As a rare fall snowstorm hit towns hard from New Jersey to Connecticut on October 29, Antique Acquisitions, LLC, hit the market hard with its inaugural auction, offering more 150 antiques and collectibles at the Masonic Lodge.
The weather may have been miserable here, but auctioneer/owner Stu Altman attracted a decent showing of eager buyers for his auction debut, which saw an 1863 architect’s wooden model of Rhode Island Hospital by the A.C. Morse firm attain $4,485, making it the top lot of the sale.
“It was a good sale overall, good attendance and people liked the quality,” Altman said, noting that smalls performed well. The auction had 60 registered bidders and there was active phone action with only about 30 lots passing.
Altman has been an antiques dealer for two decades and has done shows and displayed antiques in shops throughout New England. He initially specialized in choice men’s antiques and collectibles, including cigarette lighters, fountain pens, match safes and watches. Men’s and other smalls were plentiful and found favor with buyers in this auction.
“I really like dealing with high quality smalls †quality and unusual items always sell well,” he said. “They don’t take up any room, yet yield as much money as good furniture. These days, you need to sell a broad spectrum of items, including modern. I decided that auctions are a better draw than a show, and they are fun to do.”
He plans to offer a few auctions a year with sessions offered when he has built up sufficient inventory for the auctions.
The fine art category was led by a mixed media artwork by George Grosz that sold for $3,450, while the lighter and fountain pen lots did well, averaging $300 each. A metal Henry Ford plaque from 1948 sold for $402. The gold watches averaged $503 each. The silent movie poster The Ninety and Nine sold for $345, while a Simpson Beverages tin litho brought $172.
All prices reported include the 15 percent buyer’s premium.
For more information, call Altman at 401-331-7653. A website is under construction at www.antiqueacquisitions.com .
