Lionel standard gauge No. 400E steam locomotive and No. 392T tender. Stephenson’s image.

SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. – An old-fashioned American Christmas traditionally includes a statuesque, fragrant tree, topped by either an angel or star and accompanied by a vintage toy train that chugs energetically around its base to announce that Santa has arrived.

Finding the perfect train to complete the classic holiday scenario is as easy as bidding in Stephenson’s Dec. 16 auction, which contains hundreds of classic loco/tenders, boxed sets and coveted accessories by Lionel, American Flyer and other revered names. Nearly all of the train lots have come from three multi-generational estates in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Selections from the approximately 75 lots of European and American dolls and group lots of doll clothing, dishes and reference books. Stephenson’s image.

“Our business is based on auctioning contents of estates or homes whose owners are downsizing,” said Cindy Stephenson, owner of Stephenson’s Auctioneers. “We set aside the best toys and trains from those estates to offer in specialty sales held a few times a year. The pre-Christmas train and toy session is always very popular with collectors.”

The Friday, Dec. 16 Dolls, Trains & Toys auction, which will start at 2 p.m. Eastern time, opens with approximately 75 doll lots, including antique and vintage examples of both European and American manufacture. The selection features German bisque-head and composition dolls, a Shirley Temple doll in a middy dress, Barbies, a Skookum Native-American doll with papoose, a Mori Mora Bros. character doll, and groupings of miniature dolls. Doll clothing and dishes, and doll reference books round out the section.

Lionel standard gauge No. 408E electric locomotive. Stephenson’s image.

The bulk of the auction consists of estate trains and toys. An extensive array of early Lionel standard gauge trains includes a No. 408E electric locomotive, a No. 384E steam locomotive and tender; Mojave passenger cars, freight cars and a No. 400E steam locomotive with No. 392T tender – the big boy of the standard gauge era.

Lionel prewar O gauge passenger set with No. 253 locomotive, two No. 607 Pullman coaches and a No. 608 observation car. Stephenson’s image.

O gauge fans won’t want to overlook the two No. 2333-20 Santa Fe engines and a prewar passenger set featuring a No. 253 locomotive, two No. 607 Pullman cars and a #608 observation car.

American Flyer aficionados won’t be left out in the cold, either. The brand is well represented by a boxed Mountaineer No. 20320 set.

An always sought-after, original Lionel standard gauge No. 444 roundhouse section. Stephenson’s image.

“Collectors will appreciate that many of the train sets are boxed and that an enormous selection of accessories will be available, as well,” said Stephenson. The comprehensive array includes numerous bridges, signals, crossing gates, platform buildings and figures, which will be apportioned into group lots. Highlights among the accessories include an excellent and always sought-after Lionel standard gauge No. 444 roundhouse section, a No. 124 station and two No. 913 illuminated bungalows.

The toy box at Stephenson’s will be brimming with boys’ toys of all types from the pre- and postwar eras. A Buddy ‘L’ pressed steel Railway Express truck with all original paint is in “good to very good” condition. Another vintage piece is the Keystone parking garage and gas station.

Britains figurines, both military and civilian types. Stephenson’s image.

The toy lineup continues with slot cars (including Aurora), pond boats, an abundance of Britains civilian and military figures, and a scale-model remote-control helicopter. Numerous scale model cars produced by Danbury Mint and Franklin Mint are also part of the colorfully varied toy mix.

Stephenson’s Friday, Dec. 16 Dolls, Trains & Toys auction will take place at the company’s gallery located at 1005 Industrial Blvd., Southampton, PA 18966. The session will begin at 2 p.m., with a two-hour preview from 12 noon till commencement of sale. There will be ample onsite parking and a food and beverage concession at the venue. For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Cindy Stephenson at 215-322-6182 or e-mail info@stephensonsauction.com.

All forms of bidding will be available, including live in the gallery, absentee, by phone, or live via the Internet through www.LiveAuctioneers.com. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. Visit Stephenson’s online at www.stephensonsauction.com.

