“So much mystery and speculation surrounds the life and disappearance of Amelia Earhart that when personal items belonging to her become available—which is a very rare occurrence—it rekindles the public’s imagination about her and the spirit of American aviation,” says Clars President Redge A. Martin. “For the items to surface in Northern California is a significant historical event, and one that brings an intimate, personal focus to this pioneer of flight.”

The auction house had the following to relate:
“The Amelia Earhart Luxor No. 6 flying goggles were a gift to a relative of the consignor by Neta Snook, the aviator who taught Amelia Earhart to fly. The goggles include the original aluminum storage case. Reportedly the goggles are from Amelia’s first crash at Goodyear Field while learning to fly with Neta Snook, July 1921, in her Airster.

Neta Snook (1896-1991), to whom the items at auction belonged, was Amelia Earhart’s first aviation instructor and the first woman to run an aviation business and to run an airfield, among a long list of firsts. Her 1974 autobiography, ‘I Taught Amelia Earhart to Fly‘, recounts how a young Earhart and her father walked on to Snook’s airfield and Amelia announced to her “I want to fly. Will you teach me?” For $1 in Liberty Bonds per minute of flight time, Snook taught Earhart to fly. Her early flights were fraught with mishaps, prompting Snook to reflect “Perhaps I misjudged her abilities…”

Clars also reports that the 18 unpublished Amelia Earhart gelatin silver photographs offered were a gift from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly by Earhart. The photos have been forgotten in storage for 40 years and were re-discovered recently by the seller in a manila envelope in a Northern California storage locker. These images include the famed Lockheed Electra 10E, the plane that was used for the circumnavigation attempt in 1939, with navigator Fred Noonan. There are also personal images of her packing for the flight, and her getting her hair cut at a barber’s shop.

Paul Fraser Collectibles (www.paulfrasercollectibles.com) says that the pre-sale estimate on the lot is $20,000 to $40,000 (goggles and a signed book), but that if the price achieved on a pair of Earhart flight goggles at the Profiles in History auction in 2009 is any indicator, these goggles could likely go for much more. At that auction the price soared to $141,600.

UPDATE: Here are the final prices realized at the auction:
Amelia Earhart Luxor No.6 flying goggles, left lens cracked, includes aluminum storage case, marked Luxor
Goggles No.6, E. B. Meyrowitz, the goggles were a gift to a relative of the consignor via Neta Snook, the
aviator who taught Amelia Earhart to fly, goggles 8”w x 2”h, case 2”h x 4.5”w x 2”d, note: reportedly the
goggles are from Amelia’s first crash at Goodyear Field while learning to fly with Neeta Snook, July 1921, in
her Airster. Sold for $15,000.

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, depicting Amelia Earhart reviewing the map for the
circumnavigational flight of 1937, note: provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the
consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w. Sold for $400

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, depicting Amelia with her husband George P. Putnam, note:
provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly
by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w. Sold for $375

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, depicting the Lockheed Model 10 Electra, taking off from
Oakland airport, California, note: provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the
consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w. Sold for $350

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, (left to Right) depicting Paul Mantz, Amelia Earhart, Harry
Manning and Fred Noonan, Oakland, California, March 17, 1937, note: provenance, the photograph was a gift
from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w. Sold for $400

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, portrait of Amelia Earhart, note: provenance, the photograph
was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w. Sold for $325

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, depicting Amelia Earhart and Paul Mantz, in the cockpit of the
Lockheed Model 10 Electra, note: provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the
consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w. Sold for $350

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, depicting Amelia Earhart exiting the cockpit of the Lockheed
Model 10 Electra , note: provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s
mother, who was taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w. Sold for $375

Photograph, gelatin silver print, Amelia Earhart, 1937, signed (autograph) and inscribed by Amelia Earhart,
and dated 1937 (upper left), sight: 8.5”h x 6.5”w, frame: 12.5”h x 10”w. Sold for $1,800

