In this section we answer the questions: how to sell antiques in Moscow as expensively and comfortably as possible, how to correctly evaluate an antique item, what antiques or objects are antique stores interested in buying, what can be safely attributed to the concept of “antiques,” and what after 200 years never will be.
Where to start if you want to sell antiques
Where does any sale begin? That’s right, from the assessment of the value of the item itself or the market value of copies on the market that are similar in parameters and condition, in our case, antiques.
What are your options?
- 1. Find something similar an icon, a porcelain figurine or a silver cigarette case on the Internet. On the forum or on Avito. And see how much they are trying to sell it for. A little disclaimer: “trying” is the key word here. Because it is unknown how long they have been trying to do this and with what success.
- 2. Write down addresses all nearby pawn shops in the area and call with the question “how much will you give for a porcelain figurine?”
The answer is predictable: until we see it with our own eyes, we won’t say anything, just say it. - 3. Take with you your antique masterpiece and take a tour of the pawn shops in your city.
It's already warmer. But unfortunately, in most pawn shops, which mainly practice the purchase of gold, watches and telephones, there will not be a connoisseur of Soviet porcelain or, say, an expert gemologist to appreciate a figurine, icon or amber jewelry. The key word here is "worthily". And not “for a thousand”. - 4. Calculating person going straight to the antique store. And he's on the right track. Why? Because antique stores are focused on selling expensive antiques. Few people are interested in phones and gold chains there. That is why we have a client base built up over decades.
For a specific client-collector of porcelain or ancient Tsarist coins, your copy has every chance of being purchased five times more expensive than the price quoted in the “metro” purchase. - 5. Save time. Before you go with your samovar on a trip to antique salons in the center of the capital, it makes sense to take a photo of it and send the photo to the antique store’s email address. Thus, finding out for yourself whether there is any interest at all on the part of antique dealers in your goods. If there is, great. We find out the price order and hit the road.
Valuation of antiques from photos online
With the advent of online valuation of antique items from photographs, selling antiques in Moscow has become incomparably more comfortable. Instead of going to all the antique sales and pawn shops in Moscow, it is now enough to take a photo of an icon, figurine or piece of silverware with a camera or smartphone and send the photo to the antique store’s website. After which, wait for 10 - 15 minutes for a response. Having chosen the maximum purchase price among the stores that responded to the offer, go to the address with confidence.
What do antique stores buy?
1. Ancient icons. Yes, Russian icons have always been in enviable demand from collectors and ordinary people who want to join spirituality
2. Gold and gold jewelry. Let the reader know that in some places gold jewelry is ready to be valued not “per gram,” but at its antique value. And this is several times higher than what they are willing to give for an antique brooch at the nearest purchase or pawn shop.
3. Soviet porcelain. It is collected and willingly bought by people “in the know.” And antique stores, acting as intermediaries, willingly buy porcelain figurines from the times of the USSR.
4. Silverware: Forks, spoons, glass holders, shot glasses, salt shakers made of silver - all this has the highest liquidity among connoisseurs of hoary antiquities. The antique store is right there. And I’m ready to buy expensive antique silver and put it up for commission at your price. Collectors of antique silver are frequent visitors to antique commissions. And an item made of enameled silver on display will not stay on the store shelf for long.
5. Tula samovars: These are the ones with a pipe. In those ancient times, they heated themselves with coal or wood. Not to be confused with electric ones (nobody needs them except summer residents who want to add ambience to a tea ceremony in their garden plot). They have value. And, sometimes, a considerable amount.
6. Amber beads:. It would seem that,; amber is not a diamond. It's not expensive. The result of evaluating antique amber beads will pleasantly surprise you. We promise:) Yes, but the key word here is “antique”, and not just “amber beads”. Antique, by the standards of the antique market, these are amber beads produced in the last century. A characteristic visual feature are beads made of opaque amber
7. Bronze figurines of Buddha: they used to be brought to us from China. There are very few of them in the hands of the population. The owner of such a figurine has every chance to exchange it for substantial capital. Collectors of Buddhist themes highly value Buddha statues and are willing to offer good prices. Throughout Moscow, only in 3 places there are specialists who are able to appreciate a 19th century bronze Buddha statue and set a high purchase price for a well-preserved specimen.
