It’s time to take a look back at some interesting developments in collectibles this year. Toys, vinyl, “Madam President,” and da Vinci all made it into this 2017 end-of-year Collectors Corner roundup edition.
Yup, it’s that time of the year again, so without further ado, here are a few items from 2017 that merit a little limelight all their own:
National Toy Hall of Fame 2017 Inductees
Each year, The Strong National Museum of Play inducts two or three toys into their National Toy Hall of Fame. The process begins with nominations from the general public, from which 12 finalists are selected by an internal committee. The final selection – based on criteria such as longevity, icon-status, and innovation – is then made on the advice of a national group of historians, educators, and other noted individuals.
On November 9, it was announced that the paper airplane, Wiffle Ball, and the board game Clue were this year’s honorees.
2017 National Toy Hall of Fame Inductees Announced (The Strong) – Official announcement explains the choices.
Nominate a Toy (National Toy Hall of Fame) – Have a favorite game or toy you think worthy of induction next November 2018? Do it here!
2017 Video Game Hall of Fame inductees (YouTube) – The Strong also houses the World Video Game Hall of Fame to which the general public can also submit nominations.
Vinyl
Anyone looking for presents this holiday season has probably noticed the wide selection of record players available for purchase. From online retailers to department stores to drug stores, it appears that merchants have awakened to the increasing popularity of analog music, i.e. LPs, 45s, and anything else on vinyl disks.
Over a decade after the supposed demise of the LP, sales of the platters are increasing, and are expected to reach levels that are surprising the music industry. Whether sales are the result of nostalgia, or that many individuals feel that analog just sounds better than digital, or a combination of factors, manufacturers and merchants have taken notice and are acting to meet demand.
One of the most popular LPs this year was the soundtrack for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Want to know what LP was the best seller? Check below:
The Best-Selling Vinyl Record of 2017 Was Released 50 Years Ago (Digital Music News) – You’ll have to read the article to find out.
Vinyl Sales Aren’t Dead: The ‘New’ Billion-Dollar Music Business (Forbes) – Unlike the 8-track tape and Laser Disc, it looks as though the LP may be here much longer.
Newsweek’s “Madam President” Edition
This story actually began on November 8th of last year (2016) when Newsweek magazine’s Madame President Hillary Clinton Special Commemorative Edition was distributed to retailers before the polls closed on Election Day.
Topix Media Lab, acting for Newsweek, had composed two editions – one for Clinton and one for Trump – but had printed and distributed only the Clinton edition in the mistake belief that the polls showed that the Democrat candidate would win the presidential election.
Officials at Topix stated that 125,000 copies had been printed and shipped, but that just 17 had been sold before the edition was quickly pulled from shelves when it became apparent that it was actually Donald Trump, not Clinton, who had been elected.
Speculators and college students immediately attempted to profit from the error by asking up to $10,000 for their copies of the magazine, but it soon became apparent that many more than just 17 copies were in private hands.
How many copies were actually sold or eventually leaked to the secondary markets? No one knows, but recent online bids show that there are a number of collectors willing to pay from $8 (a low) to $131.50 (a high) for a piece of history.
Sellers seek big bucks for ‘Madam President’ issue (The Hill) – Check this out for auction action on the magazine a year ago.
da Vinci Sets Record
Scientist, sculptor, architect, inventor, engineer – Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is considered perhaps the greatest polymath of all time, but it is as a painter that he is best known.
It is unknown just how many paintings Leonardo completed in his lifetime, but less than 20 works have been authenticated as having been done by the master. He was known for experimenting with different materials that would degrade, sometimes quickly (such as happened with The Last Supper), and he was a notorious procrastinator – and easily distracted by some new area of interest – who left a number of commissioned works to be finished by others.
It was thus headline news in the art world when a recently authenticated da Vinci, Salvator Mundi (“Savior of the World”) set a new auction record of $450.3 million just last month (November).
Auction estimates had been as high as $600 million, but its condition is considered “problematic,” and there are still some in the art world who question its authenticity, claiming that a majority of the painting may have been completed by assistants in da Vinci’s studio.
Timeline: How ‘Salvator Mundi’ Went from £45 to $450 Million in 59 Years (artnet News) – Don’t miss the other article on the page (“Beyond Leonardo:…”) concerning the other mega-auctions of the same week.
Leonardo da Vinci Painting Sells for $450.3 Million, Shattering Auction Highs (The New York Times) – Includes video clip of auction.
Looking ahead
So, what exciting news have we to look forward to in 2018? We’ll have to wait to find out, but in the meantime:
Happy Christmas! Merry Holidays! And have a Prosperous New Year!