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, Harry Manning, Amelia Earhart and Paul Mantz, note:
provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly
by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w. Sold for $300

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, Amelia Earhart packing her clothes and map case for the
circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937, note: provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia
Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w. Sold for $300

(lot of 4) Books, Amelia Earhart collection, including Neta Snook Southern, I Taught Amelia To Fly, signed and
inscribed, an Aviators’ Equipment Catalog, Amelia Earhart Aviation Pioneer, and Amelia, My Courageous
Sister, Muriel Earhart Morrissey and Carol Osborne. Sold for $325

Autographed photograph, gelatin silver print, Amelia Earhart, inscribed and signed, ”To my friends of the
radio audience, Amelia M. Earhart”, 10”h x 8”w. Sold for $2,750

Photograph, Amelia Earhart, depicting her supervising and document maintenance of her aeroplane, 2.75”h x
4.5”w. Sold for $300

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, portrait of Amelia Earhart leaning back on a sofa, note:
provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly
by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w $ 300

Photograph, gelatin silver print, Amelia Earhart and Charles Otis, bottom right of image has ballpoint pen
notation, ”Photo Meli”, photographers stamp verso, ”James J. Meli, 8228 Euclid Ave, ENdicott 1313,
Cleveland, Ohio”, also ball point pen description verso, ”Charles Otis and A Earhart”, sight: 10”h x 8”w $ 300

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, portrait of Amelia Earhart addressing envelopes for her
circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937, note: provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia
Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w $ 300

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, portrait of Amelia Earhart having her haircut at a barber shop,
note: provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was taught
to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w $ 325

Letter, George P. Putnam, signed (autographed) hand written letter, with reference to Amelia Earhart his
wife, addressed to Mr. Meli the photographer, on The Westlake, Cleveland, Ohio letterhead, ink on paper,
provenance: from a relative of Meli, sight: 10.5”h x7.25”w $ 500

Negative, Amelia Earhart, 4” x 5” negative, on Agfa film stock, depicting Amelia Earhart in a plane cockpit, 4”
x 5” $ 400

Negative, Amelia Earhart, 4” x 5” negative, on Agfa film stock, depicting Amelia Earhart, Harry Manning,
George Putnam, and R.D. Bo Mcinelly $ 450

Negative, Amelia Earhart, 4” x 5” negative, on Agfa film stock, depicting Amelia Earhart looking at maps $ 500

Negative, Amelia Earhart, 4” x 5” negative, on Agfa film stock, depicting Amelia Earhart and Harry Manning $ 450

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, depicting the Lockheed Model 10 Electra, being fueled at
Oakland airport, note: provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s mother,
who was taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w $ 300

Photograph, Amelia Earhart gelatin silver print, depicting Paul Mantz, Amelia Earhart, Elmer Dimity and Nellie
G. Donohoe, Oakland Postmaster, loading the last package of flight covers into the Lockheed Model 10
Electra, note: provenance, the photograph was a gift from Amelia Earhart to the consignor’s mother, who was
taught to fly by Earhart, 8”h x 10”w $ 300

I don’t think you’ll be finding anything like that on eBay, but here are some current auctions for Amelia Earhart memorabilia:

:

• Last Flight Signed Amelia Earhart With Clipping Nice!

$950.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 10:58:33 PST Buy It Now for only: $1,500.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

• Amelia Earhart in 1937 “Debris” Purdue University yearbook, excellant condition!