Saturday 10th December 11am – 4pm

Fellows are pleased to announce an extra Viewing Day for the following auction:

Antiques & Fine Art 

We will also be holding a Jewellery Valuation Day.

Visit our specialists for a free valuation with no obligation.

Hold ’em or fold ’em? Let the seller beware when angling  for a….REAL DEAL

Las Vegas dealer Glen Parshall (left) considers making a cash offer on a fossilized woolly mammoth tooth brought in during the taping of 'Real Deal,' HISTORY Channel's new auction house reality show based at Don Presley Auctions in Orange, Calif. Image courtesy of HISTORY.

ORANGE, Calif. – A 1956 Lincoln Mark II in flawless condition rolls into the lot. Its owner knows that only a handful of these beauties were produced, and he thinks he can get $70,000 for it. The dealer offers him $30,000. Should he take the money and run? The tension builds. No, the seller decides. For a collectible car in perfect running condition, he’s sure he can get top dollar at auction.

The market for collectibles is unpredictable, and everyone wants to make a profit. ‘Real Deal,’ a new 10-part / 30-minute series premiering Sunday, Nov. 27 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on HISTORY, zeroes in on the dramatic interaction between buyers and sellers as they haggle over the best price for a piece of history.

Taped at Don Presley Auctions’ gallery in Orange, Calif., Real Deal captures the tension that fuels the art of the deal. Antique dealers must summon their expansive knowledge of antiques – and human nature – to clinch the deal. But it’s the sellers who have the advantage. They can walk away from the table at any time and head straight to the auction block, where big money could be awaiting. But there’s always the risk of going home with far less than the dealer offered – or even empty-handed.

Whether it’s a collection of footballs signed by NFL legends or an autograph by Harry Houdini, a WWII German Storm Trooper dagger or a 19th-century spittoon, everything that comes into the auction reveals something about an earlier time and the way people lived in the past. But an article that’s rich with history doesn’t necessarily make its owner rich. One seller thinks he can get $580 for a 1904 home electrotherapy machine. The dealer offers $240. No deal, decides the seller, and heads to the auction house, where he gets only $225 for it.

But a gamble can sometimes pay off, as it did for Gary, the owner of the Lincoln who rejected the dealer’s $30,000 offer. At the auction house, he gleefully looks on as bids keep rising. Eventually the vintage vehicle fetches $45,000…and Gary goes home a winner.

“With this show, the name tells it all. It’s the real deal – the most authentic antiques and auction show on television,” said auctioneer Don Presley. “I believe auctions are the best way of determining fair market value, and that’s what this show does.”

Presley explained the premise of the show: “People come into the auction house with an antique or collectible item and sit down at a poker table across from one of a team of four very smart dealers with a stack of cash to spend. They discuss the item and haggle back and forth on price; then the dealer makes them an offer. The seller can accept the offer or consign the item to auction. Viewers get to watch the entire process as it unfolds, all the way through to the bang of the gavel. It’s very entertaining,” Presley said.

New episodes will air on the following dates, with back-to-back new episodes on Sundays:

Sunday 11/27 -  9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Monday 11/28 – 11 p.m.

Sunday 12/4 – 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Monday 12/5 – 11 p.m.

Sunday 12/11 – 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Sunday 12/18 – 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

REAL DEAL is produced for HISTORY by Zodiak USA. Carl Lindahl is Executive Producer for HISTORY. Natalka Znak, Claire O’Donohoe and Rhett Bachner serve as Executive Producers for Zodiak.

About HISTORY

HISTORY® and HISTORY® HD are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network’s program offerings are hit series such as American Pickers, Ax Men, American Restoration, Ice Road Truckers, Top Gear, Pawn Stars and Top Shot, as well as acclaimed specials including  Vietnam in HD, Gettysburg, America the Story of Us, WWII in HD, 102 Minutes That Changed America. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, eleven Primetime Emmy® Awards, 12 News & Documentary Emmy® Awards and received the prestigious Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network’s Save Our History® campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network’s signature initiative connecting America’s schools and communities with veterans from all wars.