8. Paintings: due to the impossibility of promptly, on the spot, determining the authenticity of the canvas, the price assigned, as a rule, is underestimated. There is a great risk of purchasing a fake and staying with it forever. Therefore, it is very difficult to urgently sell a painting, even if it’s from the 19th century, “for an expensive price.” And the examination, quite likely, could cost more than the painting itself. Not unless, of course, you are sure that this is Savrasov in the original...
Let's say more: even having an expert opinion from an authoritative commission in hand, the chances do not increase one iota. What to do? If you have time and desire to put it up for sale “to the maximum”, we agree on a commission sale. In a reputable antique store located in a crowded place, the chance that an object of painting will quickly find its new owner is quite real.
How to evaluate antiques in our antique store
There are several options:
- 1. You can easily find out how much antiques cost by calling the phone number indicated in the “contacts” section. If in an oral dialogue both parties decide that cooperation is interesting, we ask you to send a photo of the antique item by email or through one of the mobile applications (WhatsApp, Viber) for a more accurate assessment of your item.
- 2. Send a photo of an antique item by email [email protected] . It is advisable to indicate your phone number for feedback
- 3. Ask a question through the “question-answer” form in one of the sections of the site on the subject of your copy.
- 4. Use the blue “Call Back” button located on the right. In the daytime and evening, the expert calls back within 5-10 minutes
The assessment is carried out with the seller. It takes from 5 minutes to an hour. The valuation of an antique item of great historical and artistic value can be increased over time.
If you live far from Moscow
- If you live in the near or far Moscow region and do not want to waste time traveling to the center of Moscow, but at the same time have a strong desire to sell an old, antique item at the price of buying it in antique stores in Moscow, contact our manager. The appraiser will come and meet at a place convenient for you completely free of charge.
- This offer is valid for owners of valuable and rare antiques.
How to sell antiques profitably
Directly to an antiques collector? But where to find it? Generally speaking, serious collectors, by nature, are very distrustful people and prefer to add to their collection only in trusted places and from people with a reputation.
Accordingly, you are not their client. A private person who wants to decorate his apartment with an expensive figurine or an attribute of spirituality? But without being an expert, who is willing to set a high purchase price? Without wasting time, bypassing small resellers from bulletin boards, you can contact an antique salon specializing in consignment trade in antiques. Which you, in fact, have already done.
How can we be useful to you?
A group of specialists in the field of ancient Russian culture and art works in the store’s acceptance department. Everyone has a unique experience. Today, our experts advise about 30% of antique salons and shops throughout the country, and constantly participate in all Russian exhibitions and antique auctions. Many famous collections were formed with their direct participation. Often, absolutely free of charge, we are ready to give you all the comprehensive information on your copy. Give an initial assessment of the market value of antique porcelain or icons, directly in your presence. Antique masterpieces, of course, require more detailed analysis and, accordingly, time.
Payment and transaction confidentiality
Payment is made in cash or, at the client’s discretion, by transfer of funds to a bank card. Payment of the entire amount due for the antique item is carried out immediately after both parties agree on the mutually beneficial acquisition of the subject of the transaction. The purchase agreement is accepted after a visual inspection and assessment of antiques within the walls of a given antique store in Moscow or at the meeting place of our representative with the client.
The Antique store strictly follows the policy of non-disclosure of personal data and commercial information about the transaction. The content of correspondence with the client and his contact information are not stored in the database of the antique store for longer than 3 days and are not transferred to third parties under any pretext.
1. This 32.01 carat square emerald cut diamond sold at auction for $7.7 million. Billionaire and philanthropist Leonor Annenberg, who died in March, bought it for his 90th birthday. The Christie's auction house did not want to disclose the name of the buyer. The ring was expected to sell at a price of 3 to 5 million dollars.
