Auction highlights in our January 21, 2022 issue lead with a Nineteenth Century mahogany bar that was removed from the Miramar Mansion in Newport, R.I., crossing the block for $19,200 at Bruneau & Co Auctioneers. Seventy-eight Topps Baseball trading cards from 1954 were found in two shoeboxes with their original owner — the lot sold for $575. A floral still life by Bernard Cathelin (French, 1919-2004), left the lot for $20,000. Read on to get your fix of auction results.
Fleet Wing Sign Flies At Milestone
WILLOUGHBY, OHIO – The first lot out of the gate at Milestone Auctions’ January 1 New Years Spectacular Auction was a 30-inch diameter Fleet-Wing Ethyl porcelain sign with bird decoration that flew past its $1,6/2,200 estimate to land at $4,680. The sign had good color and gloss with minor retouching and crazing. For information, www.milestoneauctions.com or 440-527-8060.
Rare Akro Agates Box Scores A Bull’s-Eye At Block’s
TRUMBULL, CONN. – While not the priciest item in Block’s Marble Auction’s New Year’s Day online sale on January 1, it was the rarest. Fewer than a half dozen of Akro Agate Company’s boxes are known to exist. The original and rare “Akro Agates” bull’s-eye sleeve, circa 1922-25, with yellow and red printing got a final bid of $385. It featured two oval cutouts and a bull’s-eye on the top and included 12 Akro slags. The box had some tearing on the top and a detached right tab; however, the marbles rated mint to near mint. The box measured 4-7/8 by 1-3/8 by ¾ inches and marbles were 23/32 inches. “Unfortunately, the condition on this one was pretty poor, which significantly reduced the value, but still very rare,” said the firm’s owner Robert Block. For information, 203-209-7076 or www.marbleauctions.com.
MTG Braingeyser Card Shoots To $4,720 At Bodnars
MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J. – Bodnar’s January 6 sale was devoted to a single-owner collection of Magic the Gathering trading cards. MTG was created in 1993 and was one of the first trading card games. The collection, totaling 239 lots, featured cards from all the years in production with some complete sets as well as hard-to-find and rare cards. Leading the lineup was an Alpha Braingeyser, which was graded Beckett 9 Mint, Centering 9.5, Edges 9, Corners 8.5 and Surface 9. It more than doubled its high estimate to bring $4,720. For information, www.bodnarsauction.com or 732-210-6388.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Times Out For Kodner
DANIA BEACH, FLA. – A new 2021 Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A stainless steel bracelet watch with an olive green dial, double-sealed in its original box and accompanied by factory paperwork, ticked into first place at Kodner Galleries’ January 6 sale of Estate Jewelry, Art and Collectibles. Estimated at $300/400,000, interest pushed the timepiece to $504,000. For information, 954-925-2550 or www.kodner.com.
Trading Card Lot Finds High Ground For Scott Daniels
HIGH FALLS, N.Y. – A lot of 78 Topps Baseball trading cards, all from 1954, realized the top price at Scott Daniel’s “See, Listen, Learn Auction” on Saturday, January 8. Found in two shoeboxes with their original owner, who collected them as a child, the cards were ungraded but Daniels speculated their grades to be “6” or higher. Teams across the nation were represented in the lot, which sold for $575. For information, 845-372-4787 or www.scottdanielsauction.com.
Uncut Card Lot Makes Top Cut For Ralph Fontaine
CANAAN, N.Y. – Of the 268 lots that cross the block in Ralph Fontaine’s Heritage Auctions’ “Unreserved 60-Year Sports Memorabilia Collection” on January 9, a box of uncut trading cards with statistics on the back took top lot honors, bringing $1,125 and exceeding expectations. The lot did not specify which year the cards were issued, nor how many cards were included, none of which were graded. For information, 518-781-3650 or www.fontaineheritage.com.
Miramar Mansion Bar A Tall Order At Bruneau
CRANSTON, R.I. – Removed from the Miramar Mansion in Newport, R.I., a Nineteenth Century mahogany bar served up $19,200 at Bruneau & Co Auctioneers’ January 6 sale. The bar featured a back with stained glass, blue and white tiles and a marble top. Flanking its sides were two large bronze figural columns depicting Herculean men with lion fur draped over their shoulders. Miramar was originally commissioned by the Philadelphia businessman George D. Widener, though during its design stage, he and his son died aboard the Titanic. The project was completed by his wife, who escaped via a lifeboat, and after several other owners, the mansion sold for $27 million in 2021. For more information, www.bruneauandco.com or 401-533-9980.
Damien Hirst NFT Leads Heritage Urban Art Sale
DALLAS – A 2021 NFT by Damien Hirst (American, b 1965) lead Heritage Auctions’ Urban Art Showcase Auction on January 5 when it realized $25,000. The multicolored polka-dot NFT, which was titled “3976. Too Busy Thinking from The Currency,” was from an edition of 10,000 and had been minted on December 2, 2021. A line in the cataloging read that the winning bidder of the lot would have until July 2022 to decide between keeping the NFT or exchanging it for the physical artwork it represented; the option not kept would be destroyed. It was the highest price paid in a sale that totaled more than $350,000. For information, www.ha.com.
Modernist Still Life Blooms For Clarke
LARCHMONT, N.Y. – Clarke Auction Gallery’s New Year’s Estate Auction on January 9 had many top sellers, among which was a floral still life by Bernard Cathelin (French, 1919-2004), which realized $20,000 against a $10/15,000 estimate. The oil on canvas picture, which came from a Connecticut collection, measured 49½ by 32½ inches and had been painted in 1960. For information, 914-833-8336 or www.clarkeny.com.
