A 2007 Hermes Birkin 30cm in shiny rose shocking pink, fashioned from Porosus crocodile and sporting palladium hardware, achieved $36,000 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2016. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

From Barbie to millennial pink, the cultural phenomenon behind the color that sells

An unquestionably pink Chanel Sport Line Logos baseball cap achieved $1,100 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Bidhaus and LiveAuctioneers

An unquestionably pink Chanel Sport Line Logos baseball cap achieved $1,100 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Bidhaus and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK (AP) – “Think pink! think pink! when you shop for summer clothes. Think pink! think pink! if you want that quelque chose.” That advice, sung as an epiphany in the 1957 musical film Funny Face, has definitely been heeded – just take a look around at fashion and media. The fascination around pink – each shade and hue with its own connotation – has driven those cultural engines for generations, revving into full force as we reach peak Barbie season.

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Chuck Close’s ‘Georgia Fingerprint I’ will be auctioned at Myers Fine Art on April 30. Image provided by Myers Fine Art

How Tampa’s Graphicstudio became the printmaking matrix for 20th-century art legends

Chuck Close’s ‘Georgia Fingerprint I’ will be auctioned at Myers Fine Art on April 30. Image provided by Myers Fine Art

Chuck Close’s ‘Georgia Fingerprint I’ will be auctioned at Myers Fine Art on April 30. Image provided by Myers Fine Art

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Paris, London, New York City, and … Tampa Bay. In what seems a world away from the marquee cities that have long been synonymous with fine art, Graphicstudio at the University of South Florida (USF) – and their renowned master printers – have been assiduously impacting art culture since the studio’s inception in 1968. Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Mapplethorpe, Alex Katz, and many more of the brightest, boldest artistic minds of the era have added to Graphicstudio’s portfolio along the way. 

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The rarer the stamp, the more attention it wins at auction. This encased merchant key 5 cent postage stamp featuring Thomas Jefferson was issued by B.F. Miles in Peoria, Illinois circa 1862. It brought $9,000 plus the buyer’s premium in August 2022. Image courtesy of Early American History Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

How to start a stamp collection knowledgeably

The rarer the stamp, the more attention it wins at auction. This encased merchant key 5 cent postage stamp featuring Thomas Jefferson was issued by B.F. Miles in Peoria, Illinois circa 1862. It brought $9,000 plus the buyer’s premium in August 2022. Image courtesy of Early American History Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

The rarer the stamp, the more attention it wins at auction. This encased merchant key 5 cent postage stamp featuring Thomas Jefferson was issued by B.F. Miles in Peoria, Illinois circa 1862. It brought $9,000 plus the buyer’s premium in August 2022. Image courtesy of Early American History Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – There are few collectible categories that encompass art, history, culture, language and national identity and pride quite like postage stamps. They reflect almost every topic, from royalty and cultural achievers to scientific discoveries and wildlife. They tell us who we are and how our societies have evolved.

Since the first issue in 1840, stamps have attracted collectors from all walks of life. Despite the rise of email and texting, postage stamps remain universally appreciated well into the 21st century. Stamp collecting remains one of the top 10 hobbies, and rare stamps are still considered stalwarts in many investment portfolios.

Before the arrival of the postage stamp, letters were hand-canceled with a cut rubber or cork wooden handstamp. Just such an impression stamped on a letter mailed from Virginia City, Utah in 1860 garnered $550 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2022. Image courtesy of Holabird Western American Collection and LiveAuctioneers

Before the arrival of the postage stamp, letters were hand-canceled with a cut rubber or cork wooden handstamp. Just such an impression stamped on a letter mailed from Virginia City, Utah in 1860 garnered $550 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2022. Image courtesy of Holabird Western American Collection and LiveAuctioneers

Prior to the advent of postage stamps printed on sheets of paper, post offices relied on a rubber or cork cancellation image its employees would hand-ink directly onto the letter itself. These early handstamps, first created in 1680 by merchant William Dockwra for London mail at one penny a post, are a collectible category in and of itself. There was a bit of a problem with the handstamp approach, though. In that era in the United Kingdom, postage was paid by the receiver, not by the sender. If the receiver rejected the letter or package, the delivery went unpaid, and the post office lost money it needed to underwrite its operations. The postage stamp changed that.