2. Lucian Freud's painting "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping" was sold at Christie's in London on May 13, 2008 for $33.6 million. The painting became the artist's most expensive work of art during his lifetime.
3. This globe, once owned by Adolf Hitler, was auctioned by Greg Martin in San Francisco for $100,000 in October 2007. An American soldier stole this souvenir from the Fuhrer's house in 1945.
4. A rare stamp of Audrey Hepburn with a cigar went at auction on May 26 in Berlin for $93,800 - more than two minimum prices. There are only five copies of this stamp. Most of them were destroyed after Hepburn's son refused to sell the copyright to the image in 2001.
5. This 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, once owned by actor Steve McQueen, sold for $2.31 million to an anonymous buyer in October 2007.
6. This rare 7.03 carat blue diamond was auctioned in Geneva on May 12, 2009 for a record price of $9.49 million. This lot became the most expensive of the precious stones. The stone was discovered in 2008 in the historic Cullinan Mine in South Africa.
7. A rare stamp with a portrait of Abraham Lincoln sold at auction in New York for $431,250 on June 13. The lot is known as the "Refrigerator Stamp" because the envelope containing the stamp was shipped from Boston in cold storage to India in 1873. The stamp was stolen from its original owner in Indianapolis in 1967 and found in a Chicago home 39 years later.
8. A rare miniature of Peter the Great in a diamond-encrusted frame was sold at auction in New York on November 2 for $1.3 million. George Roberts of Arizona bought it from a London dealer in 1951 and was unaware of its importance until he had it appraised this summer.
9. A New York City surgeon paid $12,713 for a September 1966 issue of Datebook signed by John Lennon. The newspaper has a famous quote from Lennon about the Beatles being more popular than Jesus.
10. A bottle of Lowenbrau beer and a milk jug from the wreck of the Hindenburg airship, which burned in New Jersey in 1937. Andrew Eldridge of the English auction house Henry Aldridge and Son says that about 80% of the drink remains in the bottle. This bottle is considered the most expensive bottle of beer in the world.
11. An unused life jacket from the famous Titanic was auctioned in New York for $68,500 on June 25, 2008. The vest was found on the Halifax shoreline after the ship sank off Newfoundland in 1912.
12. Claude Monet's painting "Pond of Water Lilies" was auctioned in London for more than $80 million on June 24, 2008. This 1919 masterpiece is one of four paintings in a series dedicated to water lilies.
13. This golden thicket, kept for years under the bed of a ragpicker's grandson, was sold at auction in the UK for $100,000 on June 5, 2008. This cup is a Persian artifact depicting the two-faced Roman god Janus.
14. The 1961 Ferrari California Spyder, once owned by actor James Coburn, was sold in Italy on May 18, 2008. The car sold for $10,894,900 and became the most expensive vintage car.
15. Claude Monet’s painting “Railway Bridge at Argenteuil” was auctioned at Christie’s in New York for $41 million on May 6, 2008. This price broke the auction record for a painting by the French impressionist. The previous record was set last year for the painting “Nymphaeas” - it was auctioned for $36.5 million.
16. A rich man from Abu Dhabi forked out for a license plate for a car with only one digit “1”. He paid $14 million for it, beating the previous record of $6.8 million for a license plate with the number “5.”
17. This copy of the Magna Carta of 1297 was sold at Sotheby's in New York. It went to auction for $21,321,000 in December 2007.
18. This prototype 10-cent coin was created by the US Mint in 1792. It went from auction along with other rare coins to a private buyer's collection for $30 million in November 2007.
19. This 1804 Adams-Carter silver piece is one of only 15 coins that were never released into circulation. The coin, purchased for 2 million at a private auction two years ago, sold at a Cincinnati auction on April 30 for 2.3 million.
20. This daguerreotype, dating from 1848, shows a lone house on what is now known as the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This one of the oldest photographs in the world was sold at auction for $62,500 to an unknown buyer on March 30 in New York.
