Trying to operate a toy these days is enough to make your head spin. With technology often so advanced you need a degree in computer science to understand what’s going on. Well, at least that how it seems when the three-year-old next to you is playing around on his mom’s iPad. There was a time however, when toys were built with charm. Even more amazingly, there was a time when toys were built to last. On Saturday, September 19, Cowan’s Auctions offers bidders the opportunity to invest in childhood nostalgia when they stage their Cleveland Fall Auction Including Dolls and Toys auction. Lot 316 - the cast iron girl skipping rope mechanical bank The sale features a large collection of vintage toys, including wind-ups, figurines, mechanical banks, dollhouse pieces, trains, a hobby horse, plus a fantastic collection of vintage dolls from around ...Read More

Marc Petrovic, Glass Artist and Professor at Cleveland Institute of Art, and Bridget McWilliams, Director at Wolfs Gallery discuss: The Friedman Collection, contemporary glass at auction and the contemporary glass movement, its influencers and artists.

From our first Timex through to our last Rolex, man’s relationship with his watches tells the story of his life. As times passes, experience and maturity bring a greater appreciation for quality; we grow weary of our collection of assorted funky disposables and look for something a little more classical and substantial to lend weight to our appearance. On Wednesday, September 16, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers offers bidders a gilt-edged invitation to invest their hours wisely when they stage their Fine Timepieces sale. 133 lots are set to go under the hammer, with a stunning array of wristwatches, pocket watches and clocks cataloged from the likes of Cartier, Rolex, Piaget, Breitling, Jaeger LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, Omega and more. Look now at the full catalog. For the man of ambition, purchasing a Rolex is a statement of stylistic intent. ...Read More

By 1976, promising Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming was looking for something to increase his physical and mental discipline. Taking the advice of mentor, Yang, he took up Tai chi, a decision that would have a profound effect on his work in the ensuing years. As his practice evolved, Ju Ming started thinking about sculpting works with a T’ai chi theme. Later that year he staged a solo exhibition at the National Museum of History, a show that proved such a success he would go on to be named one of the Ten Outstanding Taiwanese Youths of 1976. On Sunday, September 13, bidders get their chance to see what all the fuss was about when Lot 91 in Clarke Auction’s Important Fine Art, Midcentury, and Jewelry sale goes under the hammer. The powerful bronze figure is from Ju Ming’s 1984 T’ai Chi series, and comes signed and dated. What a brilliant opportuni...Read More

Wickliff Auctioneers’ Premier September Auction promises to be a real dazzler. Running over two days, it features nearly 700 lots of expertly curated pieces sure to be in high demand. Day 1 on Friday, September 11, focuses on jewelry, with names like Tiffany, Honora, Yurman, Hardy and Judith Ripka among the brands represented. Bidders will find themselves feasting on a stunning array of rings, necklaces, bracelets and more, plus pre-owned and new timepieces.  Lot 543 is expected by many to top the sale. A Tiffany & Co. diamond platinum lace necklace of quatrefoil lily link design, it contains a total of 259 white round brilliant cut diamonds. Any bidder hunting that special ring for that special someone will be looking long and hard at Lot 530, a platinum 2CT Marquis diamond ring loaded with star power. Clocks turn up everywhere these days ...Read More

The old adages about buying an engagement ring – that the groom-to-be should walk into his neighborhood jeweler and pick out the biggest ring he can buy with two months’ salary, that it should be a round brilliant cut solitaire on a platinum band, that it must be brand new because no one wants to wear “someone else’s ring” – are getting rather tired, don’t you think? For many, buying a ring at auction is a somewhat mysterious or even intimidating proposition. Others have simply never entertained the thought. We would like to shine some light on auctions, particularly our triannual Important Jewelry sales here in Chicago’s West Loop, as the ideal place to make this important purchase. Unbeatable value, a full range of style options, the possibility of owning and wearing a true antique: these are a few of the reasons we suggest including an a...Read More

There’s something about the collecting of stamps that is instantly nostalgic. Not surprising really, when you consider that for many of us, they were the first things we ever collected in earnest. Yet there’s more to stamp collecting than freckle-faced 10-year-olds with lovingly preserved albums. It’s a multi-million dollar industry, filled with savvy collectors investing their time and dollars wisely. On Thursday, September 10, Rago offers bidders the chance to build out their stamp investments when they stage their Stamps, Coins and Currency sale. Best not to dawdle though - the sale kicks off with over 50 lots of world stamps from the collection of Dr. Robert Peter Turk, a distinguished soldier, a committed physician, a scholar, and an outstanding educator.  Lot 3000 is sure to create its share of interest. Featuring vintage stamps from ...Read More

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi is widely recognized as the last great master of the Japanese ukiyo-e genre of woodblock printing and painting. His career spanned two eras – the last years of Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868), and the first years of modernization following the Meiji Restoration. As time passed, Yoshitoshi became increasingly concerned about the loss of traditional Japanese culture. So much so that by the end of his career, he was almost single-handedly struggling against time and technology. Alone, he managed to push the traditional Japanese woodblock print to new levels, before it effectively died with him in 1892. Posthumously, his reputation continues to grow. Two of the 47 woodblock prints that make up The Faithful Samurai On Thursday, September 10, Rago offer bidders the opportunity to sample the legacy of this heroic Japanese artist...Read More

It’s a sale whose very name betrays the great diversity of the pieces on offer. Friday, September 4, Stair Auctioneers & Appraisers hold their English, Continental, Asian and American Furniture, Decorations and Art sale, and as you work your way through the title you soon realize about the only thing they left out were fresh fruits and vegetables! Of course the great winner in all this is the bidders, both online and in person on the Stair premises. With 375 lots representing such diversity, this is sure to be a sale that sends most bidders home with a cheery smile on their face. American Furniture The great American novel demands a great American desk! Lot 146, an American rosewood grained and stenciled kneehole writing table should provide amble inspiration to your efforts to become the next Salinger, Fitzgerald or Hemingway. Honestly, if...Read More

Bidders looking to kickstart their art collection should pencil Friday, September 4 in their dairies, when Cowans Auctions hold their annual Studio Painting, Prints and Works on Paper sale. 155 lots go under the hammer, presenting a great opportunity for both first time buyers and established collectors to snap up affordable art of the highest order. The sale features fine paintings, prints and works on paper - late 19th Century and early 20th Century pieces by respected artists such as Reginald Grooms, Paul Ashbrook, Charles Meurer, E.T. Hurley and others. Look now at the full catalog. Lot 118 features three lithographs by Leonor Fini, an Argentine surrealist painter, designer, illustrator and author known for her unapologetic depictions of powerful women. Lot 47 is a simmering autumn landscape by Harris Shelton, a Texas lawyer who began p...Read More