July 25 Is National Merry-Go-Round Day! Join us in some carousel trivia! If you have been reading Kovels Komments over the years, you should know the answers to most of these questions: What is the difference between a merry-go round and a carousel? How do you know if you have an American or a British carousel horse? When were merry-go-rounds popular? What is the most expensive carousel animal? And more …
Travel through time with our story on automobile hood ornaments, or mascots, that were popular to the 1930s. Many were whimsical and fun, such as this 1930 bronze, Art Deco Speed Head example. Buckle your seat belt and find more examples and prices.
Apparently, cameras and the media don’t catch it all: Numerous valuable pieces of art by artists including Claude Monet and Amedeo Modigliani, valued at nearly $24 million, were stolen from Rai, Italy’s national public broadcasting company, and replaced with fakes.
Q: have a Sleepy Hollow plaster figurine I got from my uncle who passed. The base is marked “John Rogers, New York” and “Courtship in Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel.” On the back it says “Patented Aug. 25, 1868.” It looks authentic but how would I know? How many were made and what sort of value does it or could it have?
Kovels Antiques, Inc., was founded by Ralph and Terry Kovel. Hailed as “the duke and duchess of the antiques world,” they have written more than 100 books and special reports about collecting. Their bylined column is the longest-running syndicated weekly column in the country, distributed to more than 150 newspapers. Their guides include the annual Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, which has sold over 4 million copies since its first edition.
