Tim Chapulis holds up the sale’s top lot, a Nineteenth Century Nelson Lewis (Troy, N.Y.) percussion rifle that fired off at $6,144.
Review by Andrea Valluzzo
BRISTOL, CONN. — A lot has changed in the nearly four decades that Tim’s Inc Auctions has been conducting its annual Cabin Fever sales, but one constant remains. Buyers come to buy, whether — like in the early decades of this event — that shows in a full house of in-person bidders or — as is more typical these days — with online or phone bidding only. This year’s event, which took place May 10, sharing billing with Mother’s Day, was owner and auctioneer Tim Chapulis’ [34th annual] Cabin Fever sale.
“The sale went well, and it was a fun day,” he said. Drawing from multiple estates, the 351-lot auction had plenty finds for mothers, from jewelry and fur coats to artworks and other items suitable for gift giving, but the sale was far-ranging across the board. The auction also paid homage to moms with items like the first lot across the block, a late Eighteenth Century to early Nineteenth Century folk art portrait of an older woman, possibly by Richard Jennys (1734-1809) that achieved $3,584. The consignor was a Southbury, Conn., woman, who has already marked her 102nd birthday.
However, the top lot of the auction was a Nineteenth Century Nelson Lewis (Troy, N.Y.) percussion rifle that fired up bidders to attain $6,144. Having a fixed long brass scope that was intact and working, the rifle was marked “WM Malcom – Syracuse NY,” and was accompanied by a shooter’s box with accessories. Until now, it remained in the same family since purchase.
This 1893 San Francisco Morgan Silver Dollar led a group of coins when it made $5,120.
“Coins were a big part of the day,” Chapulis remarked, noting that an 1893 San Francisco Morgan Silver Dollar, in very fine condition, as graded by ANACS, made $5,120. Also, early on in the sale, a large collection of coins in a lockbox, including Nineteenth and Twentieth Century silver coins, brought $1,408.
For antique camera buffs, the name Leica is highly sought after, and Chapulis sussed out a 35mm Leica M4 camera body for this sale that performed well. “We got very good money for the Leica camera,” he said. It realized $5,120 and can easily be fitted with a new lens.
Besides the rifle, there were fine examples of militaria from local estates that had a descendant serve their country. Leading the selection was a US Navy 1852 Civil War presentation sword that belonged to Lieutenant Colonel Robert Sealy, who fought with the 45th Illinois Regiment in battles at Shiloh, the Siege of Vicksburg and the Atlanta Campaign. The sword attained $3,456.
Lending a sweet note to the auction was a Martin 000-18 acoustic guitar, circa 1998, which sold for $2,816, as well as a Mermod Frères (Switzerland) Stella music box with more than 70 perforated metal discs that earned $2,304.
This circa 1998 Martin 000-18 acoustic guitar was played to $2,816.
There’s an old saying about not planting one’s garden until after Mother’s Day, so it is likely that was on some bidders’ minds. As such, buyers thinking about their outdoor living areas found the sale’s inclusion of a wicker furniture set to be well-timed. The four-piece Arts and Crafts style set from the early Twentieth Century had unusual woven diamond medallions and inward rolled arms. It brought $2,048.
Despite the auction being billed as an online-only sale, some veteran buyers prefer to place their bids by phone sans internet technology, which Chapulis is happy to accommodate. In this sale, he had a gentleman in his 80s — whom he was on the phone with much of the day, off and on — who reportedly had great fun bidding on items to the tune of over $10,000. “He was having the biggest fun and the most exciting day he had in a long time shopping,” Chapulis commented.
Rounding out the auction highlights were a circa 1904 Eli Harvey bronze elk sculpture that sold for $1,408 and a pair of monumental architectural cherubs that may have once hung from a ceiling that sold separately, for $1,088 each, but went to the same buyer. The cherubs came out of the estate of James Killian, whose brother was Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut in the 1970s under Ella Grasso.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.timsauctions.com or 860-459-0964.
