THE OLDEST EXISTING ORIGINAL “FLYING CAR,” BUILT IN 1935 BY FRANK SKROBACK, BRINGS $65,175 AT AUCTION HELD MAR. 13-14 BY RED BARON

Contact: Chrissy Will
(404) 252-3770

THE OLDEST EXISTING ORIGINAL “FLYING CAR,” BUILT IN 1935 BY FRANK SKROBACK, BRINGS $65,175 AT AUCTION HELD MAR. 13-14 BY RED BARON

(ATLANTA, Ga.) – The oldest original “flying car” – built in 1935 and the brainchild of Frank Skroback, a retired industrial technician and electrician from Syracuse, N.Y. – soared to $65,175 at a massive weekend auction held Mar. 13-14 by Red Baron, the Southeast’s premier auction house. The craft was meant to be flown from house to house, using roads as runways.

The flying car was one of the top lots in a weekend event that saw hundreds of wild and wonderful rarities cross the block for the multitude of bidders who poured in from around the world. A lavish preview party was held the evening before, in Red Baron’s landmark gallery facility, at 6450 Roswell Road in Atlanta. It featured a feast, fine wine and live entertainment.

The following day, the auction’s remarkable offerings came up for bid. These included a vast array of fine architectural antiques (to include a large selection of bars and mantels), vintage lighting, rare and classic vehicles, garden embellishments, fine jewelry and many other items.

“The range of pricing was about as wide and diverse as the list of lot categories,” said Bob Brown of Red Baron. “Many of the items fetched prices that were within range and even higher. Other lots turned into fabulous bargains for some lucky bidders. It was hard to predict what was going to bring what. It made for an interesting weekend and a lot of happy people.”

Frank Skroback studied the concepts of French furniture maker-turned-aircraft designer Henri Mignet, the inventor of the famous tandem wing monoplane. Mr. Skroback modified the design to build a vehicle that could be multi-purposed. The resulting “flying plane” had six fixed 7-foot wings, capable of lifting the 21-foot-long tubular steel fuselage wrapped in linen material.

Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include an 18.5 percent buyer’s premium.

A gorgeous white 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible, with both hard and soft tops, sped away for $16,500. The iconic car was just one of many classic and collector vehicles that came up for bid. Others included a 1997 Ferrari F355 Spider convertible with ostrich leather interior, a 1967 Volkswagen “Herbie” Beetle, beautifully restored, and a 1975 Vespa Piaggio motorcycle.

Several works by the noted Newport artist Edward Fay were offered. One work of note was the painting Boxer’s Rebellion, which went for $2,133. Mr. Fay was influenced by the works of marine artists Montague Dawson, Carl Evers, Antonio Jacobsen and John Stobart. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Fay was a commercial fisherman as well as an accomplished fine artist.

A beautiful Kerman rug turned out to be one of the aforementioned bargains. Expected to go for around $3,500, the 10-foot by 13-foot rug ended up selling for $1,125 – a great deal. Red Baron’s next big sale is scheduled for June 26-27, with a merchandise preview slated for the week prior (June 21-25). For more info as the dates approach, log on to www.rbantiques.com.

Red Baron Antiques is one of the oldest, largest and widely-known fine antiques sources in the Southeast. The firm is celebrating over 35 years of providing its customers with world-class service and unique inventory, displayed at its gallery facility, which is open to the public Monday through Friday, from 9-6, and Saturday from 9-4. Red Baron is closed on Sundays.

To learn more about Red Baron Antiques, please log on to www.rbantiques.com.



Flying car:
The oldest original “flying car,” built in 1935 and meant to be flown house to house ($65,175).





Edward Fay:
Original painting by the noted Newport artist Edward Fay, titled Boxer's Rebellion ($2,133).

Ford Thunderbird:
Gorgeous white 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible, with both hard and soft tops ($16,500).

Yogi Berra’s “Perfect Game” Uniform in Grey Flannel’s Summer Games Auction Ending April 14

Yogi Berra’s “Perfect Game” Uniform in Grey Flannel’s Summer Games Auction Ending April 14

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date of Release: March 30, 2010


The sale by the nation’s leading authenticator and dealer also features superstars’ jerseys, championship rings, autographed equipment, Yankee Stadium memorabilia and over 1,000 additional lots.


WESTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Grey Flannel Auctions’ Summer Games Auction, with bidding on now through April 14, is packed with desirable game-worn apparel, jewelry, trophies, and game-used equipment autographed by superstars of baseball, football, basketball and hockey. The centerpiece of the nearly 1,100 lots to be sold is the New York Yankees pinstriped uniform Yogi Berra wore as catcher during the World Series “perfect game” pitched by Don Larsen on Oct. 8, 1956.


“This is the same uniform Yogi was wearing when that famous photograph was taken of him running out toward the pitcher’s mound to hug Don Larsen after the final pitch,” said Grey Flannel’s president, Richard Russek. “The photo is so iconic, we put it on the front of the catalog for this sale.”


The Berra uniform was out of the public eye for 50 years before being consigned to auction. It had been issued to a young Yankee prospect, Ron Stevenot, on the day in 1959 that he reported to Yankee Stadium to try out for the rookie team. Each new prospect was given a uniform that had been worn by a Major League Yankee in a prior season. Stevenot, a star catcher fresh out of high school, ended up the lucky recipient of a Berra home uniform from 1956, the year the Yankees won the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. It had the year “1956” sewn onto the jersey’s shirttail along with Yogi Berra’s name, and on the jersey’s back was the number “8.” Although Stevenot did not end up pursuing a career in baseball, he treasured the Berra uniform throughout his life. When he consigned the uniform to Grey Flannel, he was in for a surprise.


“When I first examined it, I had a hunch it might be the one Yogi wore during the ’56 World Series,” said Russek. “We took it to our headquarters in New York and compared it first to blow-ups of the famous photo, then to DVD ‘stills’ of the perfect game. Every Yankee pinstripe is like a fingerprint to when the jersey was worn. We compared the way the pinstripes matched up to the ‘N’ and ‘Y’ on the front, how they matched up to the collar and sleeves, and it was an exact match. It was the uniform Berra wore as catcher during the perfect game.” The minimum bid for the uniform is $50,000.


Many coveted jerseys are entered in the current auction. A 1972 Pittsburgh Pirates home jersey that was game-worn by the great Roberto Clemente during the last season before his tragic death is accompanied by a team letter of authenticity. The jersey, with the now-retired number “21” and “Pirates” emblazoned on the front, requires a minimum auction bid of $5,000.


The appeal of a Derek Jeter 2008 New York Yankees game-used road jersey is enhanced by the “Yankee Stadium Final Season” patch on its left sleeve and “2008 All-Star Game patch” on its right sleeve. Accompanied by a Yankees-Steiner letter of authenticity, and with Steiner and Major League Baseball holograms present, this coveted jersey worn by the popular Yankees team captain is entered in the sale with a minimum-bid requirement of $9,000.


As hockey jerseys go, few can match the cachet of a circa-1986 example game-worn by Mark “the Moose” Messier as center for the Edmonton Oilers. On the front of the bright blue, orange and white jersey is the large “OILERS” logo, and on each sleeve and on the back is the player number “11.” Across the back is the name “MESSIER.” Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Rich Ellis, Spirit of The Game, its minimum bid is $2,500.


A mid-1970s Dallas Cowboys jersey game-used by star quarterback Roger Staubach has the player number “12 on its front, back and both shoulders, while the name “STAUBACH” appears across the back. With a MEARS letter of authenticity and graded A10, it had an opening-bid requirement of $2,500.


One of the most important jewelry lots in the sale is Ben Kelly’s 2001 New England Patriots Super bowl Championship ring with original wooden presentation box. A big, solid 14K white gold ring weighing 2-1/2 ounces, it features a total of 145 diamonds plus a red and blue Patriots logo and the words “SUPER BOWL” and “WORLD CHAMPIONS.” Minimum bid: $10,000.


Another important piece of professional sports jewelry is Dennis Johnson’s 1986 Boston Celtics Championship player’s ring with presentation box and family letter of authenticity. The 14K gold ring with a beautiful green Celtics logo, 16 inlaid diamonds and one large central diamond representing a basketball was given to Johnson for playing in what would be his third and final career World Championship. Minimum bid: $5,000.