I was clearing out the rubble in the apartment and found antique spoons. Not some tiny ones for tea, but straight scoops: heavy, good quality, long - 30 centimeters each. With monograms. Maybe the 18th or even the 14th century. Looks like cupronickel. “Spoons - an antique store - a new car,” instantly flashed through my head. “You just need to wash them.”
I typed “big old spoons” on the Internet. Utensils similar to my treasures were exhibited for only 1.5 thousand rubles, but I did not find them with exactly the same monograms. “Let the professionals evaluate it,” I decided. “And at the same time, maybe they’ll buy it right away.” And I went to the antique shops.
TIME IS NOT WORTH ANYTHING
Oily grandfathers in pince-nez or seasoned men in expensive suits remained in vulgar movies. In antique shops on Arbat I was greeted by hipster-looking young guys. Here is Alexey - you can never tell from his red beard and ripped jeans that he is an experienced art critic.
Nobody needs cutlery, even silver. Especially if it is not a set, but separate things. And your spoons are not even silver, they will never be bought. - He appreciated my spoons without even looking up from playing tanks on the computer.
Ilya from another shop confirmed the diagnosis:
It's not silver... So what if it's ancient? They don't give you money for your time!
Antique dealers work quickly and uncomplicatedly. Either they immediately determine the cost of the item or take a photograph of the item and send it to a specialist. And he says whether to take the thing and at what price.
PENSIONERS ARE THE MAIN SUPPLIERS
The main resource of antique shops is elderly pensioners. This is understandable: can you really live on a Russian pension?..
One brought a figurine to evaluate - a boy with a dog. This is in memory of my wife. Left with nothing. Antique dealers have a lot of such figurines; why take more?
Then an elderly woman came in. She brought a bag of amber.
When I lived in the Baltics, I bought a lot of this stuff. My granddaughter is getting married, we need help,” she explained.
Lekha, look, do we need such stones? - antiquarian Sergei photographs amber and sends the photo to his partner. Lekha refuses. The woman nervously puts away her supplies and promises to look at something else interesting at home.
I still hope for luck. And, reassuring myself that intermediary antique dealers will still give less than a collector, I decide to find a buyer directly.
Including crazy and aggressive ones.
In order for me to take such spoons, you must first pay me! We'll buy it for just a couple of rubles! - they were excited.
I posted an ad on Avito. The girl immediately called, introduced herself as Svetlana and said that she was ready to give 10 thousand for the spoons.
I want to be sure that the spoons will not go to anyone, so I will make an advance payment. Give me your card number, I’ll transfer the money,” she suggested.
“This is a scam,” I guessed. Fraudsters look for sellers on online platforms and promise them advance payment. First they will ask for your card number. And then, under various pretexts, the code on the back of the card, the password received in SMS, etc. This is enough to pay with your money in the online store.
There was an idea to put spoons up for online auctions like Bag, but to register there you have to take a selfie with a passport, which I didn’t want.
I left the spoons at home. I will use them myself.
OPINION OF ANTIQUES
Treasure under your nose
If you search properly, you will find that many are the owners of treasures.
Modern coins are worth decent money if they were issued in limited editions. For example, one five-ruble note from 1999 of the St. Petersburg Mint is sold for 150 thousand rubles, 5 kopecks of the same year - for 200 thousand rubles,
1 ruble of 2003 costs 30 thousand rubles.
Sergei Koronevsky recalls how one day his grandmother brought a vase to an antique shop and asked for at least a thousand rubles for it. And the vase turned out to be a work of art from early Holland of the early 18th century, which was eventually bought for $15 thousand.
The inexpensive segment of antiques will become more expensive only if the dollar grows very much, and then it’s unlikely,” sighs antique consultant Grigory Pyatov.
And he cites the example of Soviet postage stamps, which were issued in millions of copies. There are so many of them that they will never cost much.
What antique items can be sold for high prices now?
Lifetime editions of classics - Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov. The price of a book can range from $2 - 3 thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chekhov's lifetime editions, but not all. This is because during his lifetime he was produced in large quantities. The first lifetime editions are highly valued, says the antiquarian.
