January 2008 list of records worth up to $100 or more:

10. 1967 UNI LP-Strawberry Alarm Clock- “Incense & Peppermint”….$125

9. 1976 RSO 12 inch single- Bee Gees- “You Should Be Dancing”……$125

8. 1981 Elektra LP- The Cars- “Shake it Up” (picture disc)……………$150

7. 1968 Ovid 45- Archie Bell & the Drells- “Tighten Up”……………..$225

6. 1965 Parrot LP- The Zombies- “The Zombies”………………………$250

5. 1970 Decca LP- The Banana Splits- “We’re the Banana Splits”…….$250

4. 1966 Capitol LP- The Beach Boys- “Pet Sounds” (mono)……………$250

3. 1966 Pa Go Go 45- ? & the Mysterians- “96 Tears”…………………$400

2. 1979 A&M LP- Supertramp- “Breakfast in America” (picture disc)…$600

1. 1965 Phillies 45- The Righteous Bros.- “You’ve Lost That Lovin Feelin” (green vinyl)……$1500

For December we are featuring ten Christmas records worth $100 or more.

10. 1957 Decca 45-Bobby Helms- “Jingle Bell Rock” w/ picture sleeve…………..$125

9. 1961 ATCO 45- Bobby Darin- “O Come All Ye Faithful” w/picture sleeve…..$125

8. 1963 Phillies LP- Crystals, Ronettes, etc. “A Christmas Gift For You”………..$125

7. 1974 Reprise EP- Jimi Hendrix- “Silent Night/Little Drummer Boy”………….$200

6. 1962 Tamla LP-Smokey Robinson & Miracles-”Christmas with the Miracles”$200

5. 1970 Apple LP- The Beatles- “The Beatles Christmas Album”-……………….$250

4. 1974 Apple 45- George Harrison- “Ding Dong Ding Dong” w/blue tint photo…$250

3. 1957 RCA LP- Elvis Presley- “Elvis Christmas Album” (black vinyl)…………$500

2. 1971 Apple 45- John Lennon- “Happy Christmas” (white label/black print)……$750

1. 1957 RCA LP- Elvis Presley- “Elvis Christmas Album” (red vinyl)………..$18,000

For November 2007 we are featuring our Thanksgiving special… 10 records to be truly thankful for should you find them!

ps= picture sleeve

10.1929 SUPERTONE 78-Gene Autry-”I’ll be Thinking of You Little Gal……$5,000

9.1955 PARROT 45-The Flamingos- “I Really Don’t Want to Know (red vinyl)……….$7,000

8.1966 CAPITOL LP-The Beatles- “Yesterday & Today (first issue stereo) (featuring the Beatles dressed as butchers)………………………$8,000

7.1954 RCA LP- “The Caine Mutiny” (soundtrack)………………………….$10,000

6.1966 PHILLIES LP- Ike & Tina Turner- “River Deep Mountain High…….$10,000

5.1968 LONDON 45-Rolling Stones- “Street Fighting Man” w/ps…………..$12,000

4.1962 DECCA 45-The Beatles- “My Bonnie”……………………………….$12,000

3.1963 VEE JAY LP-The Beatles- “Introducing the Beatles” (stereo) black label with oval logo. Has “P.S. I Love You” and “Love me Do” back cover lists songs on the album………………………………$18,000

2.1963 COLUMBIA LP-Bob Dylan- “The Freewheelin Bob Dylan” (must have song “Talkin John Birch Society Blues.”………$18,000

1.1962 RCA 7 inch 33 (not 45)-Elvis- “Good Luck Charm” w/ ps…………..$25,000

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be open on New Year’s Eve (9:30-5:30) this holiday season, as part of its Holiday Monday program.Many special exhibitions are now on view – including the immensely popular Age of Rembrandt: Dutch Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open through January 6) and New Galleries for 19th- and Early 20th-Century European Paintings and Sculpture – as well as the Met’s famous collections, which span 5,000 years of art, from ancient times to the present, and from around the world.

The Met will also be open on its regular schedule of Tuesday-Thursday & Sunday, 9:30-5:30, and Friday-Saturday 9:30-9. It is located at Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street in Manhattan.

