Billed as “Giving new meaning to the term Spring Color,” the Rich Penn Auction Event of the Wayne and Shirley Woodrum Lifetime Collection was indeed all of that. During the May 5 to 7 auction dates, the skies were overcast, with rain and gloom. But inside the Dayton, Ohio, Expo Center, it exploded with color. Hundreds of neon clocks and light up signs cast a warm glow throughout the event center. Auction goers were heard over and over commenting about the “overwhelming amount and quality,” of the neon and light up advertising. The Rich Penn Auction crew spent almost two weeks setting up and wiring for as many of the clocks and signs to be lighted as was possible. Several comments were jokingly made about the possibility of that many neon signs taking down the Dayton power grid - but the three day auction event moved over 1,500 lots across the block without a hitch!
The 100,000 sq. ft. Expo Center had plenty of space for both the auction and Ohio Gas & Oil Show to be running side by side, and almost at the same time - the auction started on Thursday, and the show on Friday. The two events together brought anxious buyers from all over the country. Rich Penn commented that over 400 in-house and absentee bidders registered, with another 1,100 plus bidding online from 22 countries outside the United States.
The setup for the auction allowed the bidders to be surrounded by the light up signs and display pieces. In front was a 20-foot stage for the auctioneer, clerk and technical crew. Behind and above all that was a 14-foot wide screen for projecting the lot images as each lot came across the block at the rate of one every 45 to 50 seconds. From start to finish, the pace never let up and bidders were heard offering a variety of comments that all seemed to be saying the same thing. One bidder from Troy, Michigan, summed it up when he said, “This was the best run and most professional auction I have ever attended.” Penn’s crew worked hard to earn those comments.
The first session of the auction, on Thursday, had 525 lots. With two hours of preview that session began promptly at 10 a.m. The large majority of the automotive and petroliana pieces were sold in this session and attracted many of the same folks that attended the Ohio Gas Show. The top lot of the day was the beautifully restored porcelain 1960’s OK Used Cars Authorized Dealer sign. Manufactured by Texlite, Inc., the large 55-inch wide outdoor sign collected a large indoor bid of $7,200. (All prices reflect the hammer price and do not include the buyer’s premium.) Clocks did extremely well throughout the three sessions. One clock that drew extra attention was the rare neon clock with neon hands. Made by Federal, the clock advertising “Thomas Garage,” took a top bid of $5,000. The next high lot was another restored outdoor porcelain sign for Buick Authorized Service. Made by Walker & Company, Detroit, the 42-inch diameter sign served up a $4,000 bid from a California internet bidder. Another clock that drew strong interest early in the auction was lot #105. The Neon Products Inc., clock for Willys Cars & Trucks, in excellent condition, hauled off a top bid of $3,300. The session concluded at almost exactly 6 p.m. on Thursday.
When Friday’s session had begun at 9 a.m., Penn’s auction crew had completely rearranged the auction setup, no one could have guessed that 525 lots had been sold the day before. This session, with 600 lots, was the longest of the three day event. While Thursday’s session was largely gas and oil advertising, Friday’s session featured soda fountain, soda pop, coin-op pieces, barbershop items and other advertising. Not only was it the longest - it was filled with the most excitement. The top lot of the auction sold in Friday’s session. Lot number #892 was the Mosler Cannonball salesman’s sample safe. With pre-auction interest coming from across the country, the miniature safe, in excellent original condition - with its original carrying case - was expected to do well. Early estimates were in the $12,000 to $15,000 price range. When the lot came up mid day on Friday, Rich Penn gave the audience a bit of background on the piece and the salesman it belonged to. The lots that followed were the service ring and watch that had belonged to Mark J. Phipps, the salesman for Mosler that carried the safe and case. The bidding began on the floor and had participants bidding in all venues. Floor and internet bidders quickly dropped out at $20,000 and the piece went on to be fought out on the telephone. Going to a delighted phone bidder, the salesman’s sample Mosler safe sold for a world record $35,000.
Another lot that garnered considerable attention was a very small and rare 13-inch diameter three color neon motion clock for Ruppert’s beer. Made by the Neon Globe Company, Ruppert was an Eastern brewery primarily in New York. And, as would be expected, the piece drew strong bidding online. But the piece did not go to New York, but sold to an Ohio floor bidder. He came for that piece and ended up getting it at a very strong $8,000. Soda fountain collectors were in the bidding audience as well - and Hires was the brand name they were interested in. Two rare Hires Syrup dispensers were sold. Lot #799 was a circa 1880 Hires Munimaker, with original metal name plates and milk glass globe. The 35-inch tall dispenser pulled a $7,250 top bid. Close behind it was an unusual version of the same Munimaker, Lot #815, with a N. D. Robins five flavor dispenser on top of the Munimaker bottom. That dispenser, from a hotel in Paducah, Kentucky, drew a winning bid of $6,000. Soda items were strong all day Friday.
