1939 Detective Comics No. 27
Courtesy of www.ha.com

1939 Detective Comics No. 27 sold for $657,250 at Heritage Auction Galleries this summer

Q: I read your column about the lack of buying these days. I just never thought of collecting as a two way street! My question is about buying: How do I find an antique square grand piano?

A: For sure, collecting is a two-way street. First, people buy. Somewhere down the line, the owner (or heirs) decides to sell. New to the market, the item attracts a buyer. It's an endless circle, and what keeps the market alive.

Many readers may not know that during the 19th century, more square grand pianos sold in America than uprights or classic grands. Massive and stolid, the elaborate instruments fit Victorian aesthetics. They reached a height of popularity around the 1880s and 1890s.

By 1900, consumers rejected Victorian fussiness and many handsome square grands were cut into firewood or discarded. Today, the old relics are again fashionable.

Most refurbished versions sell around $3,500. Price depends on how and where the piano is bought, aesthetics, tone, condition and other variables.

I recommend doing a Google search of square grand pianos to learn about the genre. Then ask local piano specialists to help you find a match. It may take a while, but the right piano is out there.

Q: What can you tell me about these vases? My mother and grandmother think they are Meissen.

A: When vases with large openings have covers, they are called urns. The urn pair seen in images appears to be porcelain. They are ornate, but there is no indication of size.

Bottom marks with crossed lines and check marks certainly look like Meissen. But what's up with that W at the base and the top line that caps the vertical ones?

I think the urns are fakes, created to look like Dresden or French porcelains and given an artistic mark. Some "antique" porcelains are excellent fakes. Date is indeterminate, but they look newer rather than old.

Granted, I cannot inspect them first-hand. To be sure, I recommend paying an appraiser to take a look. Perhaps a local seller of decorative antique porcelains will provide a verbal estimate for less.

A clock image also sent shows a Royal Bonn mantel clock case with American works. Made in differing styles for the growing bourgeoisie around 1900, the clocks are fairly common and sell for $300 to $500.

Q: How do I sell a 1984 issue of Life Magazine commemorating the 20th anniversary of the British music invasion? Value?

A: If you were a Beatles collector, would you want something from the time of an event, or a memento marking an anniversary of the event? Of course. Anniversaries lack the punch of the real thing.

The Beatles 1984 issue sells for under $5 today. A 1967 cover would be another story.

Q: How can we learn about our sheet of 1948 Olympic stamps? These aren't postage stamps. They were issued by the U.S. Olympic Committee to fund the games.

A: Just about anything related to the Olympics is collectible. Items sanctioned by the Committee have most value. Must-haves go way beyond pins. In recent years, torches have become the memorabilia to have.

The 1948 summer games were in London. Winter games were in St. Moritz. Star athletes included Barbara Ann Scott, Dick Button and Bob Mathias.

Little info remains about official, non-postage stamps. But we found several strips on eBay for sale at $4.99.

AUCTION ACTION: The 1939 Detective Comics No. 27 that sold for $657,250 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas this summer is called the "Aloha" because it was bought in Honolulu for $1,200 in 1974. A rare certified and 7.5 graded version, it is topped only by a 8.0 certified copy that brought over $1 million earlier in the year. The comic marks the first appearance of "The Batman."

COLLECTOR QUIZ

Question: The Sunbeam Mixmaster revolutionized home cooking. When did it debut?

a. 1934

b. 1929

c. 1927

d. 1931

Bonus points if you can name the No. 1 caveat when buying a small vintage kitchen appliance today.

Answer: The Mixmaster was introduced in 1931. When buying, be sure all parts are included and that they are original to the machine. No switched beaters and/or bowls, etc. Source: "Kitchen and Home Collectibles: 30s, 40s, 50s and Beyond" by C. Dianne Zweig (Collector Books, $24.95). An informative trip down memory lane, the book has everything from closet moth crystal tins to dime-store beauty aids and kitchen mixers.

 

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(c) 2010 Danielle Arnet