Many Unique Histories For These Odd Sale Lots

*At the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, Visitors can view a small rare blue glass creamer. It has a hollow base with an American penny sealed inside. Although its origin is unknown, the date on the penny is 1794 and experts agree it was most likely produced in Philadelphia sometime after that date.

Northeast Auctions in Manchester, N.H. sold the creamer at auction for $82,600. The family that cosigned the piece had acquired it the 1860s. The date on the coin often was to mark a birthday, or other special occasion.

The Corning Museum of Glass owns other glass vessels with coins sealed inside, but  by far the American made pieces are extremely rare. 

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*Collecting 1960s Zippo cigarette lighters that belonged to American soldiers has been the focus for Bradford Edwards, an art collector based in Vietnam.  Each lighter is unique because they are engraved with sentiments for peace, home, sex, marijuana, and even death wishes for their enemies.

Mr. Edwards consigned 282 lighters from his collection to Cowan’s Auctions in Cincinnati. The collection was valued between $30,000 to  $50,000.  When the collection did not sell, the owner of the auction house Wes Cowan, approached the Manhattan collector, John Monsky, and convinced him to spend $35.250 for the lot, so that it would not be broken up.  Mr. Monsky has said, “each one of them is like a little emotion.”  His favorite is the lighter engraved with a peace sign and the words “WHY ME.”  

He plans to have them mounted for traveling exhibitions, with a database of engravings and the owners’ biographies.

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*It was quite a surprise for furniture historians to discover that the Centennial Museum at the University of Texas at El Paso had two pairs of 1880s gilded chairs from a Vanderbilt home, forgotten in storage since the 1960s.     

The armchairs were produced in Manhattan by the luxury cabinetmaking team, the German born half-brothers, Gustave and Christian Herter.  They are studded with mother-of-pearl and leafy gilding on their sides and were last known to be used by William H. Vanderbilt at his town house on Fifth Avenue.

The Museum placed them at auction through Charlton Hall Auctioneers in South Carolina and the four were sold for $363,000.  Margot Johnson, a New York dealer specializing in Herter pieces, acquired them for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The Met commissioned restoration work on the gilding and velvety red upholstery prior to adding them to an exhibition about Herter work done under Vanderbilt patronage.

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*For years “Star Trek” fans have debated whether a huge 1960s prop from the television series had survived. The prop is a 24-foot model of the show’s Galileo shuttlecraft that was used to film scenes of crews and visitors in transit.

Sadly, the actual metal and wood box used in the shuttlecraft ended up being left outdoors in Ohio and exposed to the elements for years. It was badly rusted and the wood eroded when it was put up for sale by Kiki Auctions of Canton, Ohio.  Adam Schneider, a consultant in New York, paid $70,000 for it. 

Mr. Schneider commissioned Master Shipwrights in New Jersey to do a full restoration.  Galileo’s metal frame and landing skids are salvageable, but the shell and doors will all have to be replaced. Schneider is researching every detail, of the Galileo as it appeared in the show, right down to the exterior lettering. 

Mr. Schneider collects space ship models from “Star Trek” sets and displays them at his home, complete with reactivated lights and sound effects. Once restored, he plans to donate the shuttlecraft to a museum as a children’s exhibit.

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*Sometimes auctions can get pretty heavy. The government decided to remove a 12-ton concrete topographical map of the Gettysburg battlefield from a battlefield visitor’s center.  The map is covered with light bulbs that light up to indicate civil war troop movements.

The 1960s piece was chopped up and stashed in trailers slated to be dumped.  Local preservationists discovered the plan and set up a web site to save the electric map.  Enough support was garnered to convince the General Services Administration to instead offer the piece for sale in and on-line auction.

A developer, Scott Roland from Hanover, PA. paid about $14,000 for it, winning the bidding against an unknown rival.  The pieces have been hoisted by crane and reassembled at a 1950 brick building that is being converted to serve as a conference and visitors center.

Mr. Roland’s team will have the map reactivated in time for Hanover’s 250th anniversary and the 150^th anniversary of Civil War Battles in the area.  The wiring had been cut and ruined. All of the mechanisms will be rebuilt from scratch and should work even better than before.   

