
Expert Insights Unwrapped: OMBAS 2025 Education and Appraisal Day
The education series at the 2025 Original Miami Beach Antique Show (OMBAS) was an exceptional enhancement to the astounding display of antique, vintage and estate jewelry, timepieces, art, furniture, home décor and accessories that could be discovered on the show floor.
The U.S. Antique Show Team Wish List
One of the key perks of working on the U.S. Antique Show team is that we get to be surrounded by beautiful things. While ogling our dealer’s cases and stands is just a fraction of what we do all year, everyone on the team feels rewarded when we finally get on show site and we get to wander the aisles of our shows and see items sourced from across the globe. Though there are, admittedly, varying levels of knowledge among the team, as you can see from this Holiday Wish List we’ve compiled, there is no shortage of taste and style!
The Art of Entertaining with Treasures from OMBAS
For the majority of Americans, one of the biggest highlights of the years takes place in late November. Thanksgiving is the one holiday of the year where the entire purpose is gathering together with loved ones to share a thoughtfully prepared meal.
Our Other Bag is a Birkin…
In the luxury market, customers are often courted into making purchases and rewarded for their showcase of loyalty to a store or a brand. A returning client may have a chilled bottle of champagne waiting for them upon their next appointment, or their lunch paid for at the bistro next door after they’ve left the shop. Good sales associates remember birthdays and important milestones, they memorize coffee and scotch preferences and pets’ names, children’s birthdays. Yet when it comes to a Birkin, the perennial “It” handbag by French luxury design house Hermès, prospective buyers are the ones doing all of the wooing.
If These Pieces Could Talk: Triumphs of Tiaras and Headpieces
While seemingly antithetical to the current, “Quiet Luxury” trend of today, tiaras and other headwear are making a decided comeback. At the recent Cannes film festival, as reported by Marion Fasel of The Adventurine, Chanel ambassador Margaret Qualley stunned in a star headband from the brand’s High Jewelry collection, and model Isabeli Fontana wore a stunning brooch by contemporary designer, Elsa Jin, as a hair piece. Earlier this year, at the 2024 Met Gala, celebrities from all walks of life rocked headpieces, from subtle flashes of sparkle to over-the-top-ornate.
Fusing Past with Present
Retailers who are interested in carrying antique, vintage and estate jewelry are often faced with a few obstacles. Exceptional retailers want to have a comprehensive understanding of the product they carry, they want to make sure the pricing is beneficial both to their stores and their customers, and they need to ensure that they have the right client for the pieces they carry.