic of Art Deco are making a significant comeback in interior design circles," directly impacting their value in the vintage market and in corresponding sales results from auction houses.​

Art Deco Numbers Continue To Rise

According to the online auction site Bidsquare, there also appears to be a growing appreciation for the unique character and craftsmanship of earlier periods. Dark wood furniture with ornate details, a style often associated with the Victorian era, has seen a resurgence in bidding numbers across their platform. Tiffany Lorne from TL Designs & Auctions, says that her online auction site has also noticed a rise in demand for darker wood furniture, especially with carved, scallop-like apron edges in side tables and consoles. "There's a growing appreciation for the intricate details and embellishments that antique and vintage furniture offers,'" she says. "Our auction results are showing a shift away from purely minimalist aesthetics towards incorporating pieces with more history and visual interest." ​

Auction Results For Victorian Pieces Are Also Up

Collectibles, ranging from rare books and manuscripts to vintage toys and memorabilia, also continue to perform strongly, says auction analyst, David Warner. "The dedicated online auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's have consistently shown impressive results in these categories." Warner notes that many of Sotheby's recent sales have also seen strong interest in first edition books and historical documents, often driven by what Warner believes is passionate collectors seeking tangible connections to the past. Similarly, the market for high-grade vintage comic books and trading cards remains buoyant, also fueled by what Warner sees as nostalgia and their potential as an alternative investment. "The good stuff has been rising in value," he says, "despite today's economic uncertainty."

Not to be outdone, the online bidding platform HiBid, says that some of its most impressive (scaled) auction results over the past year continue to be for kitchen barware, which it also attributes to a strong wave of nostalgia, driving collectors towards iconic mid-century modern pieces such as Dorothy Thorpe silver overlay sets, or Culver's 22-karat gold decorated glasses, along with stylish Art Deco examples. According to HiBid, the inherent craftsmanship, uniqueness, and often more durable materials used in such pieces compared to contemporary mass-produced items is what makes them more desirable for both practical use and display, as well as what leads to more competitive bidding among discerning buyers. ​

Auction Numbers Show Mid-Century Barware Remains Popular

Although market values and trends are inherently fluid, these finalized auction results related to specific items can still show concrete evidence of significant interest within certain genres of the decorative arts marketplace. While it is of course no guarantee as to future value, these results can at least help dealers and collectors alike in determining what some of today's more popular antique and vintage examples can actually achieve at auction when the hammer finally falls. 

- A.I.A. Staff Writers 
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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.

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