Antique news

• Walking Through Lincoln’s Story

  17-07-2026 21:05 via antiquetrader.com
  
  In the spirit of America’s recent 250th anniversary, Kovels Antique Trader’s Sierra Holt visited the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. While there, she learned about Lincoln’s life and family, and how he went from a little boy from Kentucky to one of the most revered presidents in United States history.  Are you planning to visit a presidential library and museum this year? Which have you already visited?
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• Heritage Comics Event Tops $21 Million, Led by $3.875 Million Iron Man Art

  16-07-2026 15:48 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Don Heck Tales of Suspense #39 Iron Man First Appearance Splash Page 1 Original Art (Marvel, 1963).DALLAS, Texas (July 15, 2026) — The original Don Heck artwork introducing Iron Man, page 1 of Tales of Suspense No. 39 from March 1963, set a new auction price record for original comic art, taking in $3,875,000 to lead Heritage Auctions’ July 10–12 Comic Art Signature® Auction to a total of $14,471,390. Combined with the $6,631,950 take
  
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• Unexpected Tolkien Treasure Fetches $51,000

  15-07-2026 17:21 via antiquetrader.com
  
  First edition, second printing of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien with dust jacket designed by the author, 1938.The staff of the Oxfam store in Harborne, Birmingham, England, thought they had a “fairly ordinary” donation of old books. To their surprise, the donation included a first edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.Manager Julian Grist told the BBC, “By the time I’d realized what we had, the donor had already left. I would have loved the chance to tell them just
  
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• Captain America: From World War II to Comic Book Icon

  15-07-2026 14:59 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Captain America Comics #1 has one of the most famous covers in comic book history. Jack Kirby drew the star-spangled superhero punching a grimacing Adolf Hitler in the face. This is the copy that Heritage Auctions sold for $3.1 million in 2022.Captain America is a hero who personifies the most idealistic version of the American spirit. He was among the first patriotic-themed comic book superheroes who believe in doing the right thing no matter the cost; he is unflinchingly brave and willing to d
  
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• Celebrating with a Grand Old Flag Pin

  14-07-2026 20:10 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Reproduction of Jackie Kennedy’s American flag pin by Camrose & Cross, c. 1990, $35–$55.
  All images courtesy of Jay B. Siegel.I’ve written about patriotic jewelry in the past, but one type seems particularly appropriate for a deeper dive as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary: the flag pin. From painted and enameled designs to examples blinged out with rhinestones and even diamonds, this symbol of loyalty to the good old U.S. of A. has drawn many dedicated col
  
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• STAIR to Auction Nicoll Family Memorial ‘Calvary’ Window by Tiffany Studios

  13-07-2026 20:16 via antiquetrader.com
  
  HUDSON, N.Y. —  Among the highlights of STAIR’s American Week sales on August 19-20, 2026, is The Nicoll Family Memorial “Calvary,” Window, an exceptional stained-glass composition by Tiffany Studios, offered to benefit the Episcopal Diocese of New York’s ministry in Orange County. Included in the American Fine Art session on August 19, 2026, is the ecclesiastical window, which exemplifies Louis Comfort Tiffany’s unparalleled achievement in the mediu
  
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• Kingsland Antiques

  13-07-2026 20:02 via antiquetrader.com
  
  We are a 3500 sq ft freshly renovated antique mall fuaturing over 100 glass door display cases available for vendors to rent. Focusing on Antique, vintage, and collectibles our vendors have everything from transferware, militaria, jewelry, to pokemon.1550 Colorado Ave, Lorain, OH 44052kingslandantiques.comEmail: [email protected]
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• Route 11 Antique Mall

  13-07-2026 19:38 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Maryland’s newest and largest Antique Mall! Over 250 quality dealers spanning over 30,000 sq ft. Jewelry, Watches, Furniture, Primitives, Sports Memorabilia, Coins, Advertising Items, and much more!Check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Kzb3USb5N/?mibextid=wwXIfrRoute 11 Antique Mall
  Open 7 Days a week
  9:00AM – 5:00PM13625 Pennsylvania Ave, Hagerstown, MD, United States, MarylandEmail: [email protected]
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• America at 250: Massachusetts: the Bay State

