If variety is the spice of life, auction house owner Noel Barrett was the undisputed king of condiments over the weekend of Dec. 5 and 6. His 926-lot Antique Auction colorfully ran the gamut from carousel figures and German Christmas ornaments to tattoo memorabilia and jewelry store motion displays. "And there were buyers for every single niche category," said Barrett, known to collectors from coast to coast for his avuncular demeanor and expert appraisals on PBS Television's “Antiques Roadshow.”
The auction was anchored by two important collections: the Libby Goodman dollhouse and miniatures collection and a wonderful array of antique toys and trains amassed by renowned magician the late John Daniel and his wife, Kathy. In addition, the lineup featured a wealth of other toys, trains, signs and curiosities from approximately 40 other American and European consignors.
"This was one of our most eclectic sales ever. It contained a number of unusual single-owner pieces, family heirlooms that had been passed down through several generations," said Barrett.
Grossing $1,120,000 (inclusive of 21 percent buyer's premium), the sale breezed past its presale high estimate of $925,000. Leading the prices realized was a rare Marklin toy train replicating the real-life Stephenson's Rocket that rode the rails at record speeds from 1829 to 1840. Consisting of a locomotive with tender and two cars, the 25-inch-long train was offered with a $25,000-$35,000 estimate and ultimately sold for $121,000.
"It came to us from a German consignor and was purchased by a German collector, so the train went on quite a journey before returning to its homeland," said Barrett.
The veteran toy appraiser went on to explain that the reason the train is so valuable is because relatively few were made in the first place.
"Marklin produced the toy more than 60 years after the real Stephenson's Rocket was retired. It was not a good seller because it was not a train that kids could relate to. Because so few of the trains were marketed, it was rare to begin with and even fewer survived over the century to follow," said Barrett.
Known as Germany's premier golden-era toy maker, Marklin also produced the Gauge 1 hospital car with seven patients and eight beds (est. $7,000-$8,000) and a circa 1923-28 Locomobile steam plant with dynamo (est. $10,000-$12,000). Each of the two lots achieved $14,520.
Barrett said he was not expecting the $21,780 (four times the high estimate) price paid for a 19th-century Clinton fire pumper model consigned by descendants of its designer, Edgar Lasak. Accompanied by two framed fire company membership certificates issued to Lasak, one of them dated 1847, the finely detailed, 18-inch-long model had survived in "brilliant condition," according to its catalog description.
A 19th-century salesman's sample of a Stebbins & Walker seeder (farm machine) cultivated an $11,200 selling price against an estimate of $3,500-$4,500. It was one of several rarities in the sale that had come to Barrett subsequent to an “Antiques Roadshow” appraisal.
"There were many eye-opening prices paid in this sale, but nothing was as shocking to me as the bidding battles over the Barangers," said Barrett, describing the animated, tableau-style window displays produced from 1927 through 1957 for "mom-and-pop" jewelry stores. "The highest price I had ever seen for one at auction was $6,000. In our December sale, there were three from the collection of John Daniel, who wrote the book about Baranger Studios motion displays." A 1945 Pirate Ship sailed to a $19,360 finish (est. $3,000-$5,000), a Turtle Sightseeing Bus with Passengers made $13,310; and a Rip Van Winkle with Nodding Elves sold for $16,940.
Carousel animals and decorative elements from the collection of carousel restoration artist Tony Orlando were joined by a C.W. Parker striding camel that was formerly in the private collection of Leon Perelman. It trotted off to a new owner for the above-estimate price of $17,570. Other five-figure highlights included an animated Santa with toys window display, $10,890 (est. $1,500-$2,000); and a quarter-scale display model of 1932 Hudson made for the New York Auto Show. One of only seven known in all-original condition, it coasted to the top of its estimate range at $29,040.
Collecting "off the grid" seemed to be a consistent theme for the two-day December sale. Quirky pieces that were in high demand included: an Edward Kelty Ringling Brothers "Congress of Freaks" panoramic photo, $5,700; an Art Deco zeppelin and crescent moon tubular metal lamp, $1,330; and an Adolph Friedlander (1851-1904) lithographed poster of a reclining tattooed lady with the message "Expert Tattooing Done Here," $4,840. The latter poster, which was documented in early retail catalogs for tattooing equipment, had been conservatively estimated at $200-$400. It sold to a phone bidder in England.
Noel Barrett is scheduling his next auction for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20 and 21.
To learn more about this or his upcoming sale, call 215-297-5109, email toys@noelbarrett.com, or visit www.noelbarrett.com.
Images courtesy of Noel Barrett.