Yet another eye-catching item is the New York Yankees 1996 World Championship ring given to Ray Quinones of the team’s front office. The ring’s design includes 23 brilliant-cut diamonds and a large man-made sapphire, a large “NY” Yankees logo and the words “WORLD CHAMPIONS 1996,” “COURAGE,” “HEART,” “TRADITION,” and “QUINONES.” With its original felt-lined presentation box, it requires a minimum bid of $5,000.


An imposing team-size replica trophy commemorating the 2007 Boston Red Sox World Championship measures over 2 feet in height, with a 14K yellow gold base surmounting a chrome base that measures 10½ inches across. Featuring a two-tone chrome baseball “stitched” in 14K yellow gold and with 30 flags representing all of the Major League Baseball teams, the trophy is engraved: “2007 BOSTON RED SOX WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS” alongside the MLB logo. Minimum bid: $5,000.


As a follow-up to her original artwork titled “NBA Fifty Greatest Players,” artist Erika King created a follow-up collage titled “LEGENDS OF BASKETBALL – WE MADE THIS GAME.” The limited edition, which was unveiled during the 2009 Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, incorporates personally autographed action photos of 60 of the NBA’s greatest players, including many superstars of the last decade such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Yao Ming and Allen Iverson. Numbered 1/60, the 40-inch by 60-inch photographic collage comes with a JSA letter of authenticity. Minimum bid: $10,000.


Bidding in Grey Flannel’s Summer Games Auction will close on April 14, 2010. All forms of absentee bids will be accepted during the auction, including by phone and online through Grey Flannel’s Web site at www.GreyFlannel.com. Printed catalogs are free to all registered bidders. The fully illustrated electronic version of the catalog is available to view online at www.GreyFlannel.com. For additional information, call 631-288-7800, ext. 223; or email gfcsports@aol.com.


CAPTION:


In this now-classic photo, an ecstatic Yogi Berra jumps onto teammate Don Larsen, who had just delivered the final pitch of a perfect game in the 1956 World Series. The uniform Berra wore in this game went “undercover” for more than half a century but now will be offered by Grey Flannel in their Summer Games Auction closing April 14, 2010. Copyrighted image licensed for use through Getty Images.

MULTI-ESTATE AUCTION FEATURING CONSIGNMENTS FROM FOUR PROMINENT LOCAL ESTATES WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, APRIL 24, IN PANAMA CITY, FLA.

Contact: Logan Adams
(850) 785-2577

MULTI-ESTATE AUCTION FEATURING CONSIGNMENTS FROM FOUR PROMINENT LOCAL ESTATES WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, APRIL 24, IN PANAMA CITY, FLA.

Sale will go online starting April 7th; it is being conducted by The Specialists of the South, Inc.

(PANAMA CITY, Fla.) – A major multi-estate sale featuring over 300 quality consignments from four prominent local estates will be held on Saturday, Apr. 24, by The Specialists of the South, Inc., in the firm’s spacious gallery facility at 544 East 6th Street in Panama City. The sale will go online beginning Apr. 7 (at www.SpecialistsoftheSouth.com).

Online bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. The live sale will begin at 9 a.m. (Central Standard Time), with a preview scheduled for the day before (Friday, Apr. 23, from 10-6 CST) and on Saturday from 8-9 a.m. A healthy crowd is anticipated for this, The Specialists of the South’s second major sale of 2010.

The four principal consignors make a formidable lineup. The first is the estate of Barbara M. Sanders, who lived in Panama City since 1965. Her father was a prominent Boston banker and his parents were from England and Scotland. Many dishes in the sale came from Mrs. Sanders’ aunt, who lived in Cornwall, England, and a handsome antique secretary also originated in Cornwall.

A friend of the father was author Benton MacKaye, who was known in conservation circles as the “Father of the Appalachian Trail.” A signed copy of his New York play, Bunty Pulls the Strings, will be offered in the sale. Also sold will be postcards from a trip that Mrs. Sanders took just prior to the outbreak of World War II, along with other pieces of ephemera.

Additional items from the estate of Mrs. Sanders include three primitive tables – two tall side tables and a drop-leaf table – made from Vermont pine and which Mrs. Sanders acquired in the 1930s and ‘40s while living outside Boston; and many Oriental items purchased in Tokyo and Hong Kong in 1963-64, including three large Oriental chests (all of them custom-made for Mrs. Sanders and one retrofitted for electronic components); small tables and other Orientalia.

The second major consignor is the estate of George A. Chancellor, Jr., a retired school teacher who taught math but was known mainly as a historian. But he was also a dedicated collector – of pipes (to include Meerschaum and silver decorated examples), match book covers, political buttons, older magazines, vintage fishing lures and a vintage record player and 78 rpm records. All of these will be sold Apr. 24, in some cases as multiple lots.

Also from Mr. Chancellor’s estate is a children’s roll-top desk with Art Deco handles and chair, believed to have been purchased for him by his parents when he was in the first grade (circa 1940); and a vintage Elvis costume made by his wife and worn by him on many occasions.

The third consignor is a local woman whose grandparents – Charles and Juanita (Gaddy) Thomas – relocated from North Carolina to Quincy, Fla., in the 1920s. Charles was in the lumber business, but he was also a horse enthusiast. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas both collected antiques. The sale will feature a sterling presentation bowl engraved “St. Petersburg 1948 Horse Show” and a large Gorham Chantilly flatware service, monogrammed (MAT, for the the consignor’s aunt and Charles' daughter, Margaret Ann Thomas) and weighing in at a robust 205 silver troy ounces.

The fourth and final consignor is a woman who, along with her daughter, collected the Azalea pattern for over 40 years. The Larkin Tea Company was the sole distributor of these dishes from 1918-1941 and people would eagerly redeem coupons to acquire them. Hand-painted Noritake pieces with beautiful flowers will be sold and are dated by the markings: (Blue 1904-1920, Green 1921-1924, Red with one number 1925-1933, Red with two numbers 1934-1941).

Furniture pieces that will be offered in the sale but not listed above include a glass curio on tall legs, a small fainting couch, drop-leaf tables (to include some pine and a nice small Duncan Phyfe-style mahogany table), antique piano stools, wing-back chairs, a painted tray top tilt table, and a 1970s Heywood Wakefield table with 3 leaves, 8 chairs and a china cabinet.

Decorative accessories and collectibles will feature Haviland Apple Blossom china, a tall blue cut to clear vase, Rosina bone china, Capodimonte flowers, cut and pressed glass, Whitehall & Colony depression glass, Cloisonné, Imari, wood carvings, early 1900s National Geographic magazines, children’s books, Women’s Home Companion circa 1900 magazines, and artwork.

The Specialists of the South, Inc. has been serving the Panama City community for over 30 years. The firm specializes in a broad range of services, to include estate auctions, furniture refurbishing, interior decoration, property appraisals and business liquidation services. It has been awarded the Small Business of the Month by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.

The Specialists of the South, Inc. is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them at (850) 785-2477, or you may e-mail them at specialists@knology.net. To learn more, or to register for the upcoming auction, you may log on to either www.SpecialistsoftheSouth.com or www.PanamaCityAuction.com.


English secretary:
Handsome English secretary brought over from Cromwell, England by Barbara M. Sanders.

Desk and chair:
Children's roll-top desk with Art Deco handles and chair, purchased for the consignor circa 1940.

Oriental chest:
Large Oriental chest, purchased by Barbara M. Sanders while in Hong Kong circa 1963-1964.

Fishing lures:
George A. Chancellor, Jr. was a dedicated collector of many things, including fishing lures.

Silver pieces:
Gorgeous silver pieces from the estate of Barbara M. Sanders.

Sterling silver:
Beautiful sterling silver and silver plate pieces from the Thomas and Sanders estates.







Pine tables:
Three primitive tables – two tall side tables and a drop-leaf table – made from Vermont pine.

Vintage pipes:
Pipes from Mr. Chancellor's collection will include Meerschaum and silver decorated examples.

