Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC will greet the warm weather with a little heat of their own, in the form of a huge, four-day American History & Hall of Fame Showcase auction, June 6th thru 9th, online and live in the gallery located at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno, starting each day at 8 am Pacific time. A staggering 2,335 lots will come up for bid.

“This auction boasts categories from several major collections, some more than fifty years in the making,” said Fred Holabird, the owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC. “This sale closely follows a timed online-only auction last month that saw a lot of action, with some good rarities and some great buys. The timed auctions are getting more popular by the month.”

But the upcoming auction promises to be a blockbuster in every sense of the word. It will start with Day 1, on Thursday, June 6th, featuring 590 lots of Native Americana, jewelry and watches, collectibles, books / antiquarian, medical collectibles, advertising items, toys and kids’ items.

Native Americana will showcase 19th century photographs and autographs of Native American chiefs, Native American history books and more than 30 baskets from the Wedertz-Bridgeport-Bodie collection. Lot 1135 is a beautiful Panamint butterfly basket made by Molly Bellas of Lone Pine. It took her ten years to complete this work, which has four large butterflies adorning the sides. The tightly woven basket was a prize in the Wedertz collection (est. $1,000-$4,000).

Day 2, on Friday, June 7th, will contain 550 lots of maps, transportation and railroad (including two key railroad pass collections, one of them the Ron Lerch collection of Western railroad passes), and stocks (including banking, railroad and other). Lot 2097 is a railroad pass for the Bodie and Benton and Commercial Co. from 1887. The pass, #131 issued to W. H. Jones, Arizona & New Mexico Railroad, was signed by Thomas Falk, Gen. Supt. (est. $800-$2,000).

Day 3, on Saturday, June 8th, will be super busy, with 595 lots of Wells Fargo & Express, outlaws and lawmen, autographs, Rev War and early military, President Lincoln, the JFK assassination, Black Americana, Civil War, Gen. George A. Custer, presidential, firearms and weaponry, sports / Hall of Fame, baseball and basketball, boxing, football and other items.

Black Americana will feature a major discovery of a ferrotype of the founders of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee and the Anti-Slavery Society (the Underground Railroad). Lot 3253 is two bills of sale for Southern plantations, with items that include held slaves, giving the price for human beings alongside items like wheat bushels and horse harnesses (est. $300-$500).

The Civil War will be an active category, featuring an original Union soldier correspondence letter archive, original Confederate sympathizer correspondence from the Union side, a collection of notables on both sides of the war (including the execution of Lt. Wirz), and Union and Confederate illustrated covers, stamps and letter sheets – a treasure trove for collectors.

Lot 3303 is an exceptional historical record of Union Prisoners of War held in Columbia, S.C., compiled by Capt. A.A. Taylor of the 122nd Reg., Ohio Volunteers. The book contains more than 470 autographs of Union officers with identifying regiments and other anecdotal material (est. $8,000-$20,000). There’s also an autograph book of Confederate officers held in a Union prison.

Day 3 will also feature large collections surrounding President Abraham Lincoln, politically and regarding the assassination. Lot 3180 is a rare carte de visite of John Wilkes Booth, signed and inscribed by him circa 1859 on the reverse: “J. Wilkes Booth to James W. McDerman”. James McDerman was manager of the Merchant Hotel in Baltimore, 1859-1866 (est. $5,000-$10,000).

There is a large collection of Gen. George A. Custer personal material and a collection of Custer officers killed at Little Big Horn. Lot 3336 is a cabinet card signed by Sioux Chief Rain-In-The-Face, the man who personally killed Custer, as confessed to a missionary on his deathbed. The photo was taken in preparation of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 (est. $10,000-$20,000).

There are many original documents and photographs of well-known 19th century Western outlaws. These include signed documents of several of the brothers of the notorious James Gang; a large collection of documents related to Billy the Kid and the man who killed him, Pat Garrett; and a collection of signed documents by several members of the outlaw family the Dalton Gang.

