(WINSTED, Conn.) – One of the largest single-owner lifetime collections of model airplanes in existence – well over 1,000 examples, some unassembled and still in their original boxes – will be sold at an on-site auction slated for Sunday, Dec. 6, at 12 noon. The auction will be held by Tim’s, Inc., of Bristol, Conn., at the home of the collector, 80-year-old Paul Lachat of 228 Holabird Ave. in Winsted.”This is the most fascinating single-owner collection of like merchandise it has ever been my pleasure to offer,” said Tim Chapulis of Tim’s, Inc. “It’s like were selling his life. Paul Lachat has been building and displaying these planes in his home for nearly his entire life. Avid collectors will have a field day. Mark your calendars.” Winsted is in northwestern Connecticut, at the northern tip of Route 8.

Mr. Lachat’s collection – which he keeps in a two-bay garage-barn, an attic and a large room in his home – comprises well over 600 completed planes (some made of pine and dating back to the World War II era) and about 500 more that he bought but never assembled. Those are still in the original boxes but the seals have been broken. “I had to look inside to make sure they had all the parts,” he explained.

In addition to the model planes, other items belonging to Mr. Lachat and his sister, Edna (they share the home) will also cross the block on Dec. 6. These include vintage American furniture (all of it pre-1930), a motorboat and canoe, fishing equipment, personal tools, old phonograph records and other items, to include a 1960s-era Sears (Pentax) 35mm camera with accessories and many household items.

Mr. Lachat, who has been a bachelor his entire life, got his first look at a model plane at age six, when he was out shopping with his mother around Christmas. “We were at a Woolworth’s,” he recalled, “and I saw all these model planes in the window all stacked up. One that caught my eye was a Jimmy Doolittle Flying Milk Bottle racing plane. I didn’t get it, but I thought to myself, ‘This is for me.’”

The following summer, he did get his first plane – “what they called a ten-cent comic kit,” he said. “After that, I became addicted. If I got my hands on some money, I ran and got a kit. My mother was always telling me to save, save, save. One time I got a dollar for mowing a lawn and I bought ten kits. But I put all the parts from all ten kits into one box to make my mother think I’d only bought one.”

The hobby was fueled in part by tragedy. As a young boy, Paul was in a car accident that left him blind in one eye for years. He eventually regained his sight, but had few friends because he couldn’t play sports or engage in many activities at all. At school he suffered from double vision and he never did graduate from high school. He turned to model plane building as an outlet, one that lasted a lifetime.

The oldest planes in his collection are pine examples from the 1940s, before balsa wood became the material of choice for manufacturers. One of the pine firms was Ace Whitman, and Mr. Lachat has four in his collection: a Grumman Wildcat, a Devastator, a P-38 and a Japanese Kerrigan. He used to have some Joe Ott planes (also pine), but no more. Over time, pine gave way to a low-grade balsa wood.

“During World War II, they had to make do with whatever they could get their hands on,” he said. “I have two Aeronca Gliders from that era that are made from low-grade balsa, plus a Corsair that was made from sumac.” The collection was interrupted by a stint in the Army during the Korean War (“I just never told them about my eye”), but when he returned to civilian life he picked up where he left off.

“That’s when it got really bad,” he said with a laugh. “I was like a drug addict. If I saw a kit, or a set of plans, I bought it.” As a result, he today has planes that are radio-controlled, guided by control lines (two wires; the plane can only fly in a circle), rubber band-powered and, of course, stationary plastic and wood. The makers, most of them long gone, include Cleveland, Revell, Sterling and Veco.

Favorites in his collection include a Comet sail plane made from low-grade balsa wood — a free flight promotional model with a 6-foot wing span; a Stinton Voyager that took ten years to build, from plans by Sid Morgan and featuring doors that open and close, upholstered seats and a 9-foot wing span; and a Sopwith Pup, the British double-winged Navy fighter from World War I, made by Balsa USA.

The pre-1930 period furniture includes a nice dining room table with six chairs, a china closet and buffet, bedroom bureaus, a cedar chest and a wooden trunk. The personal tools include a shop smith (combination drill press, lathe and saw), a saw with a carbide blade, motorized hand tools (saws, drills, etc.), oxygen-acetylene welding tanks and tools, a small drafting table and drafting equipment and tools.

The motorboat is a white 1966 wooden Grady White with trailer, in excellent condition. Mr. Lachat refinished and painted it just a few years ago. The trailer is like-new, with no rust, and comes with a camper top. It has two Johnson motors (one 80hp, one 9.9hp, new in 1995). A power winch is included. “The boat is in perfect shape and ready to take fishing on Bantam Lake,” Mr. Chapulis said.

The canoe, equipped with a small Johnson trolling motor, is a blue 13-foot craft made of fiberglass on the outside and fiberglass and wood on the inside. Mr. Lachat estimates it was built around 1985. Like the Grady White, it is in near-mint condition and has always been garaged. “It does have some scratches,” Mr. Lachat conceded, “but they’re all underwater. You can’t avoid them. It happens.”

Paul’s fishing gear will also come under the gavel. It includes extensive casting equipment, tackle boxes packed with like-new fishing lures (many of them vintage), camping equipment, a pup tent with windows and screens, a larger tent that’s never been used, and a depth finder and temperature indicator made by Heath Kit. “All of it is like-new,” Paul said “I was a Depression baby. I took care of my stuff.”

Books and magazines specific to model planes and fishing will also be part of the sale. The many magazines are neatly arranged by year and date back to the 1940s. They sport wonderful and colorful covers, adding to their desirability as collectibles. Among the many household items are two slide projectors and two screens, a table with a light (for showing slides), model airplane lacquer and more.

A preview will be held the day of the auction, from 10:30 a.m. until the start of sale. All sales will be subject to a 15 percent buyer’s premium. Terms are cash and known checks. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Mr. Lachat will personally be on hand to answer any questions regarding his vast collections. “Paul will be there to dispense information and share his past,” Mr. Chapulis remarked.

