This gorgeous mahogany acanthus carved bedroom suite, with bed, dressing table and chest, is among the many pieces of period American furniture that will be up for auction in the inaugural even at Stevens at Flomaton on Nov. 12, 2011.

FLOMATON, Ala. – Stevens Auction Company—already an auction powerhouse in the Southeast—is about to expand its presence in the region, having recently acquired the building in Flomaton that previously housed Flomaton Antique Auction, Inc. Stevens will conduct an inaugural sale at the facility on Saturday, Nov. 12, beginning at 10 a.m. (CST).

Flomaton (which locals pronounce “Flowmington”) is located near the Gulf Coast in Alabama, just north of the Florida panhandle. It is 64 miles northeast of Mobile and 42 miles north of Pensacola, Fla. For more than four decades, Flomaton Antique Auction, Inc., held regular auctions there, in a historic theater built in 1926. Before shutting down its operation last year, Flomaton Antique Auction, Inc., was the area’s premier facility for upscale estate sales.

“When I heard the building was for sale, I had to buy it,” said Dwight Stevens, the owner of Stevens Auction Company, which has been based in Aberdeen, Miss., since its founding in 1984. He added, “I’ve always loved the Gulf Coast and I own a second home in Mobile. I’ll be pretty much shuttling back and forth between Mobile and Aberdeen from this point forward.”

Stevens said he feels fortunate that Flomaton Antique Auction, Inc., earned a solid reputation as the area’s premier auction house. “We plan to pick up where they left off,” he said. “Their niche was upscale retirees and culturally refined residents of Mobile and the surrounding area. That will be our strategy as well. It’s a target audience that is right now underrepresented.”

This beautiful rosewood rococo sofa was made by J.H. Belter in the Henry Clay pattern (circa 1850).

The Flomaton auction house will go by the name Stevens at Flomaton. The Aberdeen business will continue to operate as Stevens Auction Company. The Nov. 12 inaugural auction in Flomaton will be packed with hundreds of quality antiques and collectibles, consigned by several prominent estates in the Southeast. Internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.

As with many Stevens auctions, period American furniture pieces by the finest names in furniture making will lead the sale. Examples include a rosewood rococo sofa by J.H. Belter in the Henry Clay pattern (circa 1850); a rosewood half-tester plantation bed with custom mattress, signed C. Lee (circa 1860); and an R.J. Horner mahogany sofa with inlay across the back and arms and carved feet (circa 1895).

Also offered will be a stunning mahogany acanthus carved bedroom suite (circa 1880), consisting of a bed (88 inches tall), dressing table and chest of drawers; a rosewood Victorian secretary with pierced carved crown, 99 inches tall by 49 inches wide (circa 1850); and a rosewood Victorian breakfront with carved crown, 100 inches tall, 50 inches wide (circa 1860).

This mahogany Empire dining table, measuring 10 feet, 5 inches long, with six leaves (circa 1880), is looking for a new home.

Empire pieces will feature a mahogany server with white marble top, rosewood banding, acanthus carved columns and feet, 60 inches tall (circa 1830); and a period mahogany vanity with three-drawer deck top and mirror and scroll feet, 76 inches tall (circa 1840). Also sold will be a lovely mahogany Victorian pedestal with marble top and carving on all sides (circa 1860).

Need to sit down in style? The auction will include a mahogany Empire love seat with claw feet and dolphin heads carved on the arms, and striped upholstery; and a straight-back mahogany settee with dolphins carved on the arms, attributed to Karpen (circa 1880). Also sold will be a gold Victorian over-the-mantel mirror with great carvings, 99 inches tall (circa 1860).

Decorative accessories will feature two pairs of Old Paris vases, one pair 15 inches tall with flowers painted on the side and gold trim, the other pair 18 inches tall (both circa 1880); a 9-piece porcelain fish set with 24-inch-long tray, signed “T.&V. France Limoges”; a pair of extra large Sheridan-style knife boxes; and an antique astral lamp with double-step base with marble.

Returning to furniture, other expected star lots will include a mahogany Empire banquet dining table, 10 feet 5 inches long with six leaves (circa 1880); a Federal mahogany acanthus carved game table with claw feet and solid carving on the base from top to bottom, 42 inches long; a large mahogany curved glass Empire china cabinet that matches to an 8-piece dining room suite (circa 1880); and a mahogany Empire marble-top dressing table with mirror in base.

Stevens’ next big sale after this one in Flomaton will be held on New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2012). Headlining the event will be a wonderful estate out of Baton Rouge, La., with impeccable provenance, plus other prominent estates from north Mississippi and north Georgia.

For more information about this auction, call 662.369.2200, e-mail to stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net or visit the Stevens Auction Company website.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Frank, an employee at Stevens Auction Company, models a French curass body armor with French dragon helmet. The armor is part of the vintage weapons, militaria and rare antiquities that belonged to the late James Larry Bragg—a direct descendant of Civil War General Braxton Bragg—which will be sold Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011.

ABERDEEN, Miss. – An extraordinary arsenal of vintage weapons, militaria and rare antiquities, including hundreds of historical armaments from the 11th and 12th centuries that belonged to the late James Larry Bragg—a direct descendant of Civil War General Braxton Bragg—will be sold Saturday, Oct. 8, by Stevens Auction Company.

“The highlight of this auction will be the weaponry in the Bragg collection, which consists of historical armaments, plus weapons from modern conflicts like World Wars I and II,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company. “This is a rare opportunity to see and then bid on weapons dating as far back as the Crusades.”

One of the quieter aspects of the sale will be Bragg’s extensive library of hundreds of books. Included are early volumes of poetry, books on philosophy, war journals and firearms references. Bragg had many passions in his long and fruitful life, including artistry, jewelry design, music (he once played bass for Charlie Rich) and rebuilding E-type Jaguar cars.

But first and foremost, he was an avid collector of historical military weapons, armor and paraphernalia. His collection included a significant number of Indo-Persian edged weapons and armor he acquired from Fagan Arms, Inc. of Michigan. Fagan purchased them from Sir Frank H. Bowden (1909-2002), the famous British arms collector and heir to the Raleigh Bicycles fortune.

Shields and body armor will feature a Dahl—the Indian shield with a spike in the center, decorated with applied Katar, 15 ½ inches in diameter—and French curass body armor with French dragon helmet. There will also be a rare and unusual three-barrel hand cannon and a highly collectible mid-19th century vampire killing kit in a wood case, with all accessories.

Axes will include a battle axe from central India with a carved wooden shaft, 30 inches long with a six-inch blade; and a large Persian double-headed battle axe with extraordinary decorations. Two rifles worth noting are an Arab plain stock flint lock rifle with a migulet dog lock; and a German Wheelock rifle. Also sold will be a 19th century Imperial Russian helmet.

Swords and knives will be offered in abundance, and many are rare, historical one-of-a-kinds. Expected top lots will include a Katar (the oldest of Indian knives), 18 inches long, with all-metal construction; a Scottish basket-hilted broadsword, 46 inches overall; and an Indian Talwar (an unusual type straight blade with serrated edge) measuring 42 inches in overall length.

