#Globe #Antique #Inspection #Seippel #WorthPoint
If you ever get the chance to go shopping with WorthPoint’s founder and CEO, Will Seippel, you’ll quickly realize that there is a whole lot to know about, well, everything. And when it comes to antiques, the object itself is only the tip of the iceberg. Design, details, and accessories can add a lot to an item’s value and offer big clues about the piece’s history.
That was our big takeaway when we recently dug through a Salvation Army warehouse with Will. We were lucky enough to watch him sort through a handful of beautiful antique globes, and that’s how we learned that geography is just the beginning. Take this miniature antique globe shown in the photo above, for example. Although the globe itself is in stunning condition, what really sets it apart is the original box that it comes in. (Ah, yes, the ubiquitous box! The antique element that’s ever a sign of authenticity and value!)
Mind you, this wasn’t just any box. The box itself was, quite literally, a work of art (or portraiture, to be more specific). And there was one specific color that really helped Will figure out the globe’s probable age. To get a gorgeous eyeful, watch the full video on Will’s website.
And that wasn’t the last of the geographical treasures. Consider this miniature globe in the photo above, which, by Will’s estimate, comes from roughly the same period as his first find, probably the early 1800s. This globe wasn’t quite as pristine as the first, but it was worth the inspection because of one essential detail: the tiny globe’s stand. The design of the turned stand and its woodwork techniques offer hints of the item’s history and age. And the craftsmanship of this detail is enough to make it worthy of a place in your globe collection. The video at the top shows more of Will’s inspection skills for this antique globe on a stand.
In addition to her role as HIP’s curator of photography, Allison Radomski is a writer and filmmaker. She spends her days hunting for analog cameras, scoring her own movies in her laundry closet, and building her collections of Polaroids and handkerchiefs. She has degrees in cinema & media studies and religious studies from the University of Chicago.
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