Will Seippel, CEO of WorthPoint, enjoys watching the items sold at auctions held by our WorthPoint Industry Partners. We thought it would be a great idea for him to select some of his favorite sold items and explain why those sales stood out to him. Gaining insights from Will is an excellent way to learn about buying and selling trends in our industry. We want to empower you to buy and sell with confidence. Take a look at his thoughts on a few of our partners’ recent sales.
On February 17, 2025, WorthPoint added 260,939 items to the Price Guide, with a total value of $15,466,257.46. This injection brings the average value of each item to $59.27. Here are the items that I found to be most interesting.
Blow Up Girls
Two Robert Deyber acrylic on canvas paintings titled Blow Up Doll sold at Link Auctions for $18,750 each, a bit less than their previous sale in December 2024, where they fetched $25,000. The two pieces, likely designed to be a pair, featured a “l’fantasy lady” in a red dress and one in blue, each with a mysterious twist. The woman in red hides her face in her hair, while the one in blue wears a mask—definitely adding to the allure of the artist’s vision. There is also a fun play on words here as the women are dolled up, but their heads are “ablaze” with fireworks. Whether intentional or not, the theme seems to be all about fantasy and anonymity—I’m not asking any questions! Deyber, who passed away in 2021, has a typical price range of around $15,000 for his work, but these larger-than-life pieces, measuring 72 x 47 1/2 inches, certainly stand out. The condition is excellent, with only a faint scuff in the corner. Whoever snapped these up likely got a fun addition to their collection.
Quirky Yet Beautiful
Miller and Miller had a fantastic Canadian Furniture auction on February 8, 2025. The winner on price was an over-the-top transitional Chippendale/Sheraton commode. This piece was over the top in what you could hope for in early Southeast Canadian clunkiness of design and then an added French elegance with a dark patina tossed in. It looked original and had a provenance to match. The cabinet was a chest of drawers in the front, but on both ends, it was a full cabinet—talk about quirky! It was all I learned to love about Canadian furniture, having lived in northern New England for decades. The craftsmanship is stunning, with serpentine doors and the kind of delicate carving that hints at the influence of François Baillargé, a master cabinetmaker. The piece sold for $49,364.48. They get some wonderful things at this sale, and I would highly recommend getting on their mailing list if you like folk art.
Cartier at Its Best
Lastly, a Cartier 18K gold and stainless steel watch sold at Bradford’s for $15,730. While this seems like a strong price, it’s worth noting that an identical watch had sold there on 12/17/23 for $22,499.80, complete with a retail appraisal of $24,995. The appraisal wasn’t included this time, yet the watch still fetched a solid amount despite appearing to be in the same condition. This price highlights a common reality for newer items—the resale market rarely gives you 100% of what you paid for them, especially after a year or two. The Cartier Santos watch, featuring 14.70 carats of diamonds, is a striking example of the brand’s craftsmanship, with diamonds set throughout the case, bezel, and bracelet. It also comes with the original Cartier box and registration card, making it an attractive piece for any collector.
To Each His Own
In one of those “scratch your head” moments, some carved limited-edition Santa figures sold at Crawford Family Auctions for a total of just over $1,830. The combined lots, consisting of 5 figures, came out to nearly $400 a figure. I can’t imagine sitting down to carve these in editions of 75-100, let alone paying that kind of money for each one. It’s a WorthPoint record price, and I’m guessing it’ll stay that way for a while. It’s one of those auctions where I find myself shaking my head, much like I did with the Blow Up Doll. But hey, to each their own—there’s clearly a market for these signed V+S Rawson carved wooden Santa statuettes!
Will Seippel is the founder, president, and CEO of WorthPoint. Will has been an avid collector since 1974 and dealer of just about all things antique—with an emphasis on ephemera— since 1984. He is also the creator and founder of HIP, a website devoted to recording the best of the world’s history that has been saved on film.
WorthPoint—Discover. Value. Preserve.
Credit: Source link
