Ralph Kovel
Encyclopedia
Ralph Mallory Kovel was an American
author
of 97 books and guides to antiques, co-authored with his wife, Terry Kovel
. They wrote a nationally syndicated collectibles column that began in 1955.
, in 1920. His family moved to Paducah, Kentucky
, then Cleveland, Ohio
, in the 1930s. He graduated from Cleveland Heights High School, then attended Ohio State University
. He served in the United States Coast Guard
in World War II
. In 1950 he married Terry. Their children are Lee Kovel and Kim Kovel.
He and his wife became interested in antiques on their Bermuda
honeymoon in 1950. Their first book came out in 1953.
He started his writing career with Terry in 1953. In the 1950s, he was in the export-import business and imported a variety of things, including the Lambretta motor scooter, the new bikini bathing suits European women were wearing, and specialty food products. He didn’t like the constant travel, so he started his own business as a food broker, representing packaged foods and other products to grocery-store chains and fast-food restaurants. He represented many of the new frozen food lines, like Stouffers, specialty items like Sweet and Low packets, and even live, bare-root fruit trees. Ralph sold McDonald’s fresh potatoes in 1956 by the carload when hamburgers were 15 cents and the chain said they would never use frozen French fries. He bought a small salad dressing company in Cleveland named Sar-a-Lee and soon was selling custom-made dressings to major fast-food chains for their newly popular salad bars. In 1987 his company was purchased by Sara Lee Corporation. and he became a senior vice president in the company’s foods division.
In 1970 Ralph started U.S. Brands, Inc., a fulfillment company that did packaging and handling for the Kovels books and newsletters as well as for many other businesses. He became part owner of an innovative aquaculture shrimp farm in the Bahamas in 1996.
Ralph was a salesman, an innovator, and an entrepreneur. He patented a dripless aluminum teabag called the teastir, and made an instant silver polish. When his children chewed the paper straws in their milkshakes, he developed the first plastic straw for McDonald’s by using the outer part of a plastic clothes line. He was a dedicated volunteer, working as a group leader and board member at a settlement house, a volunteer for public television, and a committee member for the Cleveland United Appeal. He even helped plan and cook fundraising spaghetti dinners.
Ralph continued working until the week before his final illness. Kovel resided in Shaker Heights, Ohio
and died in Cleveland of complications from a broken hip
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of 97 books and guides to antiques, co-authored with his wife, Terry Kovel
Terry Kovel
Terry was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1928. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass. In 1950 she married Ralph Kovel. Their children are Lee Kovel and Kim Kovel....
. They wrote a nationally syndicated collectibles column that began in 1955.
Life and career
Ralph was born in Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, in 1920. His family moved to Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
, then Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, in the 1930s. He graduated from Cleveland Heights High School, then attended Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. He served in the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1950 he married Terry. Their children are Lee Kovel and Kim Kovel.
He and his wife became interested in antiques on their Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
honeymoon in 1950. Their first book came out in 1953.
He started his writing career with Terry in 1953. In the 1950s, he was in the export-import business and imported a variety of things, including the Lambretta motor scooter, the new bikini bathing suits European women were wearing, and specialty food products. He didn’t like the constant travel, so he started his own business as a food broker, representing packaged foods and other products to grocery-store chains and fast-food restaurants. He represented many of the new frozen food lines, like Stouffers, specialty items like Sweet and Low packets, and even live, bare-root fruit trees. Ralph sold McDonald’s fresh potatoes in 1956 by the carload when hamburgers were 15 cents and the chain said they would never use frozen French fries. He bought a small salad dressing company in Cleveland named Sar-a-Lee and soon was selling custom-made dressings to major fast-food chains for their newly popular salad bars. In 1987 his company was purchased by Sara Lee Corporation. and he became a senior vice president in the company’s foods division.
In 1970 Ralph started U.S. Brands, Inc., a fulfillment company that did packaging and handling for the Kovels books and newsletters as well as for many other businesses. He became part owner of an innovative aquaculture shrimp farm in the Bahamas in 1996.
Ralph was a salesman, an innovator, and an entrepreneur. He patented a dripless aluminum teabag called the teastir, and made an instant silver polish. When his children chewed the paper straws in their milkshakes, he developed the first plastic straw for McDonald’s by using the outer part of a plastic clothes line. He was a dedicated volunteer, working as a group leader and board member at a settlement house, a volunteer for public television, and a committee member for the Cleveland United Appeal. He even helped plan and cook fundraising spaghetti dinners.
Ralph continued working until the week before his final illness. Kovel resided in Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 28,448. It is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland that abuts the city on its eastern side.-Topography:Shaker Heights is located at...
and died in Cleveland of complications from a broken hip
Selected publications
- Kovels’ Dictionary of Marks: Pottery and Porcelain, 1650 to 1850. Random House, 1953, 1983, 1995
- Kovels’ Know Your Antiques. Random House, 1967, 1973, 1981, 1990
- Kovels’ Collectors’ Guide to Limited Editions. Random House, 1974
- Kovels’ Collectors’ Guide to American Art Pottery. Random House, 1974
- Kovels’ Organizer for Collectors. Random House, 1978, 1983
- Kovels’ Price Guide for Collector Plates, Figurines, Paperweights. Crown, 1978
- Kovels’ Illustrated Price Guide to Royal Doulton. Crown, 1980, 1984
- Kovels’ Know Your Collectibles. Random House, 1981, 1992
- Kovels’ Book of Antique Labels. Random House, 1982
- Kovels’ Collectors' Source Book.Random House, 1983
- Kovels’ New Dictionary of Marks: Pottery and Porcelain, 1850-Present. Crown, 1986
- Kovels’ Advertising Collectibles Price List. Random House, 1986, 2005
- Kovels’ Guide to Selling Your Antiques & Collectibles. Three Rivers Press, 1987, 1990
- Kovels' American Silver Marks, 1650 to the Present. Random House, 1989
- Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Fix-It Source Book. Crown, 1990
- Kovels’ American Art Pottery. Random House, 1993
- Kovels’ Quick Tips: 799 Helpful Hints on How to Care for Your Collectibles. Random House, 1995
- The Label Made Me Buy It. Crown, 1998
- Kovels’ Yellow Pages: A Resource Guide for Collectors. Random House, 1999, 2003
- Kovels' Bid, Buy and Sell Online. Random House, 2001
- Kovels’ American Antiques, 1750-1900. Random House, 2004
- Kovels’ Depression Glass & Dinnerware Price List, 8th edition. Random House, 2004
- Kovels' Bottles Price List, 13th Edition. Random House, 2006
- Kovels’ American Collectibles, 1900-2000. Random House, 2007
- Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2010. Black Dog & Leventhal