This Indian Shamsir with cast brass lion head hilt and 37-inch-long scabbard will be among the items auctioned.

This large Persian double-headed battle axe is covered with with extraordinary decorations.

Other examples will feature a Kabyle Snaphaunce Lock (5 feet, 1 inch long, made in North Africa); an Indian Shamsir with cast brass lion head hilt and 37-inch-long scabbard; a silver mounted Burmese Dha (the national sword of Burma), with two-handled grip; and an Indian two-handled Firangi with two shallow grooves and metal hand guard, 48 inches long.

Also offered will be an early Ceylonese Kastane, 25 inches long, with dragon head pommel and wooden grip; an Indian metal Shamsir with etched Kris type blade (ca. 1800), 33 inches long; a Nepalese Kora, with engraving on the blade; a German two-handled sword with leather covered grip and cross guard; and an Indo-Persian Firangi with curved blade and wooden grip.

Among the rare and unusual firearms in the auction is this three-barreled hand cannon.

Another rare piece is this antique German Wheelock rifle.

This Scottish basket-hilted broadsword measures 46 inches in length overall.

This highly collectible mid-19th century vampire killing kit, in a wood case, still contains all of its accessories.

James Larry Bragg, Sr., was born in Covington, Tenn., on March 3, 1941. He was a self-employed porcelain dental lab technician in the Memphis area for 45 years and in his free time, enjoyed attending gun, coin and Civil War shows with friends and frequenting antique shops whenever he could. He passed away in February, leaving behind a wife, Audrey, a son, James, and twin grandsons.

Bragg’s collection can be seen at an open house preview on Friday, Oct. 7, from 1-6 p.m.; and on Saturday, auction day, from 8-10 a.m. Stevens Auction Company’s gallery is located one block north of the historic Adams-French Mansion in Aberdeen, a town in northeastern Mississippi, not far from Tupelo. To order a free auction catalog call 662.369.2200.

There will be no online bidding component for this auction, but phone bids will be taken with advance arrangements. Terms of the auction will be cash, major credit cards and pre-approved checks. All sales will be final, with no warranty expressed or implied. A 12-percent buyer’s premium will be charged on each total purchase price, with a 2-percent discount for cash, business and personal checks with proper ID, or wire transfers. A 7-percent sales tax will apply to most purchases.

For more information about this auction, call 662.369.2200, e-mail to stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net or visit the Stevens Auction Company website.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

A monumental portrait of Thomas Brown, Esq., painted in 1796 by William McCullough, will be among the property of Lambuth University, a small liberal arts school located about midway between Memphis and Nashville, that is closing its doors. A sale of the university’s property will be held Saturday, May 28, in the Student Union Building.

JACKSON, Tenn. – It isn’t often that an institution of higher learning sells off most of its holdings and closes its doors for good, but that’s exactly what is about to happen at Lambuth University, a small liberal arts school located about midway between Memphis and Nashville. A sale of the university’s property will be held Saturday, May 28, in the Student Union Building.

And the offerings will be considerable. Auctioned will be a wide variety of merchandise from the school’s 168-year history, to include magnificent antiques, important works of art, rare and vintage books (some dating back as far as 1800), wonderful period furniture, several fine pianos, Persian rugs, decorative accessories and one-of-a-kind items in an array of categories.

These will include a sizable bronze bell (signed and dated 1822), a marble bust of a Victorian girl (16 inches tall, circa 1860), a mahogany Victorian-era Victrola in good working condition (circa 1920), a 1796 early map of Tennessee, a rare antique microscope, a large group of vintage wedding dresses, an antique wheelchair, a folding portable stage and a pair of safes.

“The school struggled financially following the economic crisis of 2008 and just never recovered,” said Dwight Stephens, owner of Stevens Auction Company, which is conducting the auction. “Throughout 2009 and 2010, faculty and staff resolutely endured weeks, even months, without pay.” Trustees voted to close the school effective June 30 of this year.

Proceeds from the sale will be used to help faculty and staff provide educational services for a projected 77 summer 2011 graduates. Sales will ensure that those who have fought so hard and diligently for the school will be able to end their tenure with dignity. The auction will begin at 10 a.m., with an open house preview planned for Friday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A pre-sale preview will also be held on auction day, from 8 a.m. until the first gavel comes down. Many of the items to be sold may be viewed online. A free brochure is available by calling 662.369.2200. There will be no Internet bidding available, but telephone and absentee bids will be accepted.

This massive English walnut Georgian breakfront bookcase, Gothic style, was made circa 1790 and will be up for auction.

Furniture items will feature a massive circa-1790 English walnut Georgian breakfront bookcase, Gothic style, with Million glass doors (and the original glass). The piece is 18 feet long and 11 feet, 4 inches tall. Also sold will be a 16-foot-long mahogany conference table, 16 Queen Anne chairs, a rare model oak writing desk, and an oak church pew and communion table.

The books would excite even the most hard-core bibliophile. There are around 1,000—many of them leather-bound and rare first-editions. They include a first-edition work by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and volumes of poetry by greats such as Byron, Keats and Shelley. The books are so rare and fragile they’ve been kept locked away for the better part of a century.

This beautiful Steinway & Son concert grand piano, from the Lambuth University chapel, is just one of several pianos on the block.

The pianos will include a Steinway & Son concert grand piano from the chapel (serial # 404793D), a Steinway & Son parlor baby grand piano, a K. Kawai piano from the theater (serial # 242867), a Baldwin concert grand piano, a K. Kawai parlor grand piano (Model 650, serial # 271529) and a K. Kawai parlor grand piano. Also sold will be a practice organ in good condition.

The fine art will feature a monumental 1776 portrait of Thomas Brown, Esq., by William McCullough (Glasgow Academy); an unsigned oil painting of the early New York City skyline by Samuel Halpert (Am., 1884-1930), a pioneer of modern art in American (est. $30,000); an oil on canvas landscape by G.B. Sticks (Br., 1834-1898), titled “Loch Kathrine Sunset” (1876); an oil on canvas of a woman and a mule by L. Meyer (N.Y., 19th century); and other important works.

What is today Lambuth University began in 1843 as a small but significant women’s college geared mainly toward women in the Jackson and Memphis areas. It was founded by the Memphis Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Eighty years later, men were allowed to enroll, thus broadening Lambuth’s educational reach and community impact.

Around 1,000 rare antique books will be sold, many of them leather-bound and first-editions.

Through steadfast stewardship of early leaders at the newly co-educational institution, Lambuth continued to expand not only its campus size but its athletic activities and academic offerings, including one of the few planetariums in the South. It is unclear what will become of the buildings and grounds once the school closes, but word is negotiations are underway with a large area university to acquire it and turn it into a satellite campus. But no deal has been made.

The Lambuth University Student Union Building is located at 705 Lambuth Boulevard in Jackson, Tenn., about a half-mile west of US Highway 45 (also known as North Highland Ave.).

Terms of the auction will be cash, major credit cards and pre-approved checks. All sales will be final, with no warranty expressed or implied. A 12-percent buyer’s premium will be charged on each total purchase price, with a 2-percent discount for cash, business and personal checks with proper ID and wire transfers. A 7-percent sales tax will apply to most purchases.

