Pair of Carrara marble angels, Nineteenth or Twentieth Century, prayed their way to $6,250.
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – EstateOfMind conducted an eclectic and exciting auction on May 21, grossing just shy of $300,000. The sale was led by two Chevrolets; a 1971 Impala convertible that had been sitting, undriven, in a heated garage for 30 years that sped off for $31,250, and a 1972 Malibu roared away for $6,300.
Session 1 of the auction was dedicated to militaria and firearms. Session 2 consisted of items from Tuxedo Park and Hamptonburgh, Oceanside and Warwick, all in New York. More than 650 lots came up for bid in Session 2, encompassing multiple categories. The sale enjoyed a 98.4 percent sell-through rate. Around 50 people attended in person, while another 2,000 registered to bid online through LiveAuctioneers.com. There were also 5,200 absentee bids recorded.
Decorative art was strong in the sale. A pair of Nineteenth or Twentieth Century Carrara marble guardian angels, 40 inches tall, finished at $6,250. Next in this category was a Nineteenth Century fine deep blue ground signed Sarouk rug, pulled from a Tuxedo Park estate, which realized $5,250.
The auction featured not one but two Louis Vuitton trunks, enormously popular with collectors. The larger of the two sold for $6,562.
A 1945 oil on board painting of a World War II US Navy/Army/Air Force float plane, signed by artist Eric Sloane (1905-1985), changed hands for $4,625. The plane depicted was one of only ten built.
Unquestionably the surprise lot of the day was an AMPEX 351-2 reel-to-reel tape transport with amplifiers. Entering play with a $400/600 estimate, it ended up finding a new home for $3,250.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. EstateOfMind’s next auction will be conducted on October 8. For additional information, www.estateofmind.biz or 845-386-4403.
