The top lot of the auction was this Tiffany 18K yellow gold and sapphire bracelet that attained $10,200 ($6/8,000).
Review by Andrea Valluzzo
TIMONIUM, MD. — Richard Opfer was perhaps joking when he said if he didn’t sell anything other than sterling silver, gold and jewelry, he’d be happy, but those categories certainly seem to be dominating the action at many auctions of late, including Richard Opfer Auctioneering’s September 17 Robert Helsley Collection of Posters, Antiques & Collectibles auction.
Reached by phone after the sale, Opfer said these categories are bringing the biggest prices, as the furniture market continues to be challenging. However, pieces that would rank high on a scale of one to ten, in terms of quality, seem to do well. “Nines and tens are selling really well, and everything else you’re guessing as to what it’s going to bring,” he said. The Helsley collection was rich in Victorian furniture, which has had trouble finding audiences today, so buyers got several good deals.
Sterling silver impressed in a big way in this auction, however, and accounted for five of the top ten selling lots. “Sterling silver was very good, and a lot of it was by makers that you won’t see very often,” Opfer explained. Leading this category was an S. Kirk & Son sterling repoussé coffee and tea service with flower finials at $4,800, just over its high estimate.
This S. Kirk & Son sterling repoussé coffee and tea service with flower finials earned $4,800 ($3/4,000).
This sale was the second session of the Helsley collection, as Opfer auctioned the collector’s Christmas collections in May. This session did not perform quite as well, but the nearly 40 vintage posters on offer mostly sold within or above estimate, led by a poster for Unic shoes. It was designed by A.M. Cassandre, one of the most sought-after names when it comes to vintage posters, and sold mid-estimate at $3,200. A German poster from 1911, Ausstellung: Die Elektrizität by Paul Neu, sold well over its $450/650 estimate to bring $2,760.
The first 180 or so lots crossing the block were from the Helsley collection, but the auction’s overall top lot came later on and was a Tiffany 18K yellow gold and sapphire bracelet. The 7-inch-long bracelet attained $10,625, just over its high estimate. “It was a spectacular bracelet,” Opfer said.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Opfer said he will hold his annual holiday sale, the Annual Egg Nog Auction, the second week of December, exact date to be announced. For information, www.opferauction.com or 410-252-5035.