There is also a collection of many 19th century California wanted posters from various counties. They include an original wanted poster for Bill Minor (the Grey Fox); a collection that includes two of the three different original Pinkerton wanted posters/circulars for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (est. $20,000-$40,000); and the absolute top Western wanted poster of all – the 1882 Black Bart Poet Stage Robber four-page circular and wanted poster (est. $10,000-$30,000).

Not everyone knows about the Lincoln County War, an Old West conflict between rival factions that began in 1878 in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory (later the state of New Mexico), and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the participation of William H. Bonney (“Billy the Kid”), Sheriff William J. Brady and other notables. A collection of 17 rare Lincoln County War documents, lot 32069, is up for bid with an estimate of $8,000-$20,000.

Day 3 will also feature John F. Kennedy material, including a collection of everything to do with the assassination and a collection of Kennedy political figures; a large library of rare Western history books; and baseball-related items, including documents and a program from the fixed 1919 World Series, known as the Black Sox scandal (est. $5,000-$10,000); and an autograph cut of Hall of Famer Roger Connor, the “Homerun King” of the dead-ball era (est. $5,000-$20,000).

Day 4, on Sunday, June 9th, will also be active, with 600 lots of mining, numismatics, tokens, World’s Fair memorabilia, bottles, saloon, tobacciana, gaming, cowboy, entertainment, music, photographs, ephemera and philatelic, a fitting end to a four-day auction packed with great stuff.

Noteworthy Day 4 lots include a choice purple color bottle for “A B Stewart / Druggist / Bodie, Cal.”. The bottle, never washed, displays beautifully, with only a very small ship (est. $500-$1,000); and a rare territorial token for “The Antlers / Prescott / A.T. (Arizona Territory) / L.A. Rub. Stamp Co. / Good For / 12 ½ Cents / At The Bar”, round, 21 mm, R9 (est. $400-$800).

Online bidding will be provided by iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Anyone owning a collection that might fit into a Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels throughout the U.S., to see and pick up collections. The company has agents all over America and will travel to inspect most collections.

To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, and the four-day American History & Hall of Fame Showcase auction, June 6th-9th, at 8 am Pacific time each day, visit www.holabirdamericana.com.

About Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC:
Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC is always seeking new and major collections to bring to market. It prides itself as being a major source for selling Americana at the best prices obtainable, having sold more than any other similar company in the past decade alone. The firm will have its entire sales database online soon, at no cost – nearly 200,000 lots sold since 2014. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com.

A 1997 Steinway ebony Model M baby grand piano and bench; a large pair of Paul Ferrante crystal 12-light “Anniversary” chandeliers in the Louis XIV taste; and a print on paper from a 1910 photograph by Edward S. Curtis are just a few of the expected highlights in a Summer Estates & Collections auction scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, June 5th and 6th, by Ahlers & Ogletree.

The 522-lot auction will be held online and live in the Ahlers & Ogletree gallery located at 1788 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard NW in Atlanta. Session 1, on June 5th, will feature 246 lots of English and American decorative arts, fine art and furniture. Session 2, on June 6th, will contain 275 lots of Continental decorative arts, fine arts, furniture and silver. Start times for both sessions are 10 am EDT.

The 1977 Steinway ebony Model M baby grand piano bears the maker’s mark as well as the serial number (548240, to the metal plate). The piano stands on spade legs and comes with a Jansen black diamond tufted artist bench with Steinway & Sons logos and J3 spade legs (est. $15,000-$25,000).

The large pair of Paul Ferrante (American, b. 1957) crystal 12-light “Anniversary” chandeliers in the Louis XIV taste each boasts a 22kt gold leaf finish. Both are hung with colorless crystal swags and prisms. The dimensions are 60 inches in height and 42 inches in diameter (est. $6,000-$8,000).

