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The College of New Jersey Magazine
T
hings are quiet but busy on a Wednesday summer
afternoon inside the vast warehouse of Rago Art
and Auctions in Lambertville, New Jersey. Objects
of significant value sit on tables and in glass cases,
while a half-dozen employees assess and log each
one. There's a collection of highly coveted George Ohr ceramics —
pottery obtained from a private collection that's expected to fetch
$40,000 to $50,000 apiece. Spread out on a table are some Tiffany
lamps, ready to be auctioned. Just a few years ago, Rago Auctions
sold a Tiffany Dandelion lamp for a world-record $3.7 million.
A pop-culture expert on Rago's staff sits at a small desk, carefully
appraising a collection of comic books, knowing a trove of comics
at Rago recently sold for $1.7 million.
THE ART
AND THE
DEAL
David Rago '16 bids his time as owner
of New Jersey's largest auction house.
WORDS
Jason Wilson
PICTURES
Michelle Gustafson
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The College of New Jersey Magazine