MONUMENTAL SET OF FOUR AMERICAN GOTHIC BOOKCASES, CRAFTED IN PHILADELPHIA IN 1854, SOARS TO $115,000 AT HAL HUNT AUCTION, MAR. 13

Contact: Hal Hunt
(205) 333-2517

MONUMENTAL SET OF FOUR AMERICAN GOTHIC BOOKCASES, CRAFTED IN PHILADELPHIA IN 1854, SOARS TO $115,000 AT HAL HUNT AUCTION, MAR. 13

(NORTHPORT, Ala.) – A monumental set of four matching American Gothic bookcases, beautifully crafted in Philadelphia in 1854 and attributed to the workshop of Crawford Riddell, a noted cabinetmaker of the time, sold for $115,000 at a multi-estate sale held Mar. 13 by Hal Hunt Auctions. The sale was conducted in the firm’s gallery, at 5925 Hwy. 43N in Northport.

The bookcases – by far the top achiever in a sale that saw 475 quality lots cross the block – were originally built for the library of the Annandale Plantation in Madison County, Miss. Annandale burned to the ground in 1924 and in 1932 the bookcases were purchased by Col. Robert Bogardus Snowden and his wife, Annie, who installed them in their home in Memphis.

The contents of that mansion, known as Annesdale and named after Annie Snowden, were also featured, as were other private Southern collections. About 350 people attended the sale, which had no Internet or phone bidding (absentee bids were taken, however). “This was a quality, live-auction sale with some outstanding 19th century American antiques,” Hal Hunt said.

“These were not antiques you would typically go out and find,” Mr. Hunt continued. “Many were rare, one-of-a-kind pieces, and it’s hard to even assign a value to such items. Maybe because of that, there was very spirited bidding in the room. In fact, I was a little surprised by the participation. It showed me the market has been sustained for high-end, investment antiques.”

The only soft spot in the sale, Mr. Hunt observed, was Belter furniture, which did not fetch top dollar. “An example was a gorgeous Victorian etagere that went for an unbelievably low $4,600 – about half its real value,” he said, adding, “But that’s what made this such a great sale. The high end prevailed but there were still some bargains. Everybody went home happy.”

Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

Beds and bedroom suite really wowed the crowd. A three-piece walnut Renaissance bedroom suite with bronze plaques, attributed to Thomas Brooks, hit $34,500; an oversized Renaissance bed with marquetry inlay and bronze plaques, attributed to G. Herter, climbed to $33.925; and a 2-piece burled walnut Victorian bedroom suite found a new owner for $13,225.

Pieces by R.J. Horner got paddles wagging, too. A fine and monumental oak sideboard went for $28,175; an oak 60-inch winged ladies’ dining table with three leaves rose to $25,875; a rare oak winged ladies’ executive desk breezed to $25,300; and a heavily carved oak fireplace mantel made $10,925. Also, a rosewood candle stand attributed to A. Roux commanded $9,775.

An extremely fine rosewood Renaissance marquetry inlay credenza, attributed to Portier & Styums crossed the finish line at $69,000; a Mitchells & Rammelsberg walnut half tester bed garnered $7,475; a heavily carved walnut etagere, attributed to Mitchells & Rammelsberg, 8 feet tall, rose to $5,750; and a Renaissance mantel mirror (from the Herter bedroom suite) hit $5,750.

The aforementioned Belter bargains included a rosewood etagere in the Rosalie pattern, featuring a fine carved pediment, sold for $16,100; a rosewood serpentine dressing vanity demanded $9,775; and a laminated rococo bed hammered for $6,900. Also (but not by Belter): a huge carved oak china cabinet with full-bodied soldiers and winged cherub crown made $26,450.

Vintage clocks came in many forms. An important carved black walnut clock, with documentation attesting to its having been an award winner at the 1876 Philadelphia Furniture Expo, changed hands for $69,000; a mahogany grandfather clock with Horner Elliot movement fetched $39,100; and a 19th century monumental bronze cherub clock set coasted to $31,050.

Other tall-case clocks that did well included a carved oak grandfather clock by J.E. Caldwell, 8 feet 8 inches tall ($28,750); a carved oak Tiffany grandfather clock, 9 feet 6 inches tall ($20,700); and a Gilbert #81 Victorian regulator clock, 9 feet 7 inches tall ($10,350). Also, the 15 or so vintage lamps that came up for bid brought prices ranging from $2,200 to $5,500.

A Regina bow-front music box changer made around 1900, playing 15 ½ inch discs and rare because of its stained glass (not plain glass) door, played a sweet tune for $28,175; a Model 71 Wurlitzer juke box earned $6,325, while the separately sold stand it sat on actually went for more ($8,050); and a collection of antique guns brought prices ranging from $1,500 to $12,000.

Decorative accessories were real crowd pleasers. A stunning 19th century double figured signed bronze statue, 44 inches tall on a 32 inch tall pedestal, found a new owner for $80,500; a pair of Paris porcelain companion statues, 28 inches tall, sold as one lot for $11,500; a darling 3-piece dore bronze clock set made $8,050; and a Sevres and bronze jewelry box garnered $8,050.

Tables and chairs were in evidence. A set of eight carved mahogany dining chairs with original leather upholstery and embossed gold gilt griffins went for $34,500; a rare Karpen single mahogany griffin arm chair brought $12,075; a Philadelphia made rosewood center table fetched $28,750; and a matched pair of winged griffin lamp tables, 42 inches round, made $10,350 each.

Returning to furniture, star lots included a rosewood credenza with porcelain plaques ($18,400); a matching walnut sideboard and console, with black and gold porter marble top ($16,100); a pair of curved glass gold gilt display cabinets ($10,350); a carved mahogany china cabinet with full-bodied lion supports ($9,775); and an extremely rare oak gun cabinet ($8,338).

Rounding out the day’s top lots: a 3-piece mahogany Karpen parlor suite ($7,475); a carved oak pedestal with bronze mounts ($5,750); a matched pair of rosewood bookcases ($5,175 each); and a 19th century Rose Medallion bowl, 17 inches in diameter ($4,312). Also, numerous marble-top tables crossed the block at three price points: $2,800, $15,000 and $45,000.

Hal Hunt Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. The firm also purchases items and entire collections for resale at auction. To inquire about consigning or selling an item, an estate or an entire collection, you may call them directly, at (205) 333-2517, or you can e-mail them at halhunt@bellsouth.net. For more info, log on to www.halhunt.com.


Gothic bookcase:
The top lot of the sale was a set of four matching American Gothic bookcases that brought $115,000.

Grandfather clock:
Beautiful mahogany grandfather clock with Horner Elliot movement ($39,100).

Hall tree:
Wonderful example of a Black Forest hall tree ($27,600).

Black walnut clock:
Carved black walnut clock, award winner at the Philadelphia Furniture Expo in 1876 ($69,000).

Renaissance bed:
Renaissance bed with marquetry inlay and bronze plaques, attributed to G. Herter ($33,925).

Horner sideboard:
Fine example of a monumental oak sideboard, beautifully crafted by R.J. Horner ($28,175).

Opal and diamond necklace reputedly from collection of design doyenne

Date of Release: March 26, 2010


Opal and diamond necklace reputedly from collection of design doyenne
Elsie de Wolfe the centerpiece of Austin Auction’s April 18 sale

45-carat Art Nouveau dazzler starred on Keno brothers’ TV show Find!

AUSTIN, Texas – A superb circa-1900 gold necklace laden with 45 carats of fine Australian fire opals, diamonds and freshwater pearls – said to have been the property of legendary interior designer Elsie de Wolfe – leads an exceptional lineup of fine and decorative art and furniture to be sold April 18 at Austin Auction Gallery. The crown jewel of the company’s 430-lot Important Spring Estates Auction was purchased by the consignor in 1976, at an antiques show in Hillsborough, California. At that time, it was represented as having been de Wolfe’s personal jewelry.

“While we cannot prove that the necklace belonged to Ms. De Wolfe, it certainly exhibits the quality that a woman of her social position would have demanded,” said Ross Featherston, president of Austin Auction Gallery. Elsie de Wolfe (1865-1950) was America’s first interior decorator to the rich and famous. Her high-profile clients included The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as well as members of the Vanderbilt, Morgan and Frick families in New York. Aside from her success as a designer, de Wolfe was, herself, a pillar of high society. Upon her marriage to British diplomat Sir Charles Mendl, she became better known as “Lady Mendl.”