The HISTORY website, located at www.history.com, is the leading online resource for all things history, featuring over 20,000 videos, images, audio clips, articles and interactive features that allow visitors to dig deeper into a broad range of thousands of historical topics. For more information go to www.historypressroom.com

HERSHEY, Pa – USA Theatres, which operates drive-in and outdoor theatres in Central Pennsylvania, is entering into the world of antique toys by launching the American Antique Toy & Coin-Op Show.

According to the company, the show will feature quality exhibitors buying, selling and trading a wide array of antique and collectible toys, including tin, cast iron, mechanical, pressed steel, banks, advertising, holiday, Marx, soldiers, coin-ops, and more.

“Since outdoor movies are a seasonal business, trade shows and conventions have become an important part of our annual programming,” said Ronald M. Vastola, Outreach Coordinator of USA Theatres.  “The show will be promoted and marketed through various media outlets, including television, Internet websites, daily and weekly newspapers, trade papers, and direct market mailers and magazines.”

A previous show organized by USA Theatres was the Baltimore Non-Sports Card Convention, which featured numerous exhibitors from the non-sports hobby, including artists, authors, manufacturers, publishers, and dealers.

The American Antique Toy & Coin-Op Show is set to debut for the general public on Saturday, March 3, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Eastern Civic Center, situated within walking distance from the Metro-North Train Station in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

General admission into the event is $10 for adults and free for children under 12.  Early buyers are welcome Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. and also Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. for $20 per person each day.

A variety of food and beverages will be available for purchase at the show, provided by Joemomma Foods Incorporated of Hershey, Pennsylvania, according to the show’s promoter, USA Theatres.

“It’s going to be a brisk and fantastic show,” Vastola said.

Want to exhibit?

8 ft. by 8 ft. exhibitor spaces are currently available for $150 each and include one 8 ft. table, two chairs, and two exhibitor badges; while 16 ft. by 8 ft. spaces are available for $250 each, and 24 ft. by 8 ft. spaces are available for $350 each.

For more information, call (717) 542-0567 or email usatheatres@yahoo.com

You may also visit the website, www.usatheatres.com/conventions.html

Twelve bottles of vintage 1986 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, removed from the subterranean wine cellar of an avid collector (est. $27,500-$32,500).

Over 1000 lots of fine art, silver, estate jewelry, furniture and fine wine to be offered at LLAES, Ltd.’s Two-Day Winter Catalogue Auction.  Fine Wine to be sold Friday December 2nd at 5:30 PM, The Personal Collection of Joseph D. Rowand to be sold Friday, December 2^nd at 7 PM, and Fine & Decorative Arts to be sold Saturday, December 3rd at 9 AM.

Following on the heels of two consecutive million dollar sales, LLAES, Ltd. is proud to announce their last catalogue sale of the year.  Leland Little states, “This sale promises to maintain the momentum that has been generated at our previous two catalogue auctions.”  The sale will feature the personal collection of Joseph D. Rowand, founder of Somerhill Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC, the largest collection of rare and fine wine to date, and a quality collection of fine and decorative arts.  This event will be held at the firm’s newly expanded state-of-the-art auction gallery in Hillsborough, NC.  Little elaborates, “We are pleased to announce the completion and use of our 5,500 square foot extension which offers an additional 2,000 square feet of gallery display combined with the largest walk in wine cooler in the Southeast.”  Floor, absentee, telephone, and live online bidding through Live Auctioneers will be available both days.

The two day schedule will begin on Friday, December 2nd with an Hors D’oeuvre and Wine Reception for floor bidders.  The Rare and Fine Wine Auction will begin promptly at 5:30 PM.  Particular lots of note include:  nine bottles of vintage 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild (est. $21,000-$26,000), twelve bottles of vintage 1986 Chateau Lafite Rothschild (est. $27,500-$32,000), and two bottles of vintage 1985 Montrachet (est. $4,500-$6,500).  These lots have all been removed from the subterranean wine cellar of an avid collector.

Oil on canvas by Maud Gatewood entitled, “Green Shade.” Presented in a custom karated gold leaf floater frame.

