Oriental Rugs and CarpetsAuction

Featuring a collection of a prominent Southern California Collector

August 2nd, 2010

Catalog now online

Haffner Frederick the Great and troops, prewar, 21 pieces, $3,186. Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

PITTSBURGH – Ray Haradin’s Old Toy Soldier Auctions operates in a world of miniature antiques, but prices on top lots were strictly big league in the company’s May 1 auction featuring the collections of John Graham (part III), brothers Bill and Don Thompson, and other consignors.

“At $229,000 with 99 percent of the lots sold, it was, by far, our best sale to date,” said Haradin. “I was thrilled with the result.”

The 645-lot auction inventory featured an extraordinary toy soldier collection that was established in the 1940s by two brothers from Chicago, Don and (the late) Bill Thompson. When their family moved to California in 1947, the boys’ carefully wrapped and boxed toys made the journey as well, but they would remain in quiet storage until 2009, when they were unwrapped and assessed for auction purposes.

“We got terrific prices on the Thompsons’ soldiers because they were very desirable, early pieces in fabulous condition,” Haradin said. “I think condition was the reason there were so many new bidders for this sale. I suspect many of them were younger people, too, since 47 percent of the purchases were made through the Internet.”

Extremely rare version of Britains Set #1476, Coronation Coach with single figure of uncrowned King Edward VIII, made in 1937, $5,015. Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

Among the highlights from the Thompson collection was an exceptionally rare version of Britains’ 1937 Coronation Coach Set #1476 containing a single figure of the uncrowned King Edward VIII. The 28-piece boxed set, which also included grooms, footmen and Yeomen of the Guard, topped its high estimate to settle at $5,015 (all prices quoted in this report are inclusive of 18% buyer’s premium).

Another lot with an Edward VIII connection consisted of a figure of the British monarch in his purple, ermine-trimmed Coronation robes. Made by Britains prior to the King’s abdication, the figure came in a box with both a yellow manufacturer’s label marked “King Edward VIII” and a Marshall Field department store $1 price sticker. In Old Toy Soldier’s sale, it concluded its bidding run majestically at $3,422.

There was widespread interest for a Haffner (German) 21-piece military set featuring Frederick the Great with mounted troops, two drummers, a flag bearer and other figures. The very rare ensemble mustered a winning bid of $3,186 against a presale estimate of $1,200-$1,500.

Competition was keen, as well, for knights produced by the British firm Courtenay. A signed and numbered (XX1) hand-painted figure known as “Le Borge de Prie” was pushed well beyond its $400-$600 estimate to close at $1,062.

An early production by the still-active British company King and Country depicted a dashing corps of Seaforth Highlanders in foreign active service dress, complete with piper and mounted officer. The 26-piece set garnered a within-estimate price of $590.

Unlike W. Britains, whose origins date to the mid-Victorian era, King and Country was a late entry on the toy soldier playing field, Haradin said. “They started in the early 1980s but didn’t become popular till the mid-1990s. Now they rival Britains in sales and maybe even surpass them. There’s a very dedicated following for this brand when it’s offered in our auctions. Newer collectors want to buy the pieces that came out before they got into the hobby.”

Cherilea 22-piece postwar baseball set, $4,425. Old Toy Soldier Auctions image.

Speaking of the playing field, bidders came from all directions to pursue a seldom-seen Cherilea postwar baseball set featuring 11 figures, including a black-suited umpire. In its original, colorfully lithographed box and with each of the pieces still tied in place, the like-new set estimated at $1,800-$2,400 crossed home plate in championship style at $4,425.

Other notable boxed sets in the auction included a Britains 8-piece prewar “Los Rurales de la Federaction” Mexican Infantry Set #186, $1,770; a 1937-1941 British Army Active Service Display Set #1328, also by Britains, $1,298; and a postwar Mignot (French) 6-piece “Gardes du Corps du Roi” set #294 featuring an officer, trumpeter and standard bearer, $325.

“What impressed me most about this sale was that it was strong across the board. We made sure we catered to every type of collector, and we didn’t note softness in any category,” Haradin said.

Old Toy Soldier Auctions is expanding its operations. Joe Saine of Toledo, Ohio, an expert in both new and old toy soldiers, is joining the company’s staff to assist with future sales. Additionally, OTSA will conduct its first-ever two-day sale over the weekend of Nov. 20-21. The auction will feature part I of the late Fred Wehr’s collection, which contains many rare, early Britains, approximately 140 King and Country sets, German-made Heyde figures, and an extensive selection of figures by Bill Hocker, a boutique manufacturer from California whose contemporary toy soldiers are often favorably compared to Britains.

To contact Ray Haradin and Old Toy Soldier Auctions, call 412-343-8733 (tollfree: 800-349-8009) or e-mail raytoys@aol.com. Visit the company online at www.oldtoysoldierauctions.com.

Michaan’s Auction in Alameda, California is pleased to announce their partnership with decorative arts expert, Reyne Haines. Their first auction will be held in November and includes 20th Century Decorative Arts, Furniture, Jewelry and Fine Art from the Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco and Mid-Century periods. They are currently accepting consignments for the inaugural sale.

