It is common for an appraiser to find themselves serving a client that has very strong ideas about the identity or historical provenance or characteristics of their item or collection. Sometimes these ideas or beliefs are founded in family lore…
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Auction results are a large part of the data an appraiser interprets to for their value conclusion – but they are far from the only thing! In any first consultation with me, a client identifies the intended use of the…
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Orbiting near the center of events roiling the United States today is the public display of symbols of the American Confederacy. I really do think it’s time for all busts, statues, sculptures, memorials and other representations of the CSA –…
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The so-called “Trump Effect” hinted at in my March 15th post seems in full effect now, based on the strength of Sotheby’s June 21st Impressionist and Modern Art sale, which not only beat the same sale in 2016 by 45…
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The Army Times is reporting that Sergeant Major of the Army, Dan Dailey, is working on bringing back the old ‘pinks and greens’ uniform of the Second World War era. Dailey is to address an upcoming uniform board meeting about…
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Contrary to the image given appraisals by programs like Antiques Roadshow, professionally written appraisals are very serious documents. They are products of diligent research that must respond to myriad conditions and circumstances, all of which reflect the background of the…
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Book collecting is very much an act of faith. The general state of this field has long since shifted from what you could afford to buy to what you can find to collect that is in an acceptable condition. What…
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(Reprinted from Trendline Magazine, June/July 1999, updated April 2015) Despite some of the more sensational aspects of ancient Egypt, especially those you might have seen recently, the true evolution of this great civilization offers us some of history’s most memorable…
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(Reprinted from Trendline Magazine, October 2000, updated April 2015) As Americans distinguished themselves on the fields of battle of the First World War, many of our allies expressed the desire that the United States curtail its policy of not allowing…
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(Reprinted from Trendline Magazine, June/July 1999, updated March 2015) “…of Dannebrog it is known, it fell from heaven down” – traditional Danish folk song. Confusion over Scandinavian flags remains among military collectors today – perhaps with good reason. Often the…
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