Results From Roan Inc.

March 9, 2015

Roan Inc. Auctioneers and Appraisers of Cogan Station, Pa., had a good autumn and holiday season, and look forward to a bright 2015.
In early December, car collectors came out of the woodwork for an auction at an unassuming house on Linn Street in Williamsport, Pa. Why? Rare Pontiacs. Garage-kept for over 30 years, the pride and joy of the late Mr. Carl White, classic Pontiac automobiles and a Triumph motorcycle sat waiting for the next generation of muscle car enthusiasts. A 1974 Pontiac Trans Am 455 SD with an odometer that read 18,000+ miles sold for $70,000. A 1965 Pontiac GTO with good repaint and a replaced engine with an odometer that read 59,000+ original miles sold for $28,000. Also, a slightly modified 1975 Triumph 750 Bonneville motorcycle with 2,000 original miles was sold for $4,400. It was a good day for vehicles. Prices do not include the 12 percent buyer’s premium.
Later in the month, Roan’s concluded the year with their annual Roan Inc. pre-Christmas auction, featuring two days of fine antiques across all categories. Many noteworthy items were sold.
Found in a Bible many years ago that was acquired for a small sum, a Union County, Pa., fraktur attributed to Francis Portzline with decorations of birds, tulips, vines, and hearts, with light fold lines and stains, sold for $8,500. Another fraktur from Northampton County, Pa., attributed to the “Blousy Angels Artist” with decorations of angels, birds and floral work, sold for $1,000.
Country and primitive furniture gained attention. A clean softwood paint-decorated, two-piece corner cupboard with a 12-pane glass door over a double blind door base attributed to “Jonas M. Harley, McAlisterville, Pa. 1853-61” in original yellow mustard grain decoration, sold for $7,000. In addition, a two-piece large country softwood blind-door stepback sink and wall cupboard with four raised panel doors, top and bottom in old natural refinish, sold for $1,400. Sets of chairs, small tables, cupboards and other furniture held its own in the primitive category.
A Sarouk room-size rug with good color and light wear sold for $1,100.
The fine art glass market was holding up as well, according to Roan. A good Steuben decorated Aurene cabinet vase signed “Aurene 296” in pulled feather design sold for $5,600. A 7-inch Pate-de-Verre art glass cabinet vase signed “G. Argy Rousseau” in a Florentine and panel motif with purple and vibrant hues in light sold for $2,400. A La Verre Francias French Art Deco cameo glass footed trumpet vase signed “Charder” in Datura pattern, vibrant in light, sold for $1,500.
Art pottery and stoneware did well. A 9.5-inch tall Rookwood table vase with long-flared neck and squat base in Peacock Feather pattern marked for artist “Sara Sax 1920s” sold for $1,900. Additional Rookwood, Roseville, Weller and other pottery pieces were also sold.
Stoneware included a decorated Remmey-type grey pitcher in heavy cobalt all around floral design that sold for $1,700, and a scarce six-gallon grey crock stamped “J. Swank & Co Johnston PA” with cobalt floral and feather décor sold for $1,200. Many other pieces including a nice collection of clean jars, crocks and jugs by various makers, ranged from $200 to $1,000 each.
Items of other interest included a period 9-foot-long softwood sign in black sand paint with gold handpainted lettering that read “J.C. Harloff DVS Veterinary Surgeon,” which sold for $5,200. A Pennsylvania long rifle, over-and-under with smooth octagonal barrels, tiger maple stock, and brass butt plate stamped “Amos Benfer Snyder Co PA Maker” on top barrel, sold for $1,700. A partial service for twelve of approximately 100 pieces of Alvin sterling flatware in Della Robbia pattern sold for $1,375. An antique open wheel race car, circa 1940s-50s racer powered by a Continental Motors Co. single cylinder gas engine, in good condition and old yellow repaint sold for $1,200, and a collection of six pressed steel and die cast John Deere Dealer farm toys marked “Made in USA” in original boxes including an N.F.E. tractor, manure spreader, hay bailer, F.E. loader, F.E. corn picker and set of trailer plows sold over many choice lots for a total of $1,140.
Antique lighting included a Handel electric table lamp base paired with a 16-inch diameter stained glass leaded dome shade in Art Nouveau floral motif marked “Tiffany Studios New York.” It sold for $4,900. A Handel Junior size electric table lamp with scenic painted textured glass 10-inch diameter dome shade with parrots on branches scene sold for $3,000. An original marked “Tiffany Studios New York 419” bronze harp form footed electric table lamp in a very good original patina finish holding a marked “LCT” gold iridescent art glass bell form shade sold for $1,600.
Clocks chimed in when an Ithaca calendar shelf clock in walnut case, double dial, ebonized crest, pillars and decors with etched glass pendulum sold for $1,800. An 88-inch tall period Chippendale cherry tall case clock marked “Christian Winters Easton” on the floral painted dial with 30-hour works, bracket feet with chamfered corners, dome-shell-carved door and broken arch hood with triple flame finials in natural finish sold for $1,600. There was also a nice selection of Ithaca and other shelf clocks offered.
Original paintings included a vibrant oil-on-canvas painting signed “Henry Parker” depicting a haying scene of figures, horses and a wagon along a coastline inscribed on back “The South Coast Worthing Sussex Henry Parker.” It sold for $1,900. In addition, good artworks of local interest by notable Pennsylvania artists included an unusually large oil-on-canvas painting signed “A.M. Snyder” (Annie Snyder of Salona, Pa.) depicting a colorful work of cows and sheep at a wooded stream crossing sold for $2,100. Another Snyder oil painting depicting a colorful work of three jovial gents at a beer barrel with steins in hand sold for $1,200. A collection of seven “J. Wesley Little” (Picture Rocks, Pa.) works sold for $4,125, including a large colored work signed “J. Wesley Little” of a dirt road scene with stone bridge, house and church in distance, near Paradise and Picture Rocks, Pa., that sold for $1,050.
The Roan family is optimistic about 2015 and where the market is moving.
For additional information, call 570-494-0170 or visit www.roaninc.com.

 

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