$85.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 12:01:23 PST Buy It Now for only: $95.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

• Large Viintage Amelia Earhart 8 x 10 Autographed Photo

$2,500.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 19:39:29 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• AMELIA EARHART HUSBAND GEORGE PUTNAM 1948 DEATH VALLEY

$45.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-13-2012 14:36:36 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Lockheed Vega of Amelia Earhart “Little Red Bus” Wood Model Aircraft Airplane

$139.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-14-2012 11:43:16 PST Buy It Now for only: $159.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

• Lockheed Electra 10E of Amelia Earhart Wood Model Aircraft Airplane first woman

$134.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-14-2012 11:43:18 PST Buy It Now for only: $154.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

• Lockheed Vega of Amelia Earhart “Little Red Bus” Wood Model Airplane Aircraft

$139.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-14-2012 11:43:18 PST Buy It Now for only: $159.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

• Lockheed Vega of Amelia Earhart “Little Red Bus” Wood Model Aircraft Airplane

$139.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-14-2012 13:22:22 PST Buy It Now for only: $159.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

• Amelia Earhart PHOTO with vice-president

$299.00 (0 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-14-2012 17:13:17 PST Buy It Now for only: $375.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list

• R136 Sky Birds National Chicle #48 Amelia Earhart ex

$49.99 (0 Bids) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 18:55:57 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

One item that caught our eye was the Superman vs. The Robot lunch box up for auction – last year at around this time, a mint condition lunchbox sold for $11,865. This one doesn’t appear to be close to that condition, but this lunch box has been called the “Holy Grail.”

At any rate, there are a lot of nice pieces up for bids, so check it out:
PAIR OF MONSTER THREE-DAY SALES, PLUS A ONE-DAY ESTATE AUCTION, WILL FILL THE PHILIP WEISS AUCTIONS CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

The auctions – slated for Sept. 15, Sept. 23-25 and Oct. 21-23 – will be held in Oceanside, N.Y.

(OCEANSIDE, N.Y.) – Most auction houses can brag about having maybe one three-day sale per year, if that, but Philip Weiss Auctions has two such events planned for back-to-back months — on Sept. 23-25 and Oct. 21-23. A one-day estate sale is also slated, for Sept. 15. All of the auctions will be held in the Philip Weiss Auctions showroom, at #1 Neil Court in Oceanside.

Just a few of the many noteworthy lots that will change hands this fall are an important family archive of Titanic memorabilia, from a survivor’s family; 1930s-era original comic art (to include Herriman Krazy Kat and Foster Prince Valiant examples; a nice Disney Snow White cel on a master background; and a pair of rare Dickson pistols from the Charles Gordon collection.

The Saturday, Sept. 15 estate sale, while fitting into just one day, shouldn’t be dismissed. Featured will be Part 1 of a 700-piece Royal Doulton figurine collection, a nice grouping of Oriental vases, a monumental late 19th century crystal vase and other fine consignments, drawn from prominent local estates and collections. The auction will get underway at 2 p.m. (EDT).

The first of the three-day mega-sales will kick off on Friday, Sept. 23, at 4 p.m., with a session dedicated to Hollywood and rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia. Offered will be a large collection of original early rock ‘n’ roll master recording tapes of such stars as Chuck Berry, Vanilla Fudge, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, and a rare early studio demo recording of Billy Joel.

Also featured that day will be Hollywood photos and other material from the Lester Glassner estate, plus additional Hollywood items from other estates (posters, negatives, etc.). Then, on Saturday, Sept. 24, a second session will begin at 10 a.m., this one packed with toys, toy trains, dolls, door stops and Part 1 of a huge, single-owner pressed steel truck collection.

Also offered will be Part 1 of a single-owner Courtenay and Britains collection (with over 100 Courtenay and Greenhill figures), a standard gauge train collection (Lionel, American Flyer, etc.), die-cast Dinky toys, cast-iron door stoppers, vintage lunchboxes (including Superman vs. the Robot) and dolls and bears (to include a rare Knickerbocker ‘Kewtee Bear’ with original tag).

The final day of the sale (Sunday, Sept. 25, also with a 10 a.m. start time) will see comics, comic art, Disney items and animation take center stage. Highlighting the day will be the ‘Adirondack Collection’ of comic art, plus a fabulous selection of 1930s-era original comic art (to include Herriman Krazy Kat, Foster Prince Valiant, and other early Sunday and daily pages).

