Always hire a professional estate sale agent with the credentials to appraise personal property.
AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS - Antique Trader, May 2018, p.52
Tag-sale Batman comic book soars to $53,675 LYNBROOK, N.Y. - A copy of Detective Comics #29 (JuIy 1939), bought by the consignor at a tag sale for $20, gaveled for $53,675 at a two-day auction held Feb. 14-15 by Philip Weiss Auctions. The comic book, graded VGi VG-, was an early Batman cover that featured the first appearance of Doctor Death.
Great Discoveries: Ming Dynasty Bowl Found at Yard Sale
Posted by: Daniel Kobialka on 3rd Mar 2021, Worthpoint
Haggling over the prices of yard sale items may be more trouble than it’s worth. For instance, consider the story of Angela McAteer and the blue-and-white floral porcelain bowl she discovered last year. McAteer purchased the bowl for $35 at a New Haven, Connecticut, yard sale. McAteer did not haggle over the price since she had a “very, very good feeling” about the bowl.
McAteer sent photographs of the bowl to auction specialists after her purchase. The specialists told her the bowl had historical significance, a positive sign that the artifact’s value exceeds $35. Upon close inspection, McAteer’s “lotus bowl” originated from the court of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty. The Yongle Emperor ruled from 1403 to 1424, which may be best-known for its unique porcelain techniques.
McAteer’s bowl has been valued at between $300,000 and $500,000. Only six other similar bowls are in existence today. These bowls are located at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, The British Museum, and other museums around the world. Sotheby’s will auction McAteer’s bowl on March 17 as part of its “Asia Week” series.*
* Update: The Ming bowl sold for $720,000 at Sotheby's auction.