Following the same evening at 7PM, LLAES, Ltd. will offer the personal collection of Joseph D. Rowand, founder of Somerhill Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC.  164 lots will be offered at this second session.  There are no pre-sale estimates for this session as it constitutes an estate collection with all items to be sold to the highest bidder.  Lots of interest include the Catalogue cover lot, an oil on canvas by Maud Gatewood, entitled, “Green Shade,” which is one of twelve works offered by the famed Gatewood.  Other lots of note include an oil on canvas by Claude Howell (NC, 1915-1977) entitled, “Boy with Watermelon,” a ceramic sculpture entitled, “Two Figures,” by Mark Chatterley, a Saarinan “Tulip” Table and a pair of chairs, and an oil on canvas by John Beerman (NC) entitled, “Seven Lombardi Poplars…”

On Saturday, December 3rd at 9AM, over 700 lots of fine and decorative arts will be offered.  This session features multi-estate national and international level collections, beginning with 106 fresh to the market Asian Art offerings.  Lots to watch include a pair of Chinese Famille Rose Lidded Bowls with a mark for Qianlong (est. $800-$1,200), a Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Pear Form Vase with a six character mark for Tongzhi reign (est. $800-$1,200), and a Chinese Carved Rose Quartz Elephant (est. $2,000-$4,000).

American Art offerings will be a highlight of the sale.  An acrylic on canvas by Rafael Cauduro, who is considered to be among the finest muralists and artists currently living and working in Mexico, entitled, “My Grandfather” (est. $6,000-$9,000) will generate excitement.  Other strong lots include an oil on canvas by Anthony Thieme (MA, 1888-1954), entitled, “Pigeon Cove” (est. $6,000-$8,000), a mixed media on board signed and dated “Dale Nichols 1947,” entitled “Red Barn in Snow” (est. $2,000-$4,000), a drypoint on heavy wove paper by Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) signed and entitled “Kleine Welten XII” (est. $8,000-$12,000), and a still life oil on canvas by Thomas Wightman, Charleston, SC (est. $3,000-$5,000).

Paint Decorated Pennsylvania Dower Chest, 18th century (est. $4,000-$8,000)

American Furniture will be led by a New York Renaissance Revival Bedroom Suite, circa 1870s with elaborate relief carving as well as incised and pierced details (est. $10,000-$20,000), a Philadelphia Tall Post Tester Bed, circa 1820-30 (est. $8,000-$12,000), and a Pennsylvania Paint Decorated Dower Chest, 18th century (est. $4,000-$8,000).  Other fine lots include an American Classical Breakfront, second quarter 19th century (est. $4,000-$8,000) and a New York Federal Drop Leaf Parlor Table, circa 1810-30 (est. $3,000-$5,000).  A Continental offering of note is a Pair of Regency Inlaid Card Tables, circa 1810 (est. $3,000-$5,000).

Impressive 9.90 carat Platinum and Diamond Ring, centering on one emerald cut diamond (est. $80,000-$100,000).

Fine Jewelry offerings include 71 extremely strong lots that are sure to generate animated bidding.  An Impressive 9.90 carat Platinum and Diamond ring centering on one emerald cut diamond (est. $80,000-$100,000) will certainly be a lot to watch.  Other one of a kind pieces include a Diamond Line Bracelet comprised of 33 round brilliant cut diamonds (est. $10,000-$20,000), an Art Deco Platinum and Diamond Bracelet (est. $2,500-$5,500), an 18KT Diamond, Sapphire, Turquoise Toucan Brooch (est. $1,500-$2,500), an 18KT Gold and Diamond Cartier Brooch (est. $1,000-$3,000), and an 18KT Diamond En Tremblant Brooch, Hammerman Bros. (est. $1,000-$2,000).

