Recent Auctions On eBay

Auctions are still going strong on eBay as indicated by the following sampling of ten listings from across the spectrum of antiques and collectibles which sold on eBay in the last 30 days. Our lead story is a rare collectible album:

Rare Beatles Album Sells for Premium on eBay

An extremely rare copy of the Beatles White Album - Beatles - White Album UK 1968 Mono LP Cover No.0000005 - sold on eBay on Nov 23rd for $29,141 (GBP 19,201.00)

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The seller, agm67, offered the following description of the item:   

'The Beatles' (more commonly known as 'The White Album' ) was released exactly 40 years ago on 22nd November 1968. Widely held to be one of the most influential albums of all-time, it was recently given the number one position in the '200 Rarest Records of All Time' by 'Record Collector' magazine. The two-record set, housed in a plain white cover was designed by Richard Hamilton and each carried its own unique number stamped on the front cover. Copies numbered 0000001 to 0000004 were originally given to the members of The Beatles themselves and as yet, none of these first four numbers have emerged onto the market.

This auction for mono No.0000005 is the lowest number to emerge to date and represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own the lowest numbered mono copy which may ever be offered for sale.

 

Other auctions of note

                                                                                                                 

17th-18th Century Flemish Verdure Tapestry Sold on Nov 12th, 2008 for a bid of $801.97 Starting bid was $150.00 and there were 19 bids made	1612 KING JAMES HOLY BIBLE+WOODCUTS Sold on Oct 31st for a Buy It Now price of $10,000
EDMUND SPENSER. FAERIE QUEENE, 1590 1ST ED Sold on Nov 2nd, 2008 for a bid of $7,100 The starting bid was $199.99 and there were a total of 54 bids made	Edward Lownes Federal Coin Silver Tea Set c1820 79oz Sold on Nov 20th, 2008 for a  bid of $1,465 The starting bid was $20.00 and 32 bids were made
ANTIQUE HAWAIIAN APPLIQUE QUILT FOLK ART        Sold on Nov 13th, 2008 for a bid of $3,000 The starting bid was $45.00 and 19 bids were made	IMPORTANT ANTIQUE PERSIAN PICTORIAL TABRIZ Sold on Nov 3rd, 2008 for a Best Offer of $15,0000
Colbalt Blue Northern Pacific Railroad Lantern Globe Sold on Nov 12th for a  bid of $8,708 The starting bid was $9.55 and 33 bids were made	Handel (Signed) RARE Table Lamp w- Cherry Blossom Shade Sold on Nov 3rd, 2008 for a Buy It Now price of $12,000
Nice Japanese Samurai Sword, 28" Katana w/Wild Temper Sold on Nov 17th for a  bid of $5,199 The starting bid was $7.00 and 27 bids were made

The eBay/PayPal Bay Area GIVE Team Charity Auction

Hi everyone!

Just a quick note to tell y'all about the eBay/PayPal Bay Area GIVE Team's 2008 Holiday Charity Auction.  We're auctioning off some great items at unheard of prices (e.g. Breitling and Michele watches, Ray Ban sunglasses, Manolo Blahnik shoes, and even Farouk Flat Irons) and 100% of all the sales will go to benefit some great charities, like the Family Giving Tree and Second Harvest Food Bank.

The eBay/PayPal Bay Area GIVE (Grantmaking and Inspiring Volunteerism Everywhere) is a group of eBay/PayPal/Shopping.com/StumbleUpon employees in the San Francisco Bay Area who work with the eBay Foundation on projects to give back to our communities and planet.  All these items were listed (and will be packed and shipped) by eBay, Inc. employees during Charity Listing volunteer events.

Check out the San Jose GIVE team store here to see the listings:
http://stores.ebay.com/Bay-Area-GIVE-Team

And keep visiting, because we've got some more great items to list in the next week or so.

Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone out there in eBay-land.