For more information about this auction, call 662.369.2200, e-mail to stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net or visit the Stevens Auction Company web site.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

This wooden Cigar Store Indian, circa 1920s, once owned by movie star Tab Hunter, will be among the articles up for big in a multi-estate sale to be hosted by Stevens Auction on April 16.

ABERDEEN, Miss. – There will be no rest for the weary at Stevens Auction Company in April. The firm has two major events lined up: the multi-estate auction of three prominent estates on Saturday, April 16, at 10 a.m. (CDT); and the on-site liquidation of the contents of nationally known furniture maker Nostalgia Furniture, on Saturday, April 30, also at 10 a.m.

The April 16 multi-estate auction will features several pieces of Belter, Meeks, Boudoine and other important cabinetmakers. Another sale is court-ordered and includes more than 300 pieces. And the last estate also has some 300-plus pieces in a wide array of categories.

Some anticipated highlights from the April 16 auction will include two Empire banquet tables, four Empire secretaries, Victorian bookcases, a set of six rosewood dining chairs, a set of eight Chippendale antique chairs, a Meeks marble-top parlor table and over ten other marble-top parlor tables, period Empire sideboards, cut glass and glassware, Oriental rugs and much more.

The April 30 on-site Nostalgia Furniture auction will be held on County Road 53 North in Ethelsville, Ala., located just a few miles outside Columbus, Miss., on U.S. Highway 82.

“Nostalgia Furniture was a family-run Southern business that personified entrepreneurship, ingenuity and perseverance,” said Dwight Stevens, the owner of Stevens Auction Company.

Nostalgia Furniture started from humble beginnings in 1990, when Mike and Martha Ellis, who were already retired, decided they might like to open a furniture shop in downtown Columbus, Miss. After seeing a collection of Indonesian furniture in Atlanta, they were hooked. They opened the one store in Columbus, and later added a second location, in Birmingham, Ala.

Never settling for anything less than the very best, the Ellises would personally travel to Indonesia, to learn for themselves how to make a better product for their discriminating clients. After taking on a business partner from San Francisco, the couple began working from a factory, which at one time employed about 250 highly trained professional artisans. Quality was job one.

At the peak of their success, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis were shipping between 200 and 300 pieces per week; each piece a superior, high-quality product. Eventually, the Ellises oversaw operations in North Carolina, Georgia, California and Mississippi, and they were featured in several nationally known magazines for their contributions to the furniture industry in the U.S.

Ironically, it was not a downturn in the economy or a drop-off in demand for product that led to the demise of the business. Rather, it was events and complications following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. These caused the Ellises’ investment in Jakarta, Indonesia to run into a number of deep and troubling disruptions. These eventually led to the closing of their Indonesian venture.

This queen-size mahogany plantation-style poster bed is just one of several pieces of furniture made by Nostalgia Furniture to be sold in a factory liquidation auction on April 30.

All of the furniture to be sold April 30 was manufactured at the peak of the business’s success. Each piece has been made from kiln-dried mahogany and teakwood, and every one is top-quality and intended to last a lifetime. The furniture may be viewed at open house previews planned for Friday, April 22, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday, April 30, from 8 a.m. until start of sale.

For auction information, and to view many of the items to be offered in both the April 16 and April 30 auctions, visit the Stevens Auctions web site, call 662.369.2200 or e-mail to stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net. No Internet bidding will be available at either auction, but phone and absentee bids will be accepted.

Terms will be cash, all major credit cards and pre-approved checks. All sales will be final, with no warranty expressed or implied. A 12-percent buyer’s premium will be charged on each total purchase price, with a 2-percent discount for cash, business and personal checks with proper ID, or wire transfers. A 7-percent sales tax will apply to all purchases, with exceptions.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The top lot of the Nov. 6 Stevens Auction Company event was this fine Lenzkirch grandfather clock with music box, which realized $39,200.

BROOKHAVEN, Miss. – A magnificent Lenzkirch grandfather clock—crafted circa 1860, standing 8 feet 2 inches tall and featuring a music box that plays 15 ½ inch discs—soared to $39,200 at an on-site auction held Nov. 6 by Stevens Auction Company. Additionally, a pair of architecturally important homes headlined the event.

The sale was held at one of the homes, known as Edgewood, a Greek Revival structure begun in 1908 and completed in 1912. The mansion was not for sale—only its contents—which included antique furniture, porcelains, marble structures, palace-sized rugs, crystal chandeliers and lighting fixtures, original works of art, rare clocks, china, glassware and Civil War items.

Edgewood was originally built by Charles S. Butterfield, a wealthy turn-of-the-century timber baron. Also sold were the original furnishings from another historic Brookhaven home, the Capt. Jack C. Hardy House, built in 1877. The home is a rare surviving example of an Italianate town villa, one of just nine houses in this form in the state. It is for sale by the owner.

Some 560 lots crossed the block at the auction, which was heavily attended despite the cool weather. “We had around 400 people,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company, “and there was very active phone and absentee bidding. It showed me that the market for good antiques is holding very strong. The lesser items with condition issues brought weaker prices.”

Stevens said that when he looks around, he sees retail merchants that are hurting, victims of a continuing sour economy. But, so far, the bad news hasn’t hit his auction business. “People want to own and appreciate fine objects, and they come to my auctions to find what they want,” he said. “I’m selling more and more to individuals and less and less to dealers.”

Following are additional highlights from the auction (all prices quoted include a 12-percent buyer’s premium):

The Lenzkirch grandfather clock was by far the top lot of the sale. Runner-up honors went to a rosewood parlor suite by John H. Belter in the Rosalie pattern. The suite—two sofas, four side chairs and one armchair, all made circa 1855—brought $22,400. Rounding out the top lot trifecta, a round rosewood marble-top table, also made by Belter circa 1855, realized $17,920.

Two other lots topped the $10,000 mark. One was a full-size, all original mahogany Empire full tester plantation bed, made circa 1840 and standing 10 feet 6 inches tall. It fetched $11,760. The other was another monumental bed: a rosewood half tester plantation bed, signed C. Lee and crafted circa 1850. Despite needing some restoration work, it also went for $11,760.

A palace-sized solid mahogany with veneer top banquet table, spanning a massive 18 feet, 7 inches (5 feet, 6 inches wide), with eight leaves, sold to a local bed and breakfast for $8,960. The accompanying 24 straight-leg Chippendale dining chairs (circa 1890) gaveled for $8,736. Also, a large and fine needlepoint Persian rug (7 feet, 6 inches by 9 feet 7 inches), topped out at $8,960.

A walnut sideboard with marble top attributed to Alexander Roux (circa 1860), 7 feet, 9 inches tall by 6 feet wide, went to a determined bidder for $8,400; a rosewood parlor cabinet with Sevres plaque attributed to Herter Brothers (circa 1870), 4 feet 5 inches high by 4 feet, 9 inches wide, made $7,280; and a large mirror made around 1880, 8 feet, 2 inches tall, hit $7,280.