Gorham “Maintenon” Sterling Tea and Silver Service (est. $10,000-$12,000)

Fine Silver offerings, both American and Continental, will excite and satisfy silver buyers.  American offerings will be led by a Gorham “Maintenon” Sterling Tea & Coffee Service (est. $10,000-$12,000) and Hector Aguilar “Aztec” Silver & Rosewood Flatware, circa 1940-1950 (est. $6,000-$9,000).  Continental Silver lots of note include a Georg Jensen “Pyramid” Sterling Flatware Service for eight (est. $5,000-$7,000), a Pair of Georgian Silver Salvers bearing the date letter for 1798 (est. $1,000-$3,000), and a Russian Silver Vodka Bucket, circa 1908 (est. $800-$1,200).

Rounding out the sale will be ten lots of fine musical instruments from an Eastern North Carolina Private Collection, led by a 1958 Gibson Les Paul Jr. Electric Guitar, 3/4 Size (est. $3,000-$5,000), sixteen lots of sculpture in various mediums, led by a cold painted gilt bronze by Pierre Le Faguays (est. $1,000-$3,000), and a 1977 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith III four door sedan (est. $10,000-$15,000).

Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.’s Spring Catalogue Auction will be held in March of 2012.  LLAES, Ltd. is always seeking quality consignments, whether it be an entire estate or a significant item. If you would like to discuss selling please call at 919-644-1243 or email at info@LLAuctions.com.  To learn more about Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. please visit their new website at www.LLAUCTIONS.com.

Old Masters, European bronzes, Asian art top a 450-lot fine and decorative art offering

Pair of 29¾-inch, bronze-mounted Capodimonte urns, est. $12,000-$15,000 pair. Sterling Associates image.

CLOSTER, N.J. – When Sterling Associates conducts its inaugural Fall Estates Sale on Dec. 3, bidders from around the world will have the chance to experience what may very well be the future of the auction business – a format that company owner Stephen D’Atri calls the “hybrid auction.”

“All of the bidding will be done absentee, over the phone or via the Internet, but we’re very much a permanent brick-and-mortar company where anyone can come in to inspect the goods,” said D’Atri. “It will be run exactly like a live auction, but without a live audience.”

D’Atri said the idea behind Sterling Associates developed organically, after many years of working with his family’s antique lighting business, followed by the establishment of a very successful business of his own. Over a 22-year period, D’Atri’s Sterling Restoration and Antique D’zynes grew from a one-man operation in a 1,000-sq.-ft. venue to a company with 15 employees headquartered in a 17,000-square-foot building.

Pietro Fragiacomo (Italian, 1856-1922) signed oil-on-canvas painting of women at shoreline, 20½ x 20 inches, est. $6,000-$8,000. Sterling Associates image.

As a major restorer of antiques and metalwork known to just about everyone in Bergen County’s antiques trade and well beyond, D’Atri had his finger on the pulse of what was happening in the marketplace. He felt something was missing in the region where he had lived all his life.

“I felt there was a void in my area for auction houses specializing in estates,” D’Atri said. “With the boomer generation coming into retirement age and needing to downsize, many retirees were discovering that auction houses available to them wanted only the highest-end merchandise. But it’s not all about van Goghs and Picassos; it’s also about everything else in a house. The same house where we found some wonderful Old Master paintings also had Danish Modern furniture. That’s how people live. Our goal is to be the friendly, diversified auction house that handles a variety of fresh to the market antiques.”

D’Atri’s hybrid-auction concept will become reality on Dec. 3 with a high-quality 450-lot sale of fine and decorative art, including Modern and Asian; furniture, French and Russian bronzes, and other antiques from estates throughout the Northeast.

Robert Rauschenberg (American, 1925-2008), ‘Ace, November, Venice USA, 1977,’ offset lithograph poster on wove paper, est. $2,000-$3,000. Sterling Associates image.

A nicely varied selection of artworks includes approximately 40 oil paintings and another 40 to 50 watercolors and lithographs. A beautiful Pietro Fragiacomo (Italian, 1856-1922) oil on canvas depicting two women at the shore is estimated at $6,000-$8,000; while a lively Nicholas Wassilievitch Orloff (Russian, 1863-?) winter landscape with troika is entered with a $2,000-$3,000 estimate. The sale also features a modern art section. A 1977 Robert Rauschenberg (American, 1925-2008) offset lithograph poster on wove paper is titled Ace, November, Venice USA. Its estimate is $2,000-$3,000.

