VINELAND, N.J. – Bertoia Auctions concluded a memorable year of high-profile events with a $2.7 million sale of toys, banks and Christmas antiques held on November 17-18 at their New Jersey gallery. The 1,179-lot selection presented on November 17-18 was steeped in toy-collecting history, with an abundance of exquisite, well-provenanced pieces coming from the lifetime collections of Bob Brady, Jack White, and Curtis and Linda Smith.
For centuries, toy soldiers have carried on the fight
NEW YORK – Depicting fighting soldiers as tiny, easy-to-move figures has been a mainstay of military planning since medieval times. What started as a serious strategy-building tool ultimately evolved into the icon of childhood now known as the toy soldier.
Potter & Potter tests new waters with successful Historic Memorabilia sale
CHICAGO – Potter & Potter Auctions held its first Historic Memorabilia & Americana sale on November 17. It contained nearly 700 lots and posted a total of $340,000.
French president and first lady give Bidens Christofle centerpiece
WASHINGTON – For the occasion of their state visit to the White House on December 1, French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron selected a Christofle centerpiece as a gift to American President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
Collectors of vintage video games play on another level
NEW YORK — It all started with a primitive video game called Pong and the Atari 2600 console for at-home gaming, which debuted in the 1970s. Though its games had simple graphics, Atari revolutionized the gaming industry. Video games are now light years better, smaller and more complex. Legions of players collect them, and anything related to them, driven by childhood nostalgia and the desire to preserve cultural touchstones. There is also profit to be made.