Expensive antiques. Items from the USSR era that antique dealers have been hunting for for many years now
Some consider antique objects to be nothing more than just dishes and furniture. For others, rare things are priceless. But at an auction, everything has a price. This review contains the most expensive antiques that went under the hammer.
1. Saber of Napoleon Bonaparte ($6,500,000)
Recovering for the next battle, Napoleon Bonaparte used to take with him a pistol and a saber, made for him in a single copy. A unique gold-inlaid saber was worn by Napoleon in 1800 during the Battle of Marengo, when the French army drove the Austrians out of Italy.
The saber was passed down in the Bonaparte family from generation to generation until it was recognized as a national treasure of France in 1978. In 2007, Napoleon's saber was sold at auction for $6.5 million.
2. Louis XV Silver Tureen ($10,287,500)
This stunning tureen was made by silversmith Thomas Germain in 1733 for Louis XV. Sotheby's described it as "an object steeped in history that escaped being melted down for the French Revolution." This piece of silverware sold in 1996 for $10,287,500, tripling its original asking price.
3. Tiara with emeralds and diamonds ($12,100,000)
Set with 11 rare Colombian emeralds and yellow-green diamonds, the luxurious tiara of German Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck totals more than 500 carats. According to legend, these precious stones were once part of a necklace worn by an Indian maharaja. The emeralds went through several owners until they were bought by Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck. The tiara was sold at Sotheby's in May 2011 for $12.1 million.
4. Ming Dynasty Golden Tripod ($14,800,000)
In 2008, a golden tripod from the Chinese Ming Dynasty was sold for $14.8 million. It is one of eight such antique items that have survived to this day. This tripod was used at the court of Emperor Xuande, who reigned from 1399 to 1435.
5. War Horn (Oliphant) ($16,100,000)
This war horn (Oliphant) is made from elephant tusk. It is carved with intricate designs with hunting motifs. The most famous Oliphant appears in the Song of Roland, created in the 11th century. Today, only six such war horns remain. One of them was sold at auction in Scandinavia for $16.1 million.
6. Codex Leicester by Leonardo da Vinci ($30,800,000)
Thomas Cox, Earl of Leicester, bought this ancient scientific document in 1719. The manuscript consists of 18 sheets of paper, which are folded in half and written on both sides, forming 72 pages. The notebook contains notes by Leonardo da Vinci, written in his secret technique of mirror writing. The manuscript contains the scientist’s thoughts on the nature of fossils, the properties of water, and the surface of the Moon.
The Code was sold in 1994 to Bill Gates, who then digitized each page and made it publicly available on the Internet. The Leicester Codex itself is regularly exhibited in various museums around the world.
7. Badminton Office Bureau ($36,000,000)
The Badminton Cabinet Office has twice set records for the highest price at auction. In 1990, its price was $16.6 million, and in 2004 the bureau was purchased by the Prince of Liechtenstein for $36 million.
The cabinet bureau was made by order of the 3rd Duke of Beaufort in Florence in 1726. The 3.6-meter cabinet made of ebony and gilded bronze took the craftsmen 6 years to complete.
8. Qing Dynasty Vase ($83,000,000)
A Qing Dynasty Chinese vase is believed to be the most expensive antique item sold at auction. A 40-centimeter porcelain vase was accidentally discovered in a London house. At first, the vessel was valued at 1,000 pounds sterling, but when experts confirmed its authenticity, the value of the antique “jumped” to 1 million.
The Chinese vase dates from the mid-18th century. It is distinguished from other similar items by its complex pattern. In 2010, it was bought for $83 million.
Anything goes at auction. These contents may shock some people.
Today, antiques are of interest not only for museums and art exhibitions. If for you antiques are not just interior and household items, if you understand how important it is to preserve these values for our descendants, you will certainly want to purchase antiques as an original gift, testifying to your special relationship with a person, or to decorate your own home . Antique interior items are traditions in material form, which is why they are usually passed down from generation to generation as a great value. Each antique item expresses originality, phenomenal culture and real history. Such items are considered true works of art. They are able to create a special atmosphere in your home and emphasize the chosen design style.