Steve McQueen’s 1914 Indian Model F Motorbike goes under the Gavel

Steve McQueen's motorbike will be at auction later this month, with bids starting between  
$33,576 and $42,732. The Hollywood icon's 1914 Indian Model F motorbike is slated to be auctioned off in England later this month, April 2013. The estate of the actor, best known for his film The Great Escape, is putting the motorbike up for auction at the International Classic MotorCycle Show in Stafford.

Bonhams Auction House, said it plans to sell the Steve McQueen motorbike at its April 28 sale. This particular Indian Model F is one of only 242 motorcycles up for auction during the Bonhams sale. Steve McQueen's isn't the rarest motorbike up for auction, and doesn't have the highest estimate.

However, Steve McQueen's connection to the motorbike could make the item a "wild card" in term of how high a price it will sell for.  Reportedly, a number of McQueen's former cars and motorcycles have ended up selling for "many times their estimated value" in auctions over the past decade.

"This machine was a part of Steve McQueen's motorbike collection," said Ben Walker, head of Bonhams Motorcycle Department. "Rather than one he would have raced." Steve McQueen's 1914 Indian, a true collector's item, would make any motorcycle buff's dreams come true.

Steve McQueen's motorbike is an early board-track racer from an era when motorcycles were raced on banked wooden tracks. The bikes were push-started and ran at speeds up to 100 mph! The machines against which these motorbikes competed, generally had no clutch, throttle or breaks. At the end of the race, the motorbike rider would cut the magneto ignition to turn off the engine.

"The men who raced these early board-track motorcycles were not only pioneers and champions of early motor racing, but must also have been incredibly brave," said Walker. "In this age of health and safety the idea of riding at up to 100 mph with no helmet or protective clothing, knowing you have no way of stopping in a hurry, is a terrifying thought."

For those not interested in purchasing this Steve McQueen motorbike, they can still see the actor's, Scott Flying Squirrel motorcycle which is on display at Dale Winfield's motorcycle museum in Haslingden, Lancashire. The Scott Motorcycle Company first introduced this model of bike in 1926.

Steve McQueen's passion for motorsports is long-running. He was known to pursue auto and motorcycle racing equally. McQueen and Peter Revson won in their class in the 12 Hours of Sebring Race of 1970. The car McQueen raced was later used as a camera car in the film Le Mans.

Steve McQueen also competed in off-road motorcycle racing, often going by the name Harvey Mushman. He raced in the '60s and '70s in races including the Baja 100, Mint 400, and Elsinore Grand Prix. McQueen represented the U.S. in the International Six Days Trial in 1964 and was inducted in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978.

Steve McQueen is known for his roles in such movies as The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, The Nevada Smith, and Papillion. The actor passed away on November 7, 1980 of a heart attack.

On-line Gun Auctions Often Overlooked by Buyers

Many gun buyers often overlook on-line auctions when they choose to purchase a firearm.  Gun stores are not the only places to get a good deal on firearms.

In fact there are many on-line dealers that specialize in auctioning guns, both new and used. With recent new legislations prohibiting the sale of “assault style” rifles in some states, on-line auctions provide a good outlet to locate these harder to find firearms.  There are many legitimate auctions happening on-line every day.  These sites range from straight up auctions to penny auction sites for all types of guns.

The only downside of buying on-line is that you can’t physically inspect the product you are buying.  So it is important to use a reputable site that has been operating for a long time with good customer satisfaction ratings. 

After you win an Item, typically you then contact the site owner with your information and the address of the local FFL licensed dealer where you want the gun shipped to. 

Once you win your auction there will be some additional fees involved.  When you contact the auction site with your information they will tell you what the additional costs are for shipping and insurance.   When your firearm arrives at your local Gun Dealer they typically will charge a transfer fee of $30-$50 per gun for doing the paperwork and handling the transaction.

Gun auction sites are also a source for finding Vintage and Collectable firearms that are harder to find at gun stores.  Many come from estate sales and have been family owned until they are put up for sale.  Many of these guns are sold as collections rather than individually.  This is a good way to find bargains on vintage pieces. 

Many people will also buy a collection even though they are only are interested in one or two pieces of the collection.  In turn the extra firearms can then be resold, often making a profit for the seller. 