The framed photogravure print on paper by Edward Sheriff Curtis (American, 1868-1952) is from the noted photographer’s 1910 image titled Waiting in the Forest, Cheyenne. It’s plate #218 from Curtis’s The North American Indian (Portfolio 6) and is titled lower left. The sheet is 22 ¼ inches tall by 17 ½ inches wide; the plate is 17 ½ inches tall by 12 ¼ inches wide. The pre-sale estimate is $5,000-$7,000.

A gorgeous, palatial, hand-knotted 20th century Oushak rug in a floral style, having red, gold and yellow designs, palmettes and flowers, with some green on a cream field, is impressive at 27 feet 5 inches by 18 feet 3 inches (measured in the middle). The rug has an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

A pair of De Angelis Ltd. (or Thomas De Angelis & Co.) Lawson sofas, each having light dove grey silk upholstery with cream trim, plus two reversible down-filled seat cushions, and a box skirt, will be sold as one lot (est. $3,000-$6,000). The sofas, apparently unmarked, are both 84 inches in width.

A three-quarter length oil on canvas Portrait of William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806), unsigned, by an artist from the School of John Hoppner R.A. (English, 1758-1810), is 44 inches by 34 ¾ inches (canvas, less frame) and should bring $3,000-$5,000. Pitt was the last prime minister of Great Britain and the first prime minister of the UK. The original hangs in the National Portrait Gallery (UK).

Every item described so far is in Session 1, but Session 2 has some wonderful items as well, such as the 117-piece Gorham Manufacturing Co. (American, 1831) sterling flatware service in the English Gadroon pattern (active 1939-1991). All pieces are marked appropriately and have a total weight (excluding the hollow-handled items) of 124.96 ozt. The service carries an estimate of $3,000-$5,000.

A patinated bronze sculpture by the artist known as Erte (real name, Romain de Tirtoff, 1892-1990), titled Kiss of Fire (1984) is expected to realize $2,000-$4,000. The work is signed, editioned (241 / 300) and stamped ‘Fine Art Acquisitions’ to the back of the base. The sculpture is 22 inches tall.

A pair of Lalique (French, 1888) swans, each in frosted glass, one swan with its head up and the other swan its head down, the taller swan about 9 ¼ inches tall by 12 ½ inches wide, should fetch $2,500-$3,500. The swans are on a mirrored base and marked “Lalique” to the bottom of each’s tail feathers.

A pair of undated classical patinated bronze figures by Jean-Baptiste Clesinger (French, 1814-1883), one of Helen of Troy (18 ½ inches tall) and the other of Sappho (17 inches tall, each on a 5-inch base), will come up for bid as one lot (est. $2,000-$4,000). Helen of Troy is signed in mold, while Sappho is apparently unsigned, with marks for the Barbedienne Foundry visible to the back of the base.

A five-piece Reed & Barton (American, 1840-2015) sterling silver hot beverage set in the Hampton Court pattern (active 1964-2011), consisting of a coffee pot, a teapot, a waste bowl, a covered sugar bowl and a cream jug, all marked and weighing a total of 81.07 ozt, should command $2,500-$3,500.

A large shadow box-filled collection of 71 interesting items, from the ancient to the 20th century, from the Dr. Reverend Brown estate in Columbus, Ga., is expected to garner $3,000-$4,000. The 71 items feature nine pocket watches (including a 19th century Brequet a Paris watch with a solid gold case), match safes, a perfume bottle, pens, placards, Victorian child’s rattle, an 1872 card holder and more.

Online bidding will be provided by the Ahlers & Ogletree website (AandOAuctions.com), as well as LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

Previews will be held Monday, June 3rd, from 10am-5pm; and Tuesday, June 4th, from 10am-5pm, in Ahlers & Ogletree’s gallery. Times quoted are Eastern. The public is invited; no appointment needed.

