Author Archive

How significant can a metal plate be? If it’s an antique Japanese charger, it can create a pretty big bidding frenzy as we witnessed last month at one of our Saturday auctions. The mixed metal decorative piece measuring 17.5 inches in diameter sold to a bidder who drove all night

Look in your jewelry box – do you see any old Native American jewelry that you inherited or purchased? Or, maybe you have a bolo tie, belt or buckle that your grandfather passed down to you. It could be old pawn, which is in demand right now. The term ‘old

As a history buff, I’m always amazed to see old relics, notable documents, and other items that lived through uncertain times. It’s an honor to represent a consignor who served in our military, and we’re often tasked with selling their uniforms, medals, badges, flags, weapons and other memorabilia. The majority

My four-year-old son loves toy cars, so it was no surprise when he came to our auction house a few weeks ago and made a beeline straight for an impressive collection of vintage pedal cars. I watched to see if he’d lose interest – after all, the classic convertible, red

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or in our case, the bidders during our Saturday auctions. Since we mainly deal with full estates, we see a lot of art come through our auction house. Western, Southwestern, Impressionistic, Abstract Expressionism, Realism, Art Deco…there’s a large variety of original pieces

Mayer Museum Collectibles Find New Home in Auto Museum Recently, we had the honor of auctioning a massive collection from one of Arizona’s historic landmarks, Smitty’s Antiques Museum. The famous museum in the northern-Arizona town of Mayer was forced to close after experiencing recurring flash flooding problems in its parking

Iconic restaurant and popular ASU hangout is getting a facelift from new owners who will unveil The Social Hall this fall GLENDALE, Ariz. (Sept. 12, 2017) – Rare memorabilia from an iconic Tempe restaurant and popular ASU hangout will hit the auction block on Saturday, Sept. 30 as new owners prepare

Vintage Tattoo Flash is Highly Collectible Art We sell a variety of art at our Saturday weekly auctions, and one genre that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves is vintage tattoo flash. These are the original drawings and hand-painted designs that were hung in tattoo parlors and placed in binders

An estimated 30,000+ rare phonographs, reel-to-reels, vintage gas pumps, porcelain signs, toys, jukeboxes, radios, farm implements & more to be sold GLENDALE, Ariz. (August 3, 2017) – A massive collection from one of Arizona’s historic landmarks, Smitty’s Antiques Museum, will be auctioned at EJ’s Auction & Consignment in Glendale starting on

Shiny or Dull, Silver Makes for a Great Collectible When it comes to precious metals, one of the best to collect in terms of long-lasting value is silver. Some people like how it shimmers when polished. Others like to wear it. Still, others know that during hard economic times, silver

Every week, we have something on our floor that draws a lot of attention prior to our Saturday auctions. Last week, it was an impressive collection of early ‘coin-ops,’ or coin-operated toys, games and machines. The floor was filled with early 1900s gum vending machines, 1930s Mills slot machines, porcelain

Collecting Controversy Recently, the article I wrote about three surprising collectibles hit a nerve with some readers. They didn’t like my example of taxidermy. But it wasn’t the first time people were offended by what we sell at auction. Almost weekly, I get asked by potential buyers, ‘How could you