b'By Jim and Bobbi Jeen Olson,WesternTradingPost.comM ost collectors keep a close eyeEdward Bohlins personal on the market so they have aparade spursgood idea of valuesand 2022 has been a wild ride with regard to the market thus far! There have been many record-breaking sales and at the same time, high inflation has made other items less desirable and harder to sellso some values have actually gone down. It seems the better quality stuff is doing better than ever, whileOn August 27th, Heritage Auctions sold the most valuableoldwestevents.comlow-end items are having a harder time finding a good buyer base. A fewbaseball card in history for 12.6 million!* It was a 1952 highlights from the year thus far are listed below. Mickey Mantle rookie card in exceptional condition. This topped the $7.25 million Honus Wagner card sold earlier in the year (which previously held January kicked it off with two record sales! On the 22nd in Mesa, Arizonathe record). And several works by Fritz Scholder (1937-2005)achieved great at the Old West Show and Auction, Edward Bohlins personal paraderesults at Bonhams Modern Native American Art sale in Los Angeles on spurs were sold. Described in part as: These spurs are extremely detailedAugust 31st. The standout work was Dartmouth Portrait #8, 1973, a painting with their leather work, stainless steel, silver, and gold.The spurs earnedfrom the series produced during Scholders tenure as artist-in-residence recognition from the moment of their creation, gaining exhibition at theat the university, which sold for $378,375!* Also in August, an aluminum 1967 Worlds Fair. These amazing spurs sold for a whopping $236,000!*license plate from 1904, believed to be the first-ever plate issued by the City Also in January, at Western Trading Posts Auction, a Lander Blue Turquoiseof Chicago, sold for $34,000 at Donley Auctions. And at an auction hosted squash blossom set sold for the princely sum of $112,000!*The set wasby New Frontier Show and Auction on August 27th in Cheyenne, Wyoming, advertised as consisting of 4 pieces, including a bracelet, ring, earrings, andthe top-selling item was a rare 1912 New Mexico 47-Star American Flag the squash blossom necklace. The items were madeusing what has nowwhich hammered at a staggering price of $20,500!become, the rarest and most highly sought-after turquoise in the worldLander Blue. Both of these sales turned out to be unofficial auction worldAt Christies auction of the Herman Melville Collection of William S. Reese, records in their respective categories! on September14th, illustrations for Moby-Dick by American artist Rockwell Kent (18821971) sold for $201,600!* It seems that Americana art and At anauction on February 26th and 27th, ajersey worn by Mickey Mantlecollectibles achieved record prices throughout the year at numerous auctions!when he played his final game as a New York Yankee on Sept. 28th, 1968, sold for a whopping$2,190,000!* Thats the highest price ever paid at auction for aTrade shows that were either canceled or reported low attendance the last Mickey Mantle jersey, shattering the previous record of $1,320,000!*Also incouple of years (largely due to the pandemic) have reported fairly good February, at a horse sale in Wickenburg, Arizona, a horse sold at auction for aactivity from across the country as people are once again out and about whopping $500,000! The market for good horses seems to just keep going upand looking for things to do. Whether that translates into higher sales or as does the market for high-end sports memorabilia. not is debatable as a big part of the activity reported seems to be dealer-to-dealer sales. However, online sellers seem to still be doing well after In April, at theNew York International Antiquarian Book Fair, ABook ofenjoying a record last couple of years, and brick-and-mortar was reporting a Rhymeswhich was created by a young Charlotte Bront and her siblingscomeback during the first part of the year.in 1829 (whenshe was only 13 years old), sold for 1.25 million.Charlotte Bront (1816 1855) is best known forwriting Jane Eyre and this book saleHeading into the last part of the year, it is a mixed bag of news with some topped all other books sold throughout the year.large companies reporting massive layoffs, some retailers reporting lower 3rd quarter earnings and inflation is running hot (which affects everybody An auction hosted by Miller & Miller on May 14th featured an array of folkin different ways). Traditionally this type of news means that good stuff will art and decorative art from the late 19th century. The auction included aremain strong and lower-end items will continue to take a hit. Simple logic lineup of Canadian art by Maud Lewis and others. An oil painting by Lewistells us that higher prices for utilities, fuel, and food affect the lower wage reached well above the high estimate of CAD 25,000 (USD 19,165) and soldearners more than others and when they have less discretionary income to for CAD 75,000 (USD 57,500). The painting depicted a snowy scene with aspend on extras, the lower middle-end and lower-end collectibles lose their man driving two oxen while hauling logs and the sale proved there is still abuying audience. On the other hand, the upper middle-end and high-end market for good folk art. items usually hold their value or even go up as people with money scramble looking for a place to park cash that is diminishing in value daily. For June was also a good month. At a Western Trading Post auction, a reliccollectors this can mean good news however as buying opportunities will Springfield carbine with documentation and ties to the battle of the Littlelikely arise during turbulent times which seem to be on the horizon. Bighorn sold for $47,600!* And we all know, the saddle market has been particularly tough for several years now, especially on used and antique saddles. However, there were two vintage Ted Flowers parade saddles sold at that same auction which brought $6,720* and $7,840* and a fancy, WadeRelic Springfield carbine Tree saddle, made by the late Don Butler brought in $10,640!*Although awith documentation long way from record-setting prices, it was nice to see used saddles and ties to the battlebringing decent money. of the Little Bighorn*Price listed includes buyers premium.46 November 2022'