A rosewood marble-top parlor cabinet with pierce-carved étagère, attributed to J. & J.W. Meeks (circa 1855), 7 feet tall, commanded $6,720; a pair of bronze Tiffany light fixtures with signed Quoizel shades, each made around 1910, both brought $6,160; and a large 6-light crystal chandelier that was lit by gas before being electrified, 4 feet wide and circa 1880, rose to $6,048.

A rare Black Forest clock by Lenzkirch that had been made into a miniature house with a cylinder music box (circa 1880) chimed on time for $5,600; a period Empire double-wide mint julep bar, made circa 1840 and measuring 55 inches wide by 36 inches tall, commanded $5,152; and a pair of monumental fantasy pedestals (circa 1880), 4 feet, 11 inches tall, made $4,704 each.

This sizable rosewood marble-top parlor cabinet, attributed to J. & J.W. Meeks, circa 1855 sold for $6,720.

A stunning 314-piece Wedgwood dinner service in the Queens pattern garnered $4,704, while three lots drew identical winning bids of $4,480 each: an oak Gothic bracket clock with a rack of bells and chimes, 25 inches tall (circa 1900); a rare Federal butler’s chest with an original built-in 8-day clock by E. Terry & Son (circa 1830); and two sizable 19th century figural bronze wall sconces signed by J.E. Caldwell that were gas at one time (each sconce gaveled for $4,480).

This rare Black Forest clock by Lenzkirch, made into a house with cylinder music box, brought $5,600.

Other top achievers included a nice mahogany four-door Empire wardrobe by William McCracken (circa 1845), 8 feet, 2 inches tall ($3,136); a mahogany game box with the original antique game pieces made circa 1880 ($2,128); and a pair of rosewood John H. Belter parlor side chairs with blue upholstery in the Rosalie With Grapes pattern made circa 1855 ($1,792 each).

For more information about this auction, call 662.369.2200, e-mail to stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net or visit the Stevens Auction Company Web site.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

This Meissen figural porcelain clock in perfect condition, made circa 1880, will be among the items from the estate of the late Sarah B. Robbs that will be up for auction on Saturday, Oct. 9, in a sale hosted by Stevens Auction Company.

ABERDEEN, Miss. – A pair of on-site estate auctions are on tap for October by Stevens Auction Company—the first featuring antique furniture, original artwork, fine porcelains and the second highlighted by more than 2,000 Coca-Cola items—will be hosted later this month by Stevens Auction Company.

The first auction, slated for Saturday, Oct. 9, will feature the estate of the late Sarah B. Robbs (1921-2010) and will be held at the Robbs’ Greek Revival mansion in Talladega, Ala. Then, the following weekend, on Saturday, Oct. 16, an auction featuring more than 2,000 Coca-Cola items will be conducted on-site in Philadelphia, Miss. Fans of Coke collectibles will have a field day, as clocks, dolls, coolers, dispensers, signs, trays, Christmas items, toys and games, vintage toy cars and trucks, bottles and more will all be sold.

Robbs is a descendant of Benjamin Fitzpatrick, who served as the 11th governor of Alabama (1841-1845) and was a U.S. Senator from 1848-1849 and 1853-1861. The Robbs home was built in 1833 and bricked in 1922. It is packed with antique furniture, original artwork, fine porcelains, hand-made rugs, beautiful lamps, china, silver, crystal, a collection of Talladega Raceway programs (from the first original printing to the last) and more. All of it will be offered.

“The Robb estate sale is certain to be one of the best we’ll have this year, and it will be held on-site at a truly gorgeous and historic home,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company. “The auction in Philadelphia the following weekend will be a different kind of a sale, but no less important to collectors of Coca-Cola items. That collection is huge and impressive.”

Period furniture from the Robbs estate will include a round marble-top mahogany Empire center table with scroll feet, made around 1840; a rococo rosewood curio cabinet with white Alabama original marble (90 inches tall by 56 inches wide, circa 1850); and an Alabama hunt board with tapered legs and backsplash, and two drawers (40 inches tall by 43 inches wide).

Additional furniture items will feature an acanthus carved Federal love seat, black with fleur de lis upholstery; an oversized mahogany Empire china cabinet with Gothic doors and scrolled feet (5 feet 5 inches wide by 6 feet 9 inches tall); and a Victorian rococo gilt marble-top console with white marble and cupid decorations (4 feet 4 inches wide by 8 feet 10 inches tall).

This acanthus-carved Federal love seat, black, with fleur de lis upholstery will cross the block on Oct. 9.

Artwork will include an oil-on-canvas portrait of a lady with white hair by Alabama artist J. Kelly Fitzpatrick (1888-1953), measuring 30 inches by 38 inches and given to Mrs. Robbs by the artist. Also, an example of Rookwood art pottery—a vellum glaze porcelain tile, decorated by Edward Timothy Hurley, made around 1942 and housed in a oak frame—will also be sold.

Vintage timepieces will include a Meissen figural porcelain clock in perfect condition and made around 1880 (20 inches tall by 13 inches wide). Silver and decorative accessories will feature a limited edition (#4 of 25) silver gilt Magie Spyre by Stuart Devlin (London, 1981), commemorating the Royal Wedding that year to Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

Rounding out the day’s expected top lots will be a Victorian rococo oversized over-the-mantel mirror, with the original mirror (5 feet 7 inches wide by 7 feet 2 inches tall); a French bronze crystal chandelier with five lights, from the Robbs dining room; and a pair of pink and red Old Paris vases.

An open house preview for the Robbs estate sale will be held on Friday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 9, the date of auction, from 8 a.m. until the first gavel comes down at 10 a.m. (CST). There will be no Internet bidding for this sale, but phone and absentee bids will be accepted (with advances arrangements).

For more information about these auctions, call 662.369.2200, e-mail to stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net of visit the Stevens Auction Company Web site, where photos of most lots may be viewed.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The hundreds of toys collected by Carl Gillespie, including antique steam engines, trucks and cars by various makers, vintage lunch boxes, figurines, Disney merchandise, porcelain pieces, highly decorated spinning tops and Coca-Cola signage and merchandise, will be sold at auction on June 12, 2010, in a sale hosted by Stevens Auction Company.

ABERDEEN, Miss. – A lifetime single-owner collection of vintage toys and guns—but to include petroliana items and antique farm equipment—will be sold Saturday, June 12, by Stevens Auction Company. The auction will be held in the Stevens gallery facility, located at 609 North Meridian Street in Aberdeen, beginning promptly at 9 a.m. (CST).

“(Carl) Gillespie is a lifelong resident of Mississippi who has collected a wide assortment of antique guns, firearms collectibles, vintage toys, knives, antique gas pumps, gas and oil signs and old farm equipment for the last 25 years,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company. “His collection is a snapshot of the greater Southeast, from Natchez to Nashville, his preferred shopping area over the years.”

Mills Novelty Company $10 slot machine, Special Award 777, in good working condition will be among the lots up for bid.

Gillespie began picking cotton on his grandfather’s 400-acre cotton farm at age 7 and eventually inherited the property. He has also worked as a scrap metal dealer. He bought his first collectible—a toy—after serving in the Vietnam War and he simply never stopped. He built a house in Aberdeen to showcase his extensive collections, which easily top 3,000 different items.

