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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
Preview June 30th – July 2nd, July 6th – 8th
Auction July 9th – 11th
DuMouchelles Art Gallery
409 East Jefferson Ave Detroit, Mi 48226
313-963-6255
Extreme Sport or Down-Home Fun?
6/30/10 –Round Top, TX – At the Marburger Farm Antique Show in Round Top, there’s more than one way to bag the bounty on Sept. 28- Oct 2.
Some shoppers will take off with tape measures, paint colors, designers and lists. Blankets for packing fill their SUVs. Roll’en Hills Moving & Delivery is on their speed dial and lunch is a low priority. Or at least it will be a late lunch, with a Marburger margarita or an iced coffee, re-charging for another assault.
Other shoppers will stroll in, two and three generations together, on vacation, a re-union, a tradition of being together in a beautiful setting surrounded by the top antiques anywhere. Lunch will be lingering over lemonade or a cold beer. The new herd of longhorns at Marburger Farm will delight them. The good prices will surprise them. They too will take home all that will fit. And Roll’en Hills will deliver the rest.
Whether attacking the ten tents and twelve buildings as an extreme sport, or whether venturing in for inspiration and fun, shoppers know that the best antiques, at the best price, in the best displays can be found at Marburger Farm. With nearly 400 exhibitors from 38 states and countries, there will be plenty of inventory and inspiration to go around.
And this fall there will be more time to find it. On Tuesday, September 28, Marburger Farm will stay open until 7 pm for extended antiques shopping and as a benefit for the Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “We are delighted,” says Marburger co-owner Rick McConn, “to partner with this extraordinary organization for the first time.”
Also on Tuesday September 28, designer Carolyn Westbrook will sign copies of her new book, The French Inspired Home, (CiCo Press), as well as share tips on “How to Shop French at Marburger Farm.” Photographed by Keith Scott Morton, the pages of The French Inspired Home sparkle with Westbrook’s finds at Marburger Farm over the years.
“Glorious displays and diverse styles of French,” says Westbrook, “can be found at the Marburger Farm Antique Show—- from French Country to the more opulent, sophisticated French, which I love to mix together. My romance with French is fulfilled as I peruse the aisles of Marburger Farm for fabulous finds and great inspiration.
Whether shopping with a list or for leisure, shoppers anticipate new inspiration at Marburger Farm. What inspires a Marburger exhibitor?
“Repurposing inspires me,” says Destin, FL dealer Ann Miller Hopkins of Antiques on Holiday. “When we make something out of something else, it’s even more interesting— nothing run-of-the-mill.” Hopkins will alight with one-of-a-kind European antiques, many re-purposed for the American market such as aviaries made into chandeliers, drums made into coffee tables and garden artifacts for use in the home year-round.
“I’m bringing fantastic mirrors, painted back drops from an old theater, a pair of six-foot tufted leather ottomans from Holland and a large farm table that came from the kitchen of a 19th c. mountain spa in Belgium, with a wonderful wood patina. I’ll mix in a little industrial, like movie spot lights, with the fine antiques. What inspires me is layering different kinds of antiques in a room, layering pieces from different generations. It gives a more subtle and rich look, but it’s not prissy or pretentious.”
Part of the extreme sport of shopping Marburger Farm is the ability to buy the best pieces in the shortest amount of time—and make look like it has been gathered over multiple generations. And for more leisurely shoppers, it’s frequently the experience of buying an antique that will indeed be handed down to another generation, perhaps to the baby in a stroller at Marburger Farm.
Willoughby, Ohio exhibitor Marilyn Angel finds inspiration in the re-discovery of antiques by a new generation. “Lots of antiques that were overlooked are suddenly moving fast—like quilts and homey, sweet pieces, pieces with a story.” For the fall Marburger Farm show, Angel will offer a collection of gold-filled Victorian jewelry—bangles engraved with romantic names and designs, plus Victorian coral and Persian turquoise. “The younger buyers in Texas are not afraid to spend money on good pieces—and they are not shy about wearing them or using them.” Angel will also offer sterling, 1930s cut glass and pottery, such as hard-to-find McCoy umbrella stands. “The young people use them to display huge floral arrangements. I can hardly wait for Marburger Farm. I’m out every day buying for it.”
