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37 FALL 2025 picture, according to Rago. "Much of the finer pieces have already been absorbed into museum collections," he says. "And, relatively little was made in the first place." The generational shift is why he invested in a pop-culture department, acquiring Landry Pop Auctions, run by Antiques Roadshow castmate Travis Landry. "Tech bros are buying Pokémon cards," says Rago. "And singer Post Malone privately bought a 'Magic: The Gathering ' card for $2 million." Rago recently held an auction for Atomic Age Japanese toys and sold an Astro Boy toy for a record price of $120,000. A Pokémon auction this summer yielded $1.8 million. "The younger generation of collectors wants experiences and collectibles like that," he says. "If I only sold what I loved, I'd be out of business." But Rago insists that dealing in fine art and furniture is still relevant. "That's the beautiful thing," he says. "Auction houses want pop-culture departments bringing in younger people with money who are eventually going to settle down and nest. They're going to need a dining room table at some point." ■ Jason Wilson is a New Jersey-based writer whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. Michelle Gustafson is a photojournalist based in Philadelphia. She focuses on political coverage and has been a contributor to national news outlets such as TIME and The Wall Street Journal. "It's a small world. YOUR WORD IS YOUR BOND. "

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