Vintage antiques
In the catalog of the online auction "ARTLOT24" you will find a large selection of antique products and objects of contemporary art that have high artistic and cultural value. The pages of our website present starting prices for antiques in the following categories:
- collection of paintings and graphics by Russian artists;
- rare furniture;
- icons;
- lamps;
- antique decorative items: candlesticks, candelabra, figurines;
- dishes;
- watch;
- mirrors;
- vintage and modern designer jewelry and other antique items.
All lots presented in our antiques catalog undergo careful expert selection, so you can rest assured of their authenticity. Each lot has a photo and a detailed description that will help you get acquainted with the products you are interested in in detail and make your choice. Please note that the catalog shows starting prices for antique items. You can participate in the auction and purchase any lot you like, then pick it up at the exhibition hall in St. Petersburg or order delivery to Moscow or any region of Russia.
It is believed that the rarest mineral of organic origin is the little-known painite: this orange stone was first discovered in Burma in the mid-50s. Since then, only two painites have existed in the world. However, a couple of years ago its deposit was discovered, and now humanity has about a hundred polished rarities at its disposal. The most famous rare stone is the famous red diamond.
In 2006, at Sotheby's New York auction, a Chinese porcelain vase from the mid-14th century was auctioned for $4.72 million. The last time it appeared at a public auction was in 1993: then it was bought for $1.2 million. Relatively The small (34 centimeters) vase is an example of the classical Yuan style, in which cobalt blue underglaze painting on a white background predominated. It is worth noting that this is the only surviving example of this kind. 
One of the rarest comic books in existence is the first edition of the famous Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man #1. Its rarity lies not only in its serial number, but also in the fact that for a book published in 1963, it is amazingly well preserved. The approximate value of the rarity for collectors is about 40 thousand dollars with an original retail price of 12 cents. 
The Guinness Book of Records claims that the rarest and most expensive jeans are the famous 501st model of Levi Strauss & Co. For vintage jeans, sewn 115 years ago, a Japanese collector paid the owner of the lot $60,000 on the online auction eBay. A huge amount, considering that new jeans of the same model cost only 46. 
According to information from Wikipedia, the rarest and most expensive postage stamp in the world is the "Yellow Treskilling" from Sweden. Its approximate cost is 2.3 million US dollars. Why is it so rare? In 1858, Sweden issued a series of blue postage stamps worth 3 skills (hence the name Treskiling) and yellow ones worth 8 skills. The printing house mixed up the colors, and because of this mistake, several copies of yellow stamps worth 3 skills were produced. 
There are a huge number of rare books in the world, but perhaps the rarest is the famous Gutenberg Bible: the first printed book appeared in 1456. There are several hundred copies of that very Bible, but the very first copy in two volumes - if found - will cost an antiquarian book collector about 20-25 million dollars. What can we talk about if one page of this book goes under the hammer for 25 thousand dollars, and for one of the two-volume volumes sold last year - not the first edition - someone forked out 5.5 million! 
One of the rarest and most exotic dishes on the planet is the famous Chinese swallow's nest soup. Over the 400 years since the dish was invented, its price has risen significantly: broth from the nest of swiftlets can cost gourmets up to 10 thousand dollars. 
The rarest and most expensive sea salt in the world is produced in Japan and is called “Amabito No Moshio” - “ancient salt of the seas”. Due to the difficulty of extraction and the delicate method of evaporation and centrifugation, the cost of 1 pound of salt reaches $40. 
Baseball cards are popular collectibles in the United States, Canada and Japan. The T206 Honus Wagner card, issued in 1906 by the American Tobacco Company, is considered the rarest baseball card in the world. It was printed in only 70 copies, and then its publication was discontinued at the request of Onus Wagner himself, who was against smoking and did not want the American Tobacco Company to use his name. In 2007, the card sold for a record $2.8 million. 
One of the rarest (of those sold at auctions) bottles of wine was purchased by Christopher Forbes - “only” 160 thousand dollars. An unmarked green bottle labeled "1787 Lafitte Th. J." supposedly belonged to Thomas Jefferson. 
