Trend Report: Modern love

‘Mad Men’ mania still fuels the collectibles market, with help from politics and vintage Versace. Here’s what our experts say top their list of collectibles. — Janet Bennett Kelly

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Straight lines, minimal hardware and light wood are hallmarks of the mid-century modern aesthetic. A classic example of the style is the Hans Wegner Wishbone chair. Compact, lightweight and graceful, the chair was designed in 1949. These four sold for $850 at an auction by Sloans & Kenyon Auctioneers and Appraisers on May 4. Sloans & Kenyon President Stephanie Kenyon has seen a wholesale change in collecting trends. Say goodbye to Grandma’s rocking chairs and vitrine cabinets and hello to mid-century modern furniture. “Blond and light-wood furniture is in; brown furniture is out,” Kenyon says.

Sloans & Kenyon /

What’s next? Kenyon thinks an increased interest in ’80s Versace may signal that we’re due for a revival of Reagan-era style. This boldly printed tie blouse (estimated $400 at $600) personifies the period.

Sloans & Kenyon Auctioneers & Appraisers

First ladies from Mamie Eisenhower to Laura Bush carried a Judith Leiber bag to their husband’s inauguration.Some people display rather than use the bags, says Terry Kovel, co-author with daughter Kim Kovel of the go-to “Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide.” This snake purse from the late 1980s with gold leather interior, hideaway strap and white rhinestones sold for $450 in October 2010. The original, from which copies were made for retail and collectors, is on exhibit with about 300 others at the Leiber Collection museum in East Hampton, N.Y.

Elite Decorative Arts / Elite Decorative Arts

Vintage costume jewelry is frequently more affordable than the newer versions. Among the signed pieces (which bring more value) are a Lanvin medallion pendant on a snake chain, Miriam Haskell faux pearl necklaces, a Hattie Carnegie rhinestone pin and two Trifari rhinestone bracelets from the 1960s and 1970s. The estimate on the eight pieces was $75 to $125. The lot sold for $600 at Sloans & Kenyon.

Sloans & Kenyon Auctioneers & Appraisers

Lisanne Dickson of Treadway/Toomey Auctions notices buzz around classic art deco pieces, which share a “Mad Men” vibe and are becoming scarcer. The value of this circa 1934 silver-plated/red lacquered metal Lurelle Guild cocktail shaker by International Silver Co. was estimated at $2,250. It sold for $40,000 in May.

Treadway Gallery

In election years, political buttons become coveted collectors’ items, Kovel says. Take this Barack Obama for President button featuring Abraham Lincoln. It commemorates Obama’s February 2007 announcement, in Springfield, Ill., that he would run for the highest office in the land. It sold for $500 in 2008.

Hake’s Americana and Collectibles

Matthew Rosenheim, president of Washington’s Tiny Jewel Box, known for both its antique and modern jewelry collections, says platinum and diamond jewelry from the 1920s and 1930s is hot, as are 1940s art moderne pieces. In the latter category is this rose and yellow gold chunky link bracelet, which sells for $11,000. A comparable bracelet today could cost as much as $20,000, Rosenheim says, because of the current price of metals. “There’s lots of value to be had in vintage,” he says. A Van Cleef & Arpels or Tiffany mark ups the ante.

Tiny Jewel Box

Peter Voulkos is famous for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures; he was instrumental in moving ceramics from functional to artistic forms in the 1950s. This circa 1955 plate sold for $843.75 in June 2011 at Treadway/Toomey Auctions. Pieces made between the 1950s and 1980s by regional artists who haven’t been similarly discovered could become valuable. Kovel suggests going to a local art school to learn what appeals to you.

Treadway Gallery

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