The English Art Nouveau necklace attributed to the collection of Lady Mendl, which will be offered in Austin Auction Gallery’s April sale with an opening bid of $30,000, was featured in an episode of Leigh and Leslie Keno’s television show Find! The Keno brothers felt the necklace was so exceptional – with or without the de Wolfe attribution – that they called in jewelry expert Peter Shemonsky for a specialist appraisal. Shemonsky shone a light on the opals, each of which revealed the fiery-red flash seen only in Australian opals. Summarizing his opinion, Shemonsky stated that the necklace of 23 opals, 52 diamonds and 19 freshwater pearls was “unique” and would be “very difficult” to replace. He assigned an insurance value of $60,000-$80,000 on the necklace. A video of the TV show appraisal can be viewed on Austin Auction Gallery’s Web site (http://austinauction.com/articles/031710/art-nouveau-necklace-auction.htm).

Another rarity to be auctioned is an early Paul Evans (American, 1931-1987) 10-piece sculpted-bronze dining suite comprised of a large ‘Stalagmite’ glass-top table, eight chairs upholstered in purple micro-suede, and a long, sculpted-bronze server set with two slate slabs. The consignor purchased the suite in 1970 in Chicago, from the Directional Showroom. The set will be offered in three lots with a total estimate of $17,000-$23,000.

An avant-garde 1985 Art Deco-style television cabinet created by the celebrated New York designer Dakota Jackson is made of cherry-finished mahogany and bird’s-eye maple, accented by eau de nil trim and interior. Standing 60 inches tall, its trapezoidal shape and precision-matched wood grains are a perfect blend of edgy style and time-honored quality of construction. It is expected to realize $3,000-$5,000.

Four thin, ultra-modern bentwood barstools designed by Karri Monni for La Palma feature stainless steel construction with molded swivel seats. A gas-spring mechanism enables the seats to be raised and lowered easily. Estimate: $1,500-$2,500.

The more-traditional furnishings in the sale include a monumental 99-inch-tall French carved-oak chateau cabinet with elaborate relief carving and distinguished provenance from the Chateau de Caen, Normandy, France ($8,000-$12,000); a large four-door bookcase from northern Spain, and a mid-19th century English cellaret of oak and burlwood with Black Forest-style carved leaf-and-grape motif ($4,000-$6,000).

The fine art section of the sale includes a special collection of 11 artworks by John Strevens (British, 1902-1990). Strevens exhibited regularly at the British Royal Academy, Royal Society of British Arts, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, and the Paris Salon. The paintings were collected and consigned by a single source. “The owner of the paintings had her portrait painted by Strevens and bought additional works by the artist,” Featherston explained. “Strevens is known for his Impressionist style and portraits. The collection includes several large paintings, with one titled Evening Party that measures 40 inches by 50 inches (sight). It is estimated at $4,000 to $6,000.”

Additionally, the auction will include antiques from a number of quality estates. Among the offerings are American coin and sterling silver flatware, marble garden statuary, Japanese and Chinese ivories and porcelain; Confederate Civil War letters and slave receipts; an 18K gold, platinum and diamond ring accompanied by a GIA report (diamond is ‘F’ in color, VVS1 clarity); and a selection of couture ensembles and evening gowns by such designers as Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Richilene and others. A circa-1860 Spanish carved Madonna with glass eyes and serene expression, 53½ inches tall, carries a presale estimate of $2,000-$4,000.

All forms of bidding will be available for the April 18 auction, including live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. For additional information, call 512-258-5479 or e-mail info@austinauction.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. Visit Austin Auction Gallery’s Web site at www.AustinAuction.com.

Important circa-1900 Art Nouveau necklace reputed to have once belonged to iconic American interior designer Elsie de Wolfe (a k a Lady Mendl, 1865-1950), comprised of more than 45 carats of cabochon, oval-cut and teardrop-shape Australian fire opals, 23 in all. Additional accents include 19 freshwater pearls and 52 single-cut diamonds. Retains original heart-shape leather case. Featured on Leigh and Leslie Keno’s TV show Find! Estimate $60,000-$80,000.

THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT TO PURCHASE GRACELAND IN MEMPHIS, SIGNED BY ELVIS PRESLEY AND HIS PARENTS IN 1957, WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION APR. 25th

Contact: Philip Weiss
(516) 594-0731

THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT TO PURCHASE GRACELAND IN MEMPHIS, SIGNED BY ELVIS PRESLEY AND HIS PARENTS IN 1957, WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION APR. 25th

Rare document will be sold by Philip Weiss Auctions on final day of a massive three-day sale.

(OCEANSIDE, N.Y.) – Just weeks after successfully selling the original marriage certificate issued to Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 (for $70,800), Philip Weiss Auctions is offering yet another blockbusting piece of rock ‘n’ roll history: the original contract to purchase Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., in 1957, signed by Elvis Presley and both his parents.

The rare document – plus other property contracts signed by Elvis -- will be offered on the final day of a massive three-day estate auction planned for the weekend of Apr. 23-25, in the Philip Weiss Auctions gallery facility, located at #1 Neil Court in Oceanside. Additional rock ‘n’ roll lots will include items signed by Buddy Holly and the Beatles, rare concert posters and more.

The consignor of the Elvis documents is a gentleman who had worked at a law firm in Memphis that specialized in real estate. In 1987, the company was purging its old files and one file – marked “Elvis Presley” – was about to be thrown out when the gentleman retrieved it from the trash. He only recently showed the file to an appraiser, to see if the documents had any value.

The appraiser – Gary Sohmers, a radio talk show host and frequent appraiser on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow – was astounded at what he saw: the purchase and sale agreement (and settlement sheet) for Graceland, the home in Memphis that Presley purchased from Ruth Brown Moore in 1957. The document was signed by Elvis and his parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley.

Also in the file (and to be offered Apr. 25) was the contract to acquire the home Elvis initially purchased in Memphis, at 1034 Audubon Road. That document is also signed by all three Presleys and details the price paid and the terms. Later, when Elvis purchased Graceland, part of the agreement had him turning the Audubon Road property over to Ruth Brown Moore.

Also sold will be the documents for Elvis’s purchase of the Circle G Ranch (then known as Twinkletown Farms), located just south of Memphis, in Mississippi. It is there that Elvis and Priscilla honeymooned, in 1967. After Mr. Sohmers and the gentleman discussed the documents and their potential value, the decision was made to consign the group to Philip Weiss Auctions.

It was a logical fit. Philip Weiss Auctions often handles Elvis Presley items and other pop culture memorabilia, and Mr. Weiss frequently appears as an appraiser of such items on Antiques Roadshow. The remarkable thing is that the documents are coming to auction at all; normally, they remain within a family or get loaned to a museum. Rarely do such items come up for bid.

Other lots in the auction are nearly as impressive in their rock ‘n’ roll pedigree. Beatles fans will have much to peruse, including an unreleased master reel-to-reel tape of the Beatles' press conference, in its entirety, in New York City on Aug. 22, 1966, for their appearance at Shea Stadium the following day, along with an extremely rare Beatles Aug. 23 Shea Stadium concert poster in a format previously unseen. It is the same size as the cardboard poster (of which only four are known to exist) and on the same paper stock as the one-sheet poster (of which only one is known to exist).

The poster was printed by the Murray Poster Company for the iconic Aug. 23, 1966 concert, with the yellow and black ink on white paper being from the original printer’s plate, but with no blur in any of the printing anywhere. It is a one-of-a-kind collectible.

Also sold will be the Beatles collection of Joy Waugh Donnell, who was featured on the TV program 48 Hours and described by Paul McCartney on the show as being “the number one Beatles fan in America.” Her collection bears that out. It includes a first-state pressing of the famous Yesterday and Today “butcher cover” album, Remco dolls, car mascot nodders, concert tickets, ephemera and items that were signed for her by all four Beatles before her recent passing.

Also sold will be a Buddy Holly & the Crickets album, signed by Holly and all the members of the group in person in 1959 from an appearance in Canada (to include a picture of Buddy Holly with the consignor who had it autographed), as well as a large selection of psychedelic concert posters and handbills from the 1960s. These include posters from the famed Fillmore East and Fillmore West venues, plus the Family Dog and other iconic rock locations.

Important lots include the Jimi Hendrix “Flying Eyeball” Fillmore concert poster (BG105, first printing), a 1966 Lightnin’ Hopkins at the Matrix in San Francisco poster, a poster for the MC5 in Berkeley, a 1966 Yardbirds Fillmore concert poster (first printing, with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page), a Grateful Dead at Fillmore West poster and numerous handbill lot groupings.