To learn more about Ahlers & Ogletree and the two-day, 522-lot Summer Estates & Collections auction on June 5th and 6th, beginning at 10 am Eastern time both days, visit www.aandoauctions.com. You can follow Ahlers & Ogletree via social media on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

About Ahlers & Ogletree:
Ahlers & Ogletree is a multi-faceted, family-owned business that spans the antiques, estate sale, wholesale, liquidation, auction and related industries. Ahlers & Ogletree is always seeking quality consignments for future auctions. To consign a single item, an estate or a collection, you may call them directly at 404-869-2478; or, you can send them an e-mail, at consign@AandOauctions.com. To learn more about Ahlers & Ogletree, visit www.aandoauctions.com. You can follow Ahlers & Ogletree via social media on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

Los Angeles, CA, May 23, 2024 -- Sowing a seed, French Florist has launched a new “Conversion Division” to help independent florist shop owners achieve bumper growth. The Los Angeles, CA-based franchise organization offers transformative and proprietary technology, increased order volume and supply chain enhancement that dramatically change the customer experience and store profit.

French Florist is in the process of identifying and awarding an exclusive opportunity to the top performing independent florists in key cities.

Independent florists have been at the mercy of third-party aggregators like BloomNation, FloraNext, Dove/Teleflora, 1-800-Flowers, FTD and FSN who gobbled up most of the Internet and general advertising traffic and then took up to 40% of the gross sale. French Florist’s Conversion Division is reducing that to 6% or even less.

CASH CROP
French Florist’s flagship store in Los Angeles is projecting an astounding $10 million in revenue for 2024. To put this into perspective, the average local florist shop, after years of toil, might see annual revenues of $300k-$500k. French Florist has shattered these benchmarks, performing over 20 times the industry average for a single location. French Florist stores operate much more efficiently, in large part because of the proprietary technologies they have developed.

HARVESTING SUPPLY CHAIN DISCOUNTS
The company also offers better buying power with direct purchases from major farms in Ecuador, Holland, Columbia, Mexico, Canada, United States, and more. For example, French Florist stores have access to premium imports like red roses for as low as $13 per bunch, even in peak seasons, ensuring unparalleled value without overpaying. This direct buying power not only provides top-tier products but also can significantly boost margins, especially when integrated with the company’s advanced inventory management system.

Beyond florals and greens, benefit from exceptional rates on supplies with rates inaccessible for small florists—from elegantly etched 5x5 cubes at just $2.31 each to peak-quality branded ribbons and wrapping paper, at prices aimed at increasing profitability. These supplies aren’t just materials; they enhance artistic expression, allowing superior products at better prices.

FERTILE MARKETING
Marketing is critical to customer acquisition and growth. French Florist does the “heavy lifting” of marketing analysis and execution.

In the competitive digital landscape, standing out is essential. The SEO approach is designed to push French Florist locations past boutique sites like BloomNation and FloraNext. Existing French Florist locations even push past giants such as Teleflora, 1-800-Flowers, and FTD to rank #1 in many local search keywords.

Award-winning advertising and marketing help attract three channels of customers – consumer retail sales, E-commerce sales and corporate accounts.

TRAINING FOR MAXIMUM YIELD
French Florist University includes 300 interactive and highly engaging video training modules to distill decades of veteran experience and provide insights for all members of the florist shop team – from the floral designer to the driver to the manager and more.

“The floral industry is at a crossroads, and French Florist stands on the front lines, ready to lead the charge,” notes Michael Jacobson, CEO of French Florist, second generation in the floral business. He added, “We’ve not only proved it's possible to defy the giants; we’ve set a new standard of what success looks like. This is more than a business model; it’s a movement.” Jacobson concluded, “"Flowers are the music of nature. French Florist is the melody."

For more information, contact French Florist at https://frenchfloristfranchise.com/ or call (310) 659-7700. Or, visit the consumer website at https://frenchflorist.com.

Brooklyn, NY, USA, May 18, 2024 -- Items ranging from a rare Tiffany & Company gilt sterling silver rose centerpiece bowl (or potpourri) to a 1960 Popeye pocket watch in fine working condition are just the start of what bidders will be treated to in SJ Auctioneers’ online-only Collectibles, Toys, Jewelry, Décor & More auction slated for Sunday, May 26th, starting promptly at 6 pm Eastern.

