: More than 450 registered bidders from 26 states and two countries
packed the Sharonville Convention Center for the recent George E.
Theders Trust Collection Auction. Several auction records in
mechanical music were broken by auctioneers Dave and Frank
Forsythe of Forsythe Auctions.
Theders, a native Cincinnatian who passed away in July 2003, had
amassed a premier collection of mechanical music and other
antiques that was known around the world.
Top lot of the day was a Bremond interchangeable cylinder
orchestral music box with 12 19-inch cylinders; it sold for a
record price of $82,500.
Other mechanical music included a Mermod Freres Interchangeable
Cylinder music box with three 241/2-inch cylinders that was
hammered down for $49,500; a Symphonion Eroica hall clock went
for $46,750; a Symphonion three-disc upright music box was
$38,500; a Troll & Baker large interchangeable cylinder box
with six 16-inch cylinders also hit $38,500.
A Vaucher fils Paillard Revolver cylinder music box was $27,500;
a John Manger large cylinder music box hit $33,000; a singing
bird cylinder box, $30,250; and a Sublime-Harmony-Piccolo-Bells
interchangeable cylinder music box sold for $22,000.
Mermod Freres-Ste Croix Suisse interchangeable cylinder music
box, $49,500.
A Polyphon Style 54 upright 241/2-inch disc box, $22,000; a
Regina Orchestral 27-inch disc upright box, $27,000; Stella
Orchestral Grand 26-inch disc box, $25,300; a Regina Orchestral
Corona 27-inch changer, $22,000; and a Regina hall clock, $18,700.
Other cylinder boxes included rare Nicole Freres Grand Overture
cylinder music box, $33,000; a Ducommun-Girod cylinder box,
$20,300; Orchestral cylinder box with 14-inch cylinder, $10,450;
Troll & Baker interchangeable box with table, $12,650;
Mandoline Expressive Zither box, $5,225; a 19-inch Sublime
Harmony, $6,600; a large 25-inch cylinder box marked BAB,
$20,900; and a Bremond Mandoline Organocleide box, $16,500.
Other disc boxes included Symphonion style 25C $9,900; Imperial
Symphonion 15-inch disc box $4,950; Regina Style 50 with
serpentine case $7,150; Stella Concert 151/2-inch box, $7,700;
Regina 151/2-inch with carved case, $6,050; Empress floor model,
$9,900; and another Regina, $5,775.
A Limonaire fairground organ found a new home at $24,750; an
Arthur Bursens band organ fetched $16,500, and a large Arburo
dance organ reached $17,600.
Limonaire Freres Waldkirch fairground organ, $24,750.
Mechanical singing birds were very popular with the crowd as
a three-bird unit brought $6,600, a two-bird unit $4,950, and two
singles went for $3,245 and $2,970 respectively.
Other interesting items included a small Symphonion disc box with
lithograph animation that went for $7,150, Capital style C cuff
box, $7,700; hand crank automaton box with monkey, $7,700; Rabbit
in Lettuce automaton, $2,200; folding table-top
stereographoscope, $3,960, hand crank barrel organs, $7,700 and
$6,050; Grand Roller organ with 24 rollers, $7,150; Wurlitzer 103
Military Band Organ, $18,700.
Theders had also collected phonographs, which included a rare
Zon-O-Phone that sold for $8,250; Columbia Graphaphone BS,
$7,700; Edison Amberola Model A upright, $6,050; Starr desk
phonograph, $2,090; Columbia Graphaphone type Q, $1,760; Edison
Standard A, $1,210; Puck talking machine, $770; Talk-A-Phone disc
phonograph with carving, $3,430.
Some of the highlights of the clocks was a French conical
pendulum clock for $4,400; mechanical bird clock, $6,600; English
skeleton clock, $4,400; Ansonia double female, $3,575; Gustave
Becker wall clock with music box, $3,850; a four-inch Vienna
Regulator, $2,310; and a mahogany English grandfather clock,
$8,250.
Circa 1876 Renaissance Revival Centennial center table with
inlay of George Washington's head flanked with dates 1776 and
1876, $20,900.
Also in the collection were a few pieces of wonderful
furniture including an inlaid Renaissance Revival center table that
drew interest from around the room and was hammered down at
$20,900; a highly carved cabinet with angels was $5,280; two highly
carved library tables brought $5,225 and $3,300, respectively; an
unusual cherry lock side chest, $2,750; a Dutch marquetry desk,
$6,050; a carved walnut Victorian stand with animal figures,
$2,530; a Victorian swivel-top table, $3,025; and a fancy wrought
iron bid cage holder was hammered down at an amazing price of
$2,860.
Theders also loved toys and a few examples included a 48-inch
horse-drawn fire ladder wagon at $10,450 and Fleischmann ocean
liners at $2,420 and $1,705.
Prices include a ten percent buyer's premium.
