Editor’s note: This article was amended on Feb. 10, 2008.

TIMONIUM, MD.: The Brian Ayer collection of still and mechanical banks, dime register banks, cap guns and cast iron toys was featured among numerous collections and consignments that attracted bidders to the Richard Opfer auction facility on November 12. Competition, however, not only came from those seated in the gallery, but also from a plethora of phone bidders from throughout the country and one of the largest number of absentee bids ever recorded by the auction house. The auction total for the day was an impressive $648,000.

Ayer’s collection, formed over the past 15 years, comprised a small but select grouping in the sale. Ayer, a former vice president and branch manager for RBC Dominion Securities, fondly remembered purchasing his first mechanical banks, Spise A Mule and Eagles & Eaglets, at the MBCA Convention in Buffalo, N.Y., in the late 1980s. Presently the Ayers are downsizing their collection in preparation to a move to new residence.

Lot 441, the Picture Gallery by Shepard Hardware, pristine condition, carried an estimate of $20/30,000, and was hammered down at the high estimate. With premium, the bank brought $34,500.

“We are pleased to offer this collection, the second bankauction conducted by RSL Auction Co.,” Steve Weiss, one of thepartners, said. He is one of the specialists, along with his twinbrother Leon, and Ray Haradin of Pittsburgh. The Weiss brothers arewell known at antiques shows, selling under the name of GeminiAntiques.

The sale started out with a good number of still banks, many with silver or gold, and brought average prices ranging from $200 to $500. The first bank to break into five figures was The Trust Bank, an exceptionally fine example, for $13,000 hammer or $14,900 with premium. All prices quoted in this review include the buyer’s premium. The Indian Family, one large Indian face in the center with headdress, with an Indian on either side, near mint condition, cast iron by J.M. Harper, sold for $2,070, above the $1,500 high estimate.

There were a number of left bids on lot 117, Hippo, a cast iron bank in very fine condition. It sold for $3,335, just over the high estimate. Jubilee, a small building bank by US, fine condition and very scarce, was estimated at $400/600 and opened at $900, selling for $1,840. The Jarmulowsky Building, “an excellent example of this highly sought-after bank,” cast iron by Stevens, went slightly over the high estimate selling for $6,555.

Lot 460 was one of the highlights of the sale. This Confectionary bank by Kyser & Rex of Philadelphia, in excellent condition, sold for $18,400, over the $15,000 high estimate. The coin trap had been replaced and there was possibly some restoration to the candy tray.

The Tower Bank, very fine condition, Kyser & Rex, openedat $2,200 and advanced only one bid to sell for $2,300, hammer, or$2,645 with premium. The Penthouse, another D rarity and in veryfine condition, A.C. Williams, went to a phone bidder for $1,725,just over the high estimate of $1,200.

Twenty-eight lots of dime register banks, some of the lots with more than one example, brought as low as $20 and as high as $375, hammer bids. Featured on the banks were Popeye, Little Orphan Annie, Uncle Sam, an astronaut, Donald Duck, Superman, a clown, and Davy Crocket, among other childhood characters.

Cap guns took up the next 73 lots, with some of the lots going for as little as $30 to a high of $3,565 for an Ives Punch and Judy in pristine condition. A Bulldozer and a 1776-1876 cap guns, both in excellent condition and by Ives, went just over the high estimate, selling for $460.

Among the cast iron toys, a Chevy Coupe, Arcade Toys, eight inches long, circa 1925, sold for $1,725, while the Acrobats Bell toy, Gong Bell Mfg, circa 1890, six inches long, “very scarce,” went for $1,840. A Ding Dong Bell toy – Pussy’s Not in the Well, Gong Bell Mfg, excellent to pristine condition, circa 1890, went over the high estimate of $3,500, selling for $4,370.

“Now comes the fun,” Richard Opfer said as he began the section of the sale devoted to the mechanical banks. Lot 469, Elephant and Three Clowns, J&E Stevens, excellent condition, “a little gem,” had a high estimate of $2,800 and sold for $3,910. A few lots later Frog on Round Base, red lattice, J&E Stevens, pristine condition, went slightly over estimate selling for $2,990.

Lot 221, the Old Volunteer Fire Department bank, rated as exceedingly rare with fewer than five known, cast iron and in very fine condition, was estimated at $3/5,000 and sold for $10,350.

The Lighthouse bank, possibly by H.L. Judd, very fine toexcellent condition, sold for $4,025, over estimate, and “talkabout clean,” Richard commented as he knocked it down. A highestimate of $6,500 was on the Mason Bank, Shepard Hardware, but itopened at $9,000 and finally sold to a “slow to make up his mind”phone bidder for $13,800.

A very rare and highly coveted bank, Owl Turns Head-White Owl, J&E Stevens, pristine condition, had a high estimate of $7,000 and was hammered down to a bidder in the gallery for twice that amount; with premium, $16,100. “Talk about paint,” the auctioneer said as lot 535, Punch and Judy by Shepard Hardware, large letters, excellent condition, came on the block. It went to a room bidder for $4,250. Lot 569, Volunteer bank, John Harper & Co., a scarce bank in pristine to near mint condition, went to a phone bidder for slightly more than the high estimate, selling for $5,175.

At the end of the sale Richard Opfer said “I think it was a good, strong sale overall. As usual, great paint sells and mixed in were some bargains, as there should be at auctions.”

The sale was under the direction of The RSL Auction Co., from left, Ray Haradin, Leon Weiss and Steven Weiss.

His auction schedule at 1919 Greenspring Drive includesweekly sales on Thursday nights, along with a good number ofspecialty sales during the year. “We have sales of toys and relatedthings, antique advertising and black memorabilia, about four tosix good antique and paintings sales, and we just ran a sale ofmilitary and firearms,” Richard said.

Ray Haradin said, “We were pleased with the sale, all went well and some strong prices were achieved.” Leon Weiss noted, “The auction was successful, with a good percentage of the pieces going retail.” He also mentioned that their company has been contacted by a couple of other collectors who are looking to go to auction. “There is a good chance that we will be able to pull two collections into one auction, possibly as early as summer but definitely before the end of the year,” Steven Weiss said.

RSL Auction Co can be contacted at PO Box 1752, Bridgehampton NY 11932 or 631-726-4411.