The rarest breed of domestic cat is the Asherah. She was bred from the African serval, the Asian leopard cat and the common domestic cat. The weight of a cat can reach 14 kg, and you can buy a kitten for “only” 22 thousand dollars. 
Scientists claim that the horses of the rare Sarraya breed are direct descendants of the wild horses of Southern Iberia. There are only 200 of these horses left in the world. But in terms of characteristics and qualities, the Austrian Lipizzaner breed, bred for military purposes, is considered the rarest breed. The price for one such horse reaches 100 thousand dollars. 
Having decided to start collecting jewelry rarities, be patient and have money: a measly five million dollars will not help. The most expensive piece of jewelry in the world is a necklace with a rare blue diamond weighing 14 carats. The pear-shaped stone is framed with white diamonds and encased in a white gold necklace. The total cost of the product is $16 million. 
In 1999, the same copy of John Lennon and Yoko's album "Double Fantasy" was sold at auction, on which the singer signed an autograph for his future killer Mark Chapman 5 hours before his own death. The record was found in a decorative flower pot near the crime scene. Chapman's fingerprints are on the envelope: at one time, the album served as one of the evidence in the prosecution against the killer. Rarity price: 460,000 US dollars. 
On July 30, 2002, at Sotheby's auction, a rare gold coin from the 1930s was sold for $7.9 million. The unique $20 coin is called the “double eagle.” In the 1930s, the abandonment of the gold standard led to coins made from this precious metal were withdrawn from circulation, and almost all of the “double eagles” were sent for melting. Ten coins issued in the spring of 1933 were stolen from the Treasury Department’s vault. American intelligence services managed to find and return all but one - this “Double”. eagle" was found almost half a century later - the British collector Stephen Fenton purchased the coin in London and came with it to New York, where he was arrested by US federal agents. After five years of legal proceedings, the American government reached an agreement with him: the coin is the property of the United States, but. it can be sold. 
The oldest and rarest property put up for sale is a castle in Transylvania, famous for the fact that Count Dracula, the real-life prototype of the famous literary character, allegedly lived there. The market value of the castle is approaching $135 million. 
Despite the extensive literary heritage he left to his descendants, there is not much manuscript evidence of his activities left. There are only 6 “autographs” of the great Shakespeare in the world. The most expensive of them - the writer's signature - is estimated at $3 million. 
I was clearing out the rubble in the apartment and found antique spoons. Not some tiny ones for tea, but straight scoops: heavy, good quality, long - 30 centimeters each. With monograms. Maybe the 18th or even the 14th century. Looks like cupronickel. “Spoons - an antique store - a new car,” instantly flashed through my head. “We just need to wash them.”
I typed “big old spoons” on the Internet. Utensils similar to my treasures were exhibited for only 1.5 thousand rubles, but I did not find them with exactly the same monograms. “Let the professionals evaluate it,” I decided. “And at the same time, maybe they’ll buy it right away.” And I went to the antique shops.
TIME IS NOT WORTH ANYTHING
Oily grandfathers in pince-nez or seasoned men in expensive suits remained in vulgar movies. In antique shops on Arbat I was greeted by hipster-looking young guys. Here is Alexey - you can never tell from his red beard and ripped jeans that he is an experienced art critic.
No one needs cutlery, even silver. Especially if it is not a set, but separate things. And your spoons are not even silver, they will never be bought. - He appreciated my spoons without even looking up from playing tanks on the computer.
Ilya from another shop confirmed the diagnosis:
It's not silver... So what if it's ancient? They don't give you money for your time!
Antique dealers work quickly and uncomplicatedly. Either they immediately determine the cost of the item or take a photograph of the item and send it to a specialist. And he says whether to take the thing and at what price.
PENSIONERS ARE THE MAIN SUPPLIERS
The main resource of antique shops is elderly pensioners. This is understandable: can you really live on a Russian pension?..
One brought a figurine to evaluate - a boy with a dog. This is in memory of my wife. Left with nothing. Antique dealers have a lot of such figurines; why take more?
Then an elderly woman came in. She brought a bag of amber.
When I lived in the Baltics, I bought a lot of this stuff. My granddaughter is getting married, we need help,” she explained.