The Sept. 25 session will also feature three wonderful Charles Schulz original Peanuts comic strips (including an early 1952 daily), a great run of high-grade King Comics (from #1 on up), Part 2 of the Joel Cohen Disney Collection, a gorgeous Snow White cel on a master background, and an ‘Operator 5’ premium ring in the original red box (one of only two known).

The October three-day sale will begin on Friday, Oct. 21, at 4 p.m. in the afternoon, with a session loaded with transportation, aviation, maritime, militaria and posters. Featured will be over 100 World War I and II helmets and goggles, a unique Mexican/Civil War trunk belonging to Maj. William Schoonover (176th PA Infantry), identified daguerreotypes, books and photos.

The hit of the session, though, promises to be an important family archive of Titanic memorabilia, directly from a family member of John & Nelle Pillsbury Snyder, who were rescued when the Titanic sank. Archive includes a letter on Titanic stationary dated April 10, 1912, photos of the Snyders, another letter dated April 18th that tells of the confusion from news sources and the White Star Line at the time of the sinking, a group of original photos taken from the Carpathia, newspaper clippings, family mementos, collectibles and more.

Also offered will be a rare World War II German SS Totenkopf H. Himmler honor ring, engraved and dated (Sept. 11, 1941), with a certificate of authenticity; very important percussion pistols and shotguns (including a pair of Dickson pistols from the Charles Gordon collection); maritime and nautical material from the Bushnell estate; and World War I/World War II posters.

Sandwich day – Saturday, Oct. 22, starting at 10 a.m. – will feature sports items, stamps and coins, rare books, autographs and maps. Highlights will include a trove of 1930s and ‘40s baseball and non-sports cards, jockey Willie Shoemaker’s first signed contract as an apprentice, a Pittsburgh Pirates signed team baseball (with a nice Roberto Clemente signature), a baseball signed in 1934 by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, a contemporary Yankee Stadium painting by William Feldman, a 1948 Olympic torch and more.

Stamps will include Part 5 of the Great Lakes Collection, plus many additions from other prominent estates. Coins will feature a single-owner estate collection of ancient gold and silver coins. Books will include a rare copy of Treasure Island, with original drawing by N.C. Wyeth.

The final day of the auction –Sunday, Oct. 23, also with a 10 a.m. start time – will have toys, toy trains, toy soldiers and pressed steel. Offered will be Part 2 of a single-owner Courtenay and Greenhill collection, Britains, pressed steel trucks, toy trains and other desirable collectibles.

Online bidding for all sales will be facilitated by Proxibid.com. Previews will be held during the week leading up to the three-day auctions (or by appointment), as well as the morning of the date of sale for all auction dates. Images for some of the items to be sold may be seen on the Philip Weiss Auctions website, at www.WeissAuctions.com. Updates are posted frequently.

It was just the 51st auction for the young firm, and it may have been their best sale ever.

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) – An outstanding, mint condition Brown’s Celebrated Indian Herb bitters bottle, patented Feb. 11, 1868, sold for $36,960 in an Internet and catalog auction held Oct. 29-Nov. 13 by American Bottle Auctions (www.americanbottle.com). It was the 51st auction held by the young firm, which has become synonymous with vintage bottle collecting.

“Overall I felt the sale was a great success and may have been our best auction ever, based on the fact that nearly all of the 375 lots sold,” said Jeff Wichmann of American Bottle Auctions, “and the eleven bottles that didn’t sell found new homes after the auction. We had over 100,000 hits on the catalog page and over 400 bidders.” The auction grossed around $300,000.

The Brown’s bitter was by far the top lot of the sale. Graded 9.9 out of 10 for condition and boasting a perfectly flat lip, the bottle was consigned by a woman who collected for fun years ago. “When she bought it, she was offered the choice of an amber or clear example, and thankfully she picked the clear one,” Mr. Wichmann said, adding it is likely flint, not lead glass.

