THE LIVING ESTATE OF BRADY C. JEFCOAT, ECLECTIC COLLECTOR OF VINTAGE MUSIC MACHINES AND OTHER RARE ITEMS, WILL BE SOLD JUNE 18 & JUNE 24-25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Catherine Winstead
(336) 599-7508 or (336) 504-4650
jww23@embarqmail.com

THE LIVING ESTATE OF BRADY C. JEFCOAT, ECLECTIC COLLECTOR OF VINTAGE MUSIC MACHINES AND OTHER RARE ITEMS, WILL BE SOLD JUNE 18 & JUNE 24-25

The June 18 auction will be held at Winstead’s Auction Company in Yanceyville, North Carolina
The June 24-25 sale will be conducted on-site, at Mr. Jefcoat's home in Raleigh, North Carolina

(YANCEYVILLE, N.C.) – Hundreds of rare and prized items from the living estate of Brady C. Jefcoat – a collector so dedicated and renowned a museum bearing his name exists in Murfreesboro, N.C. – will be held on Saturday, June 18, in the showroom of Winstead’s Auction Company, then again June 24-25 in an on-site auction at the Jefcoat residence in Raleigh, N.C.

Mr. Jefcoat, 95, began his collection in earnest in 1972 following the death of his wife. It has since become famous throughout the region. His main passion is music machines, to include rare and vintage phonographs (many with horns), Regina disc players and players by other makers, jukeboxes, Victrolas, cylinder boxes, organs, band boxes, coin-operated items, Black Forest cuckoo clocks, hanging oil lamps and many other items in a variety of collecting genres.

“This collection is an auctioneer’s dream,” remarked Catherine Winstead of Winstead’s Auction Company. “I was fortunate to have been chosen to handle his estate. Sotheby’s came and looked at what he had, and he was also courted by many other big auction houses from far away. But in the end he decided to keep it local. It all happened very quickly. I’m still reeling.”

Almost anyone would be. The June 18 sale will feature around 500 museum-quality lots from Mr. Jefcoat's personal collection. Also sold will be duplicate items from The Brady C. Jefcoat Museum (still open and operational). There will still be enough merchandise left from that auction for the June 24-25 on-site event – an estimated 800-1,000 lots.

For people planning to attend the June 18 sale, Winstead’s Auction Company is located at 201 Main Street in Yanceyville, N.C., near the Virginia state line, about an hour north of Raleigh and 45 minutes east of Greensboro, off Highways 86 and 158. There will be no Internet bidding, but phone and absentee bids will be accepted. To view the many items to be sold, visit www.winsteadsauction.com.

The name Edison is synonymous with vintage music-playing machines, and this auction will feature many examples. These include an Edison Bell Electrotone German Excelsior reproducer/talking machine with cupids on all sides and a huge horn; a rare Class M battery-operated phonograph; and an Edison Triumph #66907 with Cygnet horn and original gold paint.

Other phonographs will include an oak case Edison Model M spring-model reproducer with 5-inch Mandrel, oak Cygnet horn and Music Master label (plus tag from Theo F. Bentel & Co.); an Edison Model A Oxidized Bronze reproducer (serial #4484), type SM, with 21-inch mahogany Cygnet horn; and an Edison Model B reproducer with two- and four-minute gearing.

Regina is another name coveted by collectors. This sale will include an upright coin-op 27-inch Regina Corona disc player with the original finish, automatic changer, double comb box and 12 discs; a coin-op oak Regina 27-inch disc player with fancy carvings, 12 automatic changer; an oak coin-op bow-front Regina 12-disc changer; and a rare coin-op oak upright Regina Hexaphone with six interchangeable cylinders.

Two items are certain to get paddles wagging. The first is an oak carved German-made grandfather clock with a built-in Schultz-Marke 12-inch disc player. The other is an oak hall tree with weight-driven clock, beveled mirrors, swinging pendulum and beveled glass. Also sold will be an RCA Victor “Nipper” the mascot dog (3 feet tall) with a speaker in his belly.

Jukeboxes will be served up in abundance. Examples include a totally restored Wurlitzer Model 750 jukebox; a 24-selection 1948 Wurlitzer Model 1100 jukebox; a coin-op Ristaucrat Model 45-S table jukebox that plays 45 rpm records, 16 ½ inches tall; and a circa 1950s Seeburg Model 200 Wall-o-Matic table jukebox. Also sold will be an automated Chicago Coins band box.

Also slated to cross the block will be a coin-op upright Symphonion musical automation disc player with three drawers, by Schultz-Marke; a coin-op Nicole Freres-Leipzip upright Polyphon disc player, with five 19 5/8-inch discs; and a Modernola hand-painted Japanese black lacquer phonograph with lamp and satin shade with tassles and original sales receipt from 1923.

