Antiques & Auction News 07/03/20

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COMPLIMENTARY COPY

New Customers Drive Sales Success For Antiques Dealers’ Association (ADA) Online Show FRIDAY JULY 3, 2020 • VOL. 51, NO. 27

Hake’s Hires Comics Industry Veteran Gary Guzzo As Comic Art Consultant And Artist Representative Formerly Marvel Comics’ Director Of Publicity And A Professional Convention Stager, Guzzo Earned Cred In The 1980s As owner Of A New York Comic Shop

The eighth edition of the Antiques Dealers Association (ADA) online show was a resounding success. Before opening on April 24, 200 visitors were already in the website’s “waiting room,” and another 200 visitors arrived within the first two minutes of being live. All were eager to shop more than 1,900 works posted by ADA members. The fourday show closed on April 27 and drew almost 10,000 visitors. Most significantly, 22 percent of visitors were The Antiques Dealers’ Association of under 44 years old, and 84 percent of America, Inc. (ADA) was established in May visitors were new to the platform. All 1984, as a non-profit trade association. categories achieved sales, from American antiques, fine art, folk art, jewelry, Native American, and other decorative arts. Buyers came from as far as Italy, and while some were “stalwart regulars,” the vast majority of buyers were first-time customers. The ADA Online Show displayed significant works ranging from the 17th to the 20th centuries for browsing and buying, some works showing the international influences of Europe and Asia, others distinctly embodying American material culture. The material was wide ranging and generated tremendous interest; visitors spent an average of 20 minutes on the website and generated more than 400,000 unique page views. As works sold, dealers replenished An elegant Queen Anne maple drop leaf table Continued on page 8 sold by Nathan Liverant and Son.

More Antiques From Moyer Estate Sell At Pook And Pook Online Sale In a vintage photo from Gary Guzzo’s personal archive, he is shown (at right) with Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee and renowned “pinup” artist Olivia De Berardinis at San Diego ComicCon in 1994. Photo courtesy of Gary Guzzo. In line with their continued goal of growth through providing topnotch services to its clientele, Hake’s Auctions has appointed comics industry veteran Gary Guzzo to the position of comic art consultant and artist representative. In his new capacity, Guzzo will use his extensive experience and connections to secure original art for auctions, including fresh-to-the-market pieces, and help to authenticate material. He will also act as a liaison between Hake’s Auctions and the artists who are looking to sell their work. As a result of his career path to date, Guzzo has a thorough knowledge of both the music and

comics industries. “I literally spent half my life in the music biz and the other half in comics. I saw my first live concert at 13, but even when I was cemented in that business, it always came with a side order of comic books,” commented Guzzo. Starting as a comic book reader, he became a collector after attending his first New York Comic Art Convention and discovering “The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.” While working in the music business, he temporarily drifted away from regularly buying comics. Then, in 1984, Guzzo decided to open his own comic shop, Amazing Tales, located in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. It quickly outgrew its 12-by-20-foot storefront and moved to a larger location. “I became very friendly with the sales departments at Marvel, DC, and Archie Comics, so Amazing Tales quickly became a store with almost weekly comic book creator

AAN Current News

Smithsonian American Art Museum Is The Sole Venue For The Landmark Exhibition on page 2

Bruneau & Co. Comic Book And Toy Auction on page 3

Ceramics Sold Well At May 20 Auction By Jamie Shearer Pook and Pook Inc. Auctioneers and Appraisers in Downingtown, Pa., continued to post strong results in these challenging times with their online only Decorative Arts Auction on May 20, selling 499 out of the 500 lots that crossed the auction block. Prices realized were almost 50 percent over high estimate, proving that the antique buying public is hungry to add acquisitions to their collections. Limited auctions, cancelled antique shows, and closed antique shops appear to be the driving force behind the online buying frenzy witnessed at the last five Pook and Pook auctions. There were 2,176 registered bidders covering all 50 states as well as a handful of other countries

all vying to take home items. Bidsquare.com and Invaluble.com both brought potential buyers to the keyboard on their bidding platforms. Invaluable.com almost doubled Bidsquare.com in the number of registered bidders; however, Bidsquare clients spent the most money. The top selling lot of the day came as a big surprise when two early religious texts sold for $5,375. Both books contained watercolor fraktur bookplates; however, it was the book itself that caused the surge in price. An early Ausbund das ist Etliche Schone Christliche Lieder, with leather cover dated 1774, was the prize, more so than the fraktur inside. It took 74 bids before it was sold to an East Coast

Heritage’s July Comic And Comic Art Event on page 6

Continued on page 6

Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall Is Open And Celebrating With A Fourth Of July Sale on page 8

Continued on page 2

Gary Guzzo will be using his contacts and experience to bring in consignments of toptier original comic art, on par with Curt Swan’s sensational cover art for Action Comics #309 (DC Comics, Feb. 1964), which Hake’s auctioned for $112,015 on Nov. 21, 2013.The price represents an auction-house record for any comic book art by Swan. Hake’s Auctions image.

In This Issue

A Gaudy Welsh ironstone service with floral vine decoration and gilt accents, some damage, realized $1,438.

SHOPS, SHOWS & MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . starting on page 3 SHOPS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . on page 5 EVENT & AUCTION CALENDAR . on page 7 AUCTION SALE BILLS . . . starting on page 7

FEATURE RESULTS: Morphy’s Auction - May 27, 28, and 29 in Denver, Pennsylvania - Page 10

AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY . . . . . on page 8 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . on page 11


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