“Bitters and flasks are hot sellers right now,” Mr. Wichmann observed. “I have to believe they are entering a new age. People are beginning to realize they just aren’t coming up at auction like they did, and everyone is scrambling to get the rarest and most perfect examples out there. Whether this is a tulip craze or real people with real money in it for the long haul, I don’t know.”

The auction featured bitters and historical flasks, but also Western whiskey bottles, sodas, medicine bottles and other offerings. Most of the bottles dated from 1850-1900, the period most desired by collectors, when superior embossing techniques were used. Bidders were encouraged to use the online catalog, where large photos and full-color videos of each bottle were shown.

Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 12 percent buyer’s premium.

The surprise lot of the sale was an Eagle/Grapes one-quart flask that soared to $19,600, against a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-$2,000. The crudity, condition (mint) and color (a brilliant turquoise) combined to spark a bidding war. Also, a GI-40 Major Ringold Rough ‘n’ Ready pint flask in a very light aqua color brought $15,680 (it would have hit $20,000 except for a lip chip).

Another surprise happened when a pair of Fells Point/Sloop GVI-2 half-pint flasks came up for bid. One was puce, a very common variant, while the other was topaz — much rarer and possibly unique. But when the final hammer fell, the puce bottle realized $12,320 and the topaz one fetched $5,152. “Should have been the other way around,” Mr. Wichmann said. “Go figure.”

A California wine bitters (M. Keller, Los Angeles), made in 1863 (the only year of production), a beautiful pastel green with loads of whittle and super strong strike, graded 9.8, gaveled for $10,080; and a Fish bitters (W. H. Ware, 1866) finished at $9,520. “I think it could have gone a bit higher,” Mr. Wichmann said, “but a small postone scared some bidders away.”

An original Pocahontas bitters (Y. Ferguson), aqua blue with an applied top and completely covered in a Benicia film, one of the finest Benicia bottles ever seen, graded 9.8, coasted to $7,280; and a Dr. Wosner’s USA Indian Root bitters, very popular with collectors and having a deep amber coloration, lots of tiny bubbles and overall whittle, graded 9.7, hit $6,720.

Two bottles went for identical prices of $6,160. One was a Lancaster Glassworks Cornucopia urn (GIII-16), with a sheared lip and open pontil. The pint flask was sapphire in color and graded 9.8. The other was an Old Pioneer Whiskey bottle (A. Fednkhausen & Co., Sole Agents, S.F.). The 1880s bottle had a gorgeous amber color and a super strong strike.

A Dr. Robertson’s Family Medicine bottle (prepared by T.W. Dyott, circa 1809-1815), made by Kensington Glass Works, rose to $4,704. It is believed to be the first ever embossed medicine bottle made in the United States. Also, a Bear Grass Kentucky Bourbon western fifth (Braunschweiger & Bumsted, Sole Agents, S.F., 1883-1884), graded 9.5, hammered for $4,256.

Rounding out the sale’s top lots: a Double Eagle GII-91 green flask with applied band and smooth base, graded 9.2, changed hands for $4,032; a Dr. Henley’s Wild Grape Root bitters with super heavy whittle and beautiful green color, graded 9.8, went for $3,808; and a Wister’s Clubhouse bottle, made circa 1851-1855, a beautiful teal color, graded 9.8, finished at $3,360.

American Bottle Auctions was founded in 1990 by Jeff Wichmann, a native Californian who has been collecting antique bottles for 40 years. Over time, the firm grew and underwent a name change, but the focus has always remained the same: to specialize in appraising, brokering, consigning and auctioning antique bottles and glass. Bottle collecting is enormously popular.

Mr. Wichmann has researched, appraised and estimated the values of thousands of antique bottles and related items. He is often called on to appraise antique bottles and glass for individuals and businesses. In 1999, he wrote and published The Best of the West – Antique Western Bitters Bottles, a research guide. He has also written many articles on antique bottles.

