Topping the list of dolls was a rare large 28-inch Eighteenth Century English wooden doll with great facial features. It came to the block with an estimate of $20/30,000 and finished up at $37,950
:James D. Julia's November 13 toy and doll auction realized more than $630,000. Of the many fresh-to-the-market rarities, it was the collection of salesman sample furniture from the Beverly Darling estate — 20 lots never before offered at auction — that was among the more fascinating. Created by H. Sacks and Sons of Brookline, Mass., the furniture was intricately crafted to the exact specifications of their full-sized counterparts.
Highlights included a two-part, inlaid mahogany and tiger maple Federal butler's secretary. Topped with a shelved section behind a geometric pattern of glass paned doors with numerous cubbies, a molded crest and turned finials, it saw active bidding until reaching $3,450. A triple pedestal inlaid dining room table with six miniature Chippendale chairs changed hands at $6,612. An elegant inlaid bow front Federal mahogany sideboard with doors and drawers aplenty finished at $3,450.
A salesman sample of a different variety was a road grader by Stockland Road Machinery. The grader featured intricate gear mechanisms in which one could smoothly adjust the height, angle and pitch of the blade on the go. Finely crafted of wood, cast iron and brass, it flattened its presale estimate of $7/11,000 to end up at $23,000.
French dolls, German characters and unusual dollhouses were well received. Topping the list of dolls was a stunning and rare large 28-inch Eighteenth Century English wooden doll with great facial features. Pictured in
The Heart of the Tree
, it finished at $37,950.
This salesman sample Stockland road grader featured intricate gear mechanisms and finely crafted components. It brought $23,000.
Collectors were thrilled with a number of dollhouses in the auction. Fine craftsmanship was evident in a large, fresh-from-the-attic, three-story Gottschalk red roof dollhouse. With a split-hinged façade featuring fenced balconies on every floor, beautifully carved and turned architectural elements, it went to doll dealer Lucy Morgan for $8,050 after a close battle with a phone bidder.
A variety of antique toys hit the block. A rare Hans Erbel German tin windup delivery truck advertising Strawbridge & Clothier department stores with its original box sold for $7,475. A German 9-pins container in the form of a reclining German Shepherd rounded up $12,650.
An embossed tin sign for Campbell's Soup, predating Warhol's Pop Art by half a century, had rarity and graphic appeal on its side. Precious few of these signs come to market and this example sold for $18,400.
Trains made a strong showing. A rare 7¼-inch gauge Bassett-Lowke George the Fifth live steam engine measuring more than 7 feet long and most likely made for a garden railway rolled off to a phone bidder for $17,250.
In antique advertising, a die-cut tin sign for Iver Johnson firearms, titled "Hammer the Hammer" and demonstrating the strength of their firearms, sold for $5,750. An embossed tin sign for Campbell's Soup, predating Warhol's Pop Art by half a century, had rarity and graphic appeal on its side. The example went to a buyer who plans some moderate restoration and prominent placement in his home. It sold for $18,400.
Prices reported include the buyer's premium. For information, 207-453-7125 or
www.juliaauctions.com
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