“No doubt about it, it’s going to be a long, long day,” Stevens predicted. “We’ll open our doors for a same-day preview at 7:30 in the morning, then the first item will cross the block at 9. After that, it will be sell, sell, sell until there’s nothing left to sell. That will probably be 7 or 8 o’clock at night.” He added a preview would also be held on Friday, June 11, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (CST).

Some prized lots from Gillespie’s antique gun collection include a rare Confederate carbine rifle made by Morse of Greenville, N.C.; several Winchester ’73 lever-action repeater rifles, to include a model 1876 .45-.60 caliber example, dated 1883; several .51 caliber carbine Civil War rifles; Civil War and cowboy-era Colt revolvers; and many swords and Bowie knives.

The hundreds of toys to be sold include antique steam engines, trucks and cars by various makers, vintage lunch boxes, figurines, Disney merchandise, porcelain pieces, highly decorated spinning tops, and Coca-Cola signage and merchandise. Some run on batteries, some on friction, but all are in good shape, with the original finish and color. A few still have their original boxes.

A Wool’s Cherry Cheer soda fountain syrup dispenser in pumpkin color, possibly one of a kind.

Just a few toy examples include Buddy L vintage toy trucks (like the yard train steam pile driver and the yard train crane); a Marx Brothers Lightning Express rider train; a pair of Structo tin toy trucks, orange in color; and a Turner tin dump truck made in the 1930s. Also sold will be a Mills Novelty Co. Specialty Award “777” $10 slot machine and a Mills one-cent lollipop scale.

Additional lots of note include a Wool’s Cherry Cheer soda fountain syrup dispenser in a rare pumpkin color, in fine condition and possibly one of a kind; a monumental walnut Art Nouveau back bar with leaded stained glass and lighted all-original dome top; an Amoco gas pump with replaced globe; and a vintage Lion gas pump, 8 feet tall, with original light-up globe.

Terms of the sale will be cash, all major credit cards and pre-approved check. A 12 percent buyer’s premium will be applied to all sales (with a 2 percent discount for cash). There will be no Internet bidding component, but phone and absentee bids will be accepted. Aberdeen is located about 35 miles west of Tupelo, Miss., on U.S. Rte. 45. Refreshments will be available.

For more information about this auction, call 662.369.2200, e-mail to stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net or visit the Stevens Auction Company Web site.

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A Victorian Italian center bowl with hand-painted and embossed flowers with bronze mounts is among the items to be sold at an absolute auction on Saturday, March 27, 2010 in Abereen, Miss.

ABERDEEN, Miss. – The estate of the late Virginia Sykes, a longtime resident of Aberdeen, Miss., will be sold in an absolute auction (everything goes, regardless of price) on Saturday, Mar. 27, 2010.

“Mrs. Sykes’ story is one of history, romance, dedication and Southern grace, all of which can be seen through the wonderful collection of antiques and fine items she gained over nearly 70 years in Aberdeen,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company, which will facilitate the auction. The auction will be held at 301 High Street in Aberdeen, located about 35 miles southeast of Tupelo, Miss., on U.S. Route 45. A preview of the items would be held on Friday, Mar. 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and that doors to the auction would open on Saturday at 8 a.m.

Furniture items will include a Regency-style bracket foot mahogany china cabinet with 13-pane doors, while clock aficionados will be intrigued by a circa-1780 crotch mahogany Scottish grandfather clock by John Munro (Glasgow, Scotland), hand-painted on the face with a scene of an Irish clan. Also certain to get paddles wagging is a fine gold Victorian 2-piece marble-top pier mirror, made circa 1850.

Decorative accessories will be served up in abundance. Examples include a Tiffany & Co. hand-engraved, sterling silver rectangular double vegetable dish, 46.6 troy ounces; a brass four-light gasolier with four etched satin glass shades and prisms, 40 inches tall; and a Gorham helmet-shaped sterling silver heavy tea service with four seasons masks and lion, and shield finials (coffee, tea, cream, sugar).

Round, footed sterling fruit bowl, made in London circa 1899-1900, 16.2 total troy ounces.

Also sold will be a Victorian Italian center bowl with hand-painted and embossed flowers with bronze mounts, 12 ½-inches in diameter; a round sterling footed fruit bowl (London, 1899), hand chased, 8 inches by 0.75 inches and weighing 16.2 troy ounces; and a sterling silver cake server set (knife and fork), still in the original presentation box and made circa 1851 by Black Ball & Company.

Paper and coin money will also cross the block, to include a Series 1929 $10 bill, on The First National Bank of Aberdeen, signed by Eugene L. Sykes, Mrs. Sykes’ late husband; and numerous solid gold Krugerrand coins from the 1980s in fabulous condition.

Sykes was a true Southern lady—independent, warm, gracious and perpetually kind. She was the daughter of a banker from Camden, Tenn., and she skipped a college education to start her own trucking business right out of high school. Her firm hauled chert for Southern companies. In the spring of 1942, while in Aberdeen on business, she met Eugene L. Sykes, Jr., and it was love at first sight.

By the summer of that year, the two were married and Mrs. Sykes became very active in the Aberdeen community. She also assisted in her husband’s varied business interests, helping him manage Sykes Plantation just outside of town and the Sykes Commission Company, a farm supply business. Mr. Sykes also sat on the board of directors of his father’s bank, The First National Bank of Aberdeen.

Mr. And Mrs. Sykes made their home at the “Old Homestead” on Main Street in Aberdeen until his death in 1961. Mrs. Sykes remained at the “Old Homestead,” caring for her father-in-law until his passing in 1965. Looking to downsize after that, she found “Dunlee,” a gorgeous antebellum cottage (and site of the March 27 auction). She continued to live at “Dunlee” until her recent death at the end of 2009.

Many images of the items to be sold in the auction can be viewed on the Stevens Auction website. For additional information, or to request a brochure, call 662.369.2200, or you can send them an e-mail at stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net. Also, reserved seating and phone bids are welcome, if done in advance.

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This old Sevres porcelain banquet lamp in perfect condition, circa 1860, will be among the 1,000 items up for auction on Jan. 23, 2010, hosted by the Stevens Auction Company.

ABERDEEN, Miss. – Two estate sales comprising more than 1,000 mostly fresh-to-the-market lots—including antique furniture, china, silver, hand-made rugs, fantastic lamps, original oil paintings, many pieces of old Victorian glassware and collectibles—will be held Jan. 23 and Feb. 20, 2010 by Stevens Auction Company.

The Jan. 23 sale will be a strictly in-house event, with no online bidding component. Internet bidding for the Feb. 20 auction will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The Saturday, Jan. 23 auction will be a multi-estate sale featuring merchandise was consigned from five prominent local estates. The Saturday, Feb. 20 auction will be dedicated to the lifetime collections of the late Roy Clyde Gardner of Neshoba County, Miss. Over the course of his long and fruitful life, Gardner accumulated hundreds of pieces of art glass, original works of art, furniture, metals and ceramics.

