Showtime Auction Services major event slated for April 1-3 Over 1,800 lots of investment-grade antiques and collectibles will be sold to the highest bidder the weekend of April 1-3 by Showtime Auction Services in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
News-Antique.com - Feb 02,2011 - (ANN ARBOR, Mich.) – Over 1,800 lots of investment-grade antiques and collectibles – to include country store and advertising items from the Earl Hagerman collection, many pieces from the Chesapeake Bay Fire Fighting Museum in Maryland, and over 100 rare and vintage toys – will be sold to the highest bidder the weekend of Apr. 1-3 by Showtime Auction Services.
The event will be held at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor. The Friday session (Apr. 1) will be an uncataloged, live audience-only sale, with around 500 lots in a variety of categories. Saturday (Apr. 2) will be dedicated to country store and advertising, while Sunday (Apr. 3) will feature fire fighting memorabilia, antique toys and miscellaneous items.
Internet bidding (via LiveAuctioneers.com and iCollector.com) will be in effect Saturday and Sunday. Phone and absentee bids will be accepted both days. On Sunday, a major pressed steel toy collection out of Kansas will cross the block, with over 100 lots expected to generate great bidder interest. Examples by Buddy L, Keystone, Sturdytoy and others will be featured.
“I’m extremely excited about this auction,” said Mike Eckles of Showtime Auction Services. “It will be the best country store and advertising sale we’ve ever held, thanks to the outstanding lifetime collection of Earl Hagerman out of California. The firefighting memorabilia from the museum in Maryland is just outstanding, and the rare, vintage toys are sure to do well.”
The auction will also feature barber shop, candy, gum, soda fountain, Old West, saloon, gambling, coin-ops, music, pedal cars, folk art, tobacciana, petroliana, fine art, automobilia, pottery, glassware and more. Items may be viewed online, at www.ShowtimeAuctions.com, beginning around March 1. A catalog can be pre-ordered now ($35) by calling (316) 721-5236.
One lot in the sale is expected to bring $50,000-$100,000. It’s a Rock Island Railroad reverse glass sign, made circa 1880 by one of the artists hired by Rock Island to paint the lamp shades on the Pullman cars. The one-of-a-kind piece is in near-mint condition and has been in the same family for the past 100 years. The auction will feature 25 vintage reverse glass signs.
Also expected to get paddles wagging is a phenomenal Brook’s Cigar Store figure from the 1880s, in excellent condition and with most of the original paint (est. $40,000-$60,000). A great companion lot is a Sunset Trail cigar tin, the very rare “25” version (est. $3,000-$5,000). Also sold will be a great child’s barber chair with hand-carved horse head (est. $2,500-$4,000).
The fire fighting memorabilia will feature a 1919 La France Chemical fire engine, in service from 1920-1936 and professionally restored to original condition (est. $35,000-$50,000); a T.J. Coolidge horse-drawn fire hose cart from the 1880s, fully restored (est. $15,000-$25,000); and an 1858 fireman’s stove pipe parade hat, leather with painted graphics (est. $3,000-$6,000).
Vintage toys will include an extremely rare 1930 American National Packard toy car (est. $7,500-$10,000); a mechanically intriguing and all-original Buddy L trench digger (est. $5,000-$10,000), one of over 50 Buddy