The first day of the auction (Friday, Apr. 23, at 6 p.m.) will feature toys and trains, with names like American Flyer, Lionel and other makers. Also sold will be toys, wind-ups, cast-iron, pressed steel trucks, a Cragstan Radical Robot with original box, cast-iron banks (Bread Winner, Fowler, Panorama) and more. The Friday part of the auction will also include 80 lots of vintage 1977-through-1983 Star Wars action figures, playsets and vehicles in their original packaging.

The next day (Saturday, Apr. 24, at 10 a.m.) will feature the comprehensive, extensive Edward Ryan collection of paper and toy soldiers, as well as French military items. Offered will be over 120 boxed Britains sets, important reference material, uncut paper soldier sheets, rare French military paraphernalia, important French political and military autographs and more.

Highlights will include a wonderful selection of boxed paper soldier sets by Milton Bradley, Raphael Tuck, McLoughlin and Parker Brothers (to include a rare “The War in Cuba, a Game for Boys,” still in the box), dioramas (including many hand-painted by Mr. Ryan), scarce Lineol and Elastolin sets, a large selection of flats, Authenticast, Mignot and many other makers.

Military memorabilia will include rare original early 19th century French Shako hats and plates, early swords, original military art (to include Edouard Detaille), important Napoleonic documents and signatures, toy soldiers from several estates and other items. Online bidding for the auction will be facilitated by Proxibid.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

Philip Weiss Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (516) 594-0731, or e-mail them at phil@prwauctions.com. To learn more about Philip Weiss Auctions and its calendar of upcoming auctions, to include the Apr. 23-25 weekend event, click on www.prwauctions.com.


Elvis document 1 and 2:
The original contract to purchase Graceland in 1957 – signed by Elvis Presley and his parents – will be sold April 25th.






Elvis LOA:
Slip of paper signed by Elvis Presley and clipped to a Memphis newspaper, with letter of authenticity.

Signed Buddy Holly album:
Record album of Buddy Holly & The Crickets, signed by Holly and the other members of the group.

Concert posters:
Many rare and collectible concert posters from historic rock venues of the 1960s will be sold.



Beatles poster:
One-of-a-kind 1966 Beatles Shea Stadium concert poster, in a format previously unseen.

THE PERSONAL LIFETIME COLLECTION OF DALE GABEL WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT RESERVE APR. 9-10 BY WOODY AUCTION AT ST. CHARLES CONVENTION CENTER

Contact: Jason Woody
(316) 747-2694

THE PERSONAL LIFETIME COLLECTION OF DALE GABEL WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT RESERVE APR. 9-10 BY WOODY AUCTION AT ST. CHARLES CONVENTION CENTER

(ST. CHARLES, Mo.) – The outstanding single-owner lifetime collection of Dale Gabel – a dedicated collector of antiques in a wide range of categories – will be sold without reserve (everything goes, regardless of price) the weekend of April 9-10 in the junior ballroom of the St. Charles Convention Center. Woody Auction, based in Douglass, Kan., will conduct the auction.

Over 850 lots will cross the block over the course of the two days. Featured will be Daum Nancy, primitives, art glass, R.S. Prussia, lithographs, marbles, lamps, Royal Bayreuth, Flow Blue, Wave Crest, advertising items and more. Mr. Gabel’s collections are so massive a second auction will be held later in the year (time and date to be determined) to complete the liquidation.

“Mr. Gabel amassed his items over many decades of careful picking and choosing,” said Jason Woody of Woody Auction. “Like many antiquers, he began to keep some of the better pieces for his own personal collection. In fact, he’s been attending our auctions for over 30 years. Now, it is my privilege to offer his collections at auction to the highest bidder, without reserve.”

Vases will be served up in abundance, and in a variety of types and styles. Examples include a rare 10-¾ inch marked Rookwood vase with a dark green blue glazed background with a white stork décor, dated 1921, artist marked and in excellent condition; and a Rookwood #562r 9-¼ inch scenic vase with dark brown tones and stork décor, dated 1893 and artist signed “Mad.”

Other vases expected to do well are a 7-½ inch signed Devez three-color cameo cut vase with a well-cut scene of a cottage, lake and woman watching geese; a 9-¾ inch signed Legras cameo cut vase, three colors (white, lavender and green), with deeply carved leaf design; and a 7 ¼ inch Daum Nancy cameo cut vase, five colors, with tulip shade and nice, long stemmed décor.

Lamps will feature a fine 25-inch marked Handel leaded and reverse painted Egyptian design lamp with three large full-figural sphinx lion base; a 23-inch signed Pairpoint lamp with colorful reverse painted garden scenic shade and base with three candle lights; and a 17-inch peg lamp with yellow satin swirl shade and matching font set on brass figural base with three geese.

Plates and plaques will include an unmarked Wave Crest pipe rack plaque with embossed scroll mold and an Indian Chief portrait décor, in excellent condition; a nice 10-½ inch Nippon embossed plaque with a scene of an Indian riding a horse while shooting a rifle; and a 9-½ inch signed Beehive scenic plate with cobalt blue border and gold highlight trim, signed “F. Hiebel.”

Fans of R.S. Prussia will be impressed with an extremely rare 11-½ inch pedestal covered urn with keyhole spring season portrait and iridescent bronze Tiffany background with great gold stenciled highlights. Also offered will be a 5-½ inch by 8 inch signed Nakara round hinged “Collars and Cuffs” box, in pink tones with blue floral décor, very nice and in wonderful shape.

Figural renderings will include a 7 inch by 6 inch Austrian bronze figural group of an Arab riding horseback with flintlock rifle, boasting excellent paint; a 17-½ inch figural bronze group with black marble base of a young girl and boy, Paris studio mark, artist signed Moreau; and a 12-inch Heubach bisque figurine of a baseball player in period clothing holding a bat.

Rare and attractive prints and lithographs are certain to get paddles wagging. A pair of lots to watch are a very rare 24 inch by 32 inch Currier & Ives historical railroad print, drawn by F.F. Palmer and titled Across the Continent, in great condition; and an original 23 inch by 28 inch Louis Icart lithograph, dated 1922 and depicting a scene of a woman reclining on a couch.

Rounding out the weekend’s expected top lots: an extra nice oak cased “Diamond Dyes” advertising cabinet, with original interior compartments all labeled; a 13 inch by 10 inch Victorian-era kaleidoscope with wooden pedestal holding a leather and brass scope (1873); and 13-inch Ward’s Orange Crush syrup dispenser featuring figural orange with embossed lettering.

The Friday session (Apr. 9) will begin at 5 p.m. The Saturday session (Apr. 10) will begin at 9 a.m. The St. Charles Convention Center is located off exit #229 of I-70 in St. Charles, Mo. For lodging, the Embassy Suites Hotel (636-946-5544) is connected directly to the convention center. The Fairfield Inn (636-946-1000) is located directly across the street.

Internet bidding will be facilitated by Proxibid (proxibid.com/woodyauction). All Proxibid terms and conditions will apply. Absentee bids will be accepted with a written statement indicating the amount of the bid, and must be received no later than noon Thursday, Apr. 8. Absentee bids may be faxed (316-747-2145) or e-mailed (info@woodyauction.com).

Woody Auction is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (316) 747-2694. Or, you can e-mail them at info@woodyauction.com. To learn more about Woody Auction and the upcoming calendar of events, to include the April 9-10 weekend event, you may log on to www.woodyauction.com.


Wave Crest plaque:
Unmarked Wave Crest pipe rack plaque, embossed scroll mold with Indian Chief portrait décor.






RSP urn:
Very rare R.S. Prussia pedestal covered urn with keyhole spring season portrait, 11 ½ inches tall.

Handel lamp:
25-inch marked Handel leaded and reverse painted Egyptian design lamp with large 20” shade.

Baseball figure:
12-inch Heubach bisque figurine of a baseball player in period clothing holding a wooden bat.

Orange Crush:
Rare 13-inch Ward's Orange Crush syrup dispenser, figural orange with embossed lettering.

Pair vases:
Par of 11-inch Mont Joye square-shaped art glass vases with floral décor and gold highlights.

THE HOME AND CONTENTS OF CARL AND BARBARA MOULTON WILL BE SOLD AT AN ON-SITE AUCTION IN CHESAPEAKE, VA., ON SATURDAY, APRIL 17th, AT 9 A.M.