American Bottle Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign a single bottle or an entire collection, you may call them toll-free, at 1-800-806-7722; or, you can e-mail them, at info@americanbottle.com. To learn more about American Bottle Auctions and the firm’s next scheduled Internet and catalog sale, log on to AmericanBottle.com.

Some current live auctions for collectible bottles on eBay:

bottle (Category: Bottles & Insulators ): bottle (Category: Bottles & Insulators )

• Dr. J.W. Bull’s Vegetable Baby Syrup Aqua colored Bottle

US $50.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 21:55:01 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Signed MARYVILLE wine bottle/owners Craig/Vicki

US $43.15 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 22:27:36 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• Kaws X Hennessy Artistry VS Cognac 2 Collectible Bottles Package Deal FREE SHIP

US $77.25 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 23:18:46 PST Buy It Now for only: US $85.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

• Antique Arbutus Bloom Perfume Bottle Label w/Stopper

US $89.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 0:46:49 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• 8 xMiniature Bottle Very RARE

US $300.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 2:07:30 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• 8 xMiniature Bottle Very RARE

US $300.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 2:08:17 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• 8 xMiniature Bottle Very RARE

US $400.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 2:09:18 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• 9 xMiniature Bottle Very RARE

US $450.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 2:10:17 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• 10 xMiniature Bottle Very RARE

US $600.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 2:11:26 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

• 7 xMiniature Bottle Very RARE

US $150.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 2:12:56 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

It is just the 5th sale for the firm, located in the heart of the antiques district in Stamford, Conn.

(STAMFORD, Conn.) – Items from the estate of Tommy Hilfiger – the international fashion designer and founder of the brand that bears his name – will be sold without reserve (everything sells, regardless of price) at an auction slated for Sunday, Sept. 26, by Vintage Galleries, located in the heart of Stamford’s burgeoning antiques district, at 528 Canal Street.

It will be just the fifth auction for Vintage Galleries, which held its inaugural sale last September. It was able to secure this consignment because Mr. Hilfiger frequents the shop across the street – Greenwich Living Antique & Design Center – and the owner of that business, Sam Pizzichillo, introduced Mr. Hilfiger to Philip Amaradio, one of the owners of Vintage Galleries.

“Tommy Hilfiger, aside from being a truly genuine human being and a kind, humble man, is a dedicated collector in a wide range of categories,” Mr. Pizzichillo said. “He has a very discerning eye and only buys the best. That’s what will make this auction so special. It is not only quality, fresh-to-the market merchandise; it is a chance to own a part of a fashion icon.”

The auction, which begins at 1 p.m., will feature around 500 items from the Hilfiger estate. Traditional pieces will include dining tables and chairs, Italian leather, bookcases, wing chairs, chests, coffee and end tables and armoires. Unusual pieces will include custom wooden Balinise furniture designed by Mr. Hilfiger himself, antler hunting lodge chairs and other items.

Mr. Hilfiger decided to consign some of the items in his vast collections after selling his estate home in Greenwich (for about $22 million), as well as his estate homes in East Hampton, N.Y., and Vermont. He recently bought another home in Greenwich, and maintains an apartment in New York City. The need to redecorate both residences led to his decision to sell some items.

Continental furniture will dominate the day’s offerings. Certain to pique bidder interest will be a pair of green painted and upholstered chairs in the style of Louis XVI, stamped Jansen (est. $4,000-$6,000). a pair of Louis XIV-style cream painted and parcel-gilt armchairs, also stamped Jansen (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a pair of plush red velvet upholstered French settees (est. $1,000-$2,000).

Also from France: a fabulous provincial hutch with wired doors, supported by a two-door cabinet base (est. $2,000-$4,000); a gorgeous antique armoire (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a French glass display case from Best & Co., with beautiful carving and gilt details (est. $1,500-$2,000). Also offered will be a lot set of three monumental decorative floor mirrors (est. $1,000-$2,000).