Dealer David Zabriskie of Lake Placid, NY finds inspiration in the splendid buying available in the current economy. “With a down-turn comes opportunity,” he says. “It’s a good time to buy for everybody. Prices are good. Quality antiques are on the market. I’m buying everything I can. I’ll bring a huge load to Marburger Farm. I’ll negotiate, I’ll sell fairly and I’ll go home with a very small load. That’s why I’m coming to Texas—Texans like everything.”
And everything at Marburger Farm includes inspiration by French, Swedish, Industrial, English, Asian, American or more. It includes art, jewelry, lighting, mid-century modern, folk art, silver, primitives, ceramics, advertising and more. Come to look, to buy, to be inspired and to enjoy a few days antiquing in Texas, whether out for plunder or out for pleasure—or both!
The Marburger Farm Antique Show opens Tuesday September 28 for Early Buying from 10 am until 2 pm for $25 admission. Regular $10 admission begins at 2 pm until 7 pm that day, with extended evening hours to benefit the Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Parking is free and your admission is good all week. Shopping continues on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 am until 5 pm and on Saturday, October 2, from 9 am until 4 pm. For maps, photos and information on tickets, groups, the Marburger Café, special events (and the Roll’en Hills Moving & Delivery number for your speed dial), see roundtop-marburger.com.
Knowing what sells best from one place to another can greatly help you in your antiquing adventures.
For example, if you happen to be a buyer of Depression Glass or American Art pottery such as Roseville or Rookwood, picking in Ohio would be the way to go. Both items were made in that region, so it can easily be found in flea markets and yard sales.
This can also be a little tricky. The common pieces can often be found for a song, but because the items are made in that region, people are also pretty knowledgeable about their values, so the rarer colors, patterns, artists, shapes can also be found, but only purchased at a retail price.
The same can be said for visiting markets in New York. You might be more apt to find European antiques, as many people relocated to New York from abroad over the last 100 years.
The same would not be said for areas like Alabama, Mississippi, Texas or Louisiana. Instead, you would find French antiques, great silver, Southern art, and also black memorabilia.
Try to keep these same thoughts in mind when hunting new areas. Meaning, if you are in California on a picking adventure, and you come across a painting by let’s say a New Hope, PA artist, you might be able to buy it for a song. That artist wouldn’t be as desirable as it would be if it was selling in the region the artist was from.
This can also apply when buying from one region to the next. For example, Scandinavian mid century modern items sell very cheaply abroad, yet command strong prices here in the US. For years, many American dealers have traveled across the pond loading up containers full of European antiques to sell for a handsome price at their stores and at shows in the US.
What do you find selling strongly in your region?
Reyne
What does one do with antique jewelry if it can’t be safely or stylishly worn? My friend Ellen inherited a beautiful collection of antique jewelry, including several dozen brooches and lapel pins. She created an elegant method of displaying them. She built the top of her coffee table into a honeycomb of cubes, each one a frame large enough to display three or four carefully matched pins. Then she lined each frame with a background material—sand in some cases, distressed velvet or tiny pebbles in others. Finally she laid each pin down in its cube and made a hinged glass lid for the whole table. Together, the antique jewelry and the display itself make an excellent conversation piece.
By Erin Sweeney
for Antiques.com
Decoy Auction July 29th & 30th, 2010
New Hampshire
More than 800 lots span a time-travel zone from the 1930s-1990s
One of several “easel-back” tin wind-up robots with appealing primitive decoration and simple, forward-walking action. Old Town Auctions image.
BUCKEYSTOWN, Md. – On Saturday, July 17, Old Town Auctions will boldly go where they’ve never gone before – selling robots, space toys, Star Wars, action figures and other quality sci-fi and fantasy collectibles. The event will be held at Alexander’s Inn Auction House in Buckeystown, a suburb of Frederick, Maryland, and convenient to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C.
