Dear Lee,

The all-new 2017 Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide is for sale in book stores and at Kovels.com. It’s easy to spot—the cover is bright yellow. We change the cover and all of the prices and pictures inside each year. Both the changing economy and new ways to buy and sell using technology have made a new and current price book a must.

For many years we noticed that most collecting categories like period furniture, traditional porcelain, glass, and tools went up in price each year. This year Royal Doulton and Hummel figurines are selling for less than $100, many under $50. Many limited edition plates are selling for $1 and we no longer list them. And as most collectors have noticed, period “brown” furniture, elaborate Victorian furniture, and “shabby chic” are almost at thrift shop prices. But the good news is some art pottery and ceramics not even listed in earlier books, makers like Martin Brothers, the Natzlers, and Newcomb Pottery, have gone up in price with some selling for thousands or even tens of thousands. More good news is that anything midcentury modern or even contemporary by an artist or company like Eames, Herman Miller, La Verne, or Wendell Castle, is now high-priced. Also, some early 20th-century toys have become very expensive.

Kovels’ price guide includes 2,500 pictures, popular tips and sidebars, and, of course, 25,000 prices and a computer-generated index. There is also a list of record prices and a special section inspired by readers’ questions called “How to Declutter Profitably.” Buy the book now from Kovelsonlinestore.com and get a free bonus gift, your choice of “Kovels’ 2017 Price Guide eBook Companion” or the booklet “Fakes, Fantasies and Reproductions No. 18.”