English pieces will include a fine 19th century mahogany partner’s desk, the top with green embossed leather inset over a frieze fitted with four drawers each(est. $2,000-$3,000); a breakfront of four glass doors over three drawers, standing on a two-door cabinet (est. $1,500-$2,000); and an antique Victorian desk with Chinoiserie paint decorations (est. $1,000-$2,000).

For the walls, offerings will include a set of two hand-colored prints by the Hungarian print-maker and illustrator Marcel Vertes (1895-1961, est. $1,000-$2,000); a set of five framed prints of English crowns (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a set of five framed prints of English flags (est. $1,000-$2,000). Also sold will be a signed Picasso drawing and many original paintings.

Georgian furniture will include a charming highboy lacquered in red (est. $1,000-$2,000) and a pair of painted and carved Georgian-style demi-lune consoles (est. $1,500-$2,000). Rounding out the list of expected top lots are a beautiful pair of antique Austrian hand-painted hutches (est. $4,000-$6,000) and an interesting vintage carriage that was used in New York’s Rockefeller Center, in one of their Christmas displays (est. $1,000-$2,000).

Previews will be ongoing leading up to the day of sale, from Sept. 12-25 (10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day). The auction will also feature the contents of an upscale Park Avenue estate, an estimated 100 lots from a lighting warehouse containing mostly antique French lighting and decorative lighting, and other estates and collections. All these, too, will be sold without reserve.

Online bidding (for about 200 of the lots from the Hilfiger estate only) will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Additional items from the Hilfiger estate will be sold at a second auction, with a date still to be determined (probably the last weekend in October). Watch the website for details: www.vintagegalleriesauction.com.

Vintage Galleries offers a large selection of fine antiques, art and accessories. The firm caters to upscale collectors, decorators and dealers and specializes in American, English and Continental furniture, fine art, glassware, porcelain pieces, 20th century design and more. The company also has a large showing of Maison Jansen furniture and accessories for sale across the street at Greenwich Living Antique & Design Center. Their phone number is 203-274-5130.

Vintage Galleries is located two blocks off I-95. The firm’s newly renovated and air-conditioned gallery is less than an hour from midtown Manhattan. Vintage Galleries is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To inquire about consigning an item, an estate or a collection, please call (203) 504-8485, or send an e-mail to info@vintagegalleriesauction.com.

For more information about Vintage Galleries and the upcoming Sept. 26 auction, please log on to www.vintagegalleriesauction.com

(Dallas, Texas) — Batman beats Superman. The Caped Crusader is pounding the Man of Steel – and the recession – in an auction.

A rare copy of the first Batman comic book has far surpassed the previous comic books record price, $317,000, paid for a first Superman comic, and the bidding is still underway with Batman already at $418,250. Super heroes and pop culture fans will learn the final, new record price when the auction ends in two weeks.

“One of the finest known surviving copies of the 1939 issue of Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of Batman, is being offered without reserve by Heritage Auctions in a public auction in Dallas, Texas and online on February 25. Online bidding already is at $418,250, and that’s broken the world’s record auction price for any comic book, $317,000, set last year for a 1938 issue of Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman,” said Lon Allen, Director of Sales for the Comics Division of Heritage Auctions (www.HA.com).”Who knows how high Batman can soar by the time bidding ends?”

Heritage is selling the Batman comic on behalf of an anonymous consignor.

“It was owned for decades and kept in excellent condition by a savvy comic book collector who purchased it for $100 more than 40 years ago. In the 1960s and 1970s many people considered that an outrageous amount of money to spend for a 1930s era comic book,” said Allen.

“The Bat-Man,” as he was originally called, appeared for the first time in a six-page story in Detective Comics #27 with a cover date of May 1939. Superman appeared a year earlier in Action Comics #1 with a cover date of June 1938.