  10-07-2026 09:01 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Each Friday, we celebrate America’s 250th by exploring one state or territory at a time, uncovering the history, crafts, and Semiquincentennial events that help tell the nation’s story.Lithograph: Plymouth Rock Pants, Color Lithograph, “Landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock”.  The print shows pilgrim men, fresh off the boat, lining up to be measured for Plymouth Rock Custom Made $3 Pants. More pilgrim men are at a building with signs reading, “U. S. Post Off
  
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• Street Discovery Solves Sorolla Painting Mystery

  08-07-2026 17:17 via antiquetrader.com
  
   It’s one thing to inadvertently buy a valuable painting at a thrift store. Picking one up in the street is another degree of luck entirely. As surprising as it sounds, the second happened to Andrés Hurtado of Murcia, Spain, while he was visiting Seville with his family on the weekend. He saw a painting lying in the street: a peaceful beach scene with boats in the distance and sunlight reflecting off the water.Hurtado said that the gilded frame was what caught his attention. As
  
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• My Favorite Flag: The True Centennial Banner

  08-07-2026 15:05 via antiquetrader.com
  
  37-star silk flag, July 4, 1867 to July 3, 1877.Semiquincentennial. Try saying it three times fast—I can’t, so I’ll stick with “250th anniversary.” As we celebrate our semi… (well, you know the word), we recall that one of the most enduring symbols of our nation is our flag, that beautiful, bold, red, white, and blue banner that flies from countless flagpoles across the country.My earliest memory of our nation’s flag dates back to the mid-1960s, when I
  
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• $3 Goodwill Find Could Bring $250,000 at Sotheby’s

  07-07-2026 18:40 via antiquetrader.com
  In this provided photo taken in January 2026 at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, Quinn Brown poses with a warm-up jacket worn by basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals. The jacket, which Brown found and bought for $3 at the Goodwill store in Hillsboro, is expected to fetch as much as $250,000 at auction. Image: Heath Silver.For collectors and resellers alike, every trip to the thrift store offers the possibility of uncovering an overlooked treasure. Most successful
  
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• The Joy of Bob Ross

  06-07-2026 22:20 via antiquetrader.com
  
  At Bonhams Skinner’s Americana—Crafting a Nation: Art, History & Legacy auction on January 27, American-made art earned firework-worthy sales. Taking place at the Massachusetts office, over $2.4 million was earned, selling well-known classics like John James Audubon’s Trophy of American Game Birds (1830) for $394,200 and Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) at $102,100. But there was a collection of artworks by a singular artist that earned even more.Three of Bob Ross&rs
  
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• America at 250: Maryland’s Chesapeake Heritage

  03-07-2026 18:16 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Each Friday, we celebrate America’s 250th by exploring one state or territory at a time, uncovering the history, crafts, and Semiquincentennial events that help tell the nation’s story.The official seal of the State of Maryland. This is the reverse of the seal, used for official purposes. Image: statesymbolsusa.orgA Brief History of the Old Line StateThere is evidence that Maryland has been occupied since the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 B.C. The first inhabitants were Paleo
  
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• From the Editor: Red, White, and Remembered

  01-07-2026 15:51 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Image courtesy of the author.I was a teenager during America’s Bicentennial in 1976—old enough to understand the significance of the moment, but still young enough to get swept up in the celebration of it all. Red, white, and blue seemed to appear everywhere that summer, and patriotism felt woven into daily life in a way that was difficult to miss, even in the pocket change. Bicentennial quarters were everywhere!But as memorable as that summer was, the Fourth of July celebrations tha
  
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• A Look Inside the July Issue of Kovels Antique Trader