Penny auctions can offer buyers chances to win items at a low price but each penny bid costs you a small fee and it is possible to spend money bidding and not get the item.   In contrast, Absolute auctions are won by the highest bid and it costs you nothing to bid, so if you don’t win the item you are not out any money.

Either type of auction can offer you a way to purchase a firearm at a substantial savings.  Do some searching on the Internet and you will find many gun auction sites with an amazing selection of new, used and vintage firearms for sale to you right from the privacy of your home.   

Some tips you should keep in mind once you have found a gun you’d like to bid on.  Do some research and know what the value of the firearm is.  That way you will not over bid on the item.  Set a spending limit for the piece and stop biding once it goes over your limit.  Don’t get caught up in a bidding war, it just drives the final bid price up and can result in you paying more than the gun is valued at.  Make arrangements ahead of time with your local FFL Dealer.  You will need his information for shipping and it is good to let them know you are having your purchase shipped to their location.     

Christie’s to Auction Letter Written by DNA co-Discoverer

A letter written by Francis Crick, who co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA will be auctioned by Christie’s in April. The original letter is expected to sell for as much as $2 million. Crick working with James Watson in Cambridge England in 1953, unraveled the double-helix structure and the function of deoxyribonucleic acid known as DNA.  They were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1962 for their groundbreaking accomplishment. Crick, who was 33 at the time, penned the seven-page handwritten letter to his 12-year-old son Michael, who was away at a British boarding school.  In the letter describing the discovery, he states that he believed that DNA is a code and that the order of the bases makes one gene different from another gene. “In other words we think we have found the basic copying mechanism by which life comes from life. You can understand that we are very excited.”  “When you come home, we will show you the model,” he wrote in the letter before signing it, “Lots of love, Daddy.” The letter is being sold by Crick’s son and will be part of Christie’s books and manuscripts sale on April 10th. Francis Harry Compton Crick, OM, FRS was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being a co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953 together with James D. Watson. He was born on June 8, 1916, in Weston Favell           His awards include the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Copley Medal, and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research.  Mr. Crick held degrees from University of Cambridge, Mill Hill School, University College London,  Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.   In his later years, Mr. Crick was a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California.  He died in 2004 in San Diego.

Sotheby’s 2012 Highest Jewelry Sales Ever!

Much has been written about a sluggish world market, but if you asked Sotheby’s how their 2012 sales faired you might be surprised by the answer.  Sotheby’s is reporting that 2012 Jewelry sales were it’s highest ever ringing in at $460.5 million! 

2012 was a very strong year for private jewelry collection auctions with all of Sotheby’s auction houses reporting stellar sales this year.  It should also be no surprise that Diamonds were the leading sellers. 

One example being, the Beau Sancy diamond, one of the most rare “royal diamonds” to come to auction.  The Beau Sancy was the property of the royal house of Prussia.  The 34.98-carat pear double rose cut diamond holds 400 years of history.  It was one of Sotheby’s biggest stars in 2012 selling for $9.7 million.

Sotheby’s jewelry auction houses worldwide sold on average 84 percent of the merchandise they were consigned to auction.   Sotheby’s Geneva set a new world record for any jewelry sale totaling $108.4 million in May alone.  Sotheby’s also had its highest ever-sales total for one day when its December auctions in New York topped out at $64.8 million!  In Hong Kong the annual total of $114.5 million was the company’s second biggest year for jewelry sales in Asia.

Famous private collections at auction in 2012 brought further excitement yielding strong sales.  Jewels that were owned by such notable collectors like Estee Lauder, Evelyn H. Lauder, Brooke Astor, Suzanne Belperron, Mrs. Charles Wrightsman and Michael Wellby.

Sotheby’s held two very rare auctions, selling Jewels from the Private Collection of Suzanne Belperron In Geneva in May and the Jewelry Collection of the late Michael Wellby in London in December. Both collections were purchased 100 percent by lot.

Another world record highlight was the sale of a 10.48-carat fancy blue diamond for more than $10.8 million.   At $1.03 million per carat the sale sets a new world record price per carat for any deep blue briolette diamond ever sold at auction.  An 8.01-carat square emerald-cut fancy vivid blue  diamond on a ring setting was sold for $12.7 million!  Making it the second highest price per carat paid for a fancy vivid blue diamond at auction.