For more information about this and other Tim’s, Inc. auctions, log on to http://www.timsauction.com/. Or, you can call them, at (860) 459-0964 and toll-free, (800) 255-68467.

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(OCEANSIDE, N.Y.) – A rare signed carte de visite of former President James A. Garfield – taken when he was a Union Brigadier General in the Civil War, prior to his assassination by gunshot at the hand of Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881 – sold for $4,068 at an estate sale that was top-heavy with weapons and militaria, held Nov. 14-15 by Philip Weiss Auctions. Garfield himself signed the CDV.

Cartes de visites are a highly collectible form of early photography. They’re even more desirable when taken of known historical figures and signed. They were a type of small photo — patented in Paris, France in 1854 by photographer Andre Adolphe Eugene Disderi — and usually made of an albumen print (a thin paper photograph, mounted on a thicker paper card measuring 2 1/8 inches by 3 ½ inches).

The Garfield CDV was one of about 1,400 lots that changed hands in a sale that grossed more than $500,000. Around 200 people attended the event in person – at Philip Weiss Auctions’ showroom, located at #1 Neil Court in Oceanside – while phone, Internet and absentee bidding were active both days. “The phones rang almost non-stop, especially on Sunday, and we recorded close to 3,000 absentee bids,” said Philip Weiss. “We also had well over 500 registered online bidders, through Proxibid.com.”

Mr. Weiss attributed the success of the auction to the quality of items in the military collections. “This was all fresh-to-the-market merchandise,” he remarked, “and the true, dedicated collectors will come out in full force when they know they’re bidding on original items, not recycled inventory. We had an all right day on Saturday, but Sunday was when these great military collections were offered.”

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

Two lots tied for top earner, each bringing $6,780. The first was a rare Smith & Wesson 320 revolving carbine and stock pistol with rifle butt feature (#48), exceedingly rare and in spectacular condition. It was made circa 1850. The other lot was a U.S. legal tender 1923 $10 note in superb/gem condition. Also, a rare and very fine 1870 $5 gold certificate (San Francisco) changed hands for $5,650.

A Sharps Model 1863 rifle, approximately 47 inches in length and made circa 1860-1870, was the highlight of the rifle category, fetching $4,850. Also, a Colt 6-inch police pistol sailed past its high estimate and realized $1,808; and a rare China war medal, issued in 1842 during the First Opium War (1839-1842) to Thomas Hyne, who served aboard the British ship H.M.S. Conway, commanded $1,243.

A group of around 100 lots of ocean liner postcards from the Ken Schultz Collection brought a combined $31,000; an incredible, museum-quality scale model of a Wells Fargo stagecoach, 33 inches long by 16 inches tall and made in the 1930s or ‘40s, breezed to $2,486; a Japanese Order of the Rising Sun (2^nd class) medal rose to $2,260; and a Series 1865 $2 National Bank Note (U.S.) went for $6,440.

Mr. Weiss’s favorite lot of the sale was a 1/8 plate hand-colored ambrotype of a fireman (circa 1870s), seated with a fire helmet with an insignia reading ‘Howard 34.’The fireman’s bib was colored red and the piece was in overall excellent condition. It went to a determined bidder for $1,800. Also, a Waterloo medal issued in 1815 to Sgt. T. Wright of the 13^th Regiment, Light Dragoons, reached $2,600.

Philip Weiss Auctions has a trifecta of important auctions lined up through January 2010. First up is a multi-estate sale scheduled for Friday, Nov. 27, starting at 1 p.m. Featured lots will include a monumental Francois Linke 4-door dore bronze mounted cabinet with ram’s head and lyres, and a large-size original oil painting attributed to the renowned Hudson River School painter Girlando Marsiglia.

The Nov. 27 sale will also feature an array of fine decorative accessories, to include a mirror plateau with French ormolu mounts by G. Bointaburet (Paris, circa 1880); a pair of F. Barbedienne bronze plaques; a 19^th century gilt bronze plaque with dancing putti; porcelains; an Argy-Russeau powder box; a collection of Mettlach and Satsuma; Sevres pieces; and 19^th century Oriental porcelains.

Other decorative accessories will include hand-painted plates; a gilt and signed bronze and enamel box; pottery and art glass; hand-painted and enameled vases; a monumental gilt bronze center piece; tons of French porcelains; Oriental rugs; a monumental gilt French Trimue mirror with top center painting; clocks; a collection of vintage phonographs and cylinder players; and dozens of works of art.

Then, a three-day “Let’s Go Hog Wild Sale” is planned for the weekend of Dec. 18-20. The sale will feature a wonderful single-owner collection of pig-related memorabilia – everything but the oink. Also featured will be toys and dolls, like a rare boxed GI Joe Australian doll and GI Joe French and German soldiers; items from the German and French Resistance; circus items; and Coke memorabilia, to include early signs and a rare clock.

The weekend will break out as follows: Friday, Dec. 18, will be dedicated primarily to dolls and toy soldiers; Saturday, Dec. 19, will feature a Christmas collection, an advertising collection and premiums, to include a very rare Little Orphan Annie Altascope ring; and Sunday, Dec. 20, will have the pig memorabilia and circus items. Mr. Weiss said pulled pork might be served in honor of the theme.

Philip Weiss Auctions is saving the best for last, when the original marriage certificate issued to Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic will be sold as part of an important multi-estate sale planned for the weekend of Jan. 22-24, 2010. The certificate was signed by both Jackson and Presley. “It’s anybody’s guess how much it will sell for,” Mr. Weiss said.

That same weekend, another important slice of music and pop memorabilia will be sold: a large photo of the Beatles, signed by all four members of the group and personalized to the flamboyant late pianist Liberace. In their lighthearted way, the Beatles signed the photo “to Liber-Archie” as a play on words. Also in the auction will be many other pieces of authentic signed Beatles-related memorabilia.