Finding the Penny Black, the very first national postage stamp, which was issued by the UK in 1840, isn’t that difficult. Most have been canceled, such as this example offered in December 2022 that went for $130 plus the buyer’s premium. In contrast, an uncanceled Penny Black sold at Sotheby’s for $8.2 million in 2021. Image courtesy of Oakwood Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

Finding the Penny Black, the very first national postage stamp, which was issued by the UK in 1840, isn’t that difficult. Most have been canceled, such as this example offered in December 2022 that went for $130 plus the buyer’s premium. In contrast, an uncanceled Penny Black sold at Sotheby’s for $8.2 million in 2021. Image courtesy of Oakwood Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

Who, exactly, deserves the credit for the invention of the postage stamp is a murky topic, but by 1840, the United Kingdom issued the first such stamp with adhesive to affix directly onto packages and letters. It was known as the Penny Black and featured the profile of a young Queen Victoria. Each stamp had to be cut from a sheet; perforations finally appeared in 1854. And in replacing the handstamp with a printed, paper stamp, the postal service shifted the burden of paying for postage to the sender instead of the receiver. This change allowed for a more organized and profitable postal service. Other countries in Europe soon adopted Britain’s approach.

A unique example of an encased three-cent stamp picturing Benjamin Franklin attained $18,000 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2016. Image courtesy of Early American History Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

A unique example of an encased three-cent stamp picturing Benjamin Franklin attained $18,000 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2016. Image courtesy of Early American History Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

Postage stamps debuted in the United States in 1845, but these early issues were created by individual postmasters. Two years later, the United States released its first official postage stamps, which sported portraits of Benjamin Franklin on a red 5 cent stamp and George Washington on a black 10 cent stamp. By 1860, the success of the UK and the United States postal systems had prompted virtually every nation to issue their own postage stamps. The notion of collecting stamps as a hobby gained ground around this time as well. John Edward Gray, an English zoologist who was one of the first collectors of note, began his postage stamp collection in 1862, and The Philatelist, the first publication about postage stamps, was already going strong by the 1860s.

Two volumes of Scotts and National Postage albums, estimated at $1,000-$2,000, achieved $9,500 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2022. Image courtesy of Winter Associates and LiveAuctioneers

Two volumes of Scotts and National Postage albums, estimated at $1,000-$2,000, achieved $9,500 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2022. Image courtesy of Winter Associates and LiveAuctioneers

The two main reasons people create stamp collections is for fun or as an investment. All seasoned stamp aficionados know there are four main identifying components of a stamp: the image, the perforations, the denomination and the country name (except for the United Kingdom, which uses an image of its monarch as a stand-in). Handling a stamp requires a few basic essential tools: tweezers or long tongs, a magnifying glass, a stamp album made from archival material and an odontometer, or perforation gauge.

First day covers are often issued to commemorate or bring attention to an important occasion, such as the independence of the new State of Israel on May 29, 1948. This first day cover, with a hand-cancel from the City of Haifa and the signature of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, went for $800 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2019. Image courtesy of Kedem Auctions and LiveAuctioneers


First day covers are often issued to commemorate or bring attention to an important occasion, such as the independence of the new State of Israel on May 29, 1948. This first day cover, with a hand-cancel from the City of Haifa and the signature of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, went for $800 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2019. Image courtesy of Kedem Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

It’s perfectly fine to dive in and begin gathering stamps without having chosen a specialty to focus on. Just seek affordable stamps of any type that seem interesting, sort them, review them, and categorize them one or two at a time. Seeking stamps will introduce you to varieties featuring flags, monarchs, insects, animals, minerals and other attractive subjects. You can also wait and simply enjoy acquainting yourself with the many different formats of stamps – which range from first day covers, stamps on letters, plate blocks of stamps, postcards with stamps, special event stamps, hunting stamps, revenue stamps, error stamps, commemorative stamps and hand stamps – before you zero in on a favorite to pursue. It will soon become evident why presidents, kings, rock stars and regular people have all embraced stamp-collecting as a relaxing pastime.

Stamps can be collectible in blocks, as with this green and white set of six 16-cent US postage stamps issued in 1918 and picturing the World War I Jenny biplane. It sold for $650 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2021. Image courtesy of Oakwood Auctions and LiveAuctioneers


Stamps can be collectible in blocks, as with this green and white set of six 16-cent US postage stamps issued in 1918 and picturing the World War I Jenny biplane. It sold for $650 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2021. Image courtesy of Oakwood Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

Stamp-collecting need not center on acquiring one or two stamps at a time; it’s possible to secure entire collections of stamps at auctions. Stamp collections, whether completed or not, are routinely consigned by estates whose heirs decline to keep them. Buying a collection lets you advance your understanding of stamps through comparing the differences within a large, preassembled group. Which ones are you missing, and which ones can be traded or sold for another that is in better condition or has a higher value? It should be said, however, that such questions may be more suited to investment-minded collectors because filling the holes in an incomplete collection requires finding the rarest and most valuable stamps, not the most engaging or delightful.