The Casimir Collection of Metal Work
Wednesday 23 January 2008, 10.30am
Christie’s South Kensington

South Kensington – Add the finishing touches of elegance to your home this January when items from Notting Hill Gate’s famous Casimir shop go under the hammer on Wednesday 23 January 2008 at 10.30am. With its origins in late 19th century London, the Casimir antiques business and family name have been synonymous for over 100 years with the finest works of art and in particular metalwares. The family’s decision to close its doors for the last time offers a rare chance to acquire selected pieces from the finest collection of its type to come to the market in recent times.

Choose from a remarkable array of kitchen-wares, including drinking vessels, coffee pots, beer tankards and some 100 different jelly moulds, as well as fireplace furniture, candlesticks, chandeliers and some magnificent chargers dating to the Renaissance.

Christie’s South Kensington – For all your Home Furnishings
Christie’s South Kensington is the place to inspire. Open 7 days a week, Christie’s South Kensington is the UK’s busiest auction house with weekly furniture sales, twice monthly Interiors weeks dedicated to home furnishings, and monthly Sunday Sales of single-owner collections, with every lot beautifully illustrated in the large scale magazine-style catalogue.

CHRISTIE’S SOUTH KENSINGTON
85 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3LD
Monday: 9.00am – 7.30pm
Tuesday to Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Public Information: www.christies.com / +44 (0)20 7930 6074

The National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center’s Five Millionth Visitor

The National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center welcomed its five millionth visitor during a family day celebrating the Wright Brothers Saturday Dec. 8. Quinn Neibergall from Alexandria, who came to the museum with his parents and grandparents, was the lucky five millionth visitor. They received VIP treatment all day-including a golf cart tour of the museum, a gift basket from the museum store, free tickets to IMAX theater performances, one-year membership in the National Air and Space Society, two Northwest Airlines tickets to anywhere in the U.S., and a weekend evening stay at the Hilton Washington Dulles. Quinn’s dad, Gordon Neibergall, is a U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot assigned to the Pentagon.

Photo by Mark Avino/NASM
Copyright: Smithsonian Institution

The Udvar-Hazy Center, the companion facility to the museum’s flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, opened Dec. 15, 2003 and was an immediate hit with the public, attracting nearly 220,000 visitors in its first two weeks of operation. It houses 153 aircraft, 148 large space artifacts; more than 1,500 smaller items, including such rare aircraft as a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the world’s fastest airplane; the Concorde; and the space shuttle Enterprise. Admission is free, but there is a $12 fee for daily parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

 Here is a way you can add beauty to your home, set yourself apart and enjoy using a link to American history.  During the 1930s-80s many American glass companies produced gorgeous stemware in a myriad of patterns, shapes, themes and even colors.  While most of these firms are no longer extant, their glass stemware – goblets, wines, sherbets and more – remain here and available for us to use and enjoy.  Owning vintage stemware gives you something tangible from a bygone day.

Vintage stemware is a fantastic gift, especially for weddings or couples celebrating milestone anniversaries.  What better way to wish long life and happiness together than to give something elegant and useful that survived for many years? 

Best of all, you have a variety to choose among.  We’ll look at several patterns from two makers with this article, and still barely cover a tiny fraction of the patterns and styles. 

First, let’s look at four Fostoria patterns, each very different, Colony, Florentine, Evening Star and Lido.  Colony is pressed, Florentine and Lido are etched and Evening Star is cut, giving a wide range of style. 

Colony is sturdy, with a pressed spiral design that sends the message of durability and simplicity.  Colony would be a good choice for a couple that enjoys the simple hominess of Shaker styling.  The piece shown on the left below is the oyster cocktail.  Unless one serves oysters frequently, this may not be as useful as the water goblet, which is shown on the right.  An updated use for the oyster cocktail would be to hold dipping sauce.

The next Fostoria design is Florentine etch.  This is simply gorgeous with its etched design of an urn spilling over with flowers and swags of leaves.  The stemware itself is also very pretty with a twisted stem.  We show the footed water tumbler and you can imagine using this in a slightly formal setting, with china and candles. 

Third is a Fostoria champagne sherbet from the early 1970s.  The 1960s brought in extremely simple designs with minimal ornamentation.  Think of the pictures you have seen of  Jackie Kennedy; that emphasis on simple shapes meant the glass companies had to adapt to the changing tastes.  The champagne stem is Evening Star, which has a slightly dressed up stem shape and an engagingly simple star cutting.  This would be nice in many homes with contemporary furnishings. 