Other lots certain to pique bidder interest will include the contents of a train and hobby shop that closed in the 1970s that featured trains, soldiers, play sets and more; stamps galore, including a complete sheet of 80 Peoples Republic of China Monkey New Year stamps (Scott #1586, est. $40,000-$50,000); a single-owner lifetime stamp collection; and horse racing trophies and other items relating to the late jockey Willie Shoemaker, plus horse racing trophies from Bill Hartack and trophies from the estate of Louis Wolfson.

In addition, there will be a Friday night estate sale in January that will feature a prominent Queens, N.Y., estate with an original oil painting by Jean Dufy (Fr., 1888-1964) and an original Von Danken painting as well.

Philip Weiss Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item,

an estate or an entire collection, you may call them directly, at (516) 594-0731, or you can e-mail them at phil@prwauctions.com. To learn more about the company and its calendar of upcoming sales, to include the Nov. 27, Dec. 18-20 and Jan. 22-24, 2010 multi-estate events, please log on to http://www.prwauctions.com/.

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Wednesday November 18, 2009

It’s That Time Again – Daryle Lambert’s Antique and Collectibles Blog – Sell Gold and Silver.

Time to sell – Thanks to Flicker.com

The last time I made this call for my readers gold was over $1000 an ounce and silver went to $21. After my call, gold went to $800 and silver was as low as $10. I think these markets have peaked. I hope that over the last few months that you have purchased some silver and gold coins like I suggested in my blogs, but now is the time to take your profit. I know that I will be getting all the hate mail again from the gold bugs but that is okay.

A good friend of mine just took a few pieces of old and broken jewelry to a gold buyer and received over $550 and I guarantee you that I wouldn’t have given her $100 for what she showed me. There is still the misconception that gold is a hedge against hard times but I believe that in today’s markets where the true hedge is currencies, gold is just another commercial metal. Yes, India and China are buying gold but as we have seen in the past they can just as quickly turn to sellers. In both these countries, jewelry is very important to their culture and that is why they are purchasing gold, not as a hedge.

As I have told you in the past, these markets have almost become a sham. I find it hard to watch thirty minutes of television without someone hyping gold. Do people think they are doing that out of the goodness of their hearts? No, it is because they are making fortunes selling to the uninformed public what they are buying at much cheaper prices. When the market reverses and starts down, see if they are still around or better than that if they will buy the gold they’re selling now back at what the public paid.

How does this pertain to us as antique dealers you may be asking? There still is money to be made on quick turns in gold and silver, just don’t get stuck with it. You may find that you run into someone that has 40 or 50 silver dollars that you can buy. This may be a real opportunity for you. First, I would recommend that you buy them and research each one to see if they have any numerical value. Put the ones that do on the Seeauctions site and sell the rest as scrap. The same advice goes for gold coins and jewelry. I believe that today is an opportunity that won’t last long and as you visit the garage and house sales, pick up all the gold and silver items you can and sell then just as quickly. The items that I spoke of earlier that the lady sold could have easily been purchased for under $100 at a sale. That would definitely met our goal of doubling our money.

Here is what I will leave you with. If at the present time you have gold and silver items, sell them. Also take this opportunity to buy more of these items but sell them the next day or the same day if possible. This love affair won’t continue.

I hope that in the future we will be able to receive comments on the blog but that doesn’t seem to be happening at the present time. I would appreciate if you would send all comment to www.31corp.com until I can solve this problem.

My 220 page book about how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles is FREE with your membership in the 31 Club. Join Us Today

For more information, visit my web site at http://www.31corp.com.

We buy quality paintings, glass, pottery & porcelain-singles or collections. Contact us at 847.784.8544 or email us here.

Federal Glass made many important depression glass patterns. We’ll give tips to collect and enjoy a mold-etched bird and swag pattern, Georgian Lovebirds, this month.Federal made several well known mold-etched designs including Georgian Lovebirds, with a really neat design that alternates birds and baskets around the edge, connected by swags, and with a medallion in the center.  Federal made Georgian from 1931 to 1936 so it is one of their earlier depression patterns.Federal made a lot of green and amber depression glass, with some crystal (clear), pink and blue. Georgian came almost exclusively in green although my reference books mention some crystal and amber. We have several pieces of green Georgian Lovebirds in our stores www.CatladykatesGlass.com and www.Catladykate.com.Depression glass is known for having flaws such as rough seams, bubbles, strawmarks and such. Federal Glass patterns certainly will have bubbles and strawmarks, but they fewer protruding seams you will see in other companies’ wares. The colors are consistent so you won’t have to hunt for pieces to match what you have. Georgian is a medium priced pattern for most pieces in today’s markets. Cups and sherbets, for example, are in the $10-18 range, while dinner plates are $35-60, serving bowls about $70. Since people broke tumblers more than most pieces, drinking glasses are pricey pieces, about $100-125 for a water glass. There are two sizes of tumblers.Georgian has some interesting pieces, a butter dish with lid, hot plate and a cold cuts server. The cold cuts server is a wooden lazy susan with seven hot plates sunk into round recesses. Interestingly, there is no pitcher, candleholder, salt and pepper shaker, stemware or vase in Georgian.There are two sizes of creamers and sugars. The two sizes are shaped about the same, just one is much larger. It’s something you’ll want to be careful of.           There are two different dinner plates, too.  One has the familiar lovebirds and basket design and the other plate has only the rim border and center medallion.  Both styles are accepted as authentic Georgian by Federal Glass.  I’ve often wondered why they made two styles.           There is misinformation about Federal’s Glass, including articles on the internet stating that pieces that do not have the F in a shield mark are reproductions. This is not true. I contacted the noted author and depression glass expert Barbara Mauzy and confirmed Georgian has not been reproduced. Enjoy your glass and don’t worry whether some pieces are marked. Saucers, cups and sherbets can be marked or not.The design is wonderful, with rounded triangle cartouches that frame pairs of birds alternating with baskets. The pairs of birds give this pattern its nickname “Lovebirds”. The triangles are connected by swags of leaves and the center of each piece has an elaborate medallion design. This glass is mold-etched. That means the mold was etched with the design and the glass was then pressed. The design is recessed on the mold so the pattern is raised on the surface of the glass. Mold etching was an innovative method to mass produce large quantities of glass with intricate patterns without the expense and hand labor of individually etched pieces.Federal made another pattern with parrots, called Parrot, but you should not have any problems distinguishing Parrots from Georgian. The Parrot pattern lacks the baskets, the birds are larger and the pieces were square while Georgian pieces are round. Indiana’s Lorain pattern also has baskets with swags, but it does not have the birds and the pieces are square and often have rough seams and inner rim roughness. You won’t have a problem telling Georgian from Lorain.When you buy Georgian there aren’t any spots that you need to be especially wary of, just be sure to check carefully for wear on the surface or nicks on the rim. Georgian plates and rimmed pieces are round and don’t have protruding points or sharp edges that are likely to chip. You should check the rims on the plates to be sure they don’t have rough spots, but this design has more a sloped rim that is less prone to roughness than designs with a sharply defined inner rim.Federal’s Georgian Lovebirds is an excellent choice if you want to collect depression glass.  Pieces are available; it isn’t prone to damage; it hasn’t been reproduced; the design is appealing and pretty in green.  Come and try a piece or two.