This U.S. stamp collection dating from 1847 to 2021, already organized into archival albums and featuring Columbian Exposition Issue stamps, the comprehensive Washington-Franklin stamps of 1908-1920, and Air Mail and Hunting Permit Stamps from 1934-2020, among others, achieved $32,000 plus the buyer’s premium in August 2020. Image courtesy of Winter Associates and LiveAuctioneers

This U.S. stamp collection dating from 1847 to 2021, already organized into archival albums and featuring Columbian Exposition Issue stamps, the comprehensive Washington-Franklin stamps of 1908-1920, and Air Mail and Hunting Permit Stamps from 1934-2020, among others, achieved $32,000 plus the buyer’s premium in August 2020. Image courtesy of Winter Associates and LiveAuctioneers

But are postage stamps a solid investment today? According to Forbes.com, they deliver a means to diversify an investment portfolio, but, of course, price fluctuations are the norm in any postage stamp auction. Wealthy investors target stamps that have higher values, freeing up most stamps for the casual collector whose pockets are not as deep – which is a great thing for both camps of collectors.

A set of nine Chinese postage stamps issued late in the Qing dynasty realized $2,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $600-$900 in February 2017. Image courtesy of Eddie’s Auction and LiveAuctioneers

A set of nine Chinese postage stamps issued late in the Qing dynasty realized $2,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $600-$900 in February 2017. Image courtesy of Eddie’s Auction and LiveAuctioneers

While most casual collections may not have the investment value of those intended as assets, a study by StampFinder.com has shown that postage stamps with values of $25 and up have consistently outperformed stocks and even gold during the past 25 years. The basic rule for investment-grade stamps is to buy at no more than 30% of the catalog price at auction and sell near the catalog value. Casual collectors, in contrast, should buy the best stamp they can afford.

An extensive collection of Turkish postage stamps spanning circa 1920 to 1997, and including some stamps that predate the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, brought $3,500 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2021. Image courtesy of Alex Cooper and LiveAuctioneers

An extensive collection of Turkish postage stamps spanning circa 1920 to 1997, and including some stamps that predate the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, brought $3,500 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2021. Image courtesy of Alex Cooper and LiveAuctioneers

All stamps are graded first and foremost on rarity; for this reason, older stamps perform better at auction than newer ones. Condition plays a major role as well. Examples with few or no defects are the ones collectors want most. As with any valuable object, postage stamps are the targets of counterfeiters. It is important that collectors of all stripes learn how stamps were made at the times they were issued and verify that any stamp that interests them is correct on its complete construction, from its image to the ink used to print it. Finding stamps of historical significance will help with the overall value of a collection, too. Stamps issued with an error or those with short production runs will merit a higher value if the rest of the criteria under discussion have been satisfied.

An album of international postage stamps, primarily from Greece through Penrhyn Island, sold for $2,500 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2017. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers

An album of international postage stamps, primarily from Greece through Penrhyn Island, sold for $2,500 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2017. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers

If you aren’t sure how to begin a stamp collection, it is best to visit one of the many associations, online groups and websites devoted to postage stamps. The American Philatelic Society (stamps.org), the United States Stamp Society (usstamps.org) and Stamp Collecting World (stamp-collecting-world.com) provide in-depth assistance and resources. You might also consider attending a nearby stamp show listed at stamps.org.

A First Man on the Moon first day cover, signed by the crew of Apollo 11 and from the family collection of astronaut Richard Gordon, rose to $22,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $2,400-$3,600 in November 2018. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

A First Man on the Moon first day cover, signed by the crew of Apollo 11 and from the family collection of astronaut Richard Gordon, rose to $22,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $2,400-$3,600 in November 2018. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

Postage stamps remain coveted collectibles because they take countries and the myths they create about themselves and condense them into a tiny, flat, nearly weightless rectangle. Designed to be portable, they inspire the holder to dream about a stamp’s adventures as it crossed borders, ventured across mountains, plains and oceans, or even just flitted a few doors down the street. Postage stamps can lead you to dream about distant lands and intriguing cultures, and they work this magic without requiring you to leave your favorite armchair. Such is their power.

Velvet: an interior design favorite that never went away

A pair of circa-1954 Gio Ponti lounge chairs, model 803, upholstered in blue velvet, achieved $15,000 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2022. Image courtesy of Los Angeles Modern Auctions and LiveAuctioneers


A pair of circa-1954 Gio Ponti lounge chairs, model 803, upholstered in blue velvet, achieved $15,000 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2022. Image courtesy of Los Angeles Modern Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – (AP) It was all over the fashion runways. Women’s Wear Daily raved about Armani dresses in this material. Harper’s Bazaar called it one of 2022’s biggest trends. At Britain’s film awards, celebrities partied in Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren and Gucci versions. It’s even found its way down to casual wear, in jeans, T-shirts and slouchy overshirts. Once the luxurious material of nobility, velvet’s now a fashion favorite at both the private-label and mass-market level. And as often happens, what rides high in fashion ends up doing the same in home decor.

