An authentic Wild West stagecoach from the mid-1800s, in original condition and possibly the largest ever built at 22 feet in length, sold for $94,400 at a Labor Day weekend sale conducted by Showtime Auction Services of Chino, Calif. The auction was held September 1–3 at the Kansas City International Expo Center. “The sale went extremely well. We had good crowds and a lot of enthusiastic bidders,” said Mike Eckles, owner/auctioneer of Showtime Auction Services. “We had about 1,500 people signed up on eBay and more than 1,000 absentee and phone bids were recorded.” Eckles estimated the on-site crowd peaked on Saturday at around 350 people. The Concord stagecoach was a true piece of American history in remarkable condition. It had been found about three years ago and was in storage in Arizona until its sale. The heavy Western Mail Coach held nine passengers inside and three outside, plus a driver, making it one of the largest coaches ever built. It could date back to the 1830s.
A big part of the sale was the Dr Jerry Mathis Collection, representing a lifetime accumulation of vintage Coca-Cola items. Two lots drew intense bidder interest: one was a rare 1903 Coca-Cola self-framed tin sign, in near mint condition. It fetched $12,100. The other was a complete set of 1915 Coke playing cards, mint, which sold for $10,350. Collectors of vintage jukeboxes came to the right sale. A stellar group of 24 pieces, all consigned by a single collector, came up for bid. The seller was a former Las Vegas casino owner. The top lot of the group was a Wurlitzer model #850A — the very rare Tulip model. In all original condition, complete with coin, it sold for $38,500. Advertising signs were in abundance. A California Brewing Company reverse glass sign (common name, the California Bear) made $25,960. A Stein Club All Havana Cigars tin sign in period frame hit $20,650. An Allen and Ginter Tobacco Company paper sign (Richmond, Va.), showing portraits of 50 Indian chiefs, garnered $17,700.
From the lamp category, examples were offered in the names most coveted by collectors: Tiffany, Pairpoint and Handel among them. Two star lots were a very rare Tiffany Scarab desk lamp (signed S1067, 9 inches tall, no chips or cracks) that went for $12,390; and a very early Handel lamp with Phoenix design shade that reached $11,000. Doctors’ and dentists’ cabinets — rapidly emerging as hot collectibles — were represented at the sale. One piece that wowed the crowd was an Archer dental cabinet, model #75, complete with all the original tools and accessories. The cherry cabinet, measuring 33 by 74 by 16 inches, closed, in excellent original condition, sold for $11,000. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium. Showtime Auction Services holds only two sales annually. Its next auction will be held the weekend of April 20–22 at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor, Mich. For information, 951-453-2415 or www.showtimeauctions.com.
17 Oct 2006 / 0 Comment
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