Follow the exciting action and bid live on Auction Network.

This phenomenal sale includes items that represent more than 70 years of music history from the jazz-age greats to rock-’n’-roll legends. An extensive amount of Rolling Stones and Beatles memorabilia tops the list along with guitars played onstage by David Bowie and Eric Clapton. There are also recording contracts signed by Frank Sinatra and Elton John, and Bob Dylan memorabilia.

Lot 3 hits the auction running with signatures from two highly marketable icons. Madonna and Andy Warhol autographed the 1985 issue of “Interview” magazine in which she was interviewed by actor Harry Dean Stanton. It was big year for the Material Girl. She married Sean Penn and made her acting debut in “Desperately Seeking Susan.” Madonna told Stanton, “I’ve had enough blasphemous photographs. Everyone knows I am a bad girl.” “Interview,” founded in 1969 by Warhol, was dedicated to the cult of personality with celebrities interviewing celebrities. The estimate is a low starter of $800-$1,200.

"Interview" magazine

Lot 4, a Police-signed Fender Stratocaster. This guitar has the signatures of members of the band, Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. In 2003, Police was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2007, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of the song, “Roxanne,” which got them their contract with A&M Records. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000.

Fender Stratocaster

Police signatures

Lot 102, an Elvis Presley handwritten speech. With an estimate of $2,000 to $4,000, this rare handwritten document on personalized stationary reads, “And these gentlemen here, these type people, who care. They’re dedicated, you realize they might be building the Kingdom of heaven right here, it’s not hard to believe that.” The letter measures 5 inches by 5 inches” and is in excellent condition.

Lot 101, Guns N’ Roses original cover art. Drawn by Billy White Jr. in 1987, this original pencil-on-paper drawing was used as the album cover image for Guns N’ Roses’ “Appetite For Destruction.” It was the band’s first release and catapulted them into stardom. The album has gone platinum 18 times. Estimate: $2,000-$4,000.

Album cover from pencil drawing

Neil Diamond, voted this Grammys’ person of the year, has donated his 1956 vintage Ford Thunderbird convertible. Lot 87A is a fully loaded gem, which was Ford’s answer to Chevrolet’s Corvette. Included with this mint-condition vehicle is the original license plate, which reads “Eice.” Diamond had considered using Eice Charry as his stage name. This classic car has the not-surprising estimate of $50,000 to $60,000. This one’s going to go through the roof.

– By Christopher Kent, a member of the WorthPoint board of advisers and director of evaluations for WorthPoint. He is also an antiques and collectibles generalist, fine-arts broker and president of CTK Design.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Collecting has gone global, thanks to the Internet. As a result, antiques and collectibles divide into two groups: (1) those that have a global market and (2) those with only a national or regional market. Beatles memorabilia and Royal Doulton are two examples of collecting categories that have a global market. Ceramic categories such as Hall, Hull, Roseville, Weller, etc., illustrate categories whose marketplace is limited to their country of origin.

America is the mother lode for antiques and collectibles. After World War I, during the Depression and in the two decades following World War II, American collectors and dealers raided the antiques and collectibles treasures of Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and other parts of the world.

Foreign items returning home

As the economic power of these countries increases, especially through the creation of a viable upper-middle and lower-upper class, private individuals and others are coming to American to buy back their historical heritage. Large quantities of Asian and European objects sold at auction are going back over the east or west horizon.

After World War II, the world was influenced by American movies, music and television. Licensed product associated with these three categories is collected worldwide. While some foreign licensed rights were issued, foreign collectors want the products sold in America, most of which did not appear abroad. A French Coca-Cola collector has far more American than French objects in his collection.

The trend toward investing in antiques and collectibles is increasing, thanks to the current world economic situation. Investors are moving from intangibles, such as bonds and stocks, to tangibles, such as gold and antiques and collectibles. Whereas Japanese investors played a significant role in the 1990s and early-21st-century market, today’s investors are likely to be from Arabic countries or Russia. These investors want the best of the best. They buy it wherever they find it, at home or abroad.

Online auctions broaden collectibles and antiques markets

Thanks to eBayliveauctions, no longer in business, worldwide collectors, dealers and investors want ready access to the American auction marketplace. Several firms, e.g., Artfact and Proxibid.com, have created platforms to replace eBayliveauctions. The viewing audience for these sites is smaller than for eBayliveauctions. The number will grow. Some sites will fall by the wayside; others merge. What will not change is the appetite of foreign buyers to play an active role in the American auction scene.

Some things sell better in one market than another, the result of personal preference and other considerations. When I visited antiques shops in Germany, I was astonished at the prices asked for pearl-handled fruit-knife sets, double to triple what they bring in the United States. Check out the clock and music box prices in Amsterdam’s antiques row, three to 10 times those for the same pieces in the United States market. Likewise, German collectors have little to no interest in late-19th/early-20th-century inkwells. Buy them in Germany, and sell them in the United States at triple what you paid.