  01-07-2026 14:46 via antiquetrader.com
  
  America’s 250th anniversary provides the backdrop for the July issue of Kovels Antique Trader, where history, patriotism, and collecting come together in stories that celebrate the people, objects, and traditions that have shaped the nation.The celebration begins with Pamela Wiggins Siegel’s look at one of America’s most enduring symbols: the flag pin. From sparkling rhinestone brooches of the World War II era to examples worn by presidents, dignitaries, and royalty, she explor
  
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• Relics and Roots: The Journey of Mormon Antiques

  26-06-2026 18:31 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Original holograph manuscript of Minutes for a General Conference. Sold for $27,500. Courtesy Heritage Auctions.When the followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began their westward migration from Nauvoo, Illinois, and surrounding areas to the then-territory of Utah in the 1840s, a rich tradition of material culture was also carried on those wagon trains. What were then essential items for the pioneers—religious records and books alongside household and everyday goods&
  
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• Gremlins and Movie Magic

  25-06-2026 22:07 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Gremlins 2: The New Batch (Warner Bros., 1990), George Mogwai Puppet.Before computer-generated creatures dominated movie screens, filmmakers relied on artists, engineers, and puppeteers to bring fantastical characters to life. One surviving example of that craftsmanship, a screen-used George Mogwai puppet from Gremlins 2: The New Batch, is headed to auction this July at Heritage Auctions’ Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction.Created for Warner Bros.’ 1990 sequel, Geor
  
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• Lost Mozart Manuscript Found in Library

  24-06-2026 17:15 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Page 10 of the manuscript, showing “Andante de Mozart (1st violin and bass) and Mlle. De Guines (2nd violin).” Image: Élle Ludwig, Bibliothèque nationale de FranceNew music by Mozart made its world premiere this year on June 22. France Musique aired excerpts from six previously unknown pieces for flute and harp, performed by two musicians from the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, nearly 250 years after their composition.The discovery of the pieces was the crown
  
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• $100K Baseball Cards are Late Brother’s Legacy

  24-06-2026 16:29 via antiquetrader.com
  
  1933 Goudey cards at Legends Sports & Games in Kentwood, Michigan. Image: WoodTV/Legends Sports & Games.An elderly woman was in for an emotional surprise when she walked into Legends Sports & Games in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a tin box of baseball cards. She was wondering if the cards, which she had found two years before among her late brother’s things, were “duds or diamonds.”WoodTV in Kent County, Michigan, reports that the woman and the store employees were
  
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• From Work of War to Work of Art

  24-06-2026 15:26 via antiquetrader.com
  
  A series of casings transformed into art—note “The Great War” piece on the right. Image courtesy RelicRecord.There is something powerful about an object that has lived two lives diametrically opposed to each other. In the case of trench art, that transformation is especially striking. Instruments of war, once designed for destruction, are reshaped by hand into objects of beauty and remembrance.Most closely associated with World War I and World War II, trench art is less about w
  
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• America at 250: Maine’s Enduring Traditions

  19-06-2026 18:02 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Each Friday, we celebrate America’s 250th by exploring one state or territory at a time, uncovering the history, crafts, and Semiquincentennial events that help tell the nation’s story.A Brief History of the Pine Tree StateFlag of the state of Maine with the state seal. Image: WikiCommons.People have lived in what is now Maine for at least 9,000 years (likely more). Following the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age, Paleoindian hunter-gatherers moved into the regio
  
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• Brimfield Bound

  18-06-2026 20:37 via antiquetrader.com
  
  It’s our pleasure to introduce new columnist, Diana Petrillo! Selling antiques for over 25 years, Diana’s column, Diana’s Vintage Ventures, will explore the many fabulous finds she discovers while on her journeys. America’s seasoned antique collectors and sellers will be familiar with Brimfield––the country’s largest antique show held three times a year in May, July, and September. To think it all started back in 1960 in one woman’s yard with
  
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• Elizabeth Taylor’s Handbag Sets Auction Record