Contact: Tom Perry
(757) 539-2498

THE HOME AND CONTENTS OF CARL AND BARBARA MOULTON WILL BE SOLD AT AN ON-SITE AUCTION IN CHESAPEAKE, VA., ON SATURDAY, APRIL 17th, AT 9 A.M.

(CHESAPEAKE, Va.) – Part 3 of the estate of Carl and Barbara Moulton – comprising the couple’s lovely home at 200 Tara Circle in Chesapeake, plus over 700 lots of antiques and collectibles – will be sold at the home itself in an on-site auction slated for Saturday, Apr. 17, at 9 a.m. The auction will be conducted by Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals, based in Suffolk, Va.

“I’m not going to say we saved the best for last, because there were some truly outstanding items sold in Parts 1 and 2,” said Tom Perry of Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals, “but when you add the home itself to the mix and still have wall to wall merchandise, it’s hard not to get excited. Folks need to mark their calendars. This will be one sale they don’t want to miss.”

The house, which will come up for bid at 1 p.m., is a 2,800-square-foot structure situated on a large, 0.65 acre corner lot in the Great Bridge area. It has seven rooms – including 3 bedrooms and 2 ½ baths – plus a 2-car garage and a detached garage. Features include antique stained glass windows, beautiful ceilings, leaded glass kitchen cabinets and a stone fireplace.

Bidders will be treated to dolls, toys, Black Memorabilia, pictures and prints, sterling silver, furniture, jewelry and more. “We’re talking about 55 years of collecting,” Mr. Perry pointed out. “Mr. Moulton was an antiques dealer, an auctioneer and a pawn shop owner.”

The merchandise is eclectic, ranging from a rare cast-iron eagle with eaglets mechanical bank to gorgeous Bradley & Hubbard lamps to a group of porcelain piano babies (marked and numbered) to an original Civil War-era print titled Our Heroes to an outstanding walnut cylinder roll secretary. “There really is something for just about everybody,” Mr. Perry remarked.

Furniture will include a Beautiful Hinkle Harris dining room set table with six chairs, an exceptional burl mahogany sideboard, marble-top washstand, a drop-leaf end table, an oval walnut table, an inlaid tilt-top tea table, matching pairs of Victorian chairs, a marble-top coffee table, a marble-top hall tree, two oak curved glass curio cabinets, an oak center post kitchen table with leaf and four arrow-back chairs, an oak child’s rocker, a Victorian stool, an antique Chippendale-style mirror and a cherry twin bed.

Decorative accessories will feature a cast-iron Scottie dog doorstop, a trunk made by the Norfolk Trunk Co., a signed Lalique figural piece, some nice rugs (area and Oriental), signed paperweights, glassware, Roseville, steins, ivory pieces, canning jars, stoneware clocks, vintage telephones (stick and wall), a Grey Telephone Co. 1909 pay phone, a pitcher and bowl and a panel glass lamp.

Coca-Cola collectors will have a field day. The list of Coke items includes buttons (to include one featuring Santa Claus), thermometers (one dated 1939), fishtail advertising signs and other advertising signs, a “Coke Is It” clock and a “Drink Coca-Cola” sign. Also offered will be Pepsi-Cola advertising items, Royal Crown advertising items and Dr. Pepper advertising items.

The list of collectibles is just as impressive. It includes Hummel figurines, Bunny Bread and Sunbeam Bread advertising signs, a Texaco sign, a Georgia state flag, a Norfolk restaurant picture with “Seasons Greetings,” a Ford advertising sign, a Route 66 sign, antique license plates, a Bell Public Telephone porcelain sign, a U.S. Navy bell and a 1903 framed calendar.

Also offered will be a pair of Hood’s calendars in early walnut Victorian frames (one from 1893, one from 1900), a framed picture of Robert E. Lee taken from a 1940 Saturday Evening Post, four battle prints, an 1834 50-cent piece, a tiny Bradley & Hubard lamp with shade, walking canes, bottles, old marbles, iron handcuffs, decoys and about 12-15 wind-up toys, some in boxes.

Silver pieces will include a highly decorated footed bowl made by Jenkins & Jenkins, Inc. (Baltimore, #504), teaspoons, forks, baby spoon and fork sets, a food pusher, serving spoons, a sugar spoon and a knife. Also sold will be a Little Black Sambo book, daguerreotypes, silver dollars, around15 antique dolls , a Kool Cigarettes display, a set of Willie & Millie salt and pepper shakers, an Aunt Jemima note pad and original artwork.

Rounding out the day’s offerings: several railroad watches (some 14kt gold -- Bunn Special, Hamilton, etc.), a Virginia Civil War button stick pin, gold and silver watch fobs, a Dick Tracy Detective Club badge, a Mickey Mouse bank, Shirley Temple items, a group of chauffeurs’ licenses from Virginia and West Virginia, about a dozen quality name pocket watches and a Presidential mug.

Mr. Moulton (known as “Colonel” Moulton to his friends and business associates) was a larger than life figure who owned and operated Carl’s Antiques in Chesapeake. He also kept booths at several area malls, in addition to being an auctioneer and pawn shop owner. He specialized in jewelry, coins, period American furniture, stoneware, collectibles and militaria.

For anyone interested in purchasing the home, there will be two open houses, on Mar. 27 and Apr. 3 (both Saturdays), from 1-4 p.m., or by appointment (to arrange for an appointment, please call Tom Perry at 757-539-2498). The sale will be subject to owner’s confirmation. For information, terms and conditions, contact Mr. Perry by phone or visit www.tomsauction.com.

Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals is one of the premier auction houses in the mid-Atlantic states. The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them, at (757) 539-2498. Or, you may send them an e-mail, at tombuys@tomsauction.com. For more info on the Apr. 17 auction, log on to tomsauction.com.


Cast iron bank:
Vintage cast-iron bank of eagle with eaglets, from the late 19th century.






Moulton house:
The lovely home formerly belonging to the Moultons in Chesapeake, Va., will be sold at 1 p.m.






Silver bowl:
Sterling silver footed bowl made by Jenkins & Jenkins (Baltimore, #504), circa late 19th century.

Bradley & Hubbard:
Three signed Bradley & Hubbard lamps, like this gorgeous desk model, will be sold.

Lalique piece:
Signed Lalique rendering of a nymph in repose.






Walnut secretary:
Walnut cylinder roll secretary from the Victorian era, circa 1860-1890.

EXTREMELY RARE KELLY TIRES DOUBLE-SIDED TRADE SIGN BRINGS $13,200 AT SPRING PEOTONE AUCTION HELD MAR. 5 BY MATTHEWS AUCTIONS IN ILLINOIS

Contact: Dan Matthews
(217) 563-8880 or (217) 259-7059

EXTREMELY RARE KELLY TIRES DOUBLE-SIDED TRADE SIGN BRINGS $13,200 AT SPRING PEOTONE AUCTION HELD MAR. 5 BY MATTHEWS AUCTIONS IN ILLINOIS

(PEOTONE, Ill.) – An extremely rare Kelly Tires double-sided tin trade sign, 24 inches in diameter and showing a lady waving while driving, sold for $13,200 at a Spring Petroliana & Advertising Auction held Mar. 5 by Matthews Auctions, LLC. The auction was conducted on the day before the popular Chicagoland Petroliana & Advertising Show, held each spring in Peotone.

The Kelly Tires sign – the top earner in a sale that saw nearly 500 lots change hands – was rated 8.9 on a scale of 1-10 for condition, both sides, and boasted super color and shine. The only flaws were a few very small paint chips. It was marked Stout Co., St. Louis. According to legend the lady on the sign was modeled after Shirley Temple, who never gave her authorization.

“This was our first big sale since November, so I didn’t know what to expect going in,” said Dan Matthews of Matthews Auctions, LLC, “but, considering the economy, it exceeded my expectations. Prices were strong, proving to me that the market for pertroliana and advertising collectibles is healthy. And it didn’t hurt having the Gulf Oil collection of Pat Lutz in the sale.”

Around 125 people attended the sale in person, while just under 200 bidders participated online, through Proxibid. “There were between 45 and 70 people online at any given time,” Mr. Matthews remarked. “The Internet was one of the main reasons the sale was as successful as it was.” Absentee bidding was strong and the few phone bids that were taken were mostly winners.

Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 10 percent buyer’s premium.