He advises paying attention to books from the 20s of the last century, which were illustrated by famous artists. The thicker the book, the worse it is. More rare copies are found among thin editions.
Look on your bookshelves - maybe there are books by Mayakovsky with illustrations by Lissitzky. They can be sold for 300 thousand rubles. and more expensive.
Pre-revolutionary publications on history and military affairs are valued.
Grigory Pyatov spoke about ephemera - ephemeral things. For example, a ticket to the opening of the Moscow metro can now be sold for several hundred dollars. There will also be a demand for an advertising napkin from a pre-revolutionary confectionery, old candy wrappers.
Many people still have old photo albums; maybe there is something worthwhile there? - I ask the antique dealer.
He says that about 30 years ago such things went with a bang. In the 90s, new Russians wanted to “make a biography for themselves” and bought various old portraits for a lot of money. Nowadays, no one except her descendants needs a pre-war photograph of some Aunt Motya on vacation. Of course, portraits made by Rodchenko, Nappelbaum, Khaldei (famous photographers of the 20s and 30s of the last century) will always be in value.
Porcelain Soviet figurines cost from a couple of hundred rubles to several tens of thousands. Size doesn't matter. In an antique shop I saw a modest figurine of a sailor for 20 thousand rubles, and next to it a large sculpture of two lovers for only 5 thousand.
These were made in Ukraine, they are not valued, antique dealers explain.
Figures from the first edition and products from the LFZ (Lomonosov Porcelain Factory) are prized.
The first series of LFZ figurines are easy to identify. There is a hole at the bottom through which the porcelain is blown. It should be no more than 3 mm in diameter. If it is wider, it means that this is the third or fourth edition,” adds antiques expert Sergei Koronevsky.
It is believed that the rarest mineral of organic origin is the little-known painite: this orange stone was first discovered in Burma in the mid-50s. Since then, only two painites have existed in the world. However, a couple of years ago its deposit was discovered, and now humanity has about a hundred polished rarities at its disposal. The most famous rare stone is the famous red diamond.
In 2006, at Sotheby's New York auction, a Chinese porcelain vase from the mid-14th century was auctioned for $4.72 million. The last time it appeared at a public auction was in 1993: then it was bought for $1.2 million. Relatively The small (34 centimeters) vase is an example of the classical Yuan style, in which cobalt blue underglaze painting on a white background predominated. It is worth noting that this is the only surviving example of this kind. 
One of the rarest comic books in existence is the first edition of the famous Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man #1. Its rarity lies not only in its serial number, but also in the fact that for a book published in 1963, it is amazingly well preserved. The approximate value of the rarity for collectors is about 40 thousand dollars with an original retail price of 12 cents. 
The Guinness Book of Records claims that the rarest and most expensive jeans are the famous 501st model of Levi Strauss & Co. For vintage jeans, sewn 115 years ago, a Japanese collector paid the owner of the lot $60,000 on the online auction eBay. A huge amount, considering that new jeans of the same model cost only 46. 
According to information from Wikipedia, the rarest and most expensive postage stamp in the world is the "Yellow Treskilling" from Sweden. Its approximate cost is 2.3 million US dollars. Why is it so rare? In 1858, Sweden issued a series of blue postage stamps worth 3 skills (hence the name Treskiling) and yellow ones worth 8 skills. The printing house mixed up the colors, and because of this mistake, several copies of yellow stamps worth 3 skills were produced. 
There are a huge number of rare books in the world, but perhaps the rarest is the famous Gutenberg Bible: the first printed book appeared in 1456. There are several hundred copies of that very Bible, but the very first copy in two volumes - if found - will cost an antiquarian book collector about 20-25 million dollars. What can we talk about if one page of this book goes under the hammer for 25 thousand dollars, and for one of the two-volume volumes sold last year - not the first edition - someone forked out 5.5 million! 