The catalog contains 216 lots of fine jewelry items, sterling silver, vintage trains and toys, and collectibles. The artists, designers and silversmiths will include names such as Cartier, Tiffany & Company, Dominick & Haff, Jose Hess, Emile Delaire, Gorham, Movito, Reed & Barton, Watson, Wallace, William B. Kerr, Sackermann, Hessenberg & Co., Italian Vetreria Murano, Arte, American Flyer, Lionel, Nintendo, Tootsie Toy, Buddy L, Matchbox, Lesne and others.

The Tiffany & Company gilt sterling silver rose centerpiece bowl is beautifully adorned with a finial, two lions and with a pierced, geometric design, standing on 4 clawed feet. It was made in the mid-20th century in Italy and measures 13 inches from handle to handle by 11 ½ inches in depth. It weighs 121.5 troy ounces and bears hallmarks. The estimate is $4,900-$7,000.

Popeye is enormously popular with collectors and SJ Auctioneers has featured many Popeye items in past sales. The working 1960 pocket watch has an estimate of $300-$750. In honor of Popeye's 75th anniversary, the Empire State Building in New York City illuminated its notable tower lights green the weekend of January 16–18, 2004, as a tribute to the icon's love of spinach.

Because of their beauty and valuable high silver content, sterling flatware sets should finish in the sale’s list of top achievers. These include two Tiffany & Co. sets in the King Sterling pattern, both in chests and neither one with a monogram. The 84-piece dinner-size service has a pre-sale estimate of $8,500-$14,000; while the 36-piece service is expected to command $4,500-$6,000.

On a smaller scale is a Georg Jensen three-piece sterling pattern bar flatware set with the original box, including a caviar shovel, a tea caddy spreader and two-tine cold cuts fork (est. $350-$500).

Silver dishes and bowls are expected to attract keen bidder interest. A few examples are these:

- An 1850 English pair of sterling silver, multi-lobed, covered vegetable dishes by John Samuel Hunt (assistant to P. Storr), adorned with curvilinear natural motifs in exquisite design, weighing 97 troy ounces and bearing maker’s hallmarks (est. $3,800-$4,500).

- A Ford & Tupper sterling silver tureen (or covered bowl) from 1871, with highly detailed and realistic deer motifs adorning the sides and cover of the tureen, 11 inches tall and weighing 48 troy ounces, with hallmarks and monograms (est. $2,800-$3,800).

- A Gorham sterling silver antique flower-decorated footed serving bowl, 18 ¼ inches in diameter, weighing 46.9 troy ounces, with a dent in one of the legs (est. $2,850-$3,200).

Sterling silver can take on many forms, not just dishes, bowls and flatware. Examples include an assortment of 11 Italian silver miniature cars with exquisite details and movable parts and a total weight of 44 troy ounces, each car bearing a hallmark (est. $3,500-$4,400); and a sterling silver peacock figurine with ruby eyes and moving wings, weighing 145 grams (est. $1,000-$1,250).

On to decorative accessories, which include a Daum pate de verre (opaque, dense glass having a frosted surface) signed crystal bird toucan figurine, 9 ¼ inches overall tall with base (est. $900-$1,500); a Herend signed fishnet gold porcelain chevel baby horse figurine, 3 ½ inches tall (est. $350-$500); and a small and colorful Swarovski Idyllia Gouldian finch bird, just 2 inches tall, captured in a kaleidoscope of colors, one of five Swarovski lots in the auction (est. $280-$350).

A signed Baccarat red-eye vase (France), 5 ¾ inches tall, with no cracks, chips or nicks, carries an estimate of $600-$850; while a signed Josh Simpson (New Mexico) hand-blown art glass bowl in a deep cobalt blue and a milky greenish yellow that create the feeling of constellations against the night sky, or tide pools with waves, should hit $350-$500. Simpson’s work can be seen in the Corning Museum of Glass, Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Renwick Gallery.