Gardner was, first and foremost, an accomplished floriculturist. He had an abiding love for his garden, but he also embarked on a lifelong journey in search of the finest arts and the best antiques. He frequented antiques shops, flea markets and estate sales in search of treasures. With each passing year, his collections grew in size and sophistication. They will be fully showcased in this estate auction.

The Jan. 23 multi-estate sale will be top-heavy with marvelous period furniture. These include a rosewood rococo sewing stand with bird’s-eye maple interior, attributed to J. & J.W. Meeks; a rosewood round turtle-top center parlor table with white marble, made circa 1850 by Alexander Roux; and a circa 1820 Empire rosewood marble-top center table with trumpet base, original marble and a curved skirt.

Other furniture pieces include a walnut Victorian double-door bookcase with burl walnut trim (circa 1875); an acanthus carved oval library table with gadrooned edge (circa 1880); a walnut Victorian étagère with white marble base (circa 1860); an acanthus carved seven-drawer Empire chest with original stenciling; a rococo-style rosewood marble-top Victorian shaving stand; and a Duncan Phyfe tea caddy.

A Mahogany Empire drop-side baby bed, circa 1850, will be in the Jan. 23 sale.

Still more furniture pieces will include a mahogany Empire banquet dining table, 12 feet long by 5 feet wide, with acanthus carved base and claw feet (and part of a 10-piece suite); a mahogany Federal love seat with eagle heads, cornucopia scroll, claw feet and wonderful styling; and a walnut Victorian slant-front Victorian secretary desk, 99 inches tall by 42 inches wide and beautifully crafted circa 1870.

Beds and bedroom suites—staples at most Stevens Auction Company estate sales—will be featured at this event, too. Anticipated top earners include a gorgeous two-piece rosewood Victorian bedroom suite, featuring a bed and marble-top dresser; and a mahogany Empire drop-side baby bed, 48 inches long by 25 inches wide, made circa 1850. Many other furniture pieces will also cross the block.

Lamps will also be featured. These include an old Sevres porcelain banquet lamp in perfect condition, made circa 1860 and standing 32 inches tall; and a bronze astral lamp with 8-inch prisms, original shade, 30 inches tall, made circa 1850 by the Cornelius Lamp Company. In the art category, a possibly pastel portrait of a Victorian child in a white dress, in a large gold Victorian frame, will be sold.

An oil on canvas portrait of lady in red in oval frame will be part of the Feb. 20 sale.

The Feb. 20 Roy Clyde Gardner estate will be loaded with artwork, much of it framed portraits. These will include a framed oil on canvas work of a young boy with a catch of fish (45 inches by 60 inches); an unframed oil on canvas rendering of a European male dressed in black, with an ornate collar (39 inches by 51 inches); and a tempera on wooden panel painting of two apostles in an ebonized frame.

Additional artwork will include a framed oil on canvas portrait of Judge John Girard, attributed to Sir Thomas Lawrence; a framed oil on canvas portrait of a female in black lace with a red flower in her hair; a framed oil on canvas work of a female in a green dress; and a framed oil on canvas painting of three men smoking pipes signed Deniers. Also sold will be a Swiss music box with rosewood cabinet.

The name Tiffany will be chanted often that day, and that is certain to delight bidders. Expected top lots include a Favrile art glass vase, made by Louis Comfort Tiffany in the peacock feather design; a Tiffany art glass centerpiece, comprising an iridescent bronze stand with center glass vase and two glass side bowls; and a lovely Tiffany art glass vase, iridescent green in color, with upward threaded design.

This stunning Tiffany art glass vase in iridescent green with upward threaded design will be sold at auction on Feb. 20, 2010.

A Tiffany desk set will be split into three lots. These will include an ink well, bronze, with slag glass; a desk tray, also bronze with slag glass; and a matching pair of desk pads (or blotter ends), bronze. Also offered will be a Tiffany art glass center bowl, green with bronze organic casting. Also sold will be an iridescent amethyst Vanhauten art glass vase, and a porcelain art vase with flower horn set in griffin.

For more information about these auctions, call the Stevens Auction Company at 662.369.2200, e-mail to stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net, or visit the Stevens Auction Company Web site. Terms of sale are cash, major credit cards and good checks. The buyer’s premium will be 12 percent (with a 2-percent discount for cash, business/personal checks with proper ID, and wire transfers).

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Walnut Victorian marble-top parlor table attributed to Thomas Brooks (circa 1860) is one of the many items from Southern estates that will be up for sale on Oct. 17 and Oct. 31 by Stevens Auction Company.

ABERDEEN, Miss. – For collectors interested in redecorating with a Southern flair, October promises to offer some great opportunities, as the Stevens Auction Company will host a pair of auctions this month featuring art, antiques and furniture from several Southern estates.

One will be held at the firm’s gallery in Aberdeen on Saturday, Oct. 17. Then, two weeks later, on Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween), Stevens will conduct an on-site estate auction in Port Gibson, Miss.

“The October 17 auction will include a nice selection of antique and furniture pieces from the collections of three prominent Southern estates,” said Dwight Stevens, who will facilitate both sales. “Featured will be items from the estates of two ladies from Alabama—Katherine Nelson Young of Athens and Lucy Russell McCaleb of Winfield. Both were dedicated collectors of fine antique items.”

A Mitchell & Rammelsberg rosewood high-back bed Victorian bed

Young inherited her mother’s antique collection and continued to add to it throughout her life. McCaleb was a schoolteacher of 42 years and a lifelong resident of Winfield until her death at age 102.

The Oct. 31 estate sale will be an on-site event, to be held at the home of the late Miss Isabel Person, who lived nearly all of her 93 years on Church Street in Port Gibson, in a home built around 1880 in the late Victorian style. It had been purchased by her father, J.W. Person II, and over the years became a repository for the family’s many antiques. The home and its contents are both offered for sale.

Person’s vast estate collections included wonderful period furniture, books, chests, clothes, silver, china, artifacts, papers and other timeless items, many of which have been lovingly stored in the 2,000-square-foot attic. But the entire house was adorned with fine antique objects from around the world, and most of these will be sold.

Furniture pieces from Person’s home that will cross the block Oct. 31 include a walnut Victorian marble-top parlor table attributed to Thomas Brooks (circa 1860); a mahogany Empire marble-top pier table attributed to J.& J.W. Meeks; a period Empire mahogany sewing work table with thread drawer; and a primitive cherry two-piece step-back cupboard.

Rosewood rococo marble-top étagère.

Other furniture pieces include a mahogany Empire china cabinet with claw feet; a flamed mahogany Federal sofa with red upholstery, with long, great carved apron and feet (circa 1830); a rare Empire hall seat with wide scroll feet, shoe doors and lift seat (circa 1840); and a mahogany Empire banquet table with acanthus carved base and five leaves (circa 1880).

Fine art from Person’s home includes an oil on canvas painting of a Confederate officer leading cavalry across a moonlit stream, signed F.H. Ricker; an original oil painting depicting harvest time by H. Livens; and a wonderful group of ebonized, Victorian paintings on ivory, most around 5 inches by 5 inches and with figural depictions.