Americans are jingoistic and isolationist when it comes to the antiques and collectibles marketplace. It is time to remove the blinders. The market is global. The next step is to determine the where, when and how.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out his Web site.

You can listen and participate in “WHATCHA GOT?,” Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. If you cannot find it on a station in your area, WHATCHA GOT?” streams live and is archived on the Internet.

“SELL, KEEP OR TOSS? HOW TO DOWNSIZE A HOME, SETTLE AN ESTATE, AND APPRAISE PERSONAL PROPERTY” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web site.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected letters will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5093 Vera Cruz Road, Emmaus, PA 18049. You also can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker@aol.com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.

Meet Harry Rinker in person at the 8th Annual Northeastern Pennsylvania Home & Garden Show, Jan. 23-25, in Wilkes-Barre. He will also be appearing at the 8th Annual Southeast Pennsylvania Home & Garden Show, March 13-15, in Reading.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

The original “Monster Mash” single spent two weeks at the top of the charts in October 1962, providing a whimsical respite to America’s anxiety over the Cuban Missile Crisis. Reissued twice, the single reached Number 91 in 1970 and Number 10 in 1972. All are desirable collectibles, but the original 45, with its ghoulish sleeve, is the most sought after and can be found for less than $20 online.

The top 20 “Monster Mash” album, also from 1962, is the holy grail of dual Halloween/vinyl collectibles. The mono and stereo versions currently book at $150 and $250, respectively, in the Goldmine catalog of American records, although high-grade copies can usually be found online for considerably less. The rare LP contains the title cut and fifteen other tracks, all in the same party-hearty vein

“Monster Mash” was the brainchild of Bobby Pickett and Lenny Capizzi, fellow members of the Cordials, a singing group that gigged around Los Angeles in the early 1960s. A horror-movie aficionado and aspiring actor, Pickett had long since perfected his spot-on impression of actor Boris Karloff’s distinctive, debonair-but-spooky baritone and used it to show-stopping effect in the monologue portion of the Cordials’ performance of “Little Darlin’.”

Determined to fully exploit Pickett’s talent, the friends spent just two hours concocting the story of an impromptu monster party in a mad scientist’s castle and setting it to a simple, four-chord melody. Their demo caught the fancy of producer/arranger Gary Paxton, who recruited an all-star band (including the Ventures’ Mel Taylor on drums and legend-to-be Leon Russell on piano) to back up Pickett’s Karloffian homage. Legend has it the Crypt-Kickers, as the band was dubbed, recorded the song in one take.

Four major labels slammed the door in Paxton’s face. Undaunted, he pressed a thousand copies of “Monster Mash” (the title capitalized on the then-current Mashed Potato dance craze) on his own label, Garpax, and hand delivered them to deejays along the California coast. The song’s witty lyrics, boss sound effects and surf-rock vibe caught on in a flash, propelling the song to number one in eight weeks (with a little help from a contract with London Records) and making Bobby “Boris” Pickett a household name.

Song’s fans range from Boris Karloff to Bob Dylan

Over the years, artists as diverse as TV horror-flick host Zacherley, the Beach Boys and Mannheim Steamroller have covered “Monster Mash,” but Pickett’s version remains the Halloween mainstay. Boris Karloff paid Pickett the ultimate tribute when he performed the song on the Halloween eve segment of TV’s “Shindig” in 1965. Other famous fans include novelty-song maven Dr. Demento and Bob Dylan, who has played it on his XM Satellite Radio show. The song’s appeal was apparently lost on Elvis Presley, however, who reportedly dissed it as “stupid.”

“Monster’s Holiday,” a Christmas sequel to “Monster Mash” that reached #30 in 1962, was Pickett’s only other major chart appearance. Pickett toured tirelessly in oldies shows, introducing performances with the quip, “I’d like to perform a medley of my hit.” He died from leukemia in 2007 at the age of 69.

Resurrected every Halloween, this monster boogie classic stands alone among offbeat vinyl collectibles.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

Early Car Makers Desired Hit Song to Boost Sales

By Dave Bausch

In the field of Automobilia, the one subject most collected is advertising. Advertising took many forms: posters, prints, toys, magazine ads, postcards just to name a few. But the one that most of the automobile makers yearned for was to have their specific model of car depicted on sheet music.

If the tune was catchy, and the words embellished the car and the effect the owner/driver had on the young ladies, it would be a sure winner for the automobile manufacturer. Many examples of early songs can still be found at antique paper shows and even at garage sales, and still at an affordable price. The rarer the featured automobile, the more pricey the sheet music.