One item that crossed collector categories was the RC Cola coin-operated floor model one-cent scale. A Hamilton scale, modified to look like a large RC Cola bottle, and sold by the Adv. Sales Company - Toldeo, Ohio, was in excellent working condition. It drew interest from RC Cola collectors, scale collectors, and coin-operated machine collectors. The scale ended up tipping a bid of $6,700. The Woodrum collection offered many other rare items. Perhaps one of the rarest was the only known two sided outdoor sign for Victrola Discos Victor. The die cut copper & bronze outdoor sign, with molded and cast letters, was one of Woodrum's favorite pieces. Originally from a record store in Florida, Wayne explained how he chased that sign for 10 years before he was able to buy it. The sign went to a new collector for $6,000. Rounding out the top Friday lots and crossing into other collector areas of interest were a barber chair and a saloon back bar. The barber chair was a beautifully restored Congress model by Koken. It easily clipped off a $5,750 bid. Perhaps the biggest piece in the auction was the 22-feet long Art Deco back bar. Built with mahogany and tiger maple veneers, it ended up being a bargain. Even though it had been well restored, its large size limited its market appeal. It ended up selling at a bargain price of $5,000.
Saturday’s session was, again, completely rearranged by Penn’s auction crew. Starting at 9 a.m. it looked like a brand new auction. And there were some brand new surprises! Blowing up a bidding storm was the unusual Westinghouse Electric gyrating ceiling fan. Beautifully restored, it was turned on for the audience show see how well it worked. As it spun and whirled there were many comments and laughter about how long a business might be able to use a fan like that today! With the brass blades whirling like exposed airplane props you could almost feel the officials from OSHA whirling in their office chairs. Regardless of its dangers, the fan breezed through the bidding process to a top bid of $9,000. Clocks were sold throughout the three sessions. But the most colorful clock in the entire auction was Lot #1311. Made by The Neo-Lite Corp. in Cleveland, the “Attentioneer” neon clock for Liberty Flour was as patriotic as they come. With red, white and blue neon, it sifted through all the bidders and left only the most serious standing. It finally collected a top bid of $8,500. Other advertising pieces were strong as well. A two-sided porcelain sign for Lawrence Tiger Brand Paint, in excellent condition brushed up a bid of $3,500. Three other neon signs finished among the top lots for Saturday. Two neon signs for Headlight Work Clothes, one saying “Union Made” and a second neon sign for Headlight Overalls both sold at $3,300. Among the other eon’s that drew wide interest were all the Poll Parrot, Red Goose and Weatherbird die cut porcelain window signs. The top example of the “birds” to sell was Lot #1303, the 26-inch high Poll Parrot. With red background and in excellent working condition, it squawked up a $3,100 bid and flew home to a happy new in-house owner.
As the auction drew to a close, Wayne Woodrum took a few minutes to thank the bidders for attending and sticking it out until the end. For those that did, they were given a special treat. Woodrum, an accomplished auctioneer himself, called the final lot sold and brought in the last $400 of the auction.
After the auction Penn was asked how he felt about the sale. He said,“We spent two weeks setting up this wonderful collection and arranging it up so bidders could examine every piece. It looked fabulous! And it was great hearing all the 'ooohs' and 'ahhhs' about how wonderful all these pieces looked when turned on and showing their colors. Then we tear it all apart and send it out across the world, never to be in one place like this again. There’s a bittersweet sorrow in all this. But that’s what happens to great collections.” He went on to say how proud the Woodrums should be for putting together such a great collection. He added, “We are so honored that the Woodrums picked us to do this auction. They were a fun couple to work with!”
Penn's next auction will be November 4 to 7 in Des Moines, Iowa. It will feature the Bob Evans collection of cars and gas & oil advertising. Several other collections will be sold in that auction, making it one of the more diverse sales Penn has had recently. According to Penn, “November should be one of the best collector auctions of the year. It is FULL of rare and wonderful pieces.”
To order a full color catalog, or to get a complimentary flyer, call (319) 291-6688. Additional information will be available at www.richpennauctions.com. Penn is a member of both the National Auctioneers Association and The Iowa Auctioneers Association.