Our last piece of Fostoria stemware dates to about the same era as Colony, and shows a different style.  This water goblet is etched with the Lido etching, which resembles a milkweed puff or fireworks.  This is another design that works well in many settings; it is neither quite as dressy as Florentine nor as sturdy as Colony, and it appeals too many.

You probably noticed the wide variety of stem types.  We showed an oyster cocktail, two water goblets, very different from each other, a footed water tumbler, and champagne sherbet.  During the early elegant glass era one could purchase as many as 15 different stems in a single pattern!  Rather than having one wine with dinner people often served a different wine with each course, plus a cocktail or sherry before and a brandy or cordial after.  This sounds like more that it would have been.  Wine goblets from the 1930s were much smaller than what we think of today as for wine, usually holding 3-5 ounces.  Thus one could enjoy more than one drink with a meal.

Fostoria is well known yet today and many families inherited a few pieces of stemware.  What better way to cement the link to the past and bravely look to the future than by completing the pattern and then using the goblets with one’s family and friends. 

The next maker we will look at is more obscure, Monongah.  They were in business until the early part of the depression when they became part of Hocking Glass.  Their best known design was Springtime, which Hocking converted to the mass-produced Cameo depression glass pattern.  Their etchings are very well done, tasteful yet have enough complexity to be appealing and desirable.  We were fortunate to find two different stemware patterns from this company.
The first one is Roseland.  This deco-styled etch has swags, circles and dangling arrows and was made on the usual range of stem types.  We show the goblet below. 

The second etched goblet and champagne sherbet we show, Secretaries Primrose, is actually rare, which is too bad since it is beautiful and high quality.  A pair of champagne stems would be a lovely gift for the bride and groom to toast their happiness.

Vintage stemware has so much to offer today’s families:  beauty, variety and a link to the past.  Check out these and other wonderful designs!

Article and photographs copyrighted by Kathy Eickholt, 2007.

Special Features of Facebook

One of the main reasons why Facebook is gaining so much popularity and fast becoming as the number one social networking sites in the internet is its vast special features and cool applications that makes it very entertaining for users to interact with their friends online, not merely a medium to exchange photographs and other files but it also provides interaction through its special features like the Wall, where Facebook users can post messages for everyone to see, it can be by way of text, images or even video.

Another special feature is the Gifts where Facebook users can send and receive interactive gifts from the website’s gift shop in the form of small icons of items designed by the best software designers; it gives users more appeal by giving them the opportunity to share to friends interactive gifts.

The Poke feature is another popular Face book creation which allows users to poke another, in the Facebook world, a poke is a manner of interacting with your Facebook friends and is fast gaining popularity as among the most used feature in Facebook today.

These are just some of the special features of facebook that attracts users to use it aside from other features and a cool collection of over 10,000 applications Facebook is definitely a great social networking site.

From Daryle Lambert’s Blog 

The Antique & Collectible Market has a long way to run before the steam goes out of it. With the dollar collapsing and real estate in a free fall in many markets, where else are you going to put your money?

Right now, foreigners are buying the best and highest quality Antiques and Collectibles from this country at fire sale prices because of the difference in the value of currencies. No, we haven’t reached the top yet. In fact, the top is no where in sight.

So how do we take advantage of all this uncertainty? We must see the opportunities all this uncertainty creates.  Art work, fine silver, jewelry, pottery and other rarities will always have value around the world. If we want to make money, we’ll need to think about global markets and quit worrying so much about what is happening at home here. We’ll need to be taking action in areas that we can actually do something about. All things change. When they do, we must change with it.

A house might drop in value here because of the credit crunch, but we can’t move a house to China. This isn’t true of a painting. We can ship a painting almost anywhere.

The dollar will rebound, but when is the question. So, let’s not be waiting for the event to occur. Let’s take advantage of the circumstances as they present themselves. There is no crystal ball that can tell us how long this change might last, so let’s not be a chicken little and bury our heads in the sand. We’re going where the smart money is going. This can only be done when we are educated in the ways of the market place. This is what the 31 Club will be making every effort to guide members through. We want our members to be the best equipped individuals in the market place.

If people are rushing to get out of the market, it might be time for us to get in. They might be selling out of fear, or they might need money to make their larger house payment on the adjustable loans that are re-adjusting. We need to be ready to buy.