Lekha, look, do we need such stones? - antiquarian Sergei photographs amber and sends the photo to his partner. Lekha refuses. The woman nervously puts away her supplies and promises to look at something else interesting at home.
I still hope for luck. And, reassuring myself that intermediary antique dealers will still give less than a collector, I decide to find a buyer directly.
Including crazy and aggressive ones.
In order for me to take such spoons, you must first pay me! We'll buy it for just a couple of rubles! - they were excited.
I posted an ad on Avito. The girl immediately called, introduced herself as Svetlana and said that she was ready to give 10 thousand for the spoons.
I want to be sure that the spoons will not go to anyone, so I will make an advance payment. Give me your card number, I’ll transfer the money,” she suggested.
“This is a scam,” I guessed. Fraudsters look for sellers on online platforms and promise them advance payment. First they will ask for your card number. And then, under various pretexts, the code on the back of the card, the password received in SMS, etc. This is enough to pay with your money in the online store.
There was an idea to put spoons up for online auctions like Bag, but to register there you have to take a selfie with a passport, which I didn’t want.
I left the spoons at home. I will use them myself.
OPINION OF ANTIQUES
Treasure under your nose
If you search properly, you will find that many are the owners of treasures.
Modern coins are worth decent money if they were issued in limited editions. For example, one five-ruble note from 1999 of the St. Petersburg Mint is sold for 150 thousand rubles, 5 kopecks of the same year - for 200 thousand rubles,
1 ruble of 2003 costs 30 thousand rubles.
Sergei Koronevsky recalls how one day his grandmother brought a vase to an antique shop and asked for at least a thousand rubles for it. And the vase turned out to be a work of art from early Holland of the early 18th century, which was eventually bought for $15 thousand.
The inexpensive segment of antiques will become more expensive only if the dollar grows very much, and then it’s unlikely,” sighs antique consultant Grigory Pyatov.
And he cites the example of Soviet postage stamps, which were issued in millions of copies. There are so many of them that they will never cost much.
What antique items can be sold for high prices now?
Lifetime editions of classics - Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov. The price of a book can range from $2 - 3 thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chekhov's lifetime editions, but not all. This is because during his lifetime he was produced in large quantities. The first lifetime editions are highly valued, says the antiquarian.
He advises paying attention to books from the 20s of the last century, which were illustrated by famous artists. The thicker the book, the worse it is. More rare copies are found among thin editions.
Look on your bookshelves - maybe there are books by Mayakovsky with illustrations by Lissitzky. They can be sold for 300 thousand rubles. and more expensive.
Pre-revolutionary publications on history and military affairs are valued.
Grigory Pyatov spoke about ephemera - ephemeral things. For example, a ticket to the opening of the Moscow metro can now be sold for several hundred dollars. There will also be a demand for an advertising napkin from a pre-revolutionary confectionery, old candy wrappers.
Many people still have old photo albums; maybe there is something worthwhile there? - I ask the antique dealer.
He says that about 30 years ago such things went with a bang. In the 90s, new Russians wanted to “make a biography for themselves” and bought various old portraits for a lot of money. Nowadays, no one except her descendants needs a pre-war photograph of some Aunt Motya on vacation. Of course, portraits made by Rodchenko, Nappelbaum, Khaldei (famous photographers of the 20s and 30s of the last century) will always be in value.
Porcelain Soviet figurines cost from a couple of hundred rubles to several tens of thousands. Size doesn't matter. In an antique shop I saw a modest figurine of a sailor for 20 thousand rubles, and next to it a large sculpture of two lovers for only 5 thousand.
These were made in Ukraine, they are not valued, antique dealers explain.
Figures from the first edition and products from the LFZ (Lomonosov Porcelain Factory) are prized.
The first series of LFZ figurines are easy to identify. There is a hole at the bottom through which the porcelain is blown. It should be no more than 3 mm in diameter. If it is wider, it means that this is the third or fourth edition,” adds antiques expert Sergei Koronevsky.
