Measuring 30 inches in diameter, this double-sided porcelain sign for Minute Man Service, circa 1940s, raced to the auction’s top price of $9,430.
Review by Carly Timpson
ROSSVILLE, IND. — Synesael Davies Auctions marked Independence Day with its July Fourth Antique & Americana Auction, conducted live in-person and online. The sale comprised 406 lots of Americana, painted furniture, stoneware, advertising and militaria among other collecting categories.
Kenny Synesael, owner and auctioneer, reported having a good sale. “We had, surprisingly, a large crowd for our live and online auction. There were about 175 to 200 live bidders — and they were active! It went 50-50 — 50 percent to live bidders, 50 percent to online,” he noted. “It was just great to see people live again. We’ve been online for so long; that was my goal to bring people out.”
Top-lot status was achieved right off the bat, when lot one, a vibrant double-sided porcelain sign advertising a Minute Man service shop, sold to an online bidder for $9,350. The 1940s porcelain sign was bright orange and had a visual that read “Minute Man / Service” and featured the company’s iconic orange mascot. Petroliana collectors liked the bold coloring and “honest, age-related wear” of this 30-inch double-sided service station sign. Synesael was pleased with the result, saying he expected it to land in the $7,500 range. “That was another lucky find in a house. There were two items that I found behind a metal cabinet in the garage. I just happened to catch a glimpse of the orange. The root beer sign was the other one.”
One of several Cushman scooters from a sizable collection, this 1960-65 cast iron Model 765 Super Eagle in Cascade Blue was in nice, running condition following a total restoration in the 1990s. It revved up to lead the group at $5,750.
The other garage-find was a vintage embossed tin sign from Dad’s Root Beer Bottling Company, Chicago. The 12-ounce bottle depicted on this sign was advertised as “‘Junior’ Size,” showing a child above the “Dad’s / Old Fashioned / Root Beer” label. Text beneath the bottle noted that “Quart ‘Mama’ size and ½ gal. ‘Papa’ size” were also available. This 27½-by-13-inch single-sided sign was taken past its $300 high estimate to achieve $719.
Realizing the second-highest price overall was a Cushman scooter — one of five in the auction, from a collection that contributed a trio of promotional pieces from the company. “The scooters all came from an Indiana estate. The gentleman who owned them had collected and worked on Cushman scooters,” Synesael shared. “Several years ago, we’d handled another large Cushman scooter collection from up near Monticello, Ind. Someone who was friends with this consignor was at that auction and told him about it, so that’s how we ended up with his collection.” The leading scooter was a 1960-65 cast iron Model 765 Super Eagle in Cascade Blue. “It was in really nice condition, but what really helped was that it started right up and ran. He took very nice care of them; they had a furniture store, and when that went under, that’s where he stored them, so they were in great condition.” With its vibrant blue color, low milage and “many extras” from its total restoration in the 90s, this example raced across the block for $5,750.
Other restored models in the sale included a 1961-66 Super Silver Eagle Model 765 in cream with electric start and an NOS engine with no miles on it ($3,220); a red 1946-48 Roadking Model 54 step-through with its original manual ($1,783); a 1957-62 RoadKing Alligator Model 725 step-through, which was “restored by Norm Peoppo, national champion at the Portland, Ind., show in 1993,” per the catalog ($1,323). Related merchandise included a 22-inch round “Cushman / Motor Scooters” painted steel sign from the 40s or 50s ($150), a 12-inch square painted tin “Presenting the / Cushman / Super Eagle” sign ($92) and a branded shop stool on a chrome frame ($69).
This Browning M1919 A4 semi-automatic machine gun, .30-caliber, was manufactured by Saginaw Steering Gear Division, General Motors Corporation, and sold for $4,025 with a tripod, fitted case and many accessories.
From a consignor who collected US Marine material came a Browning M1919 A4 semi-automatic machine gun. The .30-caliber gun was fully marked and had a 22-inch barrel with heat shield and came with paperwork from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for its semi-automatic conversion. Synesael called this lot “kind of an odd find,” saying it was found in a crate underneath a table saw in the garage. “The attraction to that gun was that I sold it as a package deal — ammunition, tripod, bag — and it displayed well.” Additions to the package included the fitted wooden crates, an M2 T&E mechanism, USMC “Spare Parts” machine gun tool kit, canvas belted ammo and metal clip belted ammo and metal ammo can. After the bidding settled down, the set sold for $4,025.
Primitive Americana also found success, with an early double candle stand rising past its $1,000 high estimate to earn $1,950. The wooden stand had a hand-carved threaded shaft with an adjustable crossarm supporting a candle socket on either end. Distinctive in its form with the star-form base and turned screw mechanism, Synesael commented, “It was primitive. I’m pretty sure it was from Massachusetts, and it went back to Massachusetts with a collector. It was in good condition.”
Another notable form was found in a shoe-foot step-back cupboard. In old mustard paint, the cupboard had three open shelves over a single plank-style door and sold for $1,438. Synesael said, “That’s a pretty unusual form. You don’t see shoe-foot step-back cupboards like that. I would guess it came from a river town, being up on a shoe foot like that. It just had a great look.”
This Seventeenth Century English staddle stone, hand-cut sandstone in two pieces, 34 inches tall, 19 inches square (top), had nice mossy coverage and sold for $2,070.
One of the older and more unusual items was a Seventeenth Century staddle stone, which Synesael said caused much debate within the firm. The 34-inch-tall hand-cut sandstone object would have been one of at least four that was used to raise a granary shed to keep it safe from dampness and vermin. After nearly 30 bids back-and-forth, the mushroom-shaped stone ultimately realized $2,070. “We debated whether to move it or not because it was big and heavy, but it sold, so it paid off! We hoped it would make it worth our trip, and at $2,000, I thought it did,” Synesael reported. “It had to come from England — that’s the only place that had them — so somebody put that heavy thing on a boat and shipped it all the way over here for some reason.”
“On September 19, we have an auction that’s going to have some unusual items. There’s an outstanding Thomas Brooks cigar store figure from 1880, a Stickley bookcase — it’s a mix, not necessarily country, but it’s going to have some country store pieces and advertisements. Also, there will be early Western items, like spurs, chaps, a couple saddles… A really interesting item is an 1880s vampire killing kit!” Synesael added, “We’ve always been in the Davies Barn, but we just purchased a new auction facility in Oxford, Ind. The September auction will be our first antique auction there.”
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.synesaeldaviesauction.com or 765-404-5014.
