collector

A Michigan collector paid $30 for a seashell painting at an estate sale; it was later identified as a 1951 Gertrude Abercrombie work; now it has sold in New York for a record $1,352,600!

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A Michigan collector paid $30 for a seashell painting at an estate sale; it was later identified as a 1951 Gertrude Abercrombie work; now it has sold in New York for a record $1,352,600!

Alderman Merriam’s Shells, 1951​ Everyone peeks at an estate sale. He did too. He thought he would get his hands on some records or perhaps some mid-century furniture. That’s when he saw a painting hanging in the dark corner of a hallway. For most people, it may not necessarily have been an extraordinary painting. All … Read more

A UK collector paid £15 for a broken, lidless teapot at a 2016 auction; experts identified it as one of only seven known John Bartlam pieces, and it sold for £575,000 to The Met in New York

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A UK collector paid £15 for a broken, lidless teapot at a 2016 auction; experts identified it as one of only seven known John Bartlam pieces, and it sold for £575,000 to The Met in New York

The teapot was about 9cm high and 17.5cm across. Its cover was missing, while the handle had broken off and been restuck. A UK collector who paid just £15 for a broken, lidless teapot at an auction in 2016 later discovered that the piece was one of the rarest known examples of early American porcelain. … Read more

A South Dakota collector paid $750 for an old crock more than 30 years ago; a $32,000 sale revealed he had its rare twin

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A South Dakota collector paid $750 for an old crock more than 30 years ago; a $32,000 sale revealed he had its rare twin

Image: Colleen Williams/Ken Bramer More than 30 years ago, a South Dakota collector who goes only by Rick paid $750 for a 30-gallon Red Wing stoneware crock at an auction, storing it in an old granary on his farm, where it sat largely forgotten for decades. It wasn’t until he saw photos of a nearly … Read more

​In 2002, a collector bought a 75-cent record at a New York flea market; it turned out to be one of only two surviving Velvet Underground acetates and sold for $25,200

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​In 2002, a collector bought a 75-cent record at a New York flea market; it turned out to be one of only two surviving Velvet Underground acetates and sold for $25,200

During a stroll through the Chelsea fire sales, a collector got his hands on something one can only dream about. And yet, that was exactly what happened to Warren Hill in 2002. He picked up an acetate record at a flea market in New York for the price of a coffee. He bought one of … Read more

In 1940, Nazis seized a 3-inch painting from a Jewish collector in Vienna; 86 years later, Austria returned it to his heir in Minnesota

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In 1940, Nazis seized a 3-inch painting from a Jewish collector in Vienna; 86 years later, Austria returned it to his heir in Minnesota

An 1847 painting made by a not-so-popular artist wouldn’t have much historical or monetary value for most. But to Jackie Sondell, whose three grandparents died in the Holocaust, it’s a priceless family heirloom. The Austrian deputy consul general in the Twin Cities, from his posting in New York, lifted the top off a cardboard box … Read more