Rounding out the list of expected top lots will be a Swiss-made oak cylinder music box with carvings by Jacot & Sons (1885); a Stella fancy-carved Jacot & Sons 17-inch disc music box with drawer and four discs; a Symphonion double 12-inch disc music box by Schultz-Marke; an oak Capital music box with seven cone-shaped discs, oak, with painted snow scene on the lid; a Columbia oak case phonograph with nickel-plated morning glory-style 23-inch horn and tone arm; and an inlaid cylinder music box with bells (tambour, nine timbers and castagnettes) by Fabrique DeGeneve, with glass cover.

All of the items just described will be in the June 18 auction in Yanceyville. The June 24-25 auction will be held at Mr. Jefcoat’s residence, at 6017 Donnybrook Road in Raleigh. The house and property will not be offered, just the merchandise inside. Items in Mr. Jefcoat’s home were still being inventoried at press time, but the variety and quality will be same as on June 18.

The June 18 auction will begin promptly at 12:00 noon (EDT). Previews will be held on Thursday, June 16, from 11-5; on Friday, June 17, from noon to 6:30 p.m.; and on Saturday, June 18, the day of sale, from 9 a.m. to noon. Previews may also be arranged by appointment (please call 336-599-7508). Start times for the June 24-25 auction will be 12:00 noon on Friday, June 24; and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 25. Previews will be held on and before the auction dates.

Winstead’s Auction Company has over 25 years’ experience in the auction business. The firm has access to thousands of collectors and dealers and is able to conduct auctions on-site or at its climate-controlled showroom facility. Winstead’s is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign a single item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (336) 599-7508 or (336) 504-2807; or, you can send them an e-mail at jww23@embarqmail.com.

To learn more about Winstead’s Auction Company and the upcoming June 18 and June 24-25 living estate sale of Brady C. Jefcoat, please log on to www.winsteadsauction.com.


Regina Corona:
Coin-operated upright Regina Corona disc player with original finish, nice gallery and 12 discs.

Grandfather clock:
Extremely rare oak carved grandfather clock with 12-disc music player made by Schultz-Marke.

Hall tree:
Rare oak hall tree with weight-driven clock, beveled mirrors, swinging pendulum, beveled glass.

Regina bow-front:
Oak upright coin-operated Regina bow-front disc player with 12-disc changer, barley twist.

Band box:
Automated Chicago Coin's Band-Box.

Wurlitzer jukebox:
Totally restored 1941 Wurlitzer Model 750 jukebox in super-nice working condition.

ONLY KNOWN PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A JULIUS GOLDMAN BACK BAR BOTTLE GAVELS FOR $25,200 IN SALE ENDED MAY 14 BY AMERICAN BOTTLE AUCTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeff Wichmann
(800) 806-7722
info@americanbottle.com

ONLY KNOWN PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A JULIUS GOLDMAN BACK BAR BOTTLE GAVELS FOR $25,200 IN SALE ENDED MAY 14 BY AMERICAN BOTTLE AUCTIONS

The bottle sailed past its high estimate of $20,000, making it easily the top lot in the auction.

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) – A mint condition spin mold fifth bottle for Jule’s Bourbon, probably made around 1900 and most likely the only known perfect example of a Julius Goldman back bar bottle, soared to $25,200 to claim top lot honors in an Internet and catalog sale that began April 29 and ended May 14 by American Bottle Auctions (americanbottle.com).

The bottle sailed past its high estimate of $20,000, which was expected considering it is quite possibly the finest back bar bottle in existence. Hundreds of other rare, vintage and highly collectible bottles also crossed the block, to include an amazing offering of blown three-mold inkwells, a nice collection of back bar bottles and some rare Western whiskey bottles and flasks.

“All in all it was a very satisfying auction with great participation,” said Jeff Wichmann of American Bottle Auctions. “The inkwells, a very special and select grouping, did quite well, considering the market. Some categories were up and some were down, but overall the news was more good than bad.” By the time it was over, 248 lots had sold and the auction tallied $239,429.

The Julius Goldman bottle came to auction with quite a history. During the 1940s, a man in Tucson, Ariz., bought an old adobe row-house in an older part of town. While restoring the structure, he discovered a closed-off, abandoned basement. There, he found boxes of papers and artifacts once belonging to Julius Goldman, a frontier saloon keeper and local liquor distributor.

Among the scattered piles were several old bottles, including three magnificent back bars. One was broken at the neck, another was just a piece of the lip. But the third was in pristine condition – the bottle offered in this auction. In addition to its near-mint grade of 9.9 out of 10 for overall condition, the bottle boasted an applied top with enamel writing and gold decoration.
Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 12 percent buyer’s premium.

