“Marklin is king,” proclaimed an exuberant Jeanne Bertoia after part one of the Dick Claus Collection of nautical toys and boats auction this past Saturday, May 12. Five toy boats, all Marklins, sold in excess of $100,000, with the top lot of the auction coming as a pristine 26-inch-long Marklin “Providence” paddlewheeler was offered.

The gallery was packed with bidders, many of whom flew in from Europe for the auction, virtually every telephone line was filled from start to finish and Internet activity was near an all-time high. Bidding on the “Providence” opened in the gallery at $60,000 and several in the room chased the lot along with four telephone bidders. In the end, it went to an American collector represented in the room by an agent, selling at $247,250, well above the $110/130,000 presale estimate.

“It was truly one of the most amazing auctions we have ever had,” said Bertoia of the action-packed sale. Some 210 lots were offered in the auction with a sales total of $1.8 million achieved.

A complete report will appear in a future issue. ⁄SS