Bidders in recent auctions had deep pockets, taking one of three known Allen Iverson trading cards to $701,500 at Heritage, while a Chinese blue and white dragon basin at Doyle topped off at $108,450. More modest results would include the $438 realized by Cornell Auctions, for a copy of Cameraworks, and $6,765 obtained by Over & Above Auction for an Arnold Searchlight Motorcycle, made in pre-war Japan by Masudaya. Read on for in-between results…
Chrysanthemum Flatware Set Blooms In SJ’s Winter Auction
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The top seller in SJ Auctioneers’ January 29 Winter Watch of Wanted Collectibles auction was a 108-piece set of sterling silver flatware by Durgin, in the Chrysanthemum pattern. An Oklahoma buyer outbid competitors for the set that was advertised as a rare find with period monograms and a display chest. Estimated at $8,5/10,000, it sold for $8,320. For information, 646-450-7553 or www.sjauctioneers.com.
Cavalier Portrait Rides Tall For Sloans & Kenyon
CHEVY CHASE, MD. — One of the highest-selling of 451 lots in Sloans & Kenyon’s January Estate Catalog auction on January 30 was a 20¾-by-16-inch oil on canvas portrait of a cavalier by Spanish artist Ulpiano Checa y Sanz (1860-1916). The painting, which had provenance to Sotheby’s London’s October 17, 2001, The Travel Sale: Mediterranean and the Middle East auction, rallied interest among bidders and rode from a $4/6,000 estimate to $13,530. For information, 301-634-2330 or www.sloansandkenyon.com
Stickley Sideboard Brings Bidders Back To Amelia Jeffers
COLUMBUS, OHIO — An eight-legged Mission sideboard by Gustav Stickley, which Amelia Jeffers said had been part of a group of Stickley material removed from a house that had been abandoned for 30-40 years, was one of the top sellers in her two-day Winter Fabulous Finds auction, January 31-February 1. “It sold to a client in the room, who I hadn’t seen in a long time, who dueled it out with another client at the sale. They were laughing that they had not seen each other in years, and they both showed up to bid on the same item!” Estimated at $3/6,000, one of the two buyers prevailed at $10,800. For information, 740-362-4771 or www.ameliajeffers.com.
Heritage Scores High With Iverson Trading Card
DALLAS — A 1997 Skybox E-X 2001 Allen Iverson (Essential Credentials Now) #3 trading card sold for $701,500 to lead Heritage’s Winter Sports Cards Catalog Auction to $10.8 million on January 31-February 1. The card is an ultra-rare prize celebrating the Hall of Fame guard who was renowned for his electrifying play and cultural impact on the NBA. This card is one of just three copies and featured the distinctive design and bold aesthetic that defined the Essential Credentials series. Graded EX-5 by PSA, it remains an exceptional and prized collectible for fans of Iverson and iconic 1990s basketball cards. For information, www.ha.com or 214-528-3500.
David Hockney Book Flips To Number One At Cornell Book Sale
BELLPORT, N.Y. — Books Books Books! was the title of — and what was on offer at — Cornell Auctions’ January 24 auction, which saw 125 books cross the block, ranging in genre from art and photography to gardening and horticulture to antique and rare books. Snapping a $438 finish to lead the sale was a signed copy of Cameraworks by David Hockney and Lawrence Weschler (Knopf, 1984). Signed “To Justine, Merry Christmas 1985,” the book surpassed its $100/200 estimate by more than two times. For information, 631-289-9505 or www.cornellauctions.com.
Bidders Seek Out Rare Searchlight Motorcycle At Over & Above
TIMONIUM, MD. — Over & Above Auction and Estate Sales conducted its 526-lot Estate Toy Extravaganza on January 30. The sale included a large collection of antique and collectible toys such as trains, airplanes, boats, Schuco, Märklin and more. Revving up to $6,765 was a rare pre-war Japan copy of Masudaya’s Arnold Searchlight Motorcycle. The wind-up toy featured a German soldier on a camouflage motorcycle with a large searchlight. In good to very good condition, the soldier raced past its $600/800 estimate range to become the highest-priced lot of the day. For information, www.overandaboveonline.com or 410-458-5768.
Large Chinese Blue & White Basin Tops Doyle Two-Day Sale
NEW YORK CITY — From January 28-29, Doyle conducted its Old Master Paintings / Phipps Collection / Silver / English & Continental Furniture auction, which offered 614 lots, featuring the collection of Howard Phipps, Jr, from his estate, Erchless, in Old Westbury, N.Y. Leading the sale on day one was a Chinese blue and white porcelain dragon basin from the Phipps collection, which rounded out at $108,450 against a $50/70,000 estimate. Noted as “massive” by the auction catalog, the 22¼-inch-diameter basin had a Jiajing mark and was of the period. It had tapering and straight exterior sides with a blue underglaze, which displayed a writhing dragon and lotus scroll patterned background. For information, 212-427-2730 or www.doyle.com.
No. 1 Regulator Sweep Chimes Highest Price At Antique American Clocks
LEXINGTON, KY. — Antique American Clocks’ January 2025 auction saw 300 antique clocks cross the block in a sealed-bid auction which closed on January 31. The sale was led by an Ithaca Calendar Clock Co., No.1 Regulator Sweep, which was in production from 1875-1898. According to catalog notes, the 8-day, time-only, two-weight movement clock was “Ithaca’s top-of-the-line clock.” Sold for only $75 in 1892, the clock was bid to $9,591 ($6,5/10,000). For information, 859-312-9012 or www.antiqueamericanclocks.com.
Bury Brass Sculpture Favored By Nadeau Bidders
WINDSOR, CONN. — A varnished brass C-shaped sculpture with applied balls and a motor by Belgian artist Pol Bury (1922-2005) was the top seller in Nadeau’s Auction Gallery’s Mid-Century Modern auction on February 1. Made in 1967 and measuring 19¼ inches tall, the lot carried an estimate of $8/12,000 but did much better, selling to an online buyer making their debut purchase at Nadeau’s for $40,625. It beat out 640 other lots in the sale. For information, 806-246-2444 or www.nadeausauction.com.