Auctioneer Rick Opfer will preside over approximately 600 cataloged lots, to be preceded by 200 uncataloged lots. Toys from both groups will be offered without reserve, and each will be sold to the highest bidder regardless of price. All traditional methods of bidding will be accepted, as well as online absentee bidding, but there will be no live Internet bidding during the sale, said Old Town’s owner, Matt Protos.
The toys to be auctioned will take bidders back to the future, from vintage wind-up and battery-operated space toys to contemporary figural robot artworks by acclaimed Pennsylvania folk artist Kent Greenbaum.
Space toys include rockets, robots, flying saucers, space stations, space tanks and missile launchers, ray guns and a whole host of extraterrestrial aliens creatures and monsters – many in their original, colorfully pictorial factory boxes.
The interplanetary theme continues with an array of sci-fi toys from postwar-era films and TV shows, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Battlestar Galactica, Aliens, Dune, Mars Attacks, Close Encounters and many more.
“Unlike previous sales where there may be a small number of exceptional items, this auction offers a large selection of desirable merchandise for the average or avid collector. There were two major consignments – one from a space toy collector and the other from a Star Wars collector – but there are good solid items in literally every category of this sale,” Protos said.
Boxed large-size action figure of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back bounty hunter and Han Solo enemy Boba Fett, made by Kenner. Old Town Auctions image.
The extensive selection of Star Wars licensed merchandise traverses the incomparable 33-year franchise in the form of playsets, ships and vehicles; as well as a legion of action figures, including the Power of the Force and Power of the Jedi lines.
“There are action figures representing nearly every line of Star Wars collectibles, and many are in their original boxes or cards and in mint condition,” Protos noted.
The auction will also include robots and action figures from animated TV shows such as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Sectaurs, Masters of the Universe and more.
Back on terra firma, the toy selection features a wide variety of G.I. Joe action figures, playsets and accessories. Highlights include a vintage G.I. Joe Space Capsule, an expansive G.I. Joe Headquarters, a coveted 7-foot-long U.S.S. Flagg aircraft carrier, Terror Dome set and more.
Other action figures, accessories and playsets to be auctioned include popular Superheroes, with the list topped by Batman. Figures, toys, Batmobiles, vehicles and other collectibles associated with the Caped Crusader are offered in excellent condition – many of them mint in the box.
One of 10 Kent Greenbaum-designed folk art robots, each unique and constructed from spare toy parts, hardware and other offbeat fragments. Old Town Auctions image.
The unique designs of contemporary self-taught artist Kent Greenbaum have attracted considerable interest over the past few years. Greenbaum’s imaginative robot creations incorporate spare toy parts, fragments from advertising items, household objects and other pieces gleaned from unusual sources. “Each robot is completely unique. In this sale we’ll have 10 of them to offer to collectors,” said Protos.
Although it is primarily a space toy sale, Protos says there will also be an abundance of battery-operated construction toys, military toys (tanks, cannons, Jeeps) and Western items. Articles with a cowboy theme include cap guns and other highly desirable toys branded for the Lone Ranger or Hopalong Cassidy.
Dealers and collectors, alike, will have the opportunity to “buy quality in bulk,” Protos said. While the more-expensive items will be auctioned individually, there will also be a number of lots in the cataloged section containing 20 to 30 items. In the uncataloged group, some lots will contain 50 to 60 items.
Old Town Auctions’ July 17 sale will be held at Alexander’s Inn Auction House, 3607 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown, Maryland. The sale will start at 10 a.m., with a two-hour preview preceding the sale.
Any questions may be directed to Matt Protos by calling 301-416-2854 or e-mailing sales@oldtownauctions.com.
To view the fully illustrated auction catalog or to leave absentee bids online, log on to www.OldTownAuctions.com or at www.AuctionZip.com.