The most common sheet music would be “In My Merry Oldsmobile,” a tune which was used over and over again for many years. A more scarce piece of music would be “In My Mercer Racing Car,” or “Packard and the Ford,” from 1913 and 1915, respectively.

Condition, like for most collectables, is important. If the featured car in the music is rare enough, though, condition may be less important. But surely the price will certainly be higher for those in better condition.

Graphics on the cover of the sheet music will also contribute greatly to the value. There were more then 100 different song sheets picturing early automobiles. The range for automobile sheet music is anywhere from $5 to $125. You just might be lucky and find a rare copy at a good price. That, after all, is the fun of collecting.

Paris and antiques—can it get any better?

Ah, to be in Paris in September. Ah, to be in Paris any time of the year. For antiques collectors, September has the added appeal of the Biennale des Antiquaires running through September 21 in the Grand Palais.

The New York Times reports that there are 94 exhibitors with an incredible selection of classical furniture. But not necessarily for those of the faint of heart and paltry funds. One dealer has an André-Charles Boulle writing desk from the 1690s. Price? You can have it for $9.1 million.

Other notable antiques up for sale are a Louis XV Rococo commode, what the Times deems as a “fantastic” 17th-century Melchior Baumgartner cabinet, a bronze Chinese water buffalo from the fifth to third century B.C., and much, much more.

Oh, to be in Paris—with a sizable bank account.

Strumming collectibles

On a more affordable note is the upcoming auction of Martin guitars.

The Morning Call of the Lehigh Valley, Pa., writes that Christie’s, New York, will be selling 49 Martin-made guitars as the company is celebrating its 175th anniversary.

There are those, such as Scott Pavloty, who swear by the quality of this manufacturer. “Martins are just really big and booming sounding,” he says. “They’re great for strumming.

Among the instruments being sold at the October 10 auction are Eric Clapton, Woody Guthrie and Graham Nash signature guitars, prototypes and experimental editions.

Proceeds will go to the Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation.

Look, up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a Superman auction.

Brad Meltzer is a writer of novels and comic books who loves, really loves Superman. So much so that two weeks ago, he started an online auction to raise money earmarked to save the home where Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman, grew up.

The Cleveland house was, to put it mildly, a wreck. “The house where Google was founded is preserved,” Meltzer wrote on his Web site. “The garage where Hewlett Packard was founded is protected. But the house where Superman was born? I was in shock.”

He set about coming up with $50,000 to repair the roof and exterior. TV station WKYC in Cleveland and Akron reports that to date $53,455 has been raised. And the online auction goes to 11:59 p.m. September 30.

There are a lot of incredible collectibles left. How about the original cover artwork for “Final Crisis: Superman beyond 3-D” Number 2? Or an original Bizarro painting by Felipe Massafera? An original Superman color illustration by Matt Wagner, creator of “Grendel” and “Mage”?

The complete auction list of these collectibles can be found at Ordinary People Change the World.

Some bloomin’ collectibles

An English woman packed away stockings she inherited from her mother. Now 82, Mary Youings decided to put them up for auction with a listing of £150 to £200. (That’s approximately $265 to $350.)

Imagine the former teacher’s surprise and delight when the gavel came down at $14,000. Oh, did we fail to mention her mother wasn’t the first owner of the stockings? That would have been Queen Victoria. The BBC reports that the “auction house believes the quality of the hand stitching, the black and white two-tone silk finish and the fact they include the Royal Crest is evidence that they were worn by the queen in the 1870s.”

Fifty-inch bloomers once worn by the queen brought in $8,000 at the same auction near Derby, England.

Fired-up collectibles

At least Queen Victoria’s collectibles were in good shape.

Rock ’n’ roll legend Jimi Hendrix had a penchant for, well, getting fired up during performances. Hendrix was filmed burning his guitar at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. In the same year, he torched his Fender Stratocaster guitar while performing in England.

Somehow the damaged instrument ended up the garage of the parents of Hendrix’s publicist, Tony Garland. More than 40 years later, Garland came across the guitar and didn’t some hmmming, wondering if it was worth anything.

Try $497,5000 of worth something, according to the Associated Press. Other items sold at the same London auction were the Beatles’ first contract with manager Brian Epstein ($426,000), Elvis Presley’s application to carry a concealed weapon in California and as an added bonus, a set of his fingerprints ($81,740), a bathrobe worn by John Lennon in the 1960s ($7,000) and a silk scarf Margaret Thatcher sported in 1979 ($700).

Collectibles auction tinged with sadness

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was killed in a home invasion last year in Miami. Last weekend, contents of his Washington-area estate were put up for auction with proceeds going into a trust fund for his infant daughter who was reportedly left out of the will.

One attendee told the The Washington Post that he was “tore up” by Taylor’s death and was “getting goose bumps talking about it now.”