A hard-to-find Avio Motor Oil single-sided tin sign, 14 inches by 20 inches, saying “a Product of Midwest Oil Company,” rated 8.5 and with only some minor staining in the middle of the field, brought $5,500; and a rare United Motors Service arrow sign, double-sided porcelain, 14 inches by 42 inches, with an early touring car logo and graded a stout 9.5, rose to $6,050.

An Alligator Boot (“the Only Boot That Eliminates Shock”) metal counter display with great graphics, 24 inches by 12 inches by 13 inches, marked Leo Meyer Co. (Akron, Ohio) and graded 8.75, coasted to $5,500; and a rare Gulf Oil (“the Oil of Untold Uses”) counter-top metal display with original handy oiler, 12 inches by 10.45 inches and graded 8.0, garnered $4,070.

A Perfect Circle Piston Rings single-sided tin embossed sign (“Don’t Drive an Oil Hog”), with great graphics, 36 inches by 30 inches, with great color and shine and only light wear, graded 7.9, fetched $2,640; and a Columbia Gorge Stage Depot double-sided tin display sign, with a photo of an early bus, 24 inches by 18 inches, with good color, graded 7.9, made $3,190.

An exceptional Sinclair Opaline Motor Oil single-sided porcelain sign (“Made Expressly for Ford Cars”), 20 inches by 48 inches, graded 9.5 with just some minor chips along the bottom edge, breezed to $3,630; and a large-size Time Gas double-sided porcelain die-cut sign (“10 ‘Til 1 O’Clock”), 72 inches by 48 inches, graded 9 on one side and 8.75 on the other, brought $3,575.

A Firestone Aircraft Tires & Accessories single-sided tin sign dated 1946, 30 inches by 72 inches, graded 8.0, hammered for $3,025; a rare Gardner Automotive single-sided tin sign, graded 5.5 and with heavy wear, finished at $1,072; and an Invader Motor Oil double-sided die-cut tin sign with knight on horseback graphics, 30 inches by 30 inches, graded 9.5, hit $1,650.

A Penn Trump Motor Oil one-quart metal can, unassembled (and unable to be assembled), graded 9.5, realized $715; a Wadhams Tempered Motor Oil salesman’s sample 5-gallon motor oil can in rocker box, graded 8.0, demanded $743; and a rare Fleetwing Vertical Bird license plate attachment, single-sided tin and die-cut embossed, graded 7.0, went for $462.

Matthews Auctions, LLC has two big auctions coming up in May. The first, scheduled for Saturday, May 1, will be a Classic Car, Boat, Petroliana, Gas Pump & Advertising Auction, to be held at 943 Alton Street in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc. Offered will be more than 20 classic cars and other vehicles, a great selection of gas pumps, boats, neon signs, memorabilia and more.

Then, a two-day sale will be held the weekend of May 15-16, at The Ranch in Loveland, Colo. It will be an Absolute Petroliana & Automotive Advertising Auction, featuring the single-owner lifetime collection of Clyde Hodge. “This will be a great auction, with a large selection of signs, globes and collectibles with the Rocky Mountains right out the back door,” Matthews said.

Matthews Auctions, LLC is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them toll-free, at (877) 968-8880. Or, you can e-mail them at danm@matthewsauctions.com. To learn more about the firm and its calendar of upcoming sales, to include the May 1 and May 15-16 dates, click on MatthewsAuctions.com.


Kelly Tires sign:
The top lot of the sale was this extremely rare Kelly Tires double-sided tin sign ($13,200).

Avio Motor Oil:
Avio Motor Oil (“a Product of Midwest Oil Company”) single-sided embossed tin sign ($5,500).

United Motors:
United Motors Service arrow die-cut sign, double-sided porcelain, graded a stout 9.5 ($6,050).

Gulf Oil:
Rare Gulf Oil (“the Oil of Untold Uses”) counter-top metal display ($4,070).

Alligator Boot:
Alligator Boot (“the Only Boot That Eliminates Shock”) metal counter display ($5,500).

Sinclair Opaline:
Sinclair Opaline Motor Oil (“Made Expressly for Ford Cars”) porcelain sign ($3,630).

THE ESTATE OF THE LATE VIRGINIA SYKES OF ABERDEEN, MISS., WILL BE SOLD AT ABSOLUTE AUCTION ON SATURDAY, MARCH 27th, BY STEVENS AUCTION COMPANY

Contact: Dwight Stevens
(662) 369-2200

THE ESTATE OF THE LATE VIRGINIA SYKES OF ABERDEEN, MISS., WILL BE SOLD AT ABSOLUTE AUCTION ON SATURDAY, MARCH 27th, BY STEVENS AUCTION COMPANY

(ABERDEEN, Miss.) - The estate of the late Virginia Sykes, a longtime resident of Aberdeen, Miss., will be sold at an on-site auction on Saturday, Mar. 27, beginning at 10 a.m., by Stevens Auction Company, based in Aberdeen. The absolute auction (everything goes, regardless of price) will be held at 301 High Street in Aberdeen, located about 35 miles southeast of Tupelo, Miss., on U.S. Route 45.

“Mrs. Sykes' story is one of history, romance, dedication and Southern grace, all of which can be seen through the wonderful collection of antiques and fine items she gained over nearly 70 years in Aberdeen,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company. He said a preview of the items would be held on Friday, Mar. 26, from 10-6, and that doors to the auction would open on Saturday at 8 a.m.

Furniture items will include a Regency-style bracket foot mahogany china cabinet with 13 pane doors, while clock aficionados will be intrigued by a circa-1780 crotch mahogany Scottish grandfather clock by John Munro (Glasgow, Scotland), hand-painted on the face with a scene of an Irish clan. Also certain to get paddles wagging is a fine gold Victorian 2-piece marble-top pier mirror, made circa 1850.

Decorative accessories will be served up in abundance. Examples include a Tiffany & Co. hand-engraved, sterling silver rectangular double vegetable dish, 46.6 troy ounces; a brass 4-light gasolier with four etched satin glass shades and prisms, 40 inches tall; and a Gorham helmet-shaped sterling silver heavy tea service with four seasons masks and lion, and shield finials (coffee, tea, cream, sugar).

Also sold will be a Victorian Italian center bowl with hand-painted and embossed flowers with bronze mounts, 12 ½ inches in diameter; a round sterling footed fruit bowl (London, 1899), hand chased, 8 inches by .75 inches and weighing 16.2 troy ounces; and a sterling silver cake server set (knife and fork), still in the original presentation box and made circa 1851 by Black Ball & Company.

Paper and coin money will also cross the block, to include a Series 1929 ten-dollar bill, on The First National Bank of Aberdeen, signed by Eugene L. Sykes, Mrs. Sykes' late husband; and numerous solid gold Krugerrand coins from the 1980s in fabulous condition.

Mrs. Sykes was a true Southern lady – independent, warm, gracious and perpetually kind. She was the daughter of a banker from Camden, Tenn., and she skipped a college education to start her own trucking business right out of high school. Her firm hauled chert for Southern companies. In the spring of 1942, while in Aberdeen on business, she met Eugene L. Sykes, Jr., and it was love at first sight.

By the summer of that year, the two were married and Mrs. Sykes became very active in the Aberdeen community. She also assisted in her husband's varied business interests, helping him manage Sykes Plantation just outside of town and the Sykes Commission Company, a farm supply business. Mr. Sykes also sat on the Board of Directors of his father's bank, The First National Bank of Aberdeen.

Mr. And Mrs. Sykes made their home at the Old Homestead on Main Street in Aberdeen until his death in 1961. Mrs. Sykes remained at the Old Homestead, caring for her father-in-law until his passing in 1965. Looking to downsize after that, she found Dunlee, a gorgeous antebellum cottage (and site of the March 27 auction). She continued to live at Dunlee until her recent death at the end of 2009.

Many images of the items to be sold in the auction can be viewed on the Stevens Auction website, at www.stevensauction.com. Updates are posted frequently. For additional information, or to request a brochure, you may call Stevens Auction at (662) 369-2200, or you can send them an e-mail at stevensauction@bellsouth.net. Also, reserved seating and phone bids are welcome, if done in advance.

Refreshments will be available on the day of the auction. There are no minimums and no reserves, as this is an absolute auction. Terms are cash, major credit cards and pre-approved check. All sales are final. A 12 percent buyer's premium will be charged on the total purchase price, with a 2 percent discount for cash. Business and personal checks are accepted with proper ID, or wire transfer.