One of the rarest and most exotic dishes on the planet is the famous Chinese swallow's nest soup. Over the 400 years since the dish was invented, its price has risen significantly: broth from the nest of swiftlets can cost gourmets up to 10 thousand dollars. 
The rarest and most expensive sea salt in the world is produced in Japan and is called “Amabito No Moshio” - “ancient salt of the seas”. Due to the difficulty of extraction and the delicate method of evaporation and centrifugation, the cost of 1 pound of salt reaches $40. 
Baseball cards are popular collectibles in the United States, Canada and Japan. The T206 Honus Wagner card, issued in 1906 by the American Tobacco Company, is considered the rarest baseball card in the world. It was printed in only 70 copies, and then its publication was discontinued at the request of Onus Wagner himself, who was against smoking and did not want the American Tobacco Company to use his name. In 2007, the card sold for a record $2.8 million. 
One of the rarest (of those sold at auctions) bottles of wine was purchased by Christopher Forbes - “only” 160 thousand dollars. An unmarked green bottle labeled "1787 Lafitte Th. J." supposedly belonged to Thomas Jefferson. 
The rarest breed of domestic cat is the Asherah. She was bred from the African serval, the Asian leopard cat and the common domestic cat. The weight of a cat can reach 14 kg, and you can buy a kitten for “only” 22 thousand dollars. 
Scientists claim that the horses of the rare Sarraya breed are direct descendants of the wild horses of Southern Iberia. There are only 200 of these horses left in the world. But in terms of characteristics and qualities, the rarest breed is considered to be the Austrian Lipizzaner breed, bred for military purposes. The price for one such horse reaches 100 thousand dollars. 
Having decided to start collecting jewelry rarities, be patient and have money: a measly five million dollars will not help. The most expensive piece of jewelry in the world is a necklace with a rare blue diamond weighing 14 carats. The pear-shaped stone is set with white diamonds and enclosed in a white gold necklace. The total cost of the product is $16 million. 
In 1999, the same copy of John Lennon and Yoko's album "Double Fantasy" was sold at auction, on which the singer signed an autograph for his future killer Mark Chapman 5 hours before his own death. The record was found in a decorative flower pot near the crime scene. Chapman's fingerprints are on the envelope: at one time the album served as one of the evidence in the prosecution against the killer. Rarity price: 460,000 US dollars. 
On July 30, 2002, at Sotheby's auction, a rare gold coin from the 1930s was sold for $7.9 million. The unique $20 coin is called the “double eagle.” In the 1930s, the abandonment of the gold standard led to coins made of this precious metal were withdrawn from circulation, and almost all of the “double eagles” were sent for melting. Ten coins issued in the spring of 1933 were stolen from the Treasury Department’s vault. American intelligence services managed to find and return all but one - this “Double” one. "eagle" was found almost half a century later - the British collector Stephen Fenton purchased the coin in London and came with it to New York, where he was arrested by US federal agents. After five years of legal proceedings, the American government reached an agreement with him: the coin is the property of the United States, but. it can be sold. 
The oldest and rarest property put up for sale is a castle in Transylvania, famous for the fact that Count Dracula, the real-life prototype of the famous literary character, allegedly lived there. The market value of the castle is approaching $135 million. 
Despite the extensive literary heritage he left to his descendants, there is not much manuscript evidence of his activities left. There are only 6 “autographs” of the great Shakespeare in the world. The most expensive of them - the writer's signature - is estimated at $3 million. 
Do you know that
antiques are some of the most expensive things in the world
Even diamonds are cheaper! For example, the Guarneri del Gesù violin was once sold at auction for a record amount of $4 million! The master who created it was considered one of the main competitors of Stradivari himself! By the way, many musicians believe that this violin still sounds better...
The most expensive antiques in the world! THIS IS INTERESTING
But the most expensive antique in the world, which you will not find by visiting an antiques store, is
handwritten book by Leonardo da Vinci himself
- one of the greatest artists, poets, physicists of our time. This antique was sold at auction in 1994 for the incredible price of $31 million. By the way, absolutely everyone knows the person who purchased it - this is the head and founder of Microsoft - Bill Gates!
