Artfixdaily Blog Network

March 25 might have marked the season opener for the 2012 Indy Car Series, but that wasn’t the only Indy Car- event that piqued the interest of auto racing fans that weekend;  they were also keeping a watchful eye on Antique Helper’s March 24 Art & Antiques Auction, featuring racing memorabilia from the estate of Clarence Cagle.   This wasn’t the first time Antique Helper played host to an important auto racing memorabilia auction.  In 2006, the company presented The Duesenberg Estate and in June of 2011, Antique Helper joined forces with retired racer Jigger ...

  It’s not every day that we get to offer fresh-to-the market Indy 500 Memorabilia.  It’s also not every day that you can say that the items offered once belonged to Clarence Cagle.  Clarence Cagle wasn’t just another guy at the track.   Ask anyone who grew up in Speedway or around the Indy 500 scene and they’re sure to have a tale to tell about the man who worked for 30 years as Track Superintendent, then Vice President of Speedway Corp.    He was known to work 20 hour days at the track; he called it his baby. Taking on the job in 1946, ...

Some folks like to do things in a big way.  They enjoy the spotlight, and blossom with a little extra attention.  We’re sort of that way, too, so we understand.  Even when it comes to selling an antique or collectible, we think it’s always more fun to make a splash.  Why do anything the conventional way when you can make it fun? Do you remember that Super Hero Auction we had last year?  We had national news coverage for that event, plus plenty of local headlines and spots on our local news networks.  Our own John discovered he looked good in ...

There’s something about wintry days that make a person see their home with new eyes. Maybe it’s all that indoor time between the holidays and the Super Bowl that spurs that itch for change. Whether you while away your weekends rearranging the furniture, or reclining on your George Nelson sofa, I’m pretty sure you’ve spent a little time envisioning how swell your living room would look with that orange chair parked in front of the picture window. Before you know it, you might find yourself brandishing a paintbrush and picking out new throw pillows.  Being the voice of experience, I ...

Fans of Antique Helper have had the opportunity to witness some terrific sales of Asian antiques during recent auction events. At our October 30 Art and Antiques Auction Featuring Mission to Modern and Tribal Art, the star of the show was a porcelain vase with oxblood glaze.  Mounted as a lamp, this object was given a presale estimate of $100 to $200.  Despite the modest estimate, as soon as the catalog was posted, the oxblood beauty began to receive plenty of attention.  Once the item opened at auction, the bidding swiftly surpassed high estimate and continued to rise, until it reached ...

The joy of instant gratification, combined with that pleasurable buyer’s rush, all mixed up in a compact four-hour sale mean that I can go to the auction, see my pals and bid on great area rugs and end tables and still make it home in time to pop dinner in the oven before running off for some afternoon errands. Now, my days of obtaining and taking home furniture have just become a little easier. Dan Ripley and my friends at Antique Helper have decided to offer weekday auctions where folks with the urge to purge can unload alongside the hunters and gatherers who crave some change.I ...