Rich Penn Auctions Sells The Mark Wilson Collection

January 8, 2015

On Oct. 31, the Elwell building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds was packed with eager bidders. All were ready for the three-day Rich Penn Auctions event featuring the Mark Wilson collection. The auction was jammed with an abundance of country store, advertising, petroliana, Native American, and a superb selection of stoneware. The stoneware examples represented the entire production years of Minnesota's Red Wing Potteries. One of the biggest attractions, partly because of its size, was a rarely seen 60-gallon water cooler. The 44-inch-tall cooler sold for $3,300 to an excited young buyer. Another stoneware 50-gallon Birchleaf ice water cooler with Red Wing ski oval sold for $1,700.
In addition to stoneware, the Friday session featured hundreds of toys and a variety of furniture. The pace of the sale moved quickly. There were nearly 2,000 online bidders from over 40 countries, along with phone and absentee bidders and a full house. Toys seemed to be the lots that drew the bidders from across the globe. An early 1890s sound and sturdy child's Police Patrol Wagon, in original condition, stopped bidding traffic at $2,000. It was tailgated by another smaller child's Patrol Wagon in a different color scheme. That circa 1890 wagon sounded the "Sold" siren at $1,800. An Eagle and Eaglet cast iron mechanical bank manufactured by J. & E. Stevens & Co. flew away at $2,000. There were a number of Popeye toys, including a Popeye Puncher and Popeye on Skates. They sold for $600 and $675 respectively.
On Nov. 1, bidders returned for country store and soda fountain items. A bidder with a sweet tooth dished up a winning $4,000 bid for a rare John Manos heart-shaped ice cream scoop. A near-mint Fowler's Cherry Smash syrup dispenser complete with Cherry Smash pump reached a high bid of $3,700, while an oak roll-top Columbia umbrella or cane case hammered down at $3,000. Most Rich Penn Auctions events feature great Coca-Cola memorabilia. At this one, a red button-top metal sign, "Take Home a Carton of Quality Refreshment," brought $2,750. A die cut Reddi Kilowatt three-color neon advertising sign for Mazda Lamps lit up the room to reach a hammer price of $2,500. Among furniture pieces sold on Saturday, a tiger oak corner china cabinet with fancy stick and ball gallery, applied carvings, and reverse curved door brought very competitive bidding across all bidding platforms. A telephone bidder finally closed the door on the cabinet at $3,100.
With an extra hour of sleep due to the change back to Central Standard Time, bidders came back in Sunday hoping to drive away in a 1957 automobile or to carry away at least one piece of Native American material or petroliana. The 1957 Chrysler Saratoga two-door hard-top in excellent condition drove away for $8,000. A Native American flintlock rifle, Board of Ordnance "Medallion Chief Guns," sold for $4,000. A one-of-a-kind Pontiac Chief dealer sign made of six deeply etched and painted panels in excellent condition wowed the audience before being sold to a telephone bidder for $4,750. A porcelain “John Deere Quality Farm Equipment” dealer sign by Burdick Enamel Sign Co. harvested a winning $3,200 bid. A Winchester Tools five-panel window litho on cardboard display with great graphics sold for $2,700, and a Sunoco gasoline pump with old glass globe sold for $3,250.
All three days the crowd was kept on their toes by the fast pace of the auction. A lot was selling every 50 seconds. Penn gave his team credit for that, commenting, "I have no doubt, they are the best auction crew in the country."
Penn has five major auctions scheduled for 2015. The first is on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 1 to 3, in Des Moines, Iowa. The petroliana auction will feature the massive Earl Cheese collection along with the collection of the late Jim Gerchow. Penn has also announced that he will be working with Ron Hoyt to conduct the auction at the Iowa Gas Show and Swap Meet on Friday, August 7.
For additional information, call 319-291-6688 or visit www.RichPennAuctions.com.
Images courtesy Rich Penn Auctions.

 

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