Good Stuff, Good Friends - Just Another Withington Sale

HILLSBORO CENTER, N.H.

:Gearing up for Antiques Week in New Hampshire, auctioneer Richard Withington got the ball rolling with a good country estate auction at his Northfield barn. The auction served up a quality assortment of antiques from "several fine homes" and buyers were out in droves to take a shot at the merchandise.

This was Withington's 2,424th auction and the auctioneer, now well into his 80s, commented prior to the sale, "I never felt better in my life. I don't do this for the money," he said with a gleam in his eye, "I do this for the action."

Holding court in the front of his auction barn for more than an hour prior to the sale, Withington greeted, laughed with and cajoled customers old and new, and young and old. Moments before the auction was to begin, the auctioneer tried to refuse an offer for a severely worn Oriental carpet that had been on the floor of the barn for many years. "I can't sell that," Withington exclaimed, but just as quickly he asked what the fellow might "give for it." After a moments contemplation on the offer, another gleam appeared in his eye and the auctioneer was calling out to his men to "roll the rug up."

The first lots of the auction came from a large selection of reference, antique and general books along with as assortment of auction catalogs. The first lot up was Withington's own book that featured a vast selection of furniture that he had sold over the years with photographs of the items and the dates and amounts that they sold for. The book has brought up to $155 in the past, according to the auctioneer, yet this one hammered down at $99.

Many of the same pieces that were pictured in the book were being sold again at this auction with Withington openly commenting to the crowd, "I like to sell the better things to the older people - that way I get to sell them again. Worked well this time," he said with a wry smile that attracted a good round of laughter from the crowd.

Slowed by the computer several times throughout the auction, Withington stopped the auction to recall the old days when he knew everyone's name and called it out when the lot was sold. "We didn't even use bid numbers," he said. Withington still refuses to accept either phone or absentee bids.

In the age-old fashion, the auctioneer gathered the crowd that was interested in the 20 or 30 lots of books around him at the front of the tent and got the sale underway. Standing in their midst, the auctioneer sold lot after lot with equal vigor. Books brought from $33 for a box lot to $550 for a pair of botanical volumes.

When the books were finished, the auctioneer got the crowd back in their seats and proceeded to sell from the front of the tent. The first lot up was a red and white coverlet that went out reasonably at $88. A large Imari platter with table base followed and sold well at $1,430, a small folky portrait of a young girl $770 and a pair of refinished bow back Windsors sold for $275.

The top lot of the auction came as a nice Windsor bench in an old crusty dark paint was offered. Bids bounced back and forth around the tent with the lot finally selling for $10,120. An assembled set of Queen Anne Spanish foot chairs did well at $4,400 and a Chippendale marble-top games table brought $3,300.

A large assortment of Oriental carpets were laid out in the yard and at noon Withington stopped the sale and asked anyone interested in bidding on the lots to make their way over to that area. One by one the carpets were sold from the adjoining area where they brought $550 and up for scatter rugs while room-size carpets brought upwards of $3,300.

Withington then moved the crowd into the barn where the larger pieces of furniture were sold in place. A nice Biedermeier desk did well at $3,300, a skinned highboy brought $2,420, an Empire secretary was the buy of the day at $1,320, an Empire bookshelf $770, and a Gothic tall case clock brought $990.

With the crowd back in their seats, two large boxes of early marbles attracted quite a bit of attention. Swirls, onions, Indians, Bennington and a huge assortment of other glass marbles filled the boxes and the bidding was hot and heavy with the lot selling at $1,100.

A nice diminutive Hepplewhite sideboard was offered next with the lot hammering down at $3,960. A Pennsylvania Windsor armchair that was pictured in Withington's book had sold in 1964 for $220. This time around it brought $1,760 despite being refinished. Another of the top lots had also been featured in Withington's book, a Chippendale camelback sofa that had been sold in 1966 for $1,275. Withington worked the crowd with enthusiasm and quips pushing the price to $6,050.

A couple hours into the auction, Withington took a seat in the front of the tent and called on Withington Auction co-owner Marcia Leizure to do the calling for a while, but not before the crowd gave Dick - part showman and part auctioneer - a well deserved and rousing round of applause.

The next auction at Withington's will be a country sale at the barn on Thursday August 18.

For further information contact Withington's, 590 Center Road, Hillsboro NH 03244 or 603-464-3232.