Buying antiques online can open up all kinds of new options for serious collectors and casual weekend pickers alike. The eclectic fun that online auctions have to offer is an attractive way to shop for all interest types - and it’s catching on. Last year, we interviewed Katherine, a new online art collector who bid on and won a Frank Stella print. She described how engaging it was for her to discover artworks she liked and how easy it was to place live bids in an online auction on Bidsquare. Even as a new collector, she identified that hunting for and winning the item she loved was one of the main reasons why online auctions attract new art collectors. Whether bargain hunting for a new home or seeking out specialty items you can’t find in local shops, online auctions are rife with a range of unpredictable possibilities and hidden gems. Now,...Read More

When it comes to online auctions, Bidsquare was tailor-made from the get-go. The online bidding platform, from its very foundation, was designed and assembled to provide a seamless and more favorable way for buyers and sellers to convene online. Over the years, as online auctions started catching on, Bidsquare’s platform has gained recognition for a well-designed interface known for its ease of use and real-time bidding technology for both bidders and auction houses. Now, the technology that underpins Bidsquare’s marketplace as a leading online auction platform, is available to all. The new white label can be fully integrated into any website - offering a custom branded experience for businesses looking to boost online sales. What is Bidsquare Cloud? Bidsquare Cloud, the innovative new software, allows any seller, auction house or business ...Read More

It’s a new year and so far 2022 is looking as exciting as ever - if you're in the antiques and collectibles world a least! While we're still facing “real world problems” whether it be COVID-19 or global political unrest, I'm happy to report that Pop Culture is still on an upward climb since the pre-COVID world. If you refer back to our Top Picks article from this past December, you'll recall that the market had undergone a correction since the height of COVID. This is still the case, which is a good thing! The market for Pokémon, late Bronze and Modern Age comics, and anything in that 1985+ category with a high population has nicely plateaued and is maintaining since last quarter. For example, the New Mutants #98 CGC 9.8 we referenced in December is still averaging the same $1,500.00. However, important key issues, early Silver and Golden a...Read More

For many giants of art history, printing a portfolio of limited lithographs can act as a sensible way to reproduce, sell and preserve copies or original lithographic versions of ones work and  understanding the process of different types of prints is key in choosing the right method to do so. The powerful and often unsettling works by Francis Bacon only continue to grow in magnetism and allure - portraits bending around themselves, figures trapped within dark portals and vague geometric rooms. Bacon’s paintings exist on a plane of crushing gravity and dense interruptions made by the fragile human condition - his raw paint application dissolving and remaining upon itself like the dipping of a wet spoon into a sugar bowl.  Over his lifetime, Francis Bacon collaborated with several printmakers to release 36 of his best-known pieces as limited-...Read More

The brand has substantially increased their handbag prices by at least 60% - signaling a shift toward the secondary auction market. Chanel Classic Flap Bag Perhaps the most visible fashion brand in the world, Coco Chanel’s eponymous luxury house, Chanel, has decided to up the ante (again). Since November 2019, Chanel has made a steady effort to increase the value of their most beloved handbags with classics such as the small flap - seeing a 60% price jump to $8,200 and the larger version known as the 2.55 to $9,500 (up from $7,400 in June) according to Bloomberg and data compiled by the Jefferies Group. The move is seen as a direct sashay to chase rival house Hermes, who tops the charts in terms of price and desirability with their iconic Birkin and Kelly bags existing comfortably as the pinnacle of handbag eminence. Chanel is now zipping u...Read More

The cutting-edge French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, known as the father of modern photojournalism and a pioneer in street-photography, immortalized a photograph of a man leaping over the puddle behind the Saint-Lazare train station in Paris. The iconic photograph, snapped in 1930, exemplified what Henri called “The Decisive Moment”. The term defines the essence of photography and describes the precise timing of capturing a fleeting moment and preserving it forever.  Over the years, different photographers have eternalized “The Decisive Moment” and earned critical acclaim for their works. Striking aesthetics, impactful compositions and strong social commentary are some of the characteristics that make these images the highest-priced photographs ever sold. Just as striking paintings can fetch millions of dollars, attention-grabbing an...Read More

The history of the Japanese block prints traces back to 764 when the Empress Kōken commissioned small scrolls of woodblock print. These contained the Buddhist text and were circulated to temples across Japan. Circa 1570 – 1640, a designer-painter, Tawaraya Sōtatsu was known for using wood stamps to print on silk and paper. However, until the eighteenth century, woodblock printing was only a method of reproducing texts. The advent of Edo period changed it all. Lot 387, Japanese, Ukiyo-e color woodblock prints, collection of three, 19th century | Rago Ukiyo-e – Pictures from the Pleasure Districts of Japan Edo is the erstwhile name of Tokyo, before it was made the capital of Japan. The Edo period holds a place of extraordinary significance in the bygone era. Tokugawa Ieyasu and his descendants emerged as the unchallenged rulers during this er...Read More

One of the reasons I love living in New England is the way our daily, seasonal weather acts as a natural calendar. Snow is beginning to fall, the sun is set by 4:30 and the drive-through line at Dunkin’ is at an all-time high! All signs that we are headed into the New Year bringing on resolutions and new trends to track in the collectibles market. If you refer back to our previous Top Pick’s articles, I’m happy to report it was a phenomenal year for Pop Culture. While it certainly contained a lot of quick-changing peaks and valleys, overall, it's ending significantly in the black. Comic books, trading cards, toys, and related collectibles on average are trading at an all time high. We've experienced some market correction with Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and modern era sports cards and comic books though. Prices have slightly softened for the more ...Read More

Sworders auction of Fine Jewellery and Watches on Tuesday, November 30th includes items of Roman, Byzantine and Russian interest from the residual stock of Iconastas. The Piccadilly Arcade Gallery was established by Chris Martin-Zakheim and John Gaze in 1974, specialising in Russian Icons, works of art, and antiquities, until it closed its doors in 2018, having cemented a reputation as one of the industry’s leading specialists. Ancient Rome is steeped in a history famed for its complex jewellery designs, inspired by the marrying of cultures and created from the natural resources that were available across the conquered Mediterranean territories and an extensive trade network of imported materials. Despite the sheer scale of the Roman civilisation, archaeological finds of Roman jewellery are relatively rare, and pieces in excellent condition...Read More

Traditional Scottish jewellery has captivated collectors for centuries, though recognition soared in the 19th century after it became a popular souvenir of Queen Victoria following her much loved trips to the Highlands. In the autumn of 1842, two and a half years after her marriage to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria took her first trip north of the border. They were both completely enamoured by the landscape and returned many times, culminating in the purchase of Balmoral Castle in 1852 (leased from 1847). Lot 80, A Scottish gold hardstone brooch - Sworders, Fine Jewellery and Watches - Live Online | November 30, 5am EST The story goes that during one of their early visits, Prince Albert found some pebbles on the banks of the River Dee in Aberdeenshire and had them polished and set into jewellery for his Queen. The aristocracy was a major inf...Read More