(HILLSBOROUGH, N.C.) – Nearly 750 lots – most of them quality, fresh to the market items from prominent local estates – will be sold at a Fine & Decorative Arts Cataloged Auction scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5, at 9 a.m., by Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. The auction will be conducted in the firm’s new state-of-the-art showroom facility, located at 620 Cornerstone Court in Hillsborough.

A wide array of categories will be represented, to include Classical American period and period American furniture; Continental furniture; American portraits and traditional American art; European art; bronzes and statuary; Southern pottery; estate jewelry and watches; vintage lamps and art glass; Americana; vintage musical instruments; first-edition books; over 70 lots of Asian art; and gold and silver coins.

On Friday, Dec. 4, at 3 p.m., a special lecture will be presented by June Lucas, the director of research at Old Salem Museums and Gardens in Winston-Salem, N.C. Ms. Lucas’ talk will be titled Wood as Canvas: the Paint-Decorated Furniture of Piedmont, N.C. It will center on the late 18^th- and 19^th-century furniture makers in the piedmont region of North Carolina and their use of paint decoration.

The auction will be preceded by previews, on Saturday, Nov. 28 (from 10-3); Thursday, Dec. 3 (from 10-6); and Friday, Dec. 4 (from 10-6). An evening reception will be held Thursday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. Bidding may be done in-house, over the phone, through absentee bidding or via the Internet, at LiveAuctioneers.com. An online catalog has been posted. To view, click on www.LLAuctions.com.

Furniture will abound at the sale. Examples of period American furniture include a Southern Chippendale walnut stepback cupboard (circa 1800-1820), made in western North Carolina; a walnut early 19^th century Southern chest on frame (Rowan County, N.C.); an early 19^th century mahogany New York Federal tilt-top candlestand; and a circa 1800 fine Southern mahogany Hepplewhite inlaid cellaret.

Classical American furniture will feature a nice diminutive pier table (circa 1830), mahogany and mahogany veneers, with a marble top, Corinthian columns and mirrored base on carved paw feet; a carved sofa (Philadelphia or New York), dated on the back in chalk (1827), mahogany over white pine; and a recamier in the Baltimore manner (circa early 19^th century), mahogany and mahogany veneers.

Not to be outdone by their American counterparts, the Continental furniture pieces will include a Renaissance Revival dressing table (circa 1860), fruitwood and wood veneers with light and dark inlay; a Belle Epoque French escritoire, Louis XV style, mahogany with ormolu mounts; and a lovely Irish late 19^th century Chippendale-style triple-back settee, mahogany, with a shaped crest in a carved eagle motif.

Traditional American art will include a still life oil on canvas of fruit by Paul Lacroix (NJ/NY, 1827-1869), signed lower left and housed in the original gilt wood frame; and an oil on canvas rendering titled Moonlit Snow, by Aldro T. Hibbard (MA/VT, 1886-1972), framed and signed. A nice selection of European art will feature an oil on canvas work by Patrick Hennessey (Irish, 1915-1980), titled Summer.

Antique American portraits will also cross the block. Some stars of the category include a framed oil on canvas of William Bicker Walter (1796-1822) by Sarah Peale (MI/PA, 1800-1885); a miniature, possibly ivory, of Robert Brooke (1770-1821) attributed to Thomas Cummings (NY/CT, 1804-1885); and a pair of watercolor on paper portraits by the renowned New England artist James S. Ellsworth (1802-1873).

Southern pottery pieces will include an extremely rare Edgefield District “Dave the Slave” 5-gallon ovoid form jug, with applied ear handles and an even medium brown alkaline glaze, with wide mouth and rolled rim, inscribed and dated (1857); and a Jugtown (North Carolina) Chinese blue “Tang” vase, Oriental translation form, with applied extruded handles and strong deep wine all over the glaze.

Paddles will be wagging when vintage lamps and art glass come up for bid. Star lots will include a Tiffany Studios bronze and Favrile glass lamp in a 4-arm electrified candelabra form on a bronze base, with five shades; a similar lamp, but featuring a lobed base with harp support and pivoting socket; and a Daum Nancy art glass tall vase in an organic shape, with red and yellow mottled glass and matte finish.

Examples of Americana are sure to wow the crowd. A few include a large carved American eagle (New England, late 19^th century), white pine with a dark red-brown tone; a 19^th century Virginia leather key basket, oblong form, hand-stitched brown tinted leather; a rare Joseph Farr Bass surveyor’s compass (N.Y.); and a Northampton County, Pa., needlework sampler (Oct. 7, 1832) by Susanna Lerch.

Bronzes and statuary will include pugilists in pose by Eberhard Encke (German, 1881-1936); four putti in drunken revelry by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (Fr.); a bronze titled Bear by Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973); a 19^th-century marble statue of a girl and dog by J. Roulleau; a pair of gilt bronze dancers by Agathon Leonard (Fr., 1841-1923); and a bronze greyhound dog by Eli Harvey (American, 1860-1957).

