If you’ve read my last two blogs, you’ll know that hubby and I have been following an auction, from the collection of items to the set-up phase and now, on to the sale itself. It has made us realize just how much work goes into an auction and how great it is to have a cohesive team that can pull it together. And still smile!

The auction was held on Monday, March 31st, with a busy viewing period before the auctioneer started testing the microphone promptly at 6:00. This particular auction house starts with furniture and it moved along quickly. There was a beautiful East Lake Mirror that sold to a happy bidder for only $50.

One of the items in their flyer and on the net was this delightful Steiff dog on wheels. A German Shepherd, quite large and in fantastic condition, and it would bark when you pulled the lever. The young couple that purchased it said they’d seen it in the ad and did not think they’d be able to win it. But win it they did, and they were so pleased. (It sold for $140.)

Another item that was quite desirable was the antique paddle-wheel boat that Mark is presenting. They stated that it had a few minor ‘issues’, but definitely a treasure and a true oldie. It brought some heavy bidding and closed at $600.

There were several lovely bird pictures by artist Carl Priebe. There was also a penciled print, with a note of dedication to the original owners from the artist. That one sold for $200. Another item they had advertised was the ‘dog trick bank’, cast iron and definitely an antique. It sold for $300. Several other cast iron banks went up for sale but the auctioneer advised that they were not ‘of age’, but rather reproductions, most likely from the 1960s. They sold for considerably less and left you with a good feeling that this is indeed an honest house.

As is common for this particular auction service, there was a lot of jewelry. From Victorian mourning pins to contemporary diamond and ruby rings to signed rhinestone pins from Weiss, Kramer and the like. All of these were nicely displayed in cases and described on printed sheets that were handed out to those interested before the auction started. That was a helpful point of reference and made it easy for you to be sure you were bidding on the right grouping. The young lady displaying this case is the daughter of Dan, the auctioneer.

There was also a nice selection of lanterns to be considered. These were sold to various bidders and the prices were varied as well. We were surprised to see one from the New York Central Railroad bring only $60. Someone walked away with a bargain. There were several albums with post cards. One sold for $375, much higher than the first one, even though it contained less cards. We are sure there were some very special cards in that album.

The auction moved along very smoothly and you could see how well the staff worked together. They would anxiously ’spot’ for the auctioneer, who cannot possibly see everyone and every paddle. The runners would promptly deliver items and if it was a larger piece, would hold it in the back of the room, or ask if help was needed in taking it to the car. While Dan auctioned items, the owner, Julie, was the one recording all the sales, and you could tell she’s very efficient after over 25 years in the business.

I had just adored the little German papier mache’ bunny with springy ears and was disappointed to see it sell to another bidder. The lucky winner was right behind us and she told me she could not resist it. So I knew it was going to a good home after all.

We were lucky enough to get a treasure for ourselves. For many years, a friend and I have exchanged flamingos. First as a joke, with the pink, plastic yard-art figures and later on with mugs, glasses, plates, pictures, etc. Well, we found the ultimate flamingo decoration. A large metal piece from an old screen door! We’ll be finding a place for it in our bathroom and our friend will certainly be jealous.

It was a wonderful experience, seeing an auction from this vantage point. Appreciating how they worked together and how much goes on ‘behind the scenes.’ They estimated it would be midnight before the auction ended and then the ‘tear-down’ would begin. For many years, the staff has gone out to breakfast afterwards, to unwind and discuss the current and future sales. We must say that we felt it was a “job well done!” We thank Julie and ‘the crew’ for their kindness and ‘free education.’

================

Gotta Collect? Then You Gotta Connect - Join our Collectors’ Community!

This entry was posted on Friday, April 4th, 2008 at 4:28 am and is filed under Uncategorized, collecting fyi, events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.