“Today, due to the popularity of the movies, cartoon and toys, Batman would seem to be the more popular pop culture character, and now he’ll dethrone Superman as the most valuable comic book,” said Allen.

For additional information, contact Heritage Auctions at (800) 872-6467 or visit online at www.HA.com.

NOTE: We first reported on a copy of Detective Comics #27 which sold in a private sale back in 2007 for an undisclosed amount, but was valued at $250,000 then.

UPDATE: It’s now official – this copy (graded CGC VF 8.0 Off-white to white pages) has become the most expensive comic ever sold at auction. Including the buyer’s premium, it sold on February 24th, 2010 for an astounding $1,075,500.00! The copy came from a private collector, described by Heritage Auctions: “The Pinnacle Hill Collection, from which this copy hails, is not an original-owner collection, but was assembled in the 1960s and 1970s by a discriminating collector who purchased from the major dealers of the day.”

“This is easily the highest-graded unrestored copy Heritage has auctioned, the next highest being VG 4.0!”

“Jim Snider, auctioneer and owner of the Rockford Auction Centre in Owen Sound, Ont., says the prices realized for nearly all types of collectibles have been on the decline for about five years, but appear to have bottomed.

Mr. Snider, a past president of the Auctioneers Association of Ontario and a member of the National Auctioneers Association, says he speaks with dozens of auctioneers every week. “The common observation is that prices are down on almost everything collectible, particularly items that would be considered mediocre or more common. Items of superior condition and more rarity have been less affected by declining prices but have not dodged the depreciation bullet completely,” he says.

Krista Richards, senior vice-president at A Touch of Class Auctions in Barrie, Ont., says she thinks the recession has hurt auction attendance.”

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Auctions on eBay: A Dying Breed

Yahoo! News
By Catherine Holahan
Tue Jun 3, 2008

“Bruce Hershenson, who auctions vintage posters online, is hanging up his eBay gavel. For almost a decade, Hershenson’s business epitomized the e-commerce that made eBay (NasdaqGS:EBAY – News) famous. He sold rare, collectible, sometimes kitschy memorabilia in online auctions that had a starting bid of 99 cents. But as the business of buying and selling over the Internet has matured, the thrill and novelty of auctions have given way to the convenience of one-click purchases. Hershenson will hold his last eBay auction June 3. “The auctions are nothing like what they once were,” he says. “They won’t ever come back.”

…Perhaps the biggest example of eBay’s new fixed-price focus is the new fee structure, announced in January. The changes gave breaks to many large vendors who sell fixed-priced goods on the site, while hiking fees for many eBay users who sell using a traditional auction structure (BusinessWeek.com, 1/29/08).”

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The Honolulu Advertiser
Thursday, February 14, 2008
By Rick Daysog
Advertiser Staff Writer

“Century-old documents signed by Hawaiian royalty, rare revenue stamps and other historical items owned by the Estate of Samuel Mills Damon are expected to fetch more than $250,000 at auction later this month.

…The collection, which includes documents dating as far back as 1839, will be sold in more than 70 lots that include originals of deeds and other property records signed by King Kalakaua, Queen Kapi’olani, King Kamehameha III and King Kamehameha IV.

Bidders can participate in the auction on the Internet. For more information on the bidding process, or to review the Damon collection, visit www.spinkshreves.com.”

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www.marionstar.com
Marion Star Staff Report
December 27, 2007

“MARION – Shopgoodwill.com, a nonprofit Internet auction site, is making it easier for treasure hunters and other online shoppers to find exactly what they are looking for. The redesigned site offers an improved search function that allows bidders to quickly preview thumbnail images of items.

“Shopgoodwill.com has over 75 categories and subcategories, from antiques and toys to one-of-a-kind collectible items,” stated Bob Jordan, President/CEO of Marion Goodwill Industries, Inc., in a press release. “The new Web site improves search capabilities, providing the best possible experience for our online shoppers.”

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