Art Modern Era Furniture Strong on eBay

The market on eBay for all-things-Modern continues to generate interest among collectors and designers as indicated by several recent successful listings for mid century designer furniture. In the last two weeks alone, several choice examples of Eames / Herman Miller chairs and lounge / ottoman sets have sold on eBay. What follows are a few examples of those as well as some other Mid Century Modern items of interest. (click any photo for a larger image).

This set of Four Original Charles Eames designed Dining Chairs, manufactured by the Evan s Products Company Molded Plywood Division, sold for a Best Offer of $4639 on Oct 30th. These chairs were extremely popular in the 1950's so many of them have survived. However, they do bring a premium when preserved as sets with the original finish in good condition like these chairs.

Two good examples of the iconic #670 Eames lounge chair & ottoman sets sold recently on eBay. First, a Herman Miller Eames Rosewood Lounge Chair Ottoman with black leather upholstery and bent rosewood in excellent condition, sold for $5000 (Buy It Now) on Oct 31 and an Eames Rosewood 670 Lounge Chair/Ottoman with gray upholstery also designed and built by Herman Miller, sold for a Best Offer of $3,000.00 on Nov 2nd

Eames lounge chairs continue to draw interest and there are usually at least one or two available on eBay every few weeks. If you are considering acquiring an example, always look for those that are good to excellent condition, and of course, think eBay first!

It's always a bit disconcerting to find items on eBay that are considered "antique" and were also manufactured during your childhood. Although not quite considered "Art Modern", this molded fiberglass and tubular steel 1960's Pop era Laverne Tulip chair, designed by Erwin and Estelle Laverne, is nonetheless a top example of hard-to-find 20th century design. It sold for a Buy It Now price of $2900 on Oct 31. The chair, which swivels on a tubular stell base, would be the perfect foil for Barbarella.

Another highly sought name in Modern furniture, this pair of Milo Baughman Tufted Armchairs sold for a Best Offer of $2100 on Nov 2. They chairs have been professionally reupholstered in appropriate fabric to match the period. Considering the cost of a good upholstery job, these chairs were a definite good deal.

The increasing interest and prices for good Danish Modern furniture is exemplified in this set of six John Stuart Dining Chairs by Arne Vodder that sold for one bid of $1800 on Nov 1 Though the prices for Danish Modern have risen dramatically over the last decade (remember when thrift stores couldn't give this stuff away?), the best examples are still affordable and available, at least for now.

And finally, another icon of the Modernist design era, this single Zenith PAW Eames Herman Miller Shell  Chair circa 1948 sold for a Best Offer of $1500 on Oct 29

As the seller stated in their description: the "...Shell is an extremely early (c. 1948) rope edge example..." the condition of the wood base and plastic shell along with the superb sage green color make this a highly desirable example of the type.

You can always find current listings for Art Modern furniture and decorations by using the keyword "modern*" as a search term in the Antiques > Furniture category. This will display a wide range of furniture of every type and from every designer/manufacturer where the seller has used the word "modern" in their title, which mid century sellers most do. To explore a larger selection, including listings without the word "modern" in their titles, navigate to the Antiques > Furniture category and select "Mid Century Modern" from the option drop down list under Furniture Finder.

eBay Reviews & Guides of Interest
by expert eBay sellers and buyers:

Decorating in Mid Century Modern - MCM-I-love-aqua-pink

Retro Shopping & Decorating

Twinkie-apos-s Toolbox: The Eames Era and the Magic 8 Ball

Furniture Buying Guide

TOP 10 FACTORS AFFECTING ANTIQUE COLLECTIBLE VALUES

Next time in the Antiques & Collectibles News...Antique Cameras and Film

By the way, this is the first edition of The  Antique and Collectibles News, a new column here on The Chatter. In this column, we will share news of recently-closed auction listings of interest on eBay for a wide range of categories in Antiques and Collectibles. We'll also publish general news and information about the antiques and collectibles business on eBay. In the future, we'll add additional columns and articles focusing on other eBay categories.

If you are an expert in a particular field of collecting or dealing in antiques and collectibles, enjoy writing, and would like to contribute content to this new column, please contact Griff at griff@ebay.com. All submissions will be considered.