#Middlebury #Antiques
A Rago auction catalog called a large carved bust made of black stone a “Haida Argillite carving” and then explained the meaning of the word “argillite.” Antiques can be made by people, companies or methods with unfamiliar names, but this time the auction house realized that bidders needed help.
This 9 1/2-inch-tall carved bust made of black argillite sold for more than twice its estimate at $18,750. It depicts a European trader.
Argillite is a fine-grained black silt stone found in only one spot, the Slatechuck Creek on Haida Gwaii, also called the Queen Charlotte Islands, in the Pacific Ocean off the northwest coast of British Columbia, Canada. The Haida, a North American native culture, were the original people living on the islands.
They have been making carvings of wood and argillite since about 1800. Pipes used with tobacco have been found that were made from 1810 to 1840. The location of the quarry is a secret and only the Haida are permitted to use the stone. Today, Haida carvers make and sell carved argillite jewelry and decorations – “tourist art” made to be sold to visitors. Both the Haida and European cultures are depicted. Many pieces are amusing.
The bust of a man, made about 1840s to 1850s, sold for $18,750. A carving of one piece as large as a bust is unusual and valuable because the stone breaks easily. Twentieth-century interest in the antique arts of native peoples has led to higher prices.
Q: Do McDonald’s restaurant giveaway toys have any resale value? My children have been saving them in the unopened packages for more than 15 years. Is there a way to tell the age?
A: Very few McDonald’s Happy Meal toys are worth a lot of money. Most full sets (eight or more toys) given away in the past five years are worth under $50 at a retail source. That means a single toy is worth less than $5, and they usually are just $1 or $2, if you are lucky. The 1987 set of 12 Mr. Potato Head toys retails at $75. It is said that a set of eight Furby toys from 2000 sold for $900, but that may be a myth. Other old sets (be sure it is the original set, many have been repeated) including Beanie Babies, Lion King or even Jerry from the movie “Despicable Me” can sell for over $100.
Current Prices
Kewpie doll, black, side-eyes, red lips, jointed arms, incised, Rose O’Neill, 6 inches, $210.
Advertising sign, Stolz Premium beer, extra pale, extra fine flavor, white and yellow text, beer bottle, gray ground, 8 x 12 inches, $330.
Leica Camera, 50-mm Elmar lens, IIIa, black, leather case, 1938, $420.
Chanel clutch, fabric, black, white, logo printed in two directions, envelope shape, flap, 5 x 7 1/2 inches, $840.
TIP: If you move your antiques to a new home in a van, watch out for damage. Check the antiques as they are unloaded. Sweep the inside of the moving van and save any small pieces of veneer, wood or screws that might have fallen off your furniture.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com.
© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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