Auction Talk with Wayne: Auction Highlights December 2017
Welcome back…
Can you believe that Christmas 2017 is in just a few days? For the past six weeks, auction houses and retailers have been working overtime to bring their best goods “to the table.” Now, in the lull between Christmas and New Year’s Day, the auction emphasis is on entertainment as well as selling. Bidders will be out in force because many will be on vacation, looking for fun and/or profitable activities. What could be more fun and profitable than an auction?
In this month’s Auction Talk, we have chosen a few of the most interesting auctions to be presented in the next couple of weeks. We have antiquities and Ethnographic Art, vintage books, advertising, and two multi-auctioneer events. We hope you find something that tickles your fancy.
Classical antiquities
Wednesday, December 20, 2017, Artemis Gallery of Louisville, Colorado, will host a live and online auction of antiquities and ethnographic art from the world’s classical cultures, including Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Tribal Native American, and others. There are 285 lots to be offered, with opening bids ranging from $150 to $15,000. All lots have been properly vetted, are legally acquired, and legal to sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14. Lots are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. The catalog can be viewed here.
The live auction begins at 10AM Mountain Standard Time at the gallery, 686 S Taylor Ave, Louisville, CO 80027. Bidding will also be available through invaluable.com. Artemis ships worldwide and will handle all shipping in-house. Online payments are accepted.
Vintage book store liquidation
Friday, December 22, 2017: If you like to curl up with a good mystery novel during long winter days, then this auction is for you. David Blair Books of Lancaster, PA is liquidating, so you’ll be able to pick up wagons full of great books at great prices. The bookseller specialized in first edition mysteries, and book-related accessories such as bookends, paperweights, and book presses (all of which will be auctioned).
This online only auction is being hosted by the Hess Auction Group of Manheim, PA. Bidding is currently in progress, and lots will begin to close at 10AM on December 22. You’ll find details on the auctioneer’s website.
For auction terms and bidder registration, visit the webpage or phone them at 877-599-8894.
Books may be picked up on Thursday December 28 and Friday December 29 between 11AM and 3PM at the bookstore, 22 E Vine St. Lancaster, PA 17602.
Shipshewana event
Every Wednesday is an event at Shipshewana, but December 27 should be a holiday treat! The bell sounds at 9AM, kicking off six to ten auctioneers selling simultaneously in their 16,000 square-foot facility. Looking for a special lot? Keep moving until you find what you’re looking for, and then jump into the bidding! Usually, the auction ends sometime between 1PM and 3PM. If you get hungry, there is a snack bar on the premises.
This live-event auction features better-quality antiques, collectibles, primitives, glassware, advertising, quilts, and more. Who knows what might cross the block? Previews are held on Tuesdays from 7AM to 5PM, and from 5:30AM until 9AM on the day of the auction.
The auction facility is located at 345 S Van Buren St, Shipshewana, IN, 46565. For registration, bidding, and payment information, visit the Shipshewana website or phone (260) 768-4129.
New to live auctions, and nervous about the process? Have a look at a few of auctioneer Chuck’s eleven “how to” videos on the Shipshewana website.
Spend New Year’s Day at the fairgrounds!
On Monday, January 1, 2018, Jeff Boston Auction Service will host a premier advertising auction at the Sullivan County 4-H Fairgrounds, 1301 E. County Road 75 N, in Sullivan, Indiana. The fairground is a beautiful facility about 27 miles southeast of Terre Haute, near the Sullivan County Lake. Take the family, and when the auction is over there will be plenty to do and see in the area.
Items being sold are from the K. Hambrock collection, and include about 250 advertising signs, advertising boxes, anvils, primitives, stoneware, and miscellaneous advertising items. This live auction begins at 9AM EST and will run until all lots are sold. The catalog can be viewed here.
For information on registration and bidding, visit the auctioneer’s website or phone them at Jeff Boston Auction Service (812) 382-4440.
January 10 Dixon’s Auction, Crumpton, MD
If you’ve never been to Dixon’s Furniture Auction in Crumpton, MD, you’re in for a real treat. Dixon’s was just included as one of the “26 Best” in Country Living Magazine’s 26 of the Best of the Best Antique Shows in America.
For over fifty years, Dixon’s has hosted multi-dealer, multi- auctioneer events. Dealers arrive on Tuesday from as far away as Texas, lining up to consign their goods Wednesday morning for the 9 AM auction. Dixon’s is one of the country’s largest “discovery” auctions; you never know what you’re going to find!
The event is held inside their galley building and outdoors across the facility’s twenty-five acres. There are seven auctioneers on staff. Inside, the auctioneers move from table to table calling bids for the goods. Outside, a three-person team consisting of an auctioneer, clerk, and cashier drive golf carts up and down rows and rows of merchandise, calling bids and collecting payment as they go. The auctions at Dixon’s move fast: each of the three or four simultaneous auctions averages 200 items per hour, totaling 3,000 to 6,000 lots each Wednesday. Around the perimeter of the grounds are rows of freelance movers in their cube vans and pickup trucks, waiting to haul your purchases to your home (for a fee, of course).
The restaurant and snack bar serve delicious food prepared and served by the area’s Amish community. If you’ve never eaten Amish cooking, you’re in for a “down-home” treat!
Dixon’s can be found at 2017 Dudley Corners Road in Crumpton, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Check out their website, call the office at (410) 928-3006, or you may email them at CrumptonAuctions1961@gmail.com.
That’s all we have room for in this edition. See you next month!
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Wayne Jordan is a Virginia-licensed auctioneer, Certified Personal Property Appraiser and Accredited Business Broker. He has held the professional designations of Certified Estate Specialist; Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate; Certified Auction Specialist, Residential Real Estate and Accredited Business Broker. He also has held state licenses in Real Estate and Insurance. Wayne is a regular columnist for Antique Trader Magazine, a WorthPoint Worthologist (appraiser) and the author of two books. He blogs at SellMoreAntiques.net
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