The most expensive antiques in the world! THIS IS INTERESTING
He, in turn, keeps the manuscript in his home collection. But you can also look at this work! Bill Gates annually organizes an exhibition where this book is displayed. At the same time, you can go to the shops and buy maxi lift, which is an excellent remedy for wrinkles and is quite popular among women. It is known throughout the world as the Leicester Code. Why does it have such a strange name? Somewhere in the 16th-17th centuries it was acquired (or inherited - currently unknown) by the Leicester family, in whose honor the chronicle received its name.
It is believed that this is one of the most important notebooks that Leonardo da Vinci kept. It contains a huge number of sketches, drawings, formulas and so on. It can really be compared to a modern physics textbook! True, some pages of the notebook were never understood by scientists, which again confirms the amazing nature of the great artist da Vinci!
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to hold the book in your hands. Its pages are so dry that at the slightest touch they can simply turn into dust...
In the military antiques market there has always been, is and will be a demand for items produced in a single copy, many of which boast a unique history. Most often these are weapons that belonged to great people or are associated with key events of the era. For example,
saber of Napoleon Bonaparte
was put under the hammer at the Osenat auction in 2007 for €4.8 million, becoming the most expensive antique European bladed weapon. Eastern military antiques compete with Western military antiques. The most striking example is
Chinese saber from the Qing Dynasty
Sold for $7.5 million. Forbes selected the 10 most expensive military antiques sold at auction sites over the past 13 years.
Novel "The Sun Also Rises"
became a kind of milestone in Hemingway’s work. Unfortunately, to his publishers it was just another book by a first-time author. The novel was released in a limited edition by Scribner's in 1926. The copy was sold at Sotheby's in New York in April 2004 for a record amount of $366,400, more than three times the maximum estimated value. This can be explained simply: firstly, by the perfect preservation of the book, and secondly, by the author’s signature on the inside cover. It was addressed to Dr. Don Carlos Guffey and spanned as many as 20 lines, so it would be more correct to call it a letter rather than a signature.
The famous auction house Dallas Auction Gallery held its next auction, the main discovery of which was
sale of a pair of antique vases from the reign of Nicholas I.
This expensive antique, created by the masters of the Imperial Porcelain Factory, was completely accidentally found in a private collection in America. Paired vases were supposed to be included in the auction with an estimate of one to one and a half million dollars, but the lot was sold a week before the auction day for two million seven hundred thousand dollars.
Expensive antiques were inherited by Randy Buttram from his grandfather Frank Buttram, who was the founder of a large American company. The previous owner bought the vases in the twenties in Munich and transported them to the United States. As a child, Randy saw these incredibly beautiful vases in his grandfather's mansion in Oklahoma, but he never realized their true value.
The authenticity of the expensive antiques was confirmed by a porcelain specialist from the Hermitage. One of the vases contains an image of a famous painting by an eighteenth-century Dutch master called “The Concert.” According to data preserved in the Hermitage, in 1832 a canvas from the museum was sent to the Imperial Factory to create a copy of the painting on a vase. After information about such a magnificent find appeared in the press, collectors from around the world began to actively take an interest in the vases. As a result, the owners of expensive antiques agreed to a private sale.
Another interesting and expensive find of the year was
antique painting “The Sacrifice of Polyxena”
Recently recognized as the work of the famous French master Charles Lebrun, who worked in the seventeenth century. The antiques were sold at Christie's auction held in Paris. The lot brought its owner more than $1.8 million. The work was discovered on the eve of a major renovation that began at Paris's most popular hotel, the Ritz.
One of Christie’s specialists managed to attribute the painting. The initials “CLBF”, which belonged to Charles Lebrun, were found on the canvas. For many years, expensive antiques were in the room where his star guest Coco Chanel lived. “The Victim of Polyxena” was purchased by representatives of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, whose collection previously did not have a single work by Lebrun. This antique will be on display starting at the end of May this year.
