McMurray could remember seeing only one other example of Dr Schenck’s Mandrake Liver Pills Cure-All for Bilious Disorders but it had been trimmed whereas this example was complete and in “very good” condition with some areas of professional restoration. The sign has a 1888 copyright date by J.H. Schenck & Son and was lithographed by George Harris & Sons of Philadelphia, New York and Chicago. The 29-by-14½-inch sign more than quadrupled its low estimate to bring $4,480 ($1,2/2,000).
Review by Madelia Hickman Ring, Photos Courtesy McMurray Antiques & Auctions
KIRKWOOD, N.Y. – Terry McMurray’s 72nd Drugstore, Apothecary, Patent Medicine and Advertising Auction that closed at 10 pm on Saturday, March 28, featured 177 lots, of which nearly 98 percent were sold and achieved a total of just more than $55,000. This total was between 20-25 percent higher than the average sale McMurray conducts, and he attributed the increase to good merchandise and favorable circumstances.
Speaking after the sale, McMurray said the auction, which was conducted solely through absentee and phone bids and without a preview, was not affected by the COVID-19 shutdowns. While he occasionally has buyers from Canada, the United Kingdom or Australia, this sale did not receive any international interest.
An impressive four-piece 41-inch-tall wheel-cut-etched Roman vase show-globe kicked the sale off; despite its rarity, it had some condition issues that kept the price lower than expected and it sold for $1,064.
A date has not yet been set for McMurray’s next sale, though he thought it might be late this coming summer.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 607-775-5972, mcmurrayauctions@aol.com or www.mcmurrayauctions.com.