Sterling silver will feature an important Southern coin footed silver cup by Leinbach with an applied handle, a beaded border to the foot and mouth and a body with an elaborately hand-engraved landscape scene; a 125-piece “King” pattern Dominick & Haff sterling flatware and “Kings III” Reed & Barton, retailed by J.E. Caldwell & Co.; and an important American coin silver beaker owned by William Walker, rector of Trinity Church and Christ Church in Boston prior to and after the Revolutionary War.

Estate jewelry and watches will abound. Just a few examples include a 14kt white gold diamond brooch (circa 1955), in floral spray design with a 1.65ct. prong-set Old European cut diamond with 4 smaller brilliant cut diamonds; a stunning 14kt opal and diamond cocktail ring centering on an oval cabochon white opal with strong color; and a 14kt gold gentleman’s diamond ring with 3 diamonds.

Rounding out the top lots will be vintage musical instruments (to include a 1915 Gibson F-4 mandolin, serial #24534), with red sunburst spruce top and oval sound hole; vintage books (to include a true first-edition copy of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, published by J.B. Lippincott Co. in 1960); and around 45 lots of antique gold and silver coins, most of them late 19^th and early 20^th century.

Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.’s next big sale after this one will be another Fine & Decorative Arts Cataloged Auction slated for Saturday, March 20, also at 620 Cornerstone Court in Hillsborough. The firm is accepting quality consignments for that and all future sales. To inquire about consigning an item or estate, you may call them at (919) 644-1243; or, e-mail to info@LLAuctions.com.

To learn more about Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd., and the Dec. 5 auction, please log on to www.LLAuctions.com.

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BOSTON, Mass. Ð November 12, 2009 - www.skinnerinc.com – Skinner, one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, today announced its semi-annual sale of Fine Oriental Rugs and Carpets.  The auction will take place on December 5th at noon in the Boston gallery, located at 63 Park Plaza.  A full spectrum of palettes and patterns will be offered in room-sized carpets, long rugs and saddlebags, and in every size and shape in between.

The sale features a large carpet from Harvard University and several from the estate of Milton Crouch of Burlington, VT.  From Harvard and measuring 26 ft. 6 in. x 13 ft. 9 in. is a Motasham Kashan carpet (lot 139, est. $25/30,000) from the last quarter of the 19th century, Central Persia.  The Crouch estate, which includes more than 30 rugs, is highlighted also by a Motasham Kashan carpet (lot 137, est. $20/25,000) of the same region and period; a Northwest Persian Garrus Bidjar sampler (lot 81, est. $7/9,000); and an 18th century Chinese rug (lot 119, est. $5/7,000).

Featured Persian rugs include a Bahkshaish carpet (lot 114, est. $15/20,000); a Bidjar Carpet measuring 26 ft. x 15 ft. 4 in. (lot 43, est. $30/50,000); a large Garrus Bidjar carpet (lot 140, est. $25/30,000); and a Serapi (lot 136, est. $12/15,000) all from the Northwest, last quarter of the 19th century.  From the Southeast is a Kerman pictorial “World Leaders” rug (lot 120, est. $5/7,000) and from the West is a Fereghan-Sarouk carpet (lot 138, est. $12/15,000).

Other highlights include a Northeast Caucasus Kuba Kelim (lot 65, est. $6/8,000); and two works from the Southwest Caucasus last quarter 19th century: a Lori Pambak Kazak rug (lot 129, est. $5/7,000) and a Karachoph Kazak rug (lot 123, est. $7/9,000).  From West Anatolia is an Ushak medallion carpet (lot 115, est. $15/20,000) and a Bergama prayer rug (lot 117, est. $10/15,000).  Rounding out the offerings is a room-sized Indian carpet from the last quarter of the 19th century (lot 113, est. $10/15,000), and a Serab Runner (lot 147, est. $1,5/2,500) formerly the property of John Lennon and Yoko Ono and sold from their collection by Sotheby’s, and including certificate of ownership.

Previews, Catalog and Bidding
Previews for the auction will be held on Thursday, December 3rd from 2 to 5 p.m., on Friday, December 4th from 2 to 7 p.m., and on Saturday, December 5th from 9 to 11 a.m.  Illustrated catalog #2486 is available for $9, $11 by mail from the subscription department at 508-970-3240.  Prices realized will be available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale.  Skinner’s site also allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, order catalogs, and bid live in real-time through Skinner-Live.  To register for real-time bidding go to http://www.skinnerinc.com/buy-sell/skinner-live.php.  Or, for more information call 508-970-3000.

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About Skinner
Skinner, Inc. is one of the nationÕs leading auction houses for antiques and fine art and the only major auction house headquartered in New England.  With expertise in over 20 specialty collecting areas, Skinner draws the interest of buyers from all over the world and its auctions regularly achieve world record prices.  Skinner provides a broad range of auction and appraisal services, and it is widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the auction business.   Skinner’s appraisal experts regularly appear on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, and its specialty departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, American & European Paintings & Prints, European Furniture & Decorative Arts, 20th Century Design, Fine Ceramics, Fine Jewelry, Textiles & Couture, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Works of Art, Fine Wines, Rare Books & Manuscripts, Science & Technology, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographic Art, Fine Judaica, Antique Motor Vehicles, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, and Discovery.  Skinner galleries are located in Boston and Marlborough, Mass.  For more information on upcoming auctions and events, visit Skinner’s web site www.skinnerinc.com <http://www.skinnerinc.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 10, 2009

CONTACT: Kay Puchstein

                     (941) 697-7475

The first event under new ownership was a great success in November.

(West Palm Beach, FL) West Palm Beach Antiques Festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein reported great attendance and brisk sales at the inaugural event of the 2010 season November 6-8. The Early Buyers Admission feature was a hit with visitors and will become a permanent part of the festival. The next festival will be December 4-6 at the Americraft Expo Center in West Palm Beach. This edition of WPBAF will have the theme “Special Holiday Show” oriented towards gift giving with special presentations and ideas.

