From the soft, dreamy landscapes of William Slaughter and Ivan Rabuzin to the cold, hard metal in a Winchester shotgun, American pennies and Babe Ruth’s locker tag when he was with the New York Yankees — this week’s column highlights notable sales across the auction block at galleries around the United States. Additional highlights include Eames chairs, a pie case with the first frisbies ever made, sports card and more.
Winchester Model 21 Shotgun Makes Bank At Roan Single-Owner Sale
COGAN STATION, PENN. – On June 19, Roan Auctioneers & Appraisers conducted a firearms auction consisting of a collection of more than 250 firearms; in-house attendance was good and competed against absentee and phone bidders. One of the highlights of the sale was a Winchester Model 21 shotgun, which sold for $5,060 to a local collector. The collection came from a lumberman in Coudersport, Penn., who stated, “I started out with $50 and a chainsaw;” auctioneer Randy Roan said, “it was an accomplishment to build such a collection, which were mostly Winchesters.” For information, 570-494-0170 or www.roaninc.com.
Clars Buyer Snaps Up Eames Chair Lots
OAKLAND, CALIF. – A determined American buyer bidding in Clars Auction Gallery’s June 20 auction won five consecutively offered DAX and RAR rope edge chairs made by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. The buyer paid $12,437, well ahead of the $2,5/3,600 aggregate low/high estimates for the lots. A representative for Clars Auction Gallery said that the result was “quite indicative that American Modern furniture is still selling quite well at auction.” For information, 510-428-0100 or www.clars.com.
Landscape By William Slaughter Captures Texas Summer Vista
GUILFORD, CONN. – Lotus International Auctions hosted an online-only summer fine art auction that closed June 6 at midnight. The auction had 479 artworks including oil paintings, watercolors, etchings, lithographs and sculptures, as well as antique toys, a Gibson guitar, folk art and more. Notable was a painting by William Slaughter, a Texas artist, showing a majestic vista of the landscape of hilly terrain, river and summer clouds. The large oil painting, 30 by 40 inches and titled “Shadows” (shown), sold for $6,875. Two Frederick Hare frames sold separately at $2,438 and $1,688. For information, www.lotusauction.com or 203-689-5062.
Topps Set Is Tops At Central Mass Auction
WORCESTER, MASS. – An auction of sports and non-sports items from a single collector – no reserves – offered 1940s and newer baseball cards, football cards, TV show cards and more on June 23. A top seller was a 1953 Topps baseball card set – 280 cards sorted by teams – with cards averaging in very good condition, which sold for $4,130. Sets from 1954 and 1959 each brought $3,540, said auctioneer Wayne Tuiskula. For information, www.centralmassauctions.com or 508-612-6111.
Chinese Bowls Ring In Coyle’s 36th Anniversary Sale
MEDWAY, MASS. – It was a special auction at Coyle’s on June 29 as the firm celebrated its 36th year of auctions. A family-owned and -operated auction house established in 1985, Coyle’s provides services for estate settlements, liquidations and appraisals. Its regularly scheduled auctions feature antiques and decorative arts drawn from area estates and collections. In this sale, a pair of Chinese Guangxu blue glazed bowls, 3 by 6¾ inches each, from a Rhode Island estate sold for $13,800. For information, 774-571-8263 or www.coylesauction.com.
Rabuzin’s Dreamy Landscapes Inspire The Mind
NEW YORK CITY- An oil on canvas by Croatian artist Ivan Rabuzin (1921-2008) vaulted its $2,000 high estimate to bring $8,190 in Doyle’s Doyle At Home sale June 30. A self-taught artist who made his living as a cabinetmaker in a Novi Marof furniture factory, Rabuzin’s success in small regional shows afforded him the ability to quit his job and turn to painting full time in 1963. The present 1963 work measured 21½ by 25¾ inches and was relined. For more information, www.doyle.com or 212-427-2730.
From $3.23 To $2,520, Cordier Performs Alchemy On Lincoln Pennies
HARRISBURG, PENN.- A book featuring 323 graded Lincoln cents from 1909 to 2017 sold for $2,520 at Cordier Auctions’ June 27 Coins, Stamps, Sterling & Jewelry sale. The firm said it included many high-grade coins from the mid-1930s and up with small dates and proofs. It was missing the 1914-D and 1922 plain, though it included about-uncirculated and uncirculated examples. For more information, www.cordierauction.com or 717-731-8662.
Babe Ruth’s Locker Tag Gets Hit At Mid-Hudson
NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. – A circular bronze plaque measuring 2¾ inches wide stamped “Babe Ruth / 3” to one side and “Yankee Stadium / Locker / 3 / The Bronx, New York” to the other, sold for $2,280 at Mid-Hudson Auction Galleries on June 26. The small plaque was stated to be the locker tag of Babe Ruth, who donned the number 3 from 1929 to 1934, dating this artifact to that time period. The auction house said only a few have ever been sold. The example had a loop at the top, believed to hold a key ring. For information, www.midhudsongalleries.com or 914-882-7356.
Frisbie Pie Case With Tins Fly At Roberson’s
PINE BUSH, N.Y. – An oak pie safe advertising Frisbie’s Pies promised “a satisfying dessert” and sold for $5,500 at Roberson’s Auctions’ June 26 sale. The safe featured oak construction, three glass sides with the back door a screen. It featured ten levels to display the various pies in a 27-inch-high case. Located in Bridgeport, Conn., the Frisbie Pie Company was founded in 1871. It was not long before a group of students at Middlebury College discovered that the company’s inverted pie tins flew quite well, and the popular American toy was born. For information, www.robersonsauctions.com or 845-744-3388.