Sotheby’s reported that one of its December Prestige auctions finished out the 2012 auction season when it sold a fancy intense 6.54 carat flawless pink diamond and a ring by Heyman & Brothers from the collection of the late Evelyn H. Lauder for $8.6 million.  They were the top lot in the December sale from the collections of Estee Lauder and Evelyn Lauder. The collections sold together for more than $22.2 million, which was much more than the high estimate of $18 million.

The proceeds from this jewelry sale are to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Evelyn Lauder was the Founder and Chairman of the BCRF.

“Aristotle” Sex Manual Up For Auction in England

The auction house, Lyon & Turnbull plans to auction the rare 1680 book,

“Aristotle’s Compleat Master-Piece” in London this month. The 17^th century book was falsely attributed to Aristotle even though only bits of it contain his work. The book had been banned in Britain until the 1960s.

Rare book experts agree that the subject was considered taboo and the author(s) did not want their names on it. It is thought that by using Aristotle’s name as the author, it would lend more credence to the content and heighten the book’s profile. Other bits of the book come from the work of 17^th century physician Nicholas Culpeper and Albertus Magnus the 13^th century saint and intellectual.

The book, though taboo, was nowhere near as sexually explicit, when compared to more modern manuals such as the 1972 manual “The Joy of Sex.” The “Master-Piece” is thought to be intended to explain the approach to marriage for young people thinking about entering into the holy union.

Using the conventional knowledge of the time, the authors explain how to conceive children and how to conceive either a male and female child depending on the various moon phases at the time of conception. There are illustrations showing a woman’s torso opened up to reveal a baby in the womb.

Another section in the book is entitled “Of Monsters and Monstrous Births” and the author(s) refer to disfigured or deformed babies as “monsters.”  There are a few illustrations of children born with deformities. In another section the book details “directions for midwives”.

Lyon & Turnbull will start the bidding on January 16^th at the auction house in Edinburgh.  The edition of “Master-Piece” being auctioned is estimated to have been published in 1766. Although the bidding will start at a relatively low opening price ($ 480-$ 650) it is not uncommon for collectors of rare books to get into a bidding war and drive the end price up significantly.  It will be interesting to see how high the final price paid for “Aristotle’s Compleat Master-Piece” will be.   

Bruce Willis Teams up with The Boot Campaign in a Charity Auction to Benefit our Troops

The Boot Campaign is a 501c3 non-profit organization launched in Texas in 2009 by a group of women known as the Boot Girls. The Boot Campaign‘s mission is to express gratitude to our troops and to spread awareness of the needs of our military personnel returning home from duty.

Bruce Willis has agreed to donate five motorcycles out of his personal collection  

to the Boot Campaign to be Auctioned on-line. The proceeds will go to benefit returning veterans and help support wounded combat troops. The Charity auction is limited and will run from December 2012 through August 2013. The bikes will be auctioned one at a time with a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 60 days to bid on each. The timed Auction format provides the Boot Campaign with much greater exposure. 

The Actor was born on a military base in Germany and Mr. Willis has always had a long-standing commitment as a supporter of our U.S. Troops. The First of his motorcycles will be released for auction on December 6, 2012.

The Bikes to be Auctioned include:

            -2005 Ducati 1000DS

            -1991 Yamaha XT 350

            -1988 Yamaha TW

            -1972 Harley Davidson Ironhead Sportster XLH

            -1962 Cushman Eagle

           

Willis stated, “I wanted to use my bikes in a way that would benefit our military service members, and I am thankful to the Boot Campaign as the catalyst for using my bikes in a way that will give back to our country’s true heroes. These bikes have been a lot of fun to ride, and my hope is they can do a lot of good for our veterans.”

The Boot Campaign spreads awareness of the needs of our returning military personnel through the sale of signature military combat boots. They accept general public donations, and corporate sponsorships of the Boot Campaign. 

The proceeds raised through the Campaign’s efforts are distributed to programs caring for military personnel that are healing from a variety of physical and emotional combat wounds. The hard work and dedication of the many ambassadors involved in the Boot Campaign is embodied in their mission statement: “When They Come Back, We Give Back.”