: The First Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers sale of silver,
art glass and fine art included an entire session devoted to
souvenir spoons.
More than 3,000 spoons were sold during the recent 652-lot
session, and realized a total of $205,027, vastly exceeding
initial estimates. Every spoon lot (and more than 95 percent of
the entire auction) sold.
More than 1,500 bidders from around the world participated in the
gallery's two-day sale, which realized more than $1.22 million. A
total of 115 bidders participated in the souvenir spoon session.
The majority of successful winning bids were from Internet bids
left on the company's website. Winning bids from the floor and
mailed absentee bidders tied for second-most-successful bid
sources.
"There was a tremendous amount of presale interest in the
souvenir spoons from collectors in both the US and abroad, which
translated into the strong numbers generated during the sale,"
said Bryan Abbott, director of acquisitions. "Bidding was
especially competitive for the Hawaiian-themed spoons, coin
spoons, Salem witch spoons, the enameled black Americana spoons
and the Gorham round bowl lots. We are extremely pleased with the
results, to say the least, and look forward to putting together
another successful sale this coming fall."
Silver and enamel souvenir spoon, mark of Shepard, Melrose
Highlands, Mass., circa 1900, $3,240.
Topping the session was a silver and enamel black Americana
souvenir spoon, the beaded-edge bowl depicting a banjo player
sitting atop three bales of hay, the handle captioned "Louisville,"
fetching $3,600 to an Internet bidder. Three additional lots broke
the $3,000 mark: a silver and enamel souvenir spoon depicting the
surrender of Santa Anna at $3,240; a parcel-gilt silver Hawaiian
souvenir spoon with a King Kamehameha-form handle and gold Hawaiian
dollar bowl at $3,120; a group lot of 110 silver state souvenir
spoons at $3,120.
Prices reported include 15 percent buyer's premium.
Heritage credits the attention given by spooner clubs and
old-fashioned word-of-mouth for its success in its new venture
into silver and souvenir spoons.