As has been the case since 1996 Bob LeBlanc will be set up displaying his awesome collection of Florida art with a heavy concentration on the Florida Highwaymen. The market for Florida Highwaymen art has been cyclical in the recent past and while LeBlanc says the better works still are standing strong in the market, conditions in general market present an outstanding buying opportunity for investors in that segment of Florida art. LeBlanc handled the first Highwayman to sell for more than$10,000 and has bought and sold over 3,000 Highwaymen works in his career.

The Highwaymen are more popular than ever. There are now eight books available on the subject and numerous online sites. LeBlanc has two informative sites, his regular website http://www.highwaymen-buy-sell-trade.com/ where viewers can browse his inventory and find more information on the subject and his recently instituted blog found at  http://highwaymenart.blogspot.com/?zx=1aa981dfe3f5da4b that presents a running commentary on events and ideas in the art world in general and Florida art in particular. One of the entries in the blog concerns a work by Donald Rust, an artist whom LeBlanc carries in his inventory. Work by Rust has been purchased by the Smithsonian and has been featured in the National Gallery. Other featured Florida artists include Eleanor Blair, Gordon Hall, A. S. Eltemtamy, Walter Tate and many more. If you enjoy Florida art or would like to learn more about it don’t miss Bob LeBlanc’s booth.

Remember to mark your calendars for the inaugural presentation of The Florida Modernism Show to be held in conjunction with the January edition of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival on January 1-3, 2010. The Show will feature over fifty of America’s finest dealers specializing in the best of 20^th century design ranging from Art Nouveau and  Art Deco to Mid Century Modern and will include American and European furniture and accessories such as jewelry, art, glass and more.

The Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fair is located off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, FL, 1.5 miles west of the Florida Turnpike and 1 mile east of 441/SR7. Show hours are 12PM – 5PM Friday December 4, 9AM – 5PM Saturday December 5 and 10AM -4:30PM Sunday December 6. Early Buyers Admission from 9:00 – 12:00 Friday is $25 and is valid for the entire weekend. Adult daily admission $7.00, seniors $6.00 with a 1$ discount coupon for adult admission available on the website. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the Fairgrounds. For more information contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, email info@wpbaf.com or visit the website at http://www.wpbaf.com/.

written by:

Fred Taylor

http://www.furnituredetective.com/

800-387-6377

PHOTO CAPTION FOR WEST PALM BEACH ANTIQUES FESTIVAL

Two 1930s watercolor pinups at top right and a Donald Rust alligator on the left bracket various works by Highwaymen and other artists in Bob LeBlanc’s booth.

(OCEANSIDE, N.Y.) – The original marriage certificate issued to Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic, where the couple embarked on their brief but highly publicized life together, will be sold in an important multi-estate sale slated for the weekend of Jan. 22-24, 2010, by Philip Weiss Auctions. The certificate was signed by both Jackson and Presley.

“Anything relating to Michael Jackson is of extreme interest right now because of his untimely death and the release of the movie,” said Philip Weiss, “but when you have an item that combines his name and legend with the Presley name and legend, their marriage certificate no less, with both of their signatures on it, you’ve got something that’s almost impossible to predict what it will bring at auction.”

That same weekend, another slice of music and pop culture memorabilia will be sold by Philip Weiss Auctions: a large photo of the Beatles, signed by all four members of the group, personalized to the late pianist Liberace. In their lighthearted way, the Beatles signed it “to Liber-Archie” as a play on words. Also in the auction will be many other pieces of authentic signed Beatles-related memorabilia.

While the Jan. 22-24 auction event is bound to generate tremendous industry buzz, it will be preceded by another important multi-estate auction scheduled for Friday, Nov. 27, starting at 1 p.m. Featured lots will include a monumental Francois Linke 4-door dore bronze mounted cabinet with ram’s head and lyres, and a large-size original oil painting attributed to Girlando Marsiglia (N.Y., 1792-1850).

“Girlando Marsiglia was one of the fifteen founders of the National Academy and a renowned Hudson River School painter,” Mr. Weiss pointed out. “The work we are selling comes with an actual daguerreotype of Marsiglia — an astounding fact by itself — plus a sterling silver box that was brought to America by him in 1828 and later engraved in 1885. I can’t overemphasize the importance of this lot.”

The Nov. 27 sale will also feature a galaxy of fine decorative accessories, to include a mirror plateau with French ormolu mounts by G. Bointaburet (Paris, circa 1880); a pair of F. Barbedienne bronze plaques; a 19^th century gilt bronze plaque with dancing putti; porcelains; an Argy-Russeau powder box; a collection of Mettlach and Satsuma; Sevres pieces; and 19^th century Oriental porcelains.

Other decorative accessories will include hand-painted plates; a gilt and signed bronze and enamel box; pottery and art glass; hand-painted and enameled vases; a monumental gilt bronze center piece; tons of French porcelains; Oriental rugs; and a monumental gilt French Trimue mirror with top center painting. Also sold will be clocks and a collection of vintage phonographs and cylinder players.

Fans of fine art will not be disappointed Nov. 27. Many noted, listed artists will be represented that day, to include the following:

Gustav Prucha (1875-1952), the Austrian painter; Karl Felix (U.S./Austrian, 1837-1906), known for his landscapes, figural paintings and sculptures; Leonardo Nierman (N.Y./Mexican, b. 1932), an abstract expressionist also known for sculptures and murals; Samuel Chaffee (Am., 1850-1930), a painter of landscapes and coastal views; and Frederick Matzow (Conn., 1861-1938), a landscape artist.

Other artists of note include John C. Hare (Mass./Fla., 1908-1978), known for his watercolor seascape paintings and rural scenes; Philip R. Morris (U.K., 1838-1902), a landscape painter also known for genre and allegorical works; Mary G. Ascher (N.Y./U.K., 1900-1988), an abstract painter and printmaker); and Yolande Ardissone (Fr., b. 1927), known for landsacapes, still lifes and marine works.