A triangular-shaped, extremely dark National Bitters bottle (C.C. Jerome & Company, Detroit, 1865), with extremely crude overall glass and with areas of waviness and uneven texture that made it hard to believe it had no pontil (which it didn’t), went for $12,880. The bottle had been purchased by a solider in Detroit in the 1940s and had been in his collection ever since.

A rarely-seen Keach Torpedo Soda bottle (made in Baltimore), apricot puce in color and graded 9.3, mainly for some extremely minor scratches and what appears to have been a professional cleaning, hammered for $8,960. The bottle was extremely crude with lots of whittle, and the fact that another one won’t be seen at auction anytime soon no doubt drove up the price.

A blown, three-mold geometric inkwell (C-1193, GII-18C, circa 1815-1835), 1 ¾ inches tall and with corset waist and pontil, breezed to $6,720. The inkwell was important enough to have been pictured in Ink Bottles and Inkwells by Covil, and was most likely produced in very limited quantities. Graded a solid 9.9, the inkwell was made by Boston & Sandwich Glassworks.

A J. H. Cutter western whiskey pint flask (E. Martin & Company, Sole Agents), one of only a dozen or so known and graded 9.8, commanded $5,600. The crown shoulder is what gave this pint flask its desirability, that and its rarity. Only manufactured between 1873 and 1877, the bottle boasted a strong strike and a handsome amber tone. It was a top specimen of its variety.

An Old Bourbon Castle Whiskey western flask (F. Chevalier & Company, Sole Agents), circa 1875-1880), graded 9.8 and arguably one of the top western whiskey flasks around, fetched $4,928. The hard-to-find example came to auction with a beautiful light to amber tone and a very strong strike. When carefully examined under a loupe, there was nothing to see but pristine glass.

An interesting Fish Bitters bottle that had ¼ inch hole drilled into the base because someone at one time decided to use it for a lamp sold for $4,480. Light green in color, the bottle probably would have graded out at around 8.9 without the hole. As is, it became even more desirable because of its history. A tiny bit of roughness on the very drippy lip was its only flaw.

American Bottle Auctions’ next big sale will begin in mid-June and end in mid-July. Featured will be over 100 rare and important bottles in an array of categories. Watch the website for exact dates and details: www.americanbottle.com.
American Bottle Auctions was founded in 1990 by Jeff Wichmann, a native Californian who has been collecting antique bottles for 40 years. Over time, the firm grew and underwent a name change, but the focus has always remained the same: to specialize in appraising, brokering, consigning and auctioning antique bottles and glass. Bottle collecting is becoming very popular.

American Bottle Auctions is always accepting quality consignments and buys bottles for future sales. To consign or sell a single bottle or an entire collection, you may call them toll-free, at 1-800-806-7722; or, you can e-mail them, at info@americanbottle.com. To learn more about American Bottle Auctions and the company’s next sale, log on to www.americanbottle.com.



Goldbaum:
The top lot of the sale was this Julius Goldman back bar bottle for Jule's Bourbon ($25,200).







Fish:
Fish Bitters bottle with a hole drilled in the base, as it was once used for a lamp ($4,480).







National:
National Bitters bottle, C.C. Jerome & Co., Detroit, 1865, very dark, 10 ½ inches tall ($12,880).








Inkwell:
Blown three-mold geometric inkwell, GII-18C, circa 1815-1835, 1 ¾ inches tall ($6,720).








Keach:
Keach Torpedo Soda bottle (Baltimore), apricot puce in color, very crude, graded 9.3 ($8,960).







Cutter:
J.H. Cutter Old Bourbon bottle, one of only around a dozen known, graded 9.8 ($5,600).

THE PROPERTY OF LAMBUTH UNIVERSITY, A SMALL LIBERAL ARTS SCHOOL ABOUT TO CLOSE ITS DOORS, WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION SATURDAY, MAY 28

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dwight Stevens
(662) 369-2200
stevensauction@bellsouth.net

THE PROPERTY OF LAMBUTH UNIVERSITY, A SMALL LIBERAL ARTS SCHOOL ABOUT TO CLOSE ITS DOORS, WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION SATURDAY, MAY 28

The auction will be conducted in the Student Union Building by Stevens Auction Company.

(JACKSON, Tenn.) – It isn’t often that an institution of higher learning sells off most of its holdings and closes its doors for good, but that’s exactly what is about to happen at Lambuth University, a small liberal arts school located about midway between Memphis and Nashville. A sale of the university’s property will be held Saturday, May 28, in the Student Union Building.

And the offerings will be considerable. Auctioned will be a wide variety of merchandise from the school’s 168-year history, to include magnificent antiques, important works of art, rare and vintage books (some dating back as far as 1800), wonderful period furniture, several fine pianos, Persian rugs, decorative accessories and one-of-a-kind items in an array of categories.

