Today's Antiques Menu: Harry Rinker, Vincent Price, Sears, Picasso

Above picture is of the used-to-be-a-treasure item: the Sebastian Jello Cow - more info on Sebastianworld.com.

What do Jello, Cows, Sears, Vincent Price, and the American Eagle all have in common?

Well, they are either a treasure, a used-to-be-but-isn't-anymore, and a clunker. I'll let Harry explain it to ya: http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/q-and-a-harry-rinker-vincent-price-collection

This is another of  Worthpoint.com's symbiotic partnerships: Harry Rinker writes a regular column for them. If you don't know who Harry is, or what Worthpoint's website offers... well, go explore and learn, my friend!

Today Harry answers reader's "What's it worth?" questions. Don't just scan the article and think to yourself  "why read it if I don't have these items?". The valuable lesson to be learned is in the way Harry recounts his research steps and explains exactly why he makes the evaluation and conclusion to which he comes.

The man doesn't pussyfoot around. He tells it like it is. If the markets dropped out on that category, if your treasure is a piece of modern junk, he let's you know.

Above is the Sears catalog page Harry cites in discussing the art piece from Sears' collaboration with actor/art-curator Vincent Price. It's shown in a great article on artinfo.com that explains it all.

I love going down the rabbit hole that is the internet, and finding interesting tidbits. I found a little more to the Sears Art story.

First, the Sears sales training video, then an interesting nugget of info that wouldn't have been found without the wonders of the internet's having made user-generated-content so simple.



In the video clip Price singles out an impression of Rembrandt’s etching Angel Appearing to the Shepherds. Says Price,

“I’m pretty sure that most of your customers will say, as they did many years ago about diamonds and mink: ‘Rembrandt at Sears?’ Well yes. This is one of the things I wanted to prove to people, that you could buy this greatest name in art… at Sears, at Sears prices.”

The artinfo article author goes on to basically say he thinks they were prints or even fakes. But if you go to the youtube page where the video is posted, one of the commenters tells us the Rembrandt was indeed real, and eventually was sold for $150,000.

6min 20 sec. in Legrande Its on my wall what a small world. Angel appearing to the shepards was sold to my Aunt for 900.00 Vincente offered my Aunt 3 times the amt. to buy it back because the clerk made a mistake on the price. She laughed at him. They became freinds after this but she kept the rembrandte etching. She sold it approx. 15 yrs ago for around 50,000.00 2yrs. later it was sold by parkwest galleries for around 150,000.00.

As always, I bring you an eclectic mix of  antiques related info. Who knows what I'll stumble across next? Come on back!

Ms. Dow Antiques Blog 'Tique Talk is published by msdowantiques.com