Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide

Russell Pritchard III, who gained TV fame on the Antiques Roadshow with the appraisal of a valuable sword that the "owner" claimed to use to cut watermelons, is in the news again. He used the TV publicity to enhance his reputation, then cheated his clients while appraising or selling their antiques...

A record crowd attended the Halloween sale at Stevens Auction Co. in Aberdeen, Miss. The vampire kit we mentioned last week sold for $8,800. John Stevens told us the auction business is doing well again.

Vampires on TV today are lovable, not dangerous, so there seems to be no need for vampire-killing kits. Killing kits were needed when people were threatened by vampires. Kits have been sold at five or more auctions over the last several years. Each kit was assembled, so the contents varied...

Do not buy old coins without knowing the dealer or source. Coin World newspaper reports that over a million counterfeit coins made in China in recent years have sold as rarities at high prices. It is not illegal to make a fake U.S. coin in China, but U.S...

Q: Can you tell me something about this RS Prussia tea set with 4 cups? Is it valuable?A: You have an RS Prussia chocolate set. A chocolate pot is taller than a teapot. Porcelain marked RS Prussia was made by Reinhold Schlegelmilch, who founded a porcelain works in Suhl, Germany, in 1869...

GOOD: A lock of Elvis Presley's hair auctioned for $18,600 at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago this week. It was cut in 1958 when he went into the Army. Presley's hair has been auctioned before. In 2002 a large bottle of his hair sold for $115,120. In 2003 a smaller bottle sold for $33,657...

An "undiscovered" Leonardo da Vinci painting that could be worth over $150 million has been authenticated thanks to modern technology and the talent of a London art dealer...

Q: My neighbor died recently and after her children cleaned out her house, they told us we could have whatever was left. We found these two Stickley chairs covered up with an old tarp at the back of the barn. Are they valuable...

The clear bright green stone that looks much like an emerald (and is a modern favorite at Tiffany's) is called "tsavorite." It was discovered in 1967 by the Scottish geologist Campbell Bridges, who mined for rare gemstones in Kenya...

Fake artifacts aren't all bad. For years, a trip to Mexico or Egypt included a chance for a tourist to buy old pottery pieces that were sold as antiquities. Some were genuine, stolen from graves and other sites. Some were modern copies of the old...

How long do movie or TV stars remain popular after they die? Collectors buy memories of their childhood, and stars like Roy Rogers and his wife, Dale Evans, are probably unknown to those born after 1960...

A dream came true for two people selling things at online auctions this week. A man who regularly travels to Europe often buys antiques and later sells his finds at Aspire Auctions of Cleveland...

Q: Can you tell me anything about Brimtoy or "My Dolly's" dollhouse furniture? My friend has "My Dolly's Combination Kitchen Set No. 277" in its original box. There are many small accessories, including a broom, dustpan, frying pans, etc. Any information would be greatly appreciated...

Q: I have a piece of blue and white pottery with this diamond-shaped mark on the bottom. I found it during an archeological excavation. I haven't been able to identify the maker. Can you help? A: The mark with "W" in a diamond was used by W. & E. Corn c.1900. "Shanghai" is the pattern name...