Achieving $23,180 to lead day one was this François Linke Model 512 marble-top vitrine with bronze mounts, 48 inches tall by 16½ inches wide ($4/6,000).
Review by Carly Timpson
CLARENCE, N.Y. — Schultz Auctioneers’ June 11-13 auction comprised various antiques and items from several estates, in categories from furniture to art, toys and dolls to military and firearms and sports memorabilia to vehicles. Resulting in a 95 percent sell-through rate and generating $830,468 in total, the auction was a success.
Ashley Pass, a representative for Schultz, shared, “We were very pleased with the overall results of the three-day sale. As we often see, exceptional quality, rarity and fresh-to-the-market material attracted the strongest interest and performed very well. Bidding was active throughout all three days, with participation from thousands of registered bidders across our various platforms. The sale attracted collectors and institutions from not only across the United States and Canada but also internationally, including bidders from countries such as Italy, Australia, Germany and France.”
Leading the first day of the auction action was a rare François Linke Model 512 marble-top vitrine with bronze mounts, signed “CT Linke / Serrurerie / Paris” to the lock plate for François’ locksmith brother, Clément. Between the female bust mounts on each shoulder, which were joined by a foliate crest, the vitrine’s rear panel was marquetry-inlaid with leafy floral vines, and the entire piece had further bronze ornamentation along its edges and feet. Having been in the collection of a prominent Western New York family for more than 75 years, the 48-inch-tall stand found a new buyer for $23,180.
Depicting polo players with Art Deco flair, this Wilhelm Hunt Diederich (American, 1884-1953) weathervane, approximately 56 by 46 inches, scored for $7,625 ($2/3,000).
More than doubling its estimate to achieve $7,625 was an Art Deco weathervane by Hungarian-born American sculptor Wilhelm Hunt Diederich. Depicting a pair of polo players with mallets raised on a semi-circular support, the piece included its base, allowing it to present as a standalone work of art. The piece came from the collection of decorative arts collector/dealer Kenneth Dukoff.
Another sculptural work that exceeded expectations was a pair of Midcentury Modern Cubist figures by Marcello Fantoni (Italian, 1915-2011). Each of the colorful glazed earthenware sculptures measured approximately 15 inches tall and was signed on the base. Together, the pair achieved $4,762 ($600/800).
Several silver selections did well on day one, including a sterling flatware service from Reed & Barton that was taken to $5,185. Weighing approximately 88 troy ounces, the Hampton Court service was complete for 12 and housed in a wooden chest. An Heirloom sterling silver service in the Flower Lane pattern, approximately 80 troy ounces, finished just behind at $4,880.
This Wurlitzer band organ for Fairland Amusements, Inc, 77 inches tall by 84 inches wide by 29 inches deep, marched to $6,032 ($2/3,000).
The volume was turned up on day two, as several musical instruments and players crossed the block. Claiming the top spot was a Wurlitzer band organ at $6,032. Marked “Fairland Amusements Inc” beneath the visible pipes, the organ was painted with an image showing a clown with an “F.A.” drum, sitting on the ground with his dog. The large case was flanked by two drums and topped with a cymbal at the center of its broken pediment. Another Wurlitzer device, a Model 1015 bubbler jukebox finished at $4,880. In fully working condition with several discs to choose from, the juke had hand-written song selections, such as “Sometimes I’m Happy” by Benny Goodman, “My Old Flame” by Billy Eckstine, “Bye Bye Love” by The Everly Brothers and “Treat Me Nice” by Elvis Presley.
The second day also included a notable Civil War collection featuring a selection of firearms. An 1852 musket from the Palmetto Armory in Columbia, S.C., was the group’s leader at $3,175, easily surpassing its $400 high estimate. Featuring several markings, including those for Palmetto Armory, Columbia and the United States, the musket measured approximately 51½ inches in length. Finishing at $3,048 was a .35-caliber Maynard Arms carbine marked “A. Mitchell / 6th VA. Cav. / Co F” for Alfred Mitchell.
The sale’s top two prices overall — $36,600 for a 2022 Ford F-150 pickup truck and $35,380 for a Massey Ferguson 1840 tractor with bucket and backhoe — came on the last day, which was primarily focused on ephemera, sports cards and memorabilia, toys and general antiques.
This large ephemera lot, including a Rand family photo album, came from a collection of ephemera of Major Giles Curtis, the Rand family of Connecticut and Pittsford, N.Y. It found a new home for $3,050 ($100/300).
Besting its $300 high estimate and achieving $3,050 was a large collection of ephemeral items, including letters, envelopes, newspaper clippings and official documents. Additionally, the collection, which was from Revolutionary War Major Giles Curtis and the Rand family of Connecticut and Pittsford, N.Y., also included a photo album of the Rands, showing a glimpse into their daily lives. The album contained a great range of photos from polo matches, hot air balloon adventures, passengers — including dogs — in vehicles posed in front of various buildings and family portraits on the front stoop.
Also dating to the Revolutionary War era was another lot of ephemera, this selection including correspondence, early Colonial and American documents and items relating to the Marquis de Lafayette, Benjamin Franklin, the Continental Congress and Sir Henry Clinton, dated 1779-83. This collection brought $2,928 against a high estimate of $500.
Another great collection was that of Bowman baseball cards from 1951. A near complete set with two cards — Whitey Ford and Ted Williams — eBay authenticated, the collection slid home for $2,540. Only three cards from the set were missing, but those present included Yogi Bera, Roy Campanella, Phil Rizzuto and Warren Spahn, among others.
Pass added, “We tend to be conservative with our estimates, so it’s always nice to see strong bidding, but the items that brought the highest prices were generally the same pieces we expected collectors to be most interested in. A few lots sold for more than we thought they might, simply because multiple bidders wanted them, but nothing was completely unexpected. Overall, the sale performed very much in line with what we anticipated.”
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.schultzauctioneers.net or 716-407-3125.
