The overall top lot of the auction came during the second session with this Winchester Repeating Arms Company “Double W” pattern cartridge board, 1897, that attained $39,370 ($5/10,000).
Review by Andrea Valluzzo
CLARENCE, N.Y. — More than 1,700 lots crossed the block in a marathon auction event at Schultz Auctioneers August 27-29 that realized $770,000 and ran the gamut from vintage cars to militaria and advertising to jewelry.
“The three-day auction was very successful, and we were extremely pleased with the results,” said auctioneer Kelly Schultz. “We’ve been seeing a lot of strength in the auction market lately, particularly for higher-end, unique and interesting pieces. Quality items are bringing stronger prices than ever, and there continues to be a great deal of enthusiasm and competition among bidders.”
While in-house participation has been smaller these days because some buyers prefer the convenience of bidding online, certain sales do bring out the crowds. This was one of them, as he commented, “We still had strong in-house bidding across several categories during the three-day sale.”
“The biggest trend we continue to see is strength at the higher end of the market,” said Schultz. “The best of the best — quality, rare and desirable pieces — are doing extremely well and attracting very competitive bidding.”
This Steuben “Apple of Eden” art glass paperweight with controlled bubbles, featuring 18K gold leaves and serpent, sold for $6,710 ($750-$1,000).
Online participation was very strong and truly international. The sale had bidders from throughout the United States, as well as Canada, China, Australia, France and many other countries. “Online bidding has really expanded the audience for these auctions and allows us to put an item in front of collectors around the world,” he added.
After starting off with a selection of 14K and 18K yellow gold jewelry, the auction quickly heated up midway through the first session when an unassuming Orientalist oil on canvas, signed by Addison Thomas Millar, depicting a shopper and a merchant surrounded by rugs and other wares, crossed the block with a $1/3,000 estimate. Sold for $11,590, the oil on canvas was marked “Oriental Shop” on the reverse.
Orientalism artworks like this made in the Nineteenth Century occupy an interesting, if somewhat controversial, place in the art world today, but of late, are gaining new attention. This shift is exemplified by the current exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City that surveys the genre by revisiting how notions of the “East” were shaped by artists.
Addison Thomas Millar’s (1860-1913) signed oil on canvas, marked “Oriental Shop,” took $11,590 on day one ($1/3,000).
Schultz shared, “We felt from the beginning that it would do well because of the artist, the subject matter and the style, which is very popular with collectors right now.”
Representatives from the auction house are in homes nearly every day inspecting property and works with a wide variety of estates, museums, churches and other organizations sussing out goods for sales. “That’s where the majority of the items in our auctions ultimately come from, and it’s also why every sale ends up having such an interesting mix of material,” Schultz said.
Evincing that was the whole auction that was in the planning for several months but especially the first session. The first day saw a combination of material from different estates and collections and three notable standouts came from three different estates, Schultz noted.
“The Steuben paperweight was part of a much larger collection that we have only begun to sell. We’ll be offering more than 500 additional pieces of Steuben in our next auction, so there is quite a bit more to come from that collection.” This glass paperweight brought $6,710.
Hitting all the right notes, this 1994 Schimmel baby grand piano outperformed its estimate to bring $7,320 ($2/4,000).
“The baby grand piano came from an estate where the family had actually considered giving it away because they didn’t believe it had much value.” In the end, the Schimmel was bid to $7,320. “ It was a great example of why it can be worthwhile to have someone evaluate an estate before making those decisions,” he added.
Last he cited was the aforementioned Orientalist painting.
The top lot of the auction came within the first hours of the second session with a Winchester Repeating Arms Company cartridge board featuring the “Double W” 1897 pattern and made $39,370, well over its $5/10,000 estimate. “Firearms advertising has always been a very strong market for us, and quality, original pieces continue to attract serious collectors,” Schultz explained. “This particular Winchester advertising board had a great history behind it. It originally hung in a barbershop and then went into the same family, where it remained for approximately 75 years before coming to us through the estate. That kind of provenance, combined with the Winchester name and the overall rarity of the piece, generated a lot of interest.”
The board had some damage in the center, otherwise Schultz believed it could have brought even more. The consignor was hoping for around $5,000 though. “Needless to say, he was very happy with the final result,” he added.
The top lot in the third session and leading a compact grouping of vintage cars was this 1963 Volkswagen Beetle that drove off the block for $9,455 ($4/6,000).
By the third day, attention shifted from traditional and serious pieces to a bit of fun. Vintage cars certainly fit the bill, and the auction featured a nice grouping. They were led by a 1963 red Volkswagen Beetle at $9,455 and a 1935 Pierce Arrow Model 1245 that performed well at $5,490. “The Beetle came from a local estate and was in wonderful condition. These vintage Beetles seem to be very popular again, and this one had a lot going for it — the condition, the classic red color and the nostalgia surrounding these cars. We saw strong interest from bidders, and it did very well,” Schultz said.
The Model 1245 was a very different kind of offering, he compared. “It was in fair condition at best and definitely a project car, but its rarity made it especially interesting. It was a 12-cylinder Pierce-Arrow, which is much harder to come across,” he said. “Even in its condition, collectors recognized the opportunity to acquire a rare and significant automobile that could make an incredible restoration project.”
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Schultz Auctioneers’ next auction is a Thanksgiving weekend sale, November 27-29, which is typically their largest of the year. “It should be a very diverse three-day sale with something for just about every type of collector,” Schultz added. For information, www.schultzauctioneers.net or 716-407-3125.
