Celebrities Promoting Antiques/Collectibles?

Do you know of any celebs that influence the markets for any antiques or collectibles?

I remember that Martha Stewart's collection of McCoy, FireKing Jadeite, and other kitchenware's was widely publicized and likely helped prices back when she was more of a household name.

Any other examples--Your Thoughts?

 

Whoopi Goldberg used to promote her collection of Black Americana. She has a huge collection.

I sold 2 items to her many years ago. Not Black Americana other vintage stuff.

 

Is she the one with the Shaker collection? Joan Rivers collected Faberge jade boxes. Vincent Price owned an art gallery that specialized in Impressionists, which Edward G Robinson collected. Tim Burton collects Margaret Keane big-eyes paintings.

 

I think she just collects most anything vintage Black Americana.
I sold her a vintage lustro ware plastic napkin holder... and the other item I forget.

BTW speaking of Vincent Price, his cookbook seems to sell for good money if you can find one.

 

Elton John collected for a while.

 

so did his pal Versace.........a lot !!!

 

Don't know if you'd really call it collecting, but Stephen Stills supposedly owns so many pre-war Martin D-45 guitars that there has been a significant impact on their pricing and availability. But a lot of guitarists just love guitars - Leo Kottke for example has hundreds of all sorts. I'm way behind, barely have a dozen....or two.

 

I have quite a collection too

 

I sold Takahashi birds, if you're a jewelry collector you'll know the name, back to the Takahashi family.

 

Feel sure that many celebrities are collectors, but that doesn't make them influencers. Tom Hanks is obsessed with typewriters, but doubt many people would buy one just because of his interest, same with Jay Leno and his cars - though it might pique interest, suspect you'd have to be a pretty hard-core fan to collect something just because your favorite celebrity does. Would guess that something like Big Bang Theory would create more desire for comic book and sci-fi collectibles than the personal collections of any of the actors in the show - though fans are certainly likely to be influenced by celebrity trends in clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, diet, etc.

Martha Stewart, as a 'lifestyle' celebrity, is definitely an influencer, as well as a marketer, offering her own lines based on some of her collections - I'm no fan, but can remember being grateful for her bringing back Wedgwood drabware around twenty years ago, it brought me a great eBay result on some fairly unremarkable antique Wedgwood drabware. Believe she is still a household name and still has a strong fan-base, do know she continues to sell her new 'Jadeite', and they bring decent prices on the secondary market (and they also show up incorrectly IDed as old pieces).

By the way, Pearls - Whoopi used to visit antique shops when she'd come here to Orlando, everyone I know who met her, said she was very nice, usually bought something, if not many things, and didn't haggle at all. Believe it is likely that her collection, as well as those of other black celebrities, has helped legitimize the more offensive black memorabilia as collectable...

~Cheryl

 

Cheryl, Martha has a new show called Martha Knows Best. I caught it and thought it was poorly done. It is based on her helping viewers digitally. She also has a show with Snoop Dog which I don't care for. I liked her older shows, quiet and educational and how to do things in the kitchen. I didn't care for her personality much.

I was never a huge fan of hers, but I do give her credit for being precise with how to cook things and bake things. All the info she gives is spot on.

Yes, she knocked off so much of the older jadite and unfortunately many sellers are reselling it as the old stuff. But even if they say it is new buyers still like em.

They especially liked her huge cookie cutters which she no longer makes. Those seem to sell for decent money.

 

I've certainly used some of her craft and decorating ideas, as well as recipes (had a subsription to her magazine for a couple of years, free with another mag), and even some of her craft supplies, but she just rubs me the wrong way, so I have a hard time watching her...

~Cheryl

 

Great comment! I agree with your thoughts on most celeb collectors are not influencing many new collectors to actively pick up collecting. Martha is the most successful that I can think of although I bet Jay Leno's Garage has created some new collectors through his charisma and enthusiasm.

As social media proliferates society, hopefully some innovative promoters will find ways to breathe life into various fields of antiques and collectables. Instagram and YouTube are especially well positioned to do that.

Max Mehl, while not a celebrity, was highly influential in early coin collecting and was a not unlike P.T. Barnum in his tactics.

https://coinweek.com/education/b-max-mehl-a-texas-master-of-coins/

 

Cookie jars doubled or more in price after Andy Warhol's estate auction.

 

none better than the TV shows.........sending us out to search the countryside , flea market to barn, looking for that hidden treasure !

 

A bit OT, but I have a lovely story about Whoopi, truly shows how big her heart is.
One of the musicians in a band I was once in had been blind since birth; he was a great fan of Whoopi, and sent her a letter.
She responded, not with a signed photo, which of course wouldn't mean much to him, but with a drawing of herself, made with that puffy kind of marker, and with yarn for hair, and signed with that same puffy marker, so he could touch and feel it.
He was overjoyed, to say the least.
I'm not sure that many celebrities would respond in such a personal way; taking the time to do a great kindness with no thought of any reward. But I know that my friend treasures her drawing, and will never forget that act of kindness.

 

I've always liked Whoopi...... read her book...BOOK !! ..it's a hoot..

 

The American Picker duo have undoubtedly had a huge impact on what is hot in collecting. They were ahead of their time on rusty gold.

 

Whoopi has always been absolutely lovely to Star Trek fandom, too.