Over 2,000 quality lots will be offered at Showtime Auction Services, Oct. 5-7 The lifetime collection of Robert and Harriett Potter – a vast accumulation of fire fighting memorabilia and other items, spanning 50-plus years – will be sold Oct. 5-7 by Showtime Auction Services.
disc music box (est. $15,000-$30,000); and a Wurlitzer Model 81 jukebox on the original Model 810 Mae West stand (est. $7,500-$1,500). Rare slices of Americana will include an 1880s Samuel Robb cigar store Indian (est. $50,000-$75,000); and an 1890s running deer weather vane (est. $5,000-$15,000).
Two items certain to wow the crowd are a very rare 1900 Koch's salesman's sample barber chair (est. $35,000-$50,000); and an equally scarce Buerger Brothers straight razor display (“The Nymph”), one of four straight razor displays in the auction. An advertising sign of note is the 1924 Johnson Drug Store leaded glass and jeweled trade sign (est. $5,000-$15,000).
Cigar tins will be served up in abundance (about 200 in all). A rare Home Run cigar tin is expected to fetch $3,000-$7,500. Lamps will also be plentiful, with names such as Pairpoint, Handel and Pittsburg. A rare Tiffany lamp with both shade and base marked should hit $10,000-$15,000. Also, a No. 6 National Cash Register with oak base is expected to make $3,500-$4,500.
Rounding out just some of the auction's anticipated top earners: a large Pierce Cycles advertising banner measuring 41 inches by 85 inches should realize $5,000-$10,000; a Charles Fey dice spinner in excellent working condition carries a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$10,000; and a rare Mills Novelty Co. 5-cent “Baseball” slot machine is expected to reach $3,000-$6,000.
Previews will be held Thursday, Oct. 4, from noon to 5 p.m. (EST); Friday, Oct. 5, from 8-10 a.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 8-9 a.m. The auction times are Friday, 10-5, Saturday, 9-6; and Sunday, 9-5. A hosted cocktail party will be held Friday, Oct. 5, from 5-6:30 p.m., at the Michigan Fire House Museum in Ypsilanti, Mich., not far from Ann Arbor. A complimentary lunch will also be served, on Friday, from 11-1.
Showtime Auction Services’ next three-day event is scheduled for the weekend of March 29-31, 2013, also at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor. Already consigned is the lifetime collection of Chuck Schneider, a dedicated collector in many categories. Featured will be many rare and one-of-a-kind pieces, plus consignments from other advanced collections.
Showtime Auction Services is based in Woodhaven, Mich. The firm is always accepting quality items for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or an entire collection, you may call Mike Eckles at (951) 453-2415; or, you can e-mail him at MikEckles@aol.com. To learn more about Showtime Auction Services and the Oct. 5-7 auction, go to www.ShowtimeAuctions.com.