Also from Person’s estate are some outstanding examples of Newcomb College objects, to include a 6-inch teapot with roses, a 7-inch vase with night scene, a pair of 4-inch blue vases with leaf decorations, and a 2 ½ inch small vase with floral decoration. Also to be sold will be a monogrammed four-piece sterling silver tea service with grapes and a Symphonion mahogany music box that still plays well.

Walter Durfree nine-tube clock with Hersbhepe works

Certain to attract intense bidder interest will be a rare and authentic Vampire killing kit (just in time for Halloween!), as well as Confederate currency and Civil War-era firearms.

The home and its contents will be available for preview on Friday, Oct. 30.

Returning to the Oct. 17 multi-estate sale, expected top lots in the furniture category include a monumental rosewood high-back Victorian bed, signed Mitchell & Rammelsberg, heavily carved all over the head board, the “Love Bird” model; and a gorgeous Federal mahogany sofa with carved legs and claw feet and striking gold strip upholstery.

Other furniture pieces include a rosewood rococo sewing table with lift top and pierce carved stretcher (circa 1850); a walnut Victorian 6-piece parlor suite attributed to John Jelliff; a rosewood rococo marble-top étagère with a drawer in the bottom; and a marble-top Victorian shaving stand with swing-out drawers, signed J. & J.W. Meeks.

Also from the fine furniture category: 19th-century rosewood spoon-shaped side chairs by John Henry Belter (N.Y.); a flamed mahogany Empire wig dresser with marble insert in mint condition; an Aesthetic Movement half-commode with a bronze plaque in the door (circa 1875), with a gray marble top; and a beautiful mahogany Empire marble-top sideboard with Gothic backsplash and claw feet.

Decorative accessories will feature a Walter Durfree nine-tube clock with Hersbhepe works and Gothic mahogany carved case; a signed Bavarian hand-painted punch bowl with 12 cups; a nice blue Victorian art glass lemonade pitcher with six glasses; a blue Gone With the Wind lamp with white and purple flowers; and a 1907 oak Berliner Gram-o-Phone music machine by Victor Talking Machine Co.

For more information about both of these sales, visit the Stevens Auction Company Web site, call directly, at (662) 369-2200, or e-mail to stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net.

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The top lot of the sale at the Belle Oaks mansion in Macon, Miss., was this beautiful 4-piece parlor suite by J.H. Belter, circa 1855 ($11,550).

MACON, Miss. – A beautiful four-piece parlor suite by the 19th-century New York furniture maker John Henry Belter, in the Rosalie with Grapes pattern, sold for $11,550 at an on-site auction at Belle Oaks, one of the most prominent old antebellum homes in Mississippi.

All the contents of the grand old mansion were sold on the premises, under large tents. People from all over the South—and beyond—braved the pounding Mississippi sun for a chance to own some fine quality antiques.

“It was a real hot day out there, but the people came to buy and they definitely went home happy,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company, which ran the Aug. 1 auction. “Quality antiques will always be a great investment—no matter what.”

The beautiful Belle Oaks antebellum home in Macon, Miss., is listed for sale at a reasonable $295,000.

Belle Oaks was built in 1844 for Judge Hampton Lee Jarnigan in Macon—located 30 miles south of Columbus, Miss. Subsequent owners included Zach Brooks, a successful oil and cattleman who also became one of the largest landowners in the region. The home now belongs to Gene Penick, who consigned its contents for sale. Items included fine period furniture, original artwork, rugs, lighting, china, cut glass, antique guns, collectibles and more.

The Belter parlor suite, crafted around 1855 and comprising a settee, two armless chairs and an armchair, was the top lot of the auction. Some 300 people were present to bid on approximately 550 lots. There was no online bidding component, but phone bidding was active (especially for the bigger furniture pieces and artwork) and some left bids were submitted, too (on about 80 pieces of cut glass).

Following are additional highlights of the sale (all prices quoted include a 10 percent buyer’s premium):

Rosewood queen-size half tester plantation bed signed by C. Lee.

• The only other lot to top the $10,000 mark was a monumental rosewood half tester plantation bed signed by C. Lee, queen size (circa 1855), selling for $10,450. Also, a set of 12 mahogany Chippendale chairs (two arms, ball and claw feet) realized $605 each (or $7,260 for the set); and a very rare flamed mahogany Empire baby cradle (circa 1845) made $2,420.

• A mahogany three-seater Chippendale settee with original needlepoint seat and claw feet (circa 1860) climbed to $1,980; a high-style bronzed Aragon lamp with original shades (circa 1840, by J. & I. Cox of New York City) went for $2,420; and a period Empire pier table with marble columns, bronze trim and marble top (circa 1830, New York) changed hands for $3,080.

• Dozens of pieces of beautiful cut glass—some of it offered in multiples and a good bit of it the American Brilliant Cut Glass (ABCG) so coveted by collectors—came under the gavel. One piece of note was an ABCG bowl, signed in the Hawkes pattern (10 inches wide), brought $412. An unusual lot that piqued the interest of bidders was an antique harp in need of restoration. It topped out at $1,980.

• A gorgeous high-back Renaissance Revival bed with a lady’s head in the crown (circa 1870) found a new owner for $3,300; a pair of blue Old Paris-style mantle vases topped out at $1,100 each; a pair of Victorian bronze gas wall sconces (circa 1870) fetched $522 each; and a spectacular 89-piece set of Old Paris china hammered for $2,860.

Original 19th-century oil on canvas painting of Madonna and Child with original gold frame.

• Original works of art did very well. An oil on canvas portrait of a Victorian family in the original frame garnered $6,160; a 19th-century oil on canvas painting of Madonna and Child with the original gold frame went for $2,200; an oil on canvas Dutch farm and figural scene (circa 1840), signed Laren, hit $2,090; and an oval oil on canvas painting of a child and his dog in an ornate gilt frame made $1,760.

• Beds and bedroom suites seem to be a staple at most Stevens auctions, and this one was no exception. A handsome rosewood half tester plantation bed, signed C. Lee and crafted around 1855 (queen size) coasted to $7,700, while a walnut high-back Victorian full-size bed, lovingly crafted around 1860 went to a determined bidder for $2,200.

The Belle Oakes mansion itself was not part of the auction, but Penick, its owner, has listed the property for sale at a very reasonable asking price of $295,000. The 5,500-square-foot mansion sits on about three acres of manicured grounds. It was built on a grand scale, with 14-foot ceilings, 20-foot square rooms and an unusual stairway that dominates the entrance hall. Interested parties may contact Southern Realty & Management Company, at 662-369-7061, or Stevens, at 662-369-5257.

Stevens Auction Company’s next big sale will be another on-site affair, this one scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15, at 104 Pinecrest Drive in Union, Miss. The auction will start promptly at 10 a.m. There will be an open house preview Friday, Aug. 14, from 10-7, and on Aug. 15, from 8-10 a.m.

For more information about this or other upcoming sales, call Stevens Auction Company at (662) 369-2200, or you can e-mail them at stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net.

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This five-piece rosewood Victorian bedroom suite, signed Mitchell & Rammelsberg, circa 1860 , was the top earner at the living estate sale of Katherine Creamer, a discerning collector from Mobile, Ala., selling for $51,700.