Other artists include Willering Epko, a French painter born in 1928; David Peretz, a French painter (1906-1982); Jacob Van Diegham, the 19^th century Dutch painter; Paul Emile Pissarro (Fr., 1884-1972), a landscape painter; French painter Lucien Boulier (1882-1963); Francois Gall (Fr./Hungarian, 1912-1987), known for still life paintings; and Edgar Farasyn (Belgian, 1858-1938).

Rounding out the fine art category, a work attributed to the renowned French and American painter Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), best known for her mother and child portraits, will be sold, as will a large lithograph by Alexander Calder (Conn./N.Y., 1878-1976). Also offered will be a group of rare South American 16^th and 17^th century religious works and a collection of Art Nouveau and other posters.

Returning to the Jan. 22-24 sale, other lots sure to pique bidder interest include the contents of a train and hobby store that closed in the 1970s that featured trains, soldiers, play sets and more; stamps galore, featuring a complete sheet of 80 Peoples Republic of China Scott #1586 (Monkey New Year); a single-owner lifetime stamp collection; and horse racing trophies won by the jockey Willie Shoemaker.

Wedged between the Nov. 27 and Jan. 22-24 auctions will be a “Let’s Go Hog Wild Sale” planned for Dec. 18-20, featuring a single-owner collection of pig-related memorabilia. The auction will also include a rare boxed GI Joe Australian doll; items from the German and French Resistance; dolls; more from the Weaver Circus Collection; and Coca-Cola items, to include early signs and a rare clock.

The three-day weekend event will break out as follows: Friday, Dec. 18, will be dedicated to dolls and toy soldiers; Saturday, Dec. 19, will feature a Christmas collection, an advertising collection and premiums, to include a rare Little Orphan Annie secret decoder ring. Sunday, Dec. 20, will have the pig memorabilia and circus items. The auction house may be serving pulled pork in honor of the theme.

Previews for most sales begin the Wednesday before the sale date, from noon to 5; Thursday and Friday from noon to 8 each day; and 8:30 a.m. on sale day. A 13 percent buyer’s premium will be added to each lot purchased through the gallery. All auctions will be held at #1 Neil Court in Oceanside, N.Y. Online bidding will be facilitated through Proxibid.com. Absentee and phone 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 directly, at (516) 594-0731, or you can e-mail them at phil@prwauctions. To learn more about the company and its calendar of upcoming auctions, to include the Nov. 27, Dec. 18-20 and Jan. 22-24 sales, click on http://www.prwauctions.com/. Updates are posted often.

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(PORT GIBSON, Miss.) – An authentic 19^th-century vampire killing kit – containing a pistol with silver bullets in a coffin-style case, Holy water vials, a cleaver, a prayer book and a looking glass – sold for $8,800 at an estate sale held (appropriately enough) on Halloween, Oct. 31, by Stevens Auction Company, based in Aberdeen, Miss. A Victorian-era walnut casket (circa 1880s) also sold, for $522.50.

The coffin came up for bid right before the vampire killing kit and had a ghoulish plastic figure inside for fun and effect. “We told people the figure was a vampire and it was dead, proof that the killing kit worked,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company with a chuckle, adding, “I don’t believe in vampires and I’ve never believed in them. But somebody did. This is the fourth killing kit I’ve sold.”

The last one Stevens auctioned was a kit made around 1800. It came complete with stakes, mirrors, a gun with silver bullets, crosses, a Bible, Holy water, candles and even garlic, all in a walnut case with a carved cross on top. It sold for $14,850 at an estate sale held Oct. 3-4, 2008, in Natchez, Miss. The one just sold, a much newer kit, was housed in a rosewood case with mother-of-pearl inlay.

The winning bidder was a lady from Pennsylvania (not Transylvania!) who drove all the way to Mississippi to bid on the prize. “She told me afterward she was prepared to go as high as $20,000,” Mr. Stevens said, “and when nobody topped her bid of $8,000, she got up and started doing a happy dance. She even sported fake vampire fangs for effect. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a happier winning bidder.”

Mr. Stevens said the vampire killing kit attracted interest from as far away as England prior to the sale. “People are fascinated by them,” he said. “They were pieces of Americana specific to a rather small area – from Vicksburg to New Orleans. It’s all tied into the whole voodoo-superstition side of the region’s character.” Interest in the killing kits spiked when Sotheby’s sold one in the 1990s for $23,000.

The auction attracted a crowd of 600 people, a minor miracle in itself, considering it rained hard the entire day before. “We set up a sump pump and let it run all night,” Mr. Stevens said. “But the next day, it was as sunny and beautiful as could be. We had a great auction.” About 600 lots changed hands at the sale, which ran non-stop from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Phone and absentee bidding were both active.

Mr. Stevens said this was the first truly successful sale he’s had in a little while. “The last month or two were very slow,” he conceded, “but this auction gave us renewed hope. Much of that had to do with the provenance of the Person family, which dated back to 1750 in Mississippi and gave the items meaning. It also showed me that people are still interested in buying antiques and investing in antiques.”

The sale was an on-site event, held at the home of the late Miss Isabel Person, who lived nearly all of her 93 years on Church Street in Port Gibson, a gracious Southern town located 27 miles south of Vicksburg, on Highway 61. The home was built around 1880 in the late Victorian style. It had been bought by her father, J.W. Person II, and over the years became a repository for the family’s antiques.

Miss Person’s vast estate collections included wonderful period furniture, books, chests, clothes, silver, china, artifacts, papers and other timeless items, many of which had been lovingly stored in the 2,000-square-foot attic. But the entire house was adorned with fine antique objects from around the world. Most of these crossed the block Oct. 31. Also sold was the estate of a late doctor from Jackson.

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

The top lot of the sale was a rare walnut sugar cupboard (circa 1840), nearly 6 feet tall and with 7-inch legs ($14,300). Other furniture pieces that sold well included a mahogany Empire full tester plantation bed made around 1840 and majestic at 8 feet 8 inches tall ($12,100); a walnut plantation Jackson press (circa 1830), 7 feet tall ($7,700); and a circa 1840 Southern walnut hunt board ($7,150).