Toy cars, planes, games and dolls will be plentiful, led by a Nintendo NES Aladdin deck enhancer with a bundle of seven games, in the original box (est. $500-$1,000); an 18-inch-tall Pleasant Company American Girl doll named Molly (est. $120-$180); and a hand-made Airbus 380 model mahogany wooden commercial airplane, 17 inches long (est. $150-$300).

Toy vehicles will feature a 1930 cast iron vintage toy fire truck (est. $150-$200); an antique tin litho wind-up German Technofix trick motorcycle that’s in good working order and is in mint condition, although the box shows some signs of wear (est. $300-$500); and a friction vehicle airport limousine car, made in Japan and measuring approximately 5 inches long (est. $90-$150).

Rounding out some of the day’s expected top lots are a Bvlgari Serpenti forever cord bracelet featuring the iconic serpent head in silver tone adorned with enamel detailing, elegantly coiling around the wrist to create a timeless fashion statement (est. $450-$750); and a European silver antique Dutch river windmills rectangular snuff box, 3 ¼ inches by 2 ¼ inches (est. $450-$750).

Bidding is available online now, at LiveAuctioneers.com. Pre-bidding is also available, meaning for those who are unable to attend the online auction, they can still leave their bids now. This auction uses Autopay by LiveAuctioneers.com. A link to the catalog is here:

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/327084_collectible-toys-jewelry-decor-and-more/.

To learn more about SJ Auctioneers and the online-only Collectibles, Toys, Jewelry, Décor & More auction slated for Sunday, May 26th, starting promptly at 6 pm Eastern time, visit www.sjauctioneers.com. Updates are posted often.

About SJ Auctioneers:
SJ Auctioneers prides itself on offering its customers great service and fast shipping, unlike some other auction houses where people need to arrange their own shipping. SJ Auctioneers is always seeking quality items for future auctions. To inquire about consigning an item, an estate or a collection, you may call 646-450-7553; or, you can send an email to sjauctioneers@gmail.com. To learn more about SJ Auctioneers, visit www.sjauctioneers.com. Updates are posted often.

New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada, May 15, 2024 -- A Canadian 1940s McColl-Frontenac service station sign, six feet in diameter, soared to $22,420; a Bally’s Gilligan’s Island pinball machine from 1991 went for $10,030; and a Japanese 1950s Linemar toy Good Humor Ice Cream delivery truck hit $3,245 in three days of online auctions held May 10th-11th-12th by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.

All prices quoted in this report are in Canadian dollars.

The auctions included a Toys & Historic Ephemera auction featuring Part 2 of the late Howie Meyer Legacy collection held on Friday, May 10th; a Toys, Advertising & Coin-Op auction held on Saturday, May 11th; and a Petroliana & Advertising auction featuring the late Syl Rumas collection held on Sunday, May 12th. The three sales combined totaled a gross of $947,156.50.

“Toys sold in our inaugural online-only sale for the late Howie Meyer Collection performed well,” said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “Some rare boxed examples crushed the high estimates – especially anything Disney. In the collector market, the upper five percent of any category is where to invest but first, make sure you like it. Top items did well this weekend.”

Mr. Miller went on to say, “We can still feel the afterglow from the Rumas Collection sold on Sunday. Choice porcelain dealer signs soared through the roof. However, I do sense a slight regression in the advertising market compared to the fever during the pandemic. Great things are performing, but the importance of condition, size, and medium seems to have grown somewhat.”

Petroliana lots on Day 3 posted some of the highest overall prices. The Petroliana & Advertising auction was a three-part event that featured the petroliana collection of the late Syl Rumas (signs, Canadian gas pumps, cans, ephemera and more), plus petroliana selections from the collection of the late Ken Hatt of Inverness, British Columbia (signs, Red Indian ephemera, Red Head tins).