Ms. Haines founded Houston’s eponymous Reyne Gallery, as well as The Finer Things in New York City. These two firms emphasize fine 20th century design in art glass, pottery, furniture, fine art and jewelry. Ms Haines expertise ranges from vintage watches to art glass to decorative arts. She has written for and has been interviewed extensively by publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, Home and Garden, Traditional Home, and 002 Magazine. She is the author and contributor to a number of books about auctions, appraising and collecting.

Michaan’s Auctions is the leading full service auction house on the West Coast. Specializing in the appraisals and sale of antiques and fine art, Michaan’s has specialists in the fields of Furniture and Decorative Arts, Modern, Contemporary Art, European and American Paintings and Prints, Books and Manuscripts, Jewelry, Asian Works of Art and Ethnographic Art.

Established in 2002, Michaan’s Auctions holds up to thirty sales each year attracting a broad base of buyers and consignors from all over the world. With one of the largest facilities in Northern California and the Bay Area’s lowest buyers premium, Michaan’s offers buyers and sellers the opportunity to preview and bid on many unique and desirable property. Some of these pieces realized world record prices. In 2005 A.D.M. Cooper’s oil painting, “Three Graces 1915” sold for a record $21,060 and an Eduard Gaertner oil “German City Street Scene 1831” sold for $266,000.

Michaan’s has built its reputation on its ability to accept single items, groups or entire estates with its “no risk consignment policy” free of hidden fees and charges. Michaan’s specialists are dedicated to staying current on the latest issues and developments in the market and are committed to providing personalized and professional attention throughout the entire auction process.

For more information, additional photographs or to consign your own fine property contact Reyne Haines at 713.253.7505 or reyne@michaans.com. For a complete listing of Michaan’s other Fine and Estate Auctions visit: www.michaans.com

PRESS RELEASE
Press Office Contact:
Talesa Santos
510-740-0220
talesa@michaans.com

Auction July 25th, 2010

Los Angeles

Featuring Fine Art, Books and Manuscripts, Rugs and Carpets, Asian Works of Art, Africa and Ethnographic Works of Art, Silver and Silverplate, 20th Century Furniture and Decorative Works of Art, Furniture and Decorative Arts

Fairfield, Maine, June 22-23, 2010 – For the few weeks leading up to their auction, the Julia firm was filled with pride, anticipation, and trepidation. Pride because they had been told on numerous occasions that their upcoming glass and lamp auction was perhaps the largest, finest, and most diverse grouping of this type that had ever been offered at one auction anywhere in the world for the last couple years. Anticipation because they had a considerable amount of monetary value and the potential for doing well. Trepidation because this is a different world today and the world economy and collecting fraternities of the world are not what they were three years ago. This is a buyer’s market, not a seller’s market. It is exceedingly difficult to predict what is going to happen. They of course knew that because this was such a high profile auction, a great number of collectors would be watching the performance. If they were successful, it would bode well for their company and for the glass and lamp world as a whole. Healthy prices create confidence in buyers, and the positive cycle continues. Poor sales results exacerbate doubt and insecurity in the market. The auction was a cross-section of the art glass marketplace, consisting of objects found in the booths and shops of leading dealers throughout the world. As such, the value ranged from a few hundred dollars to $100,000+ and included art nouveau, 20th Century American art glass, paperweights, KPM plaques, lamps of all types, miniature lamps, French and English cameo glass, Fairyland Lustre, and more.

When the smoke cleared, it was clear the market was still healthy and active. Just over 1,000 lots were offered and the low estimate of the items sold of approximately $1.6 Million with a final selling price of just under $2 Million. This was over $300,000 over low estimate and certainly a statistic to be proud of.

Over the years I’ve heard about people buying unclaimed storage units. I often wondered why anyone would bid on something like that…until recently.

Had I really given it any thought, I would have figured it out. People rent storage facilities for things they have no place for, but have enough value to warrant you to keep them.

It also dawned on me, that depending on the size of the storage facility, the difference in how much they were paying each month. So, you’d at least have an idea of the value of the items in the unit by how long they had it, and how much they had paid. For example, I lived in New York for 4 yrs. I didn’t want to move all of my furniture to New York from Houston at the time, along with boxes of my great grandmothers fine china, some older stuffed animals, records, etc. If you think about how much I paid in monthly rent for 4.5 years…well…you see where I am going with this.

Now before you rush out and start bidding on this week’s storage lots, keep in mind its not all fine antiques and vintage cars kept in those places.

Last week, a picker friend of mine bought a box of Ferragamo shoes, a pair of authentic Louis Vuitton trunks, and an array of Chanel, Hermes, and Missoni clothing (thanks so much for the great buys!)
A friend of his found a pair of “Blue Dog” paintings (yes, I still want them when he makes up his mind on price).

