Federal overmantel mirror,
$4,200.
By Rita Easton
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Mike Smith of Cherry Tree Auctions
described his August 17 on-site sale as a "good old-fashioned
antiques auction." Two tents were pitched on the shady lawn at
the 294 Lake Avenue property built for the Kirkpatrick family,
hosting approximately 350 attendees holding 211 bidding numbers.
While the usual ratio of retail buyers to trade at Cherry Tree is
between 25 percent and 75 percent, Smith reported strong retail
attendance which reversed those figures for a 75 percent retail
crowd. "I find that strong retail crowds are usually the case
when the auction is on premises," said Smith. "A lot of people go
to on-premises sales who wouldn't dream of going to an auction
hall, no matter what's in the auction hall. You'll see a bigger
percentage of undisciplined money at an on-premises sale. They
have money, they like it, but they really don't know where the
market thinks it should be. When two of those people lock horns,
you get some very surprising results."
Nineteenth Century antiques, collected by the Kirkpatricks in the
1950s and 1960s, along with additional Victorian pieces from an
Easton (Washington County) estate, made a full day's auction for
the 460 lots.
The center mirror having been replaced, a fine gold leaf Federal
overmantel mirror with eglomise panels, 5 feet,5 inches wide,
sold for $4,200 to the trade. It was underbid by a New Hampshire
dealer who made the trip to Saratoga especially for the lot.
An 1825 cherry two-part corner cupboard, 7 feet, 2 inches high,
went to a retail buyer at $3,900. It featured pegged construction
throughout, with shaped interior shelves, a mixture of 12 old and
replacement panes on the single door, and a replaced top molding.
A 5-foot, 4-inch solid bird's-eye maple Victorian gentleman's
chest with six drawers, estimated at $1,800, garnered $2,800 from
a retail buyer; and a two-over-five walnut lingerie chest
estimated at $850 reached $1,800.
Three hitching posts fetched prices in the $1,000 range. They
included a 41-inch-high cast-iron example with horse head, signed
"Starbucks, N.Y.," a somewhat shorter post with ball and ring
top, which realized $700, and a granite example in the form of an
obelisk, which sold for $1,000. A country server with two
drawers, in original red paint, achieved $1,550; a two-drawer
lift-up blanket chest/mule chest, featuring a 1950s refinishing
on the pumpkin pine, dovetailed base, with good proportions,
fetched $1,000; and a mirrored oak hall seat displaying good
original varnish went to the trade at $1,150.
Cherry two-part corner cupboard, 1825, $3,900.
Three Victorian pull-down kerosene hanging lamps brought $425,
$475, and $550 for an example with an original calla lily shade;
a cobalt blue kerosene finger lamp made $225; and a Vaseline
kerosene table lamp did $200. A one-drawer stand with a tiger
maple drawer front, highly refinished, was purchased at $500; and
an 1810 cherry four-drawer chest, highly refinished, having no
base whatever, surprisingly sold at $800 to a retail buyer.
"Wicker brought money that it was bringing 10 or 15 years ago,"
Smith noted. "I am under the opinion that Bar Harbor 1920s
(wicker) is a dead issue, and proved it to myself with some nice
wicker I sold in my auction hall one March, but here on the
premises they were bringing money." Accordingly, a pair of Bar
Harbor wicker 1920s armchairs painted white brought $600; a Bar
Harbor wicker lamp table sold at $305; while other wicker brought
uniform prices comparable to Smith's experience of 10 and 15
years ago. "It was hot," he said.
A Swiss six-tune music box needing work brought $500; a Caucasian
scatter rug measuring 48-inches square did $650; a drop-leaf pine
table in old red paint sold for $400; a Nineteenth Century
child's rocking horse fetched $600 from a retail bidder; two
electrified "Gone With the Wind" lamps went out at $400 and $275;
and a refinished Pembroke table with a, shaped tiger maple drop
leaf garnered $850.
Smith structures his sales in two parts, featuring later pieces
after 2 pm. One of the features at the later afternoon segment
was a 1940s Kindel mahogany highboy with bonnet top and fan
carving, selling to a retail buyer at $575. "I thought that was a
good buy," said Smith. "My experience is that 1940s mahogany is
off compared with five to eight years ago, but I still thought
that was an $800 to $1,200 piece of furniture." A Nineteenth
Century military drum with a New York State hand-painted seal on
the front and label on the interior was missing a drum skin.
Still, it went out at $100, a good buy and the sole bid on the
lot.
Cherry Tree Auctions does not require a buyer's premium, and
accepts no absentee or telephone bids.