These will include a sizable bronze bell (signed and dated 1822), a marble bust of a Victorian girl (16 inches tall, circa 1860), a mahogany Victorian-era Victrola in good working condition (circa 1920), a 1796 early map of Tennessee, a rare antique microscope, a large group of vintage wedding dresses, an antique wheelchair, a folding portable stage and a pair of safes.

Conducting the sale will be Stevens Auction Company, based in Aberdeen, Miss. “The school struggled financially following the economic crisis of 2008 and just never recovered,” said Dwight Stephens. “Throughout 2009 and 2010, faculty and staff resolutely endured weeks, even months, without pay.” Trustees voted to close the school effective June 30th of this year.

Proceeds from the sale will be used to help faculty and staff provide educational services for a projected 77 summer 2011 graduates. Sales will ensure that those who have fought so hard and diligently for the school will be able to end their tenure with dignity. The auction will begin at 10 a.m., with an open house preview planned for Friday, May 27th, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A pre-sale preview will also be held on auction day, from 8 a.m. until the first gavel comes down. Many of the items to be sold may be viewed on the Stevens Auction Company website, at www.stevensauction.com. A free brochure is available by calling (662) 369-2200. There will be no Internet bidding available, but telephone and absentee bids will be accepted.

Furniture items will feature a massive circa-1790 English walnut Georgian breakfront bookcase, Gothic style, with Million glass doors (and the original glass). The piece is 18 feet long and 11 feet 4 inches tall. Also sold will be a 16-foot-long mahogany conference table, 16 Queen Anne chairs, a rare model oak writing desk, and an oak church pew and communion table.

The books would excite even the most hard-core bibliophile. There are around 1,000 – many of them leather-bound and rare first-editions. They include a first-edition work by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and volumes of poetry by greats such as Byron, Keats and Shelley. The books are so rare and fragile they’ve been kept locked away for the better part of a century.

The pianos will include a Steinway & Son concert grand piano from the chapel (serial # 404793D), a Steinway & Son parlor baby grand piano, a K. Kawai piano from the theater (serial # 242867), a Baldwin concert grand piano, a K. Kawai parlor grand piano (Model 650, serial # 271529) and a K. Kawai parlor grand piano. Also sold will be a practice organ in good condition.

The fine art will feature a monumental 1776 portrait of Thomas Brown, Esq., by William McCullough (Glasgow Academy); an unsigned oil painting of the early New York City skyline by Samuel Halpert (Am., 1884-1930), a pioneer of modern art in American (est. $30,000); an oil on canvas landscape by G.B. Sticks (Br., 1834-1898), titled Loch Kathrine Sunset (1876); an oil on canvas of a woman and a mule by L. Meyer (N.Y., 19th century); and other important works.

What is today Lambuth University began in 1843 as a small but significant women’s college geared mainly toward women in the Jackson and Memphus, Tenn., areas. It was founded by the Memphis Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Eighty years later, men were allowed to enroll, thus broadening Lambuth’s educational reach and community impact.

Through steadfast stewardship of early leaders at the newly co-educational institution, Lambuth continued to expand not only its campus size but its athletic activities and academic offerings, including one of the few planetariums in the South. It is unclear what will become of the buildings and grounds once the school closes, but word is negotiations are underway with a large area university to acquire it and turn it into a satellite campus. But no deal has been made.

The Lambuth University Student Union Building is located at 705 Lambuth Boulevard in Jackson, Tenn., about a half-mile west of US Highway 45 (also known as North Highland Ave.).

Terms of the auction will be cash, major credit cards and pre-approved checks. All sales will be final, with no warranty expressed or implied. A 12 percent buyer’s premium will be charged on each total purchase price, with a 2 percent discount for cash, business and personal checks with proper ID, or wire transfers. A 7 percent sales tax will apply to most purchases.

Stevens Auction Company is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign a single item, an estate or a 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 May 28 on-site auction, please log on to www.stevensauction.com.

Portrait:
Monumental portrait of Thomas Brown, Esq., painted in 1796 by William McCullough.







Halpern:
Unsigned rendering of the early New York City skyline by Samuel Halpert (1884-1930).







Books:
Around 1,000 rare antique books will be sold, many of them leather-bound and first-editions.







Bookcase:
Massive English walnut Georgian breakfront bookcase, Gothic style, made circa 1790.







Piano:
Beautiful Steinway & Son concert grand piano, from the Lambuth University chapel.







Bust:
Marble bust of a Victorian girl, 15 inches tall, with some repair, executed circa 1890.







Victrola:
Gorgeous mahogany Victorian Victrola music machine (circa 1920), in good working condition.