Staying with furniture, an acanthus carved base mahogany Empire banquet table (circa 1880), with 5 leaves and 9 feet 11 inches long, demanded $5,775; a walnut corner cabinet (circa 1830), with blind doors and 8-inch legs brought $5,500; a Southern country Empire cherry sugar bureau (circa 1830) hammered for $5,500; and a mahogany Empire secretary desk (circa 1835), over 7 feet tall, hit $5,500.

A British tall case mahogany clock (circa early 19^th century) chimed on time for $3,300, despite needing repair; a Matthews & Slade rosewood grand piano with stool (circa 1860) played a sweet tune for $3,080; a Symphonion mahogany music box in good working order and playing 14-inch discs went for $1,980; and a banded stack of 100 1863 Mississippi Confederate $5 bills, uncirculated, made $1,760.

A rare Wells Fargo & Co. Express Model 1851 Colt Navy 6-shot pistol, made in 1861, scored a bull’s-eye for $5,500; a Colt Model 1860 Army .44 caliber percussion revolver (circa 1863) breezed to $2,200; a pair of Confederate unmarked cavalry sabers garnered $2,860 and $1,210; and a Civil War-era photograph album filled with images of renowned Confederate generals and soldiers commanded $990.

Newcomb College pottery pieces were served up in abundance. A 6-inch teapot with roses went for $4,400; a 4-inch blue vase with leaf decoration topped out at $4,180; a 7-inch vase with night scene and a hairline crack on the rim still achieved $3,960; a 4-inch vase with leaf decoration brought $3,080; a 2 ½ inch vase with floral decoration made $2,860; and a 5-inch trivet with swamp scene rose to $990.

Marble-top tables piqued the interest of the crowd. A mahogany Empire pier table attributed to J. & J.W. Meeks, 44 inches wide, sold for $3,740; A rare Classical crotch mahogany Empire foyer table (circa 1850) hit $3,520; and a walnut Victorian parlor table (circa 1860), attributed to Thomas Brooks, realized $2,860. Also, a gorgeous gold Victorian cherub mirror, 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide, made $2,420.

A lovely monogrammed sterling silver repousse 4-piece tea service with grapes climbed to $7,700, while a set of 10 sterling silver reticulated demitasse cups and saucers, monogrammed, with Willets Belleek inserts, were a steal at $440. Also, a pair of cranberry cut to clear oil lamps, 25 inches tall, brought $1,210; and a selection of 19^th century small portraits on ivory went for $330-$600 each.

Returning to furniture, a cherry butler’s drop-front whiskey press (circa 1840) earned $4,400; a mahogany Empire 2-door bookcase, (circa 1830), fetched $4,180; a mahogany Empire china cabinet with claw feet (circa 1880), gaveled for $3,740; a primitive cherry 2-piece step-back cupboard (circa 1830) went for $3,080; and a rare Empire hall seat with wide scroll feet (circa 1840) garnered $3,080.

A walnut Southern sugar chest with divider and drawer (circa 1840) earned $3,080; a primitive poplar step-back cupboard (circa 1840), 85 inches tall, demanded $2,970; a flamed mahogany Federal sofa with red upholstery and great carved apron (circa 1830) reached $2,860; an early 24-tin Southern pie safe coasted to $2,860; and an unusual Gothic Empire mahogany dresser (circa 1830) hit $1,980.

Stevens Auction Company’s next big auction will be later this month (time and dates still to be announced). A two-day auction is also planned for January (timed and dates also yet to be set) that will feature an estate from Natchez, Miss., an estate from Nashville, Tenn., and two Mississippi estates. The auctions will be held in the Stevens Auction Company showroom, at 609 No. Meridian St. in Aberdeen.

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 scheduled for later this month and January, click on http://www.stevensauction.com/. Updates are posted often.

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After receiving 100′s of emails from people thinking about selling their movie posters through auction, I decided to write this short guide explaining the difference between auctions and private sales.
I often get asked by people if it is a good idea to sell their movie posters or lobby cards through a movie poster auction. There are several auction houses that occasionally have poster auctions and consigning your movie posters to them can be an option. Unless you find a serious collector like myself, people can have a difficult time selling their posters for a good price. One of the main reasons I started my website is so collectors of posters, or anyone who has memorabilia can find me and deal directly with a collector; myself. What I do not think most people realize is the fees and commissions associated with selling movie posters through an auction house.

Here is a real life example:

I bought a very rare horror movie poster, Dracula, which belonged to actor Nicolas Cage a few months back. I paid $310,000 final price (including buyers premium, which is usually 20%), which means the hammer price was around $260,000 or 20% less the the total selling price. Now the seller (Nicolas Cage) has to pay his fee to the auction house (yes the buyer AND the seller pay fees to the auctioneer, which is common practice) which is at least another 20% and sometimes even more, plus photography fees, cataloging fees, etc (depending on which auction house the seller chooses). That means Mr. Cage would get a check for approximately $208,000 pre-tax (see your accountant to find out your exact tax liability). Also be aware that from the time you submit the poster to the auction house, until the day their check arrives in your mailbox, can be as long as 6 months. Not to mention the risk of chancing your poster at auction where it may sell very low, or not at all.
When you deal with a private poster collector such as myself, you can be paid in cash on the spot, with no waiting and no commissions. Even if I already have, or do not want what you have, I have lots of fellow movie poster collecting friends I am happy to refer you too. Any further question please feel free to call or write me anytime. I wish Mr.Cage did, his finances would be slightly better.
Ralph DeLuca 800-392-4050 ralph@ralphdeluca.com http://ralphdeluca.com/blogs/movie-poster-auctions
Ralph DeLuca – Movie Poster Expert. I buy and appraise vintage movie posters, concert posters, photography, and entertainment memorabilia. Call today for a free appraisal 800-392-4050.