  17-06-2026 19:31 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Studio portrait of Elizabeth Taylor, c.1955 Image: Wikimedia Commons.Elizabeth Taylor’s (1932-2011) name alone evokes images of classic Hollywood glamor, stardom, and sophisticated style. So it’s no surprise that one of her handbags set an auction record for its type, the Fendi Baguette bag, as it sold for $21,950 at Christie’s.The Handbags Online auction, running from May 28 to June 11, featured iconic bags from major designers such as Hermès, Chanel, and Dior, and tota
  
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• Thrift Store Purchase is a Scottish Painter’s Masterpiece

  17-06-2026 19:14 via antiquetrader.com
  
  “Interior: The Lady in Black,” Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell, signed, oil on canvas, 24 1/2 x 29 1/2 in., sold for £189,200 (about $253,000) at Lyon & Turnbull on June 4, 2026.In 1966, a young art teacher named Helene Plotkin bought an oil painting for less than $100 at a thrift shop in New York. After sixty years and some surprising revelations, the painting sold for £189,200 (about $253,000) at the Scottish Paintings and Sculpture Auction by Lyon & Turnbu
  
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• Preserving the Personal Side of the Presidency

  17-06-2026 17:45 via antiquetrader.com
  
  The presidency is usually remembered through great events. Collectors often preserve something else entirely: the ordinary objects that were present while those events unfolded.The Louise Taper Presidential Collection, offered by Bonhams as part of its America 250 celebrations, contains its share of historic artifacts. Yet among the documents and presidential treasures are objects that reveal a more personal side of life in the White House. A top hat worn by William McKinley, a pocket watch owne
  
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• Bonhams Marks America’s 250th Anniversary with Two Landmark Sales

  16-06-2026 21:13 via antiquetrader.com
  
  A Rare 1776-1876 Centennial Sand Bottle by Andrew Clemens (1857–1894), estimated at $15,000 – 25,000.
  “As we mark the 250th anniversary, our two landmark sales offer audiences a rare opportunity to reflect on nearly three centuries of objects that highlight the nation’s founding and enduring spirit,” commented Elizabeth Muir, Senior Specialist, Head of Americana and American Decorative Arts. “From a rare early portrait by Joshua Johnson to a sword once held by
  
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• Winston Churchill Letter to Charles de Gaulle Sells for $50,908 at Auction

  15-06-2026 20:09 via antiquetrader.com
  
  BOSTON, June 11, 2026 — A 1950 letter signed by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to French leader Charles de Gaulle sold for $50,908 at RR Auction’s Fine Autographs and Artifacts Featuring WWII sale, which closed June 10.The two-page typed letter, written on Churchill’s Chartwell letterhead and dated August 22, 1950, thanks de Gaulle for remarks in his memoirs and looks back on their wartime relationship. Churchill writes that despite the “hard contretemps of War,
  
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• America at 250: The Legacy of Louisiana

  12-06-2026 20:22 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Each Friday, we celebrate America’s 250th by exploring one state or territory at a time, uncovering the history, crafts, and Semiquincentennial events that help tell the nation’s story.Louisiana Riverboat New Orleans stamp 1962 4 cents. Image: Etsy seller PostageStamps4U.A Brief History of the Pelican StatePeople have lived in what is now Louisiana for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence shows that Indigenous peoples inhabited the region as early as the Paleoindian period, ad
  
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• Tattoos and Tradition

  11-06-2026 19:14 via antiquetrader.com
  
  Tattoo hand colored flash sheet with seven designs, price stickers, and Bert Grimm’s signature. 1950s– 60s, sold for $2,640 at Potter & Potter Auctions. Courtesy Potter & Potter Auctions.Tattooing is a form of folk art, with a lengthy history and plenty of cultural meaning, but tattoos aren’t exactly conventional collectibles. That doesn’t stop enthusiasts from collecting tattoo memorabilia, such as photos of tattooed people, especially historical ones, and flash
  
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