Sculptures are led by a large Auguste Moreau (1834-1917) patinated bronze of a woman, est. $6,000-$8,000; and a 19th century bronze troika by Vasily Yakovlevich Grachev (Russian, 1831-1905). Described by Stephen D’Atri as “small but very fine,” the 10½-inch-long Grachev bronze is expected to make $4,000-$6,000. A Luca Madrassi (French, 1848-1919) dore and silvered bronze nymph on a conch shell stands 30 inches tall and carries a presale estimate of $4,000-$6,000.

A pair of exquisitely decorated 29¾-inch, bronze-mounted Capodimonte urns will be offered as one lot with a $12,000-$15,000 estimate, while an artist-signed 19th-century Sevres dore bronze mounted, covered vase is poised to make $3,000-$4,000.

Mid-19th-century Satsuma Gosu Blue pagoda-form candlestick, 20 inches tall, estimate $8,000-$12,000. Sterling Associates image.

Several exceptional pieces of Satsuma porcelain will be auctioned. The premier entry in this category is a mid-19th-century, 20-inch Gosu Blue candlestick created in the form of a pagoda. “Gosu Blue Satsuma wares were produced in very limited quantities in Kyoto and are highly desirable to collectors. This is a very impressive, extremely rare design,” said D’Atri.

Continuing in an Asian theme, another auction highlight comes in the form of an 18th-century Qianlong cloisonné censer with pierced kirin lid. The tripodal vessel stands 16 inches tall and retains remnants of gold on the lid. “This piece could be the star of the sale,” D’Atri observed.

Sterling Associates’ Dec. 3 auction debut represents a new way in which estate antiques and art may be brought to auction. It combines a live preview in an auction-house setting with absentee and remote forms of bidding that make the auction accessible to buyers in any location. With modern technology and the Internet working at one end, Sterling Associates strikes a balance on the traditional side by reviving services that people miss most about the auction business of 20 years ago.

Luca Madrassi (French, 1848-1919) dore and silvered bronze nymph on a conch shell, 30 inches tall, est. $4,000-$6,000. Sterling Associates image.

“Many estate auctioneers in this county have retired or gone out of business due to mismanagement. I kept hearing, ‘It’s a shame this guy is gone or that guy is gone, and there’s no one replacing them. I decided to be that someone,” D’Atri said.

“My family’s business – and later my own business – was tagged ‘high end,’ and I kind of enjoyed that tag, but it eliminated a lot of potential buyers who weren’t looking for that highest price point,” D’Atri explained. “I like the idea of having a full-service operation that can bring the best of a consignor’s pieces to auction and be of genuine help by also liquidating everything else in their estate through other appropriate venues.”

Sterling Associates’ inaugural Fall Estates Auction will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3, starting at 12 noon Eastern time. The preview is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 29 through Dec. 2, and on the morning of the auction. The gallery is located at 70 Herbert Ave., Closter, NJ 07624.

Bidding methods include absentee, by phone or live via the Internet through www.LiveAuctioneers.com. To contact the gallery, call 201-768-1140 or e-mail info@antiquenj.com. Visit Sterling Associates online at www.antiquenj.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Friday – Meissen, Fine Porcelain, Asian Art

Saturday – American, English, Modern Art, Design

Sunday – European Antiques, Silver, Jewelry

Literature is high-lighted in December with significant Raymond Chandler association material including his own copies of all his novels, The Big Sleep inscribed to his wife Cissy and screenplays from his work with Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock.  A private collection of artist’s letters with examples from Manet, Renoir and Van Gogh complements modern artist’s work: three of Andy Warhol’s scarce self-published books will be offered including a vibrantly colored example of the rare and fragile Cats. A strong selection of printed broadsides, Washington letters and a lovely Popple Map of North America with original color are only a few of the highlights of the Printed and Manuscript Americana section of the sale.