ABERDEEN, Miss. – A stunning five-piece rosewood Victorian bedroom suite, signed Mitchell & Rammelsberg (circa 1860), soared to $51,700 at the living estate sale of Katherine Creamer, a discerning collector from Mobile, Ala., whose stately mansion was built to contain her vast collections.

The bedroom suite was the top achiever of the 500 lots that crossed the block at the June 13 sale hosted by Stevens Auction Company at the firm’s gallery facility in Aberdeen, Miss.

“I’m surprised it didn’t bring more, frankly,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company. “A similar suite that wasn’t even as nice sold for over $100,000 some time ago, but that was before the economy took a hit. I guess it was a sign of the times, but the winning bidder—from Buford, Ga.—got a fabulous bargain.”

The suite included a half tester bed, wardrobe, dresser, wash stand and half commode. It was a spectacular grouping, but that makes sense, as Ms. Creamer only bought the finest furnishings and wasn’t afraid to spend her money, Stevens said.

“She would go to New Orleans to shop, on Royal Street, and if she saw something she liked she bought it, regardless of cost,” Stevens said. “She was very choosy. Everything had to be the best.”

A crowd of some 300 people packed the Stevens Auction showroom. while more than 250 phone and absentee bids were recorded. “We sold for eight solid hours, and the people who were there when the auction started were still there at the end, too,” said Stevens. “It was an unusual sale, but then, Mrs. Creamer was a remarkable collector.”

Additional highlights from the auction follow (all prices quoted include a 10 percent buyer’s premium):

Rosewood marble-top étagère, double-stack, attributed to Daniel Pabst, circa 1855 ($13,750).

• Monumental beds, prevalent at so many Stevens auctions, were offered at this event, too. A rosewood half tester plantation bed by C. Lee, queen size and supreme grade (126 inches tall by 79 inches long, circa 1855), rose to $22,000; and a rosewood cluster column full tester plantation bed with original testers, attributed to Mallard (112 inches tall by 77 inches long, circa 1850) realized $13,200.

• A Victorian rosewood sofa by John H. Belter in the Rosalie pattern with grapes, with a matching set of four rosewood Victorian side chairs and a matching arm chair, gaveled for $15,400; and a solid rosewood parlor suite by Alexander Roux (circa 1850), including a sofa (79 inches long), a pair of solid rosewood arm chairs, and a set of four rosewood side chairs, went to a determined bidder for $12,100.

• A 19th-century figural bronze work by Emile Picault (Fr., 1833-1915), titled “Victoria,” 34 inches tall on the original red marble case (Fabrication Francais, Paris), hammered for $2,640; and an oil on canvas portrait of a Southern belle in the original frame, topped out at $2,420. Also, a stately German mahogany grandfather clock with nine-tube Westminster chime, eight feet tall (circa 1890) reached $4,675.

Anglo-American giltwood convex looking glass mirror in the Regency style, circa 1800-1825 ($9,900).

• Mirrors reflected well on the winning bidders who scored them. An Anglo-American giltwood convex looking glass mirror in the Regency style (circa 1800-1825, 45 inches tall) garnered $9,900; an ornate Victorian oval mantle mirror (circa 1850, 82 inches tall by 55 inches wide) climbed to $5,720; and a standing gold leaf Victorian pier mirror (circa 1870, 90 inches tall by 37 inches wide) hit $3,300.

• Back to furniture, a rosewood marble-top étagère attributed to Daniel Pabst (circa 1855), with pierce-carved crowns, achieved $13,750; an oversize double-door rosewood rococo linen press with pierce-carved crown, attributed to J.& J.W. Meeks (circa 1850), made $12,100; and a flamed mahogany Federal sideboard with starburst doors, attributed to Anthony Quervelle (circa 1820), realized $11,000.

• A set of eight heavy Irish Chippendale dining chairs (circa 1860) brought $11,880; a rosewood Victorian chair by Meeks in the Hawkins pattern made $2,420; a period Empire marble-top center table with carved wood gold leaved swans (circa 1840) fetched $5,280; a rosewood rococo two-door wardrobe by P. Mallard (circa 1865) earned $4,730; and a rosewood single-door armoire (circa 1860) hit $4,070.

Beautiful Victorian Wave Crest porcelain jewelry box with bronze mounting, 7 inches tall ($2,420).

• A Victorian Wave Crest porcelain jewelry box with bronze mounting, 7 inches tall, hit $2,420; a rare and unusual Bohemian cranberry decorative carafe with glass stopper (circa 1820) fetched $2,420; a pair of 19th-century Sevres scenic capped urns realized $1,760; a Victorian Wave Crest porcelain collar box with flowers (circa 1880s) sold for $1,210; and a Brilliant Cut Glass powder jar made $660.

• An early mahogany wine cellaret with metal liner and bronze handles (circa 1860) demanded $4,400; a rosewood Empire block-front secretary signed Thomas Brooks (eight feet tall, circa 1850) went for $3,960; a rosewood laminated Victorian sofa by John H. Belter in the Rosalie pattern with grapes coasted to $3,960; and a rosewood marble-top etagere by John H. Belter (circa 1855) sold for $3,190.

• Lamps and lighting performed well, too. An American Rococo Revival lacquered brass eight-arm gasolier, attributed to Starr & Fellows and Co. (N.Y.), lit up the room for $8,800; a French Empire crystal chandelier, 4 feet tall, breezed to $3,960; a pair of 19th-century French bronze whale oil lamps with tulip shades reached $1,320; and a blue Meissen figural banquet lamp, still oil, garnered $1,320.

• A hand-blown cranberry art glass with applied rope handle went for $990; a Victorian cranberry pitcher with applied handle achieved $440; a pair of Old Paris mantle vases topped out at $990; a pair of Old Paris with ships, 14 inches tall, earned $990; a Thomas Webb & Co. art glass pitcher with butterflies, dated 1888, rose to $880; and a pair of Moser-style cranberry mantle vases brought $1,760.

Oak Victor music machine, by Victor Talking Machine Co., Type D, circa 1900-1920 ($4,290).

• Rounding out the top lots: an oak Victor music machine by Victor Talking Machine Co. (Serial #1816, Type D, circa 1900-1920) played a sweet tune for $4,290; a rosewood Victorian baby’s cradle soared to $2,970; a bronze desk box signed Louis C. Tiffany, Inc., climbed to $1,100; and an Alaskan Polar Bear rug, mounted in 1969 (before the 1972 Endangered Species Act took effect) brought $990.

Stevens Auction Company will conduct on-site auctions on Saturday, July 11, in Oxford, Miss., and Saturday, Aug. 1, in Macon, Miss. Featured will be fine furnishings and antique items from the living estates of two prominent residents, one of them an interior designer. The Aug. 1 sale will be held in a huge antebellum home built in 1844 for Judge Jernigan and later owned by a prominent landowner.

For more information, call (662) 369-2200, or you can e-mail them at stevensauction [at] bellsouth [dot] net. To learn more about Stevens Auction Company and the July 11 and Aug. 1 sales (to include photos of many of the lots to be sold) log on to www.stevensauction.com.

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