Another buyer wound up with a car, and a dead body. I kidd you not. Fortunately he had not paid for the unit when the body was discovered. Yes, he would have forfeited his money had he.
I think you should keep in mind the location of the units (what part of town), how long have they been renting, and some even let you peer in (not dig through) the units before bidding.

I’d love to hear your storage unit stories…post them here if you would!

Happy Hunting!

Reyne

Featuring property from the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art
July 18 & 19, 2010 10am
220 San Bruno Avenue, San FranciscoSan Francisco

Mark your calendars for August 5 – 8th. Set aside whatever you think you should be doing, check the oil and tires on your car, load up and head out to Hudson, Michigan, or Gadsden, Alabama, whichever is closest.

The stretch of road down US-127 is the Ultimate Collector Destination. This 675 mile highway becomes “The World’s Longest Yardsale” during those dates.

Originally, the idea of having the long yard sale was to bring visitors to the less traveled highways of Tennessee and Kentucky. It has grown considerably from its humble beginnings in 1987.

This event has become so popular; it even has its own Facebook page!
Rachel Ray’s show covered it in 2008 – click here to see:

A few things to make sure you bring with you should you hit the highway:

1. Bring cash – many people won’t take checks or credit cards. There is often no cell service in the rural parts of US127 and therefore credit card machines, etc will not work. Plus, as we all know in this business, cash talks!

2. Handi-wipes are your friends. I hate to say it, but you’re going to get a little dirty digging through all the goodies in search of your diamond.

3. Packing containers and wrap: You don’t want to buy something great and have it rolling around in your vehicle. Bring boxes, bubble wrap, newspaper, etc so that your finds are safely stored until arriving home.

4. Reference guides – as I said earlier, cell service is not always available, so if you are hoping to use the Internet browser to search for values, you might be out of luck in some places. Bring your reference guides for backup!

5. Your patience – the traffic can be horrible. Bring an extra bottle of patience and if you find yourself running low – stop by one of the food vendors, grab a bite to eat, visit with others there dining and your mood will be back to happy in no time!
Do you live along this highway? Have you ever shopped and scored? I’d love to hear your stories from this once a year hot spot.

Happy Hunting!

Reyne

(Northbrook, IL) A signed lithograph of his son by Pierre-August Renoir (French 1841-1919) is one of two Renoirs that will cross the block when Universal Live Auctioneers hosts an online high end fine art auction on Friday July 9 at 3:00PM Central Time. The sale will include 275 lots of original paintings, signed lithographs, sculptures and statues representing some of the best known names in the art world. Also to be offered is an extensive selection of antique and vintage posters.

Martin Shape, President of Universal Live, described the auction as, “Far and away one of Universal’s most prestigious in its fifteen year history of conducting thousands of auctions. Opening bids have been kept competitive and there is the potential for outstanding value in this sale.”

Included in the inventory is a second Renoir signed lithograph, an oil on canvas by Alfred Manessier (French 1911-1993), five Peter Max renderings (one original), signed Warhols, a signed nude and others by Wessleman and works by Rashenburg, Jim Dine, Chagall, Miro and Dali as well as Rockwell sculptures and Pescara statues.

Shape said he believes that less than 50 final full-color renderings of Renoir’s “L’Enfant au Biscuit” Child with Biscuit were produced in 1899. Renoir outdid himself and produced what is unquestionably the artist’s finest print. The colors have a pastel tonality and a delightful mat finish. Many trials must have been made before Renoir was satisfied. Some proofs exist of the drawing alone in grey-black; others have a light pink for the face. Unfinished versions were also produced in varying degrees of color. We know of only three final color stone lithographs, and this is one of those few,” Shape said. The other Renoir is “Le petit garcon au porte-plume” Little Boy with Quill Pen. In it Renoir skillfully used background shading in order to centralize the focus and the impact of his son within the composition. This intriguing portrait study of Renoir’s young son, Claude, is shown here, deep in childish thought, as he writes (or draws) with his quill pen. H!
is gaze is that of a child’s. The overall portrait is a study in concentration, beautifully rendered with thoughtful lines and form.

Just as important is the Alfred Manessier original rare early oil on canvas Sea. The scene portrays rough waters at sea, with seagulls catching the wind above. The artist also later worked in stained glass, and a hint of that can be seen in the pattern of the waves catching the light. His last work for auction was sold for $54,000 in 2007. Manessier’s art today is found in some of the most prestigious private collections and museums.

Representing a “Pop Art” rendering is one of the better known artists, James Rizzi, in It’s Time to Buy a New TV. He captures the excitement of shopping for a new television in this fantastic three dimensional artwork. It consists of many individual cut out pieces that were pasted on the background at varying heights, making the vibrant scene really “pop out”. The Artist deviated from his usual small renderings and produced a 26 by 36 inch image size. According to Shape it is rare to find a large Rizzi.

The fully illustrated catalog and registration for absentee or live bidding are available through LiveAuctioneers.com at http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/22029.

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Martin Shape at 847-412-1802 or email sales@universallive.com.

Over 750 lots of American Paintings, Folk Art, Furniture & Decorations and European Antiques & Fine Art from estates and collections in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey