#Insights #Auction #Sales #January #WorthPoint
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 1/28/25, we added 262,273 auction lots to our database, totaling nearly $17 million. With an average of just $64.64 per item, it’s clear that value comes in all shapes and sizes. Here’s a peek at some of the standout items that caught our attention.
Write it Down
One of the standout pieces recently came from Antikeo, a Louis XVI period boudoir desk that I’m officially dubbing “The Happiness of the Day”—a name that may or may not be a little more fitting than the one Antiko gave it. The inlay work on this desk was truly remarkable, and the design was as unique as it was intricate. The desk is attributed to the famed 18th-century French cabinet maker Charles Topino, known for his exquisite craftsmanship and mastery of marquetry. The stamped mark makes this piece even more intriguing, which indicates that Topino was likely working independently by this point—no second stamp to confirm his previous affiliations, just his signature touch.
This desk, sold for $34,742.40, is more than just a functional piece; it’s a true example of Topino’s genius. The urn motifs and graceful shape are unmistakably his, and while early 20th-century replicas exist, this one is the real thing. According to this article, Topino, who once counted on a bourgeois clientele, saw his fortunes change after the French Revolution, which left him bankrupt and without patrons.
Show Us Your Bottoms, Please
A recent lot of five Satsuma immortal pieces sold by A & C Auctions of Pendle also caught my attention, though I have a feeling they were likely older than the 20th-century classification suggested. With their exceptional craftsmanship and intricate decoration, these pieces feel much more aligned with the Meiji period when Satsuma porcelain truly flourished. The standout piece was a box with finished images on the interior—an unusual touch. While all the pieces showed some wear to the paint, I believe the lot sold for much less than it could have, especially given the quality of the work. The key issue was that to sell it successfully online, buyers would need clear images of the bottoms to accurately identify and date the maker’s marks. At just $295.67, the final price seemed like a bargain, but sometimes, a lack of detailed photos leaves money on the table!
I’ll Drink to That!
The last item of the day was another crazy find—beer steins from Shultz & Dooley, which I’d never heard of before. I first spotted them prowling around CTBids when they were a live lot, and it turns out there were several lots from the same collector who was downsizing. The collection included a mix of whimsical mugs featuring characters like a red-nosed reindeer, Santa, Frankenstein, and even a penguin. The company’s history is pretty fascinating (and a rabbit hole for beer lovers and collectors), but what stood out was how these quirky steins flew under the radar. This lot went for $824.82, which seems like a bargain considering the fun factor and the backstory behind these mugs!
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.
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