Local Auctions that aren’t well advertised should be a gold mine for our members, as there will be fewer people, and your ever-increasing knowledge level will help you immensely. Try to buy the best of these offerings, because that is where the true treasures will be found. Go to every house sale that you can attend, and look for the most expensive things offered. This isn’t the time to be buying two dollar items that might sell for four dollars. This is the time to step up to the plate while the iron is hot.

I believe very shortly, the prices that we are seeing for the rarities will seem cheap, so remember the saying, “The trend is your friend.”

Discover how our book can be the tool that helps you become financially free simply buying and selling antiques, collectibles and fine art.

Be sure to visit our website, www.31corp.com, for more information about how you can join the 31 Club and begin buidling wealth in the antique and fine art markets.  Read more about the club’s Million Dollar Challenge, here.  

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click here on and take a look. You We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us. Contact us here.

CHRISTIE’S New York Sales Highlights

January 2008
Open House – January 14

This sale offers a unique opportunity to acquire original Post-War and Contemporary works of art with estimates ranging from $1,000 to $60,000. Post-War masters such as Robert Rauschenberg, Jim Dine, Andy Warhol and Sam Francis will be featured alongside some of today’s hottest contemporary artists including Kara Walker, Glen Ligon, James Siena and Jeff Elrod. With an array of paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and multiples, this sale presents something for both the seasoned and the budding collector.

Christie’s Interiors- January 15-16
Formerly known as The House Sale, this sale inaugurates New York’s partnership with its sister Interiors and Intérieurs sales in South Kensington and Paris as part of a new global offering. The January sale in New York features a broad range of fine and decorative art ranging in styles from antique to contemporary. Among the many highlights of the sale is property from the Collection of Bernard J. Dubin, the former window designer for Saks Fifth Avenue, and property from the Estate of Robin Roberts, the founder of Clarence House textile company.

Americana Week- January 17-18
Americana Week, an exciting series of auctions featuring the finest in American furniture, folk art, silver, prints, decoys, maritime objects, and other works of art. Among the highlights are several exceptional pieces of Chippendale furniture, including a Newport shell-carved dressing table and a Philadelphia scalloped-top tea table. Other important works include a George Washington portrait by Edward Hicks and an outstanding range of American silver objects by Paul Revere, Joseph Richardson and Tiffany & Co. among other renowned makers.

Chinese Export Art and The Hodroff Collection, Part II – January 23
This auction features porcelain from virtually every category of wares made for the China trade from the 17th to the 19th century. In addition to old private collections of English armorial and Kangxi famille verte, the sale offers a small private collection of impressive American market pieces.

Among the other highlights are a magnificent “Hong” bowl, Portuguese, French and Russian armorial pieces, two large dinner services, and a strong selection of China Trade paintings.

Following Christie’s highly successful January 2007 Hodroff Collection sale, we are honored to present a second selection of Chinese export art from the collection of Leo and Doris Hodroff.

This sale offers rare European subjects such as a “Toby” jug from the Mottahedeh collection and a magnificent pair of huntsman plates, classic Kangxi period famille verte and blue and white wares, and armorial porcelain made for the English and Continental markets. Figures and animals, including a rare pair of biscuit-glazed cockerels, round out this widely anticipated sale.

Old Master and 19th Century Drawings – January 24
Highlights include a stunning portrait of the Ottoman Sultan Abd-ul Hamid I by Jean-Baptiste Hilair, an important François Boucher composition of a female nude, an exquisite wash drawing by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo from a distinguished American collection, and a masterpiece by Jean-François Millet, in addition to works by other northern and southern European masters.

About Christie’s
Christie’s is the world’s leading art business with global auction sales in 2006 that totalled £2.51 billion / $4.67 billion. Worldwide sales for the first half of 2007 totalled £1.63 billion / $3.25 billion, an increase of 32% by £ and 45% by $ from the same period last year and highest half year sales ever in art market history. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service, and international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie’s conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 600 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $600 to over $80 million. Christie’s has 85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Hong Kong. Most recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging markets such as China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Dubai, Mumbai and Russia. Christie’s also offers its clients worldwide access to its sales through Christie’s LIVE^TM, its unique, real-time online bidding service.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium

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