Stevens Auction Company has another spectacular on-site auction planned for Saturday, May 1, at 9:30 a.m. Offered will be the contents of Bella Vida, one of Aberdeen's most historic homes, built in 1879 and situated on 1.87 acres. The property is completely fenced in, with a tall brick fence and a picket fence in front. The gates are ornamental wrought iron from the 1830s, with phoenixes on them.

Bella Vida is one of only a few Second Empire homes remaining in Mississippi. It stands as a testimony to Aberdeen's burgeoning prosperity in the post-Reconstruction period, and one of the jewels in the town's crown of historic older homes. Bella Vida was originally built by Joseph Eckford, who sold it in the 1880s to State Senator George Leftwich, who lived there with his family for many years.

Bella Vida has been restored befitting the architectural treasure that it is. The building reigns again as the Queen of Aberdeen's “Silk Stocking Row” (Franklin Street), and it has been featured in many publications. Bella Vida – a 2 ½-story frame structure with a striking 3 ½-story tower – is itself for sale, not just its contents. Interested parties may call Dwight Stevens directly, at (662) 369-2200.

Stevens Auction Company is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly, at (662) 369-2200, or you can e-mail them at stevensauction@bellsouth.net. To learn more about Stevens Auction Company and the upcoming sales slated for March 27th and May 1st, you may log on to www.stevensauction.com.


Sterling bowl:
Round, footed sterling fruit bowl, made in London circa 1899-1900, 16.2 total troy ounces.

Grandfather clock:
Crotch mahogany Scottish grandfather clock (circa 1780), made by John Munro, Glasgow.






Brass gasolier:
Brass 4-light gasolier with 4 etched satin glass shades and prisms, 40 inches tall.

Tea service:
Gorham helmet-shaped sterling silver heavy tea service with four seasons masks and lion.

Center bowl:
Victorian Italian center bowl with hand-painted and embossed flowers with bronze mounts.

Gold coin:
Gold coins and paper money will be offered, to include this near-mint 1981 Krugerrand.

THREE EARLY DETECTIVE COMICS SELL FOR A COMBINED $77,790 AT A MASSIVE MULTI-ESTATE SALE HELD FEB. 27-28 BY PHILIP WEISS AUCTIONS IN NEW YORK

Contact: Philip Weiss
(516) 594-0731

THREE EARLY DETECTIVE COMICS SELL FOR A COMBINED $77,790 AT A MASSIVE MULTI-ESTATE SALE HELD FEB. 27-28 BY PHILIP WEISS AUCTIONS IN NEW YORK

(OCEANSIDE, N.Y.) – Three early Detective Comics from the late 1930s sold for a combined $77,790 at a multi-estate sale held the weekend of Feb. 27-28 by Philip Weiss Auctions. The top lot of the sale was Detective Comics #28, from June 1939 and featuring Batman in only his second comic book appearance. The unrestored example brought $30,510.

A copy of Detective Comics #1 (March 1937), with cover art by Vin Sullivan depicting the Fu Manchu-style Oriental villain Ching Lung on the cover, made $28,250; while a copy of Detective Comics #2 (April 1937), showing a thug getting the gun knocked out of his hand by a policeman on the cover, fetched $19,210. Also, a fine copy of Batman Comic #3 rose to $11,565.

All the comics in the sale were from the estate of noted cartoonist Eldon Dedini. His massive collection consisted of many key Golden Age books, all unrestored, with the owner’s name and code numbers written on the covers. Mr. Dedini personally bought each of the comic books in his collection off the newsstand. The auction also featured Dedini's original comic art.

The Sunday session (Feb. 28) was dedicated to Mr. Dedini’s collections. Saturday (Feb. 27) saw nearly 675 lots of toys and trains cross the block, featuring a Lionel train collection, still in the original boxes that had been in storage for over 50 years. “Prices were strong on Saturday, with active bidding in the room and over the Internet, through Proxibid.com,” said Philip Weiss.

The two-day event grossed more than $500,000. “The freshness to the market and the wonderful condition of the merchandise was reflected in the high sale prices,” Mr. Weiss said. “Prices continue to remain strong for the fresh, high-end material. People are taking advantage of the opportunity to go after hard-to-find and rare items, paying top dollar for the better things.”

Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices quoted include a 13 percent buyer’s premium.

A Bing train set, circa 1913, with two locomotives and three passenger cars, rolled away for $1,243. One locomotive was a 0-4-0 and the other a 4-4-0. The passenger cars were a pair of 1207s and a 1250. Also included in the set were 12 pieces of straight track and 7 pieces of curved track, plus other accessories. Overall, the set exhibited the scuffs and scratches typical for its age.

From the Lionel collection: a Lionel 298W O Gauge passenger set, in excellent condition, including a 238E engine and 600 series passenger cars with set box, achieved $1,135; a Lionel 392 engine, 392W tender and three Stephen Girard cars (424, 425, 426), all excellent, made $1,695; and a 714K Boxcar, 715K Tank Car and 716K Hopper, boxed, went for $2,825.

A Krazy Kat Sunday comic page by George Joseph Herriman (1880-1944), undated, showing Krazy Kat and Ignatz, with Ignatz flying into the scene on a balloon, realized $9,040. Also, a pair of Charles Schulz original daily Peanuts comic strips, one from 1952 with Lucy and a tennis theme and one from 1962 with a baseball and psychiatry theme, brought $18,080 each.

A pair of 5 inch by 6 inch animation production cels from the classic Disney movie Snow White commanded $5,085 each. One showed Snow White in a waist-up image, wide-eyed, with the covers pulled up to her chin. The other showed Snow White seated, also wide-eyed, with a sleeping rabbit on her lap. Both cels came straight from the closet of an old Long Island home.

Philip Weiss Auctions has two big sales coming up later this month. The first is a two-day weekend event planned for Mar. 19-20. The Friday session (Mar. 19) will feature 200-300 lots of Hollywood and entertainment memorabilia, highlighted by Part I of the Lester Glassner Collection, with approximately 250,000 movie stills, signed photos, posters and other items.

The next day, Saturday (Mar. 20), will be dedicated to Military, Nautical, Presidential, Barber and other advertising. Items will include a Confederate Civil War General’s cape, original ship’s artifacts from the ill-fated Andrea Doria, a rare set of Tiffany playing cards, presidential collectibles and a high-end Mr. Peanut Collection, to include a penny coin-op scale.

Friday, Mar. 26, will be a one-day auction dedicated to fine, fresh-to-the-market estate merchandise. Featured will be important paintings, furniture, pottery, porcelains and bronzes. The artwork will be by noted, listed artists. Also offered will be American Indian photos by Edward S. Curtis, a rare antique kiln with amazing colors and pattern, and many mantel clocks.

The Mar. 26 sale will also include an Alexander Gagliandus violin with label, a group of Black Forest bears, a fabulous Black Forest chalet clock, a KPM porcelain plaque, Boehm, Limoges, a Yrjo Kukkapuro swivel lounge chair and ottoman, an important authenticated W.M. Chase portrait painting, a large collection of clocks and a rare American junior dental cabinet.

Perhaps the crown jewel of the spring calendar, though, will be the auction scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 24, beginning at 10 a.m. Offered will be the Edward Ryan Toy Soldier & Military Memorabilia Collection, featuring one of the most comprehensive and extensive holdings of paper toy soldiers in existence. It's a chance to own a piece of a pedigree toy soldier collection.

Philip Weiss Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (516) 594-0731, or e-mail them at phil@prwauctions.com. To learn more about Philip Weiss Auctions and its calendar of upcoming auctions, to include the March and April 24 sales, click on www.prwauctions.com.



Detective 28:
The top lot of the sale was this copy of Detective Comics #28, from June 1939 ($30,510).








Bing Train Set:
Bing train set, circa 1913, with two locomotives and three passenger cars ($1,243).

Snow White:
One of two animation cels from the Disney film Snow White; each one brought $5,085.

Lionel 714K & 716K:
Lionel 714K Boxcar, 715 Tank Car and 716K Hopper, all boxed ($2,825).






Peanuts daily:
Two original daily Peanuts strips by Charles Schulz from 1952 and 1962 made $18,080 each.

Batman 3:
This fine copy of Batman #3 brought $11,565.