There was wide array of items from a couple of bars of Irish Spring soap to a 9-mm German handgun. Interspersed among the fishing poles and Fabreze were only a few true collectibles, a rack of custom Cowboys/Redskins billiard balls for one, a signed Redskins football for another.

Joyce Brooks of Brooks auctions reported that $7,375.50 was raised for the fund. The Brooks commission, she said, is between 30 and 50 percent.

On a relatively mild November day, I stopped by Zero Street Records in Omaha, NE to shop for LPs and visit with Mike Garber, the shop owner and WorthPoint Worthologist (check out his profile by clicking the Worthologists link at the top of the page). As I shop for records, Mike and I swap stories about recent finds, the internet, and what we’d been listening to lately.

This is Mike’s second shop and it’s one of my favorite places to frequent for great deals on records. Today, there is reggae playing on the stereo as I thumb through the new arrival bin. Grading records can be subjective, so it’s a bonus to be able to look at a record in person before you buy it. Mike uses a universal grading scale published in Goldmine magazine, but he also grades very conservatively. When he sells online, buyers are always pleased with their purchase.

I’ve bought many records from Mike and wish I had more time to play them. As I walk around the store, I look on the wall and see a Nick Drake record that I haven’t played in a long time and make a note to play my copy when I get home.

Last night, I met up with Mike Garber, WorthPoint’s vinyl record Worthologist and owner of Zero Street Records in Omaha, NE to see how things were going in the record collecting world. Mike just returned from a buying trip in Colorado and said that he had a good time finding records for the store and for trade.

I asked Mike to pick a few records from his inventory to talk about and he selected three obscure records from Nebraska that are in demand because of their scarcity and sound.

The first record is a 45 released in 1960 for the rockabilly / instrumental group The Shades. The tracks are “Tidal Wave” and “Shady”. This record was never issued with a picture sleeve, but Mike’s copy retains the original dust sleeve with the label (Eyeball Record Company) and address ink stamped on it. Mike said, “What might at first look like a surf record in actuality is a real nice and obscure instro from the rockabilly era”. I naively asked Mike if there were other notable rockabilly bands from Nebraska and he listed artists including Sparkle More, Lou and Red Berry, Carl Cherry, Dennis Volk, and Bobby Lowell. I googled Bobby Lowell and read that he is considered to be Nebraska’s first Rock n’ Roll recording artist.

The next record Mike showed me was a self-titled LP for a band called Heaven. It was released on W/W records in 1969. Mike described Heaven as a horn-rock band influenced by the psychedelic era. The term “horn-rock” made me grimace with thoughts of the band Chicago, but Mike reassured me that this record was nothing like them. He said, “While most horn-rock records are not desirable to psych collectors, the true underground and progressive nature of this record has made it sought after on that scene”. Only 500 copies were pressed, which gets a collector’s blood pumping.

The third record Mike wanted to show me was what he claims to be his “All-time favorite Nebraska record.” It is the 1978 LP release for the band Crap Detectors entitled, “Victims of the Media”. Crap Detectors are special to Mike because they represent the true DIY (do it yourself) artistic creativity from the time period when punk was new. This era quickly faded and Victims of the Media is a time capsule melding early rockabilly with early punk and even electronic. Only 300 were pressed with hand glued, mimeographed covers. The record was reissued in 1999 (along with their first 7”) on the label Brain Transplant. Crap Detectors were also featured on the famous Killed By Death compilations of obscure punk and hardcore bands, making early Crap Detectors releases very sought after by collectors.

Recently, I purchased a collection of vintage jukebox EPs dating from the mid 60’s to early 70’s. These EPs differ from regular 45s, in that they had small spindle holes and played at 33 1/3 rpm. They would contain four to six tracks from any given artist’s album and were not sold to the general public. Instead, they were only available to jukebox distributors for machines that could play this speed.

While they should not to be confused with commercially released EPs that were mildly popular in the late 50’s/early 60’s, their basic construction is the same. One of the most notable differences is the way they were packaged. Jukebox EPs were issued in one of three distinct jackets. Earlier EPs were either thick cardstock “LP style” or tri-fold paper sleeves. Both would reproduce the original albums cover artwork on the front in full color. The cardstock sleeves would have totally blank back covers (a sure sign of a jukebox EP), while the tri-fold sleeves would open into two sheets of title strips. In the late 60s, less colorful paper envelope style sleeves (black print on colored paper) were introduced. Some of these have different (or altered) artwork than the LPs they were sourced from.

It should come as no surprise that the Beatles have some of the most sought after jukebox EPs. Any issued for their Capitol albums are in high demand (cover, vinyl, title strips/inserts all factor in to the total value). All of the Beatles EPs would have had the thicker “LP style” jackets with blank back covers. Some other sought after artists include the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and even Dean Martin.