“As prices for American folk art have risen dramatically, the field has become widely publicized and attracted widespread interest,” notes dealer David Wheatcroft of Westborough, Massachusetts. The best of the best in almost every category—whether Shaker boxes, painted furniture or cigar-store figures—are now commanding prices unheard of five or 10 years ago. At a 2005 auction at Samuel T. Freeman in Philadelphia, a painted-pine candle box with an estimate of $8,000 to $12,000 fetched a scorching $744,825. “That was a unique piece,” says Wheatcroft. “It was a great masterpiece in color, condition and design.”

The world record at auction for an American folk art painting was set in a 1999 Christie’s New York sale of a painting by Edward Hicks (1780–1849), a “Peaceable Kingdom,” with a hammer price of $4,732,500. According to Woodbury, Connecticut, dealer David Schorsch, Hicks’ paintings routinely sell for more than $1 million. “His religious, allegorical paintings have a devoted following,” says Schorsch, but he adds, “minor Hicks works still can be had for considerably less.”

Years ago, independent dealers often relied on “pickers,” laymen with a knack for spotting valuable items, particularly in private homes. “One of the best worked for the phone company on Long Island,” says dealer Suzanne Courcier of Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts. “He knew which houses had antiques. He could spot things we couldn’t. Most of the pickers had day jobs but were extremely knowledgeable and knew that if they found a terrific schoolgirl sampler, to call M. Finkel & Daughter in Philadelphia or call us for a rare Shaker box,” says Courcier, who regrets not just the loss of pickers due to the lack of material, but the difficulty of keeping the level of inventory she maintained a decade ago.

“The changes in the marketplace are enormous,” says Joan Johnson, an avid collector. “Condition years ago didn’t play as important a role as today. Collectors would prize rarity over condition, but today everything has to be crisp and colorful.” This emphasis on quality makes finding untouched goods in prime condition a problem. “Today, some unscrupulous dealers get painted pieces and have them retouched until they sparkle,” she laments. In a recent inventory of her collection, Johnson found that early bills of sale simply stated what was bought. “More current bills from younger, more scholarly dealers describe who made the object if known, its condition, provenance and similar pieces in other collections,” she says.

As in all markets, what’s “hot” is cyclical. “The quilt market has collapsed, with the exception of extraordinary pieces,” says Margot Rosenberg, head of Christie’s New York American folk art department. However, she notes that decoys and other sculptures in almost any form—especially weathervanes—are in great demand. A rare molded copper Indian chief weathervane, circa 1900, attributed to the J.L. Mott Iron Works Company, sold for an unprecedented $5,840,000, a record not only for a weathervane but for any piece of American folk art ever sold at auction. Jerry and Susan Lauren (featured as one of Art & Antiques’ “100 Top Collectors,” March 2006) were top bidders for this 62-inch masterpiece in prime condition at the Sotheby’s American folk art auction last October. (For more on weathervanes, see “Vane Glory” on page 37 of this issue.) Not just weathervanes, but “carvings in stone, wood, store signage of all kinds, great pieces of pottery—redware and stoneware—are all currently an exuberant part of the market,” says Rosenberg.

Tactile three-dimensional objects have great current appeal, especially carvings. A patriotic eagle by ship carver John Haley Bellamy (1836–1914) fetched $380,000 at the Northeast Auctions Marine and China Trade auction, an annual August event, in Manchester, New Hampshire. At the Northeast Auctions Americana auction, also in August, an 1875–85 carved and painted poodle by William Schimmel (1817–90) went for $314,000, a record price for sculpture by the Pennsylvania carver. It was from the collection of Susan and Raymond Egan of Boothbay, Maine, who consigned nearly 400 items of folk art and furniture from their collection to the Manchester auction. The Egans started collecting in 1966 with refinished pine furniture, which eventually led them to a broader appreciation of waterfowl decoys, weathervanes, scrimshaw, painted furniture and portraits. “I’m collecting Maine redware now,” says Ray Egan, who adds that his new rule is that if a piece is no better than anything he sold or kept, he won’t consider it.

Since nearly every recognized folk artist created both major and minor works, it is essential to have good advice. Otherwise, you might end up paying a premium price for an unremarkable piece. “The top dealers are extremely knowledgeable, and collectors who have amassed outstanding collections often have close relationships with dealer-advisors,” notes collector Jeff Pressman, president of the American Folk Art Society. Advice from a knowledgeable dealer is crucial when it comes to folk portraiture. In the 18th and 19th centuries, having one’s portrait painted was popular among the emerging middle class. The artist’s name is less significant than with fine art as some of the best work is by unknowns. Generally, the artists focused on the features of the face and head with little shading or background. The poses were most often static, with a flat spatial arrangement, as folk artists often lacked the painterly techniques associated with European portraiture. Collectors of portraiture look for appealing subjects, economy of line, whimsy, and style as well as minimal or no restoration and overpainting. Although the artists were prolific, their work was often uneven. As Giampietro explains, “An Ami Phillips [1788–1865] portrait at the bottom range might bring $4,500, yet a sale of one of his masterpieces could bring $2 million.” Prices for paintings by John Brewster Jr. (1766–1854), an undisputed master of portraits, especially of angelic-looking children, also are off the charts—but only for his very best works.