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Pictorial trays helped Coca-Cola build a powerful soda brand

An original 1897 Coca-Cola tray with painted cola leaves and nuts decorating its rim, achieved $50,000 plus the buyer’s premium in February 2019. Image courtesy of Michaan’s and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – Far and away, Coca-Cola is the world’s bestselling soft drink. The company claims that nearly two billion eight-ounce servings are consumed every day. So, exactly how does a sugary soda dominate all others for more than 100 years? The answer is marketing and then more marketing. Coca-Cola trays were key to building the beverage’s brand.

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Detail of a 19th-century Continental macro-mosaic of a prominently haloed St. John Bosco, which realized $1,600 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2021. Image courtesy of Akiba Antiques and LiveAuctioneers

Ring of reverence: a history of the halo in art

Detail of a 19th-century Continental macro-mosaic of a prominently haloed St. John Bosco, which realized $1,600 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2021. Image courtesy of Akiba Antiques and LiveAuctioneers

Detail of a 19th-century Continental macro-mosaic of a prominently haloed St. John Bosco, which realized $1,600 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2021. Image courtesy of Akiba Antiques and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – “And God said, let there be light and then there was light,” according to the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament of the Bible. Many would insist that God didn’t create light so much as he is light. Before literacy was widespread, the ideas of light representing good and darkness symbolizing evil had to be communicated to the faithful visually, through works of art. By the Middle Ages, artists had adopted the convention of painting a halo of light around the head of a deity or a saint to mark who should be respected and revered.

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This set of German-made American Revolutionary War toy soldiers, hand-painted and having engraved features, sold for $375 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Old Toy Soldier Auctions USA and LiveAuctioneers

For centuries, toy soldiers have carried on the fight

This set of German-made American Revolutionary War toy soldiers, hand-painted and having engraved features, sold for $375 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Old Toy Soldier Auctions USA and LiveAuctioneers

This set of German-made American Revolutionary War toy soldiers, hand-painted and having engraved features, sold for $375 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Old Toy Soldier Auctions USA and LiveAuctioneers

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.

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In this December 2022 photo, collector Dwight Cleveland holds a lobby card from his extensive collection. He has entered an agreement with Dartmouth College to digitize his silent movie-era lobby cards for preservation and publication. Image courtesy of Dwight Cleveland.

Silent films to encore in Dartmouth-backed lobby card project

In this December 2022 photo, collector Dwight Cleveland holds a lobby card from his extensive collection. He has entered an agreement with Dartmouth College to digitize his silent movie-era lobby cards for preservation and publication. Image courtesy of Dwight Cleveland.

In this December 2022 photo, collector Dwight Cleveland holds a silent movie-era lobby card from his extensive collection. He has entered an agreement with Dartmouth College to digitize his lobby cards for preservation and publication. Image courtesy of Dwight Cleveland.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – Missing Millions is a 1922 silent film with a darkly prescient title – like the vast majority from that era, the movie all but vanished in the ensuing century, survived mostly by lobby cards. Scarcely bigger than letter paper, the cards promoted the cinematic romances, comedies and adventures of early Hollywood. More than 10,000 of the images that once hung in movie theater foyers are now being digitized for preservation and publication, thanks to an agreement between Chicago-based collector Dwight Cleveland and Dartmouth College that all started when he ran into a film professor at an academic conference in New York.

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A Mughal Empire gold pendant inlaid with kundan-set green glass, white topaz and rubies sold for $2,500 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2021. Image courtesy of Artemis Gallery and LiveAuctioneers

Mughal Empire artisans raised arts of Asia to new heights

A Mughal Empire gold pendant inlaid with kundan-set green glass, white topaz and rubies sold for $2,500 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2021. Image courtesy of Artemis Gallery and LiveAuctioneers

A Mughal Empire gold pendant inlaid with kundan-set green glass, white topaz and rubies sold for $2,500 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2021. Image courtesy of Artemis Gallery and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – In 1526, the Mughals, descendants of the Mongol leaders Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, created an empire stretching from the Indus Valley and northern Afghanistan to sub-continental India. The empire endured until the 19th century, and flourishing trade sparked Mughal artisans to innovate within a wide range of arts and crafts, from textiles to painting to jewelry to beautifully decorated weapons.

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