1. This 32.01 carat square emerald cut diamond sold at auction for $7.7 million. Billionaire and philanthropist Leonor Annenberg, who died in March, bought it for his 90th birthday. The Christie's auction house did not want to disclose the name of the buyer. The ring was expected to sell at a price of 3 to 5 million dollars.
2. Lucian Freud's painting "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping" was sold at Christie's in London on May 13, 2008 for $33.6 million. The painting became the artist's most expensive work of art during his lifetime.
3. This globe, once owned by Adolf Hitler, was auctioned by Greg Martin in San Francisco for $100,000 in October 2007. An American soldier stole this souvenir from the Fuhrer's house in 1945.
4. A rare stamp of Audrey Hepburn with a cigar went at auction on May 26 in Berlin for $93,800 - more than two minimum prices. There are only five copies of this stamp. Most of them were destroyed after Hepburn's son refused to sell the copyright to the image in 2001.
5. This 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, once owned by actor Steve McQueen, sold for $2.31 million to an anonymous buyer in October 2007.
6. This rare 7.03 carat blue diamond was auctioned in Geneva on May 12, 2009 for a record price of $9.49 million. This lot became the most expensive of the precious stones. The stone was discovered in 2008 in the historic Cullinan Mine in South Africa.
7. A rare stamp with a portrait of Abraham Lincoln sold at auction in New York for $431,250 on June 13. The lot is known as the "Refrigerator Stamp" because the envelope containing the stamp was shipped from Boston in cold storage to India in 1873. The stamp was stolen from its original owner in Indianapolis in 1967 and found in a Chicago home 39 years later.
8. A rare miniature of Peter the Great in a diamond-encrusted frame was sold at auction in New York on November 2 for $1.3 million. George Roberts of Arizona bought it from a London dealer in 1951 and was unaware of its importance until he had it appraised this summer.
9. A New York City surgeon paid $12,713 for a September 1966 issue of Datebook signed by John Lennon. The newspaper has a famous quote from Lennon about the Beatles being more popular than Jesus.
10. A bottle of Lowenbrau beer and a milk jug from the wreck of the Hindenburg airship, which burned in New Jersey in 1937. Andrew Eldridge of the English auction house Henry Aldridge and Son says that about 80% of the drink remains in the bottle. This bottle is considered the most expensive bottle of beer in the world.
11. An unused life jacket from the famous Titanic was auctioned in New York for $68,500 on June 25, 2008. The vest was found on the Halifax coastline after the ship sank off Newfoundland in 1912.
12. Claude Monet's painting "Pond of Water Lilies" was auctioned in London for more than $80 million on June 24, 2008. This 1919 masterpiece is one of four paintings in a series dedicated to water lilies.
13. This golden thicket, kept for years under the bed of a ragpicker's grandson, was sold at auction in the UK for $100,000 on June 5, 2008. This cup is a Persian artifact depicting the two-faced Roman god Janus.
14. The 1961 Ferrari California Spyder, once owned by actor James Coburn, was sold in Italy on May 18, 2008. The car sold for $10,894,900 and became the most expensive vintage car.
15. Claude Monet’s painting “Railway Bridge at Argenteuil” was auctioned at Christie’s in New York for $41 million on May 6, 2008. This price broke the auction record for a painting by the French impressionist. The previous record was set last year for the painting “Nymphaeas” - it was auctioned for $36.5 million.
16. A rich man from Abu Dhabi forked out for a license plate for a car with only one digit “1”. He paid $14 million for it, beating the previous record of $6.8 million for a license plate with the number “5.”
17. This copy of the Magna Carta of 1297 was sold at Sotheby's in New York. It went to auction for $21,321,000 in December 2007.
18. This prototype 10-cent coin was created by the US Mint in 1792. It went from auction along with other rare coins to a private buyer's collection for $30 million in November 2007.
19. This 1804 Adams-Carter silver piece is one of only 15 coins that were never released into circulation. The coin, purchased for 2 million at a private auction two years ago, sold at a Cincinnati auction on April 30 for 2.3 million.
20. This daguerreotype, dating from 1848, shows a lone house on what is now known as the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This one of the oldest photographs in the world was sold at auction for $62,500 to an unknown buyer on March 30 in New York.
