Copake Conducts Successful Americana Auction

COPAKE, N.Y.

:Copake Auction conducted a successful cataloged Americana auction on August 27. The sale featured about 500 lots, which owner Michael Fallon sold in about five hours. Brave implementation of a new auction software made the sale a little more hectic than usual, said Fallon, but the gallery was well attended and the prices seemed upbeat.

A Nineteenth Century Canadian bonnet chest sold to a Stone Ridge, N.Y., dealer for $952. The same dealer also won an apothecary chest for a reasonable $1,792. From a Connecticut retirement home, a maple 36-inch slant lid Rhode Island desk sold for $1,120. "These chests would bring $2,500 or so a few years ago. The market is tough for midline period furniture," said Seth Fallon, manager.

A Hudson, N.Y., dealer purchased two Nineteenth Century corner cupboards for $1,792 and $1,680, respectively. A Nineteenth Century seascape signed Bunner sold to a New York City gallery over the phone for $2,800.

A surprise in the sale was a set of Eighteenth Century Hudson Valley chairs, which swiftly sold to the audience for $4,032. A dealer on the floor purchased a pair of Nineteenth Century appliquéd quilts for $1,344. A new home owner in Copake who recently moved from Westchester County, N.Y., purchased a folky Nineteenth Century cupboard for $2,016. Consigned from a Massachusetts collector were four Albert Nemethy ship paintings. The first one, depicting the famous Hudson River dayliner Mary Powell, sold to a collector on the phone for a competitive $4,816. A New York City dealer on the phone purchased the other three for $2,464, $2,464 and $1,288.

An art pottery vase signed "A.V. Salon L'Dage France" from the SS Normandie sold to a dealer on the floor for $728.

"We found the sale to be very successful and seem to have worked out the bugs with our new software; overall, it will be more efficient in the long run," said Mike Fallon.

Prices reported reflect 12 percent buyer's premium.

For information, 518-329-1142 or www.copakeauction.com.