The McColl-Frontenac double-sided porcelain sign easily bested its $6,000-$9,000 estimate to be the day’s top achiever, while a Canadian 1940s White Rose single-sided porcelain service station sign, 36 inches in diameter and marked ‘P&M 47’ to the lower edge, topped an identical estimate by changing hands for $20,060. Both were expected to do well and each exceeded expectations.

Rounding out the Day 3 action, a Canadian 1940s Supertest Gasoline double-sided service station sign, five feet in diameter with the original aluminum frame and hardware, finished at $18,800 against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000-$12,000; while a Canadian 1940s White Rose Gasoline double-sided porcelain “Slate Boy” service station sign, four feet in diameter with excellent color and gloss on both sides, brought $17,700 against an estimate of $9,000-$12,000.

Following are additional highlights from the three auctions, in which a total of 907 online bidders placed a combined total of 18,920 bids. Internet bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and the Miller & Miller Auctions website. Of the 1,139 total lots up for bid, nearly all of them were sold and better than 50 percent of all lots surpassed estimates.

On Day 2’s Toys, Advertising & Coin-Op auction, the Bally Gilligan’s Island pinball machine made in America in 1991, fully restored, a fun, family-friendly game that even played the theme song from TV’s Gilligan’s Island, was the top earner. Runner-up to that was an American 1950s 16 hp Mercury Mark 20 racing boat motor with Quickie Prop lower unit – the holy grail for collectors, with a low serial number – topped its $5,000 high estimate by gaveling for $8,850.

An early and exquisite John H.R. Molson and Brothers single-sided porcelain Montreal India Pale Ale corner sign (Canadian, 20th century), 24 inches by 16 ½ inches, with “IPA” scripted beneath the profusely illustrated logo, went for $8,850. Also, an American 1957 Seeburg model KD-200 jukebox with veneer case and chrome trim – a highly sought-after machine known for the iconic 1950s tail light grille and rotating selector drum, completely serviced – made $8,260.

The May 10th Toys & Historic Ephemera auction contained 340 lots of toys and militaria, with Howie Meyer the undisputed headliner. His many and varied interests included pressed steel and tinplate toys, comic characters, ice cream, construction, space, Western and Americana, World War and anti-Axis propaganda posters and ephemera, figural sewing tapes and other oddities.

The Linemar Good Humor ice cream delivery truck was modeled after a Ford F-250. It was marked on the box and rear underside of the toy. Linemar was the trade name Marx used for toys manufactured in Japan and sold by Marx. Achieving an identical selling price of $3,245 was a complete, new-in-box (NIB) toy tow truck from Smith-Miller (Smitty Toys), made in America in the 1980s and number 19 of 125 made. The high-quality trucks were crafted by Fred Thompson.

A group of Marx “ELM” (“Excellent Louis Marx”) Disney character cars made in Hong Kong and America in the 1950s and 60s, including Disneykins Alice in Wonderland, a Mickey and Minnie “Rumba Rhythm” toy, two Magic Marxie cars, three Donald Duck cars, three Goofy cars and others, fetched $2,360. Also, a Marx “ELM” group of Popeye character cars, made in Hong Kong in the 1950s, with the toys and boxes all in excellent condition, also commanded $2,360.

Next up for Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is a Petroliana, Automobilia & Advertising auction featuring the Dr. Michael Francis collection on Saturday, June 15th; and an Advertising, Pottery & Historic Objects auction featuring the Jon Church collection the very next day, on June 16th.

To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and the firm’s upcoming auctions, please visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com

About Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.:
Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is Canada’s trusted seller of high-value collections and is always accepting quality consignments. The firm specializes in luxury watches, art, antiques and high-value collectibles. Its mission is to always provide collectors with a trusted place to buy and sell. To consign a single piece, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (519) 573-3710; or, you can e-mail them at info@millerandmillerauctions.com. To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and the firm’s upcoming auctions, please visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com.