ORIGINAL PUBLICATION DATE: FRIDAY DECEMBER 23, 2005

Green Valley’s Semi-Annual Antiques And Americana Auction

Green Valley Auctions of Mt. Crawford, Virginia conducted their semi-annual Antiques and Americana auction over three days on November 11, 12 and 13, instead of their usual two day format. The extra day was required due to the presence of nearly 4,000 lots (2,000 plus cataloged and 1,900 plus uncataloged) that Jeff Evans and his staff had assembled for this massive auction. All three galleries were packed full for this six-session event which grossed just under $925,000 including the 10 percent buyer’s premium. The office staff was kept on their toes registering nearly 800 bidders representing 34 states, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

The auction featured property of noted collector Dr. J.F. Wine of Harrisonburg, Virginia; the 30 plus year collection of the Franklin family of Charlottesville, Virginia; property of two Virginia museums; along with many other collections from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York. Evans noted that the quantity and strong diversity of the merchandise offered generated over 1,700 absentee bids and more than 100 phone bids.

The auction kicked off on Friday with two uncataloged sessions. Session number one began at 10 a.m. with the Wine and Franklin libraries along with another large library of Lincoln and other Americana titles which were sold by box, multiple and individual lots. Bidders scoured over the 200 box lots offered with most boxes selling between $11 and $121 (all prices include the 10 percent buyer’s premium). Individual lots were led by an 1885 edition of Lake’s Rockingham County, Va. Atlas which sold for $385.

Session 1 was just concluding as the second session was commencing at 1 p.m. in Gallery 3, which, due to the 1,400 plus lots, actually spilled outside into the back parking lot of the facility! Offered here were hundreds of box and tray lots, attic and basement contents, numerous eclectic collections from the Franklin estate ranging from sporting trophies to painted shoeshine boxes, along with row after row of as-found furniture. Highlights included a rare Stanley number 9 cabinetmaker’s plane which brought $523; a paint decorated blanket chest at $688; and an unusual country Windsor-style dentist’s chair which drew much interest before selling for $495.

Friday’s cataloged Session three began at 5 p.m. with the Franklin Collection of kitchen and household collectibles, much of which had been featured in numerous reference volumes written by Ms. Franklin. Hand forged iron hearth implements drew the most interest among the 100 plus lots offered. Next to the block was a fine collection of antique firearms, the majority of which were from the Wine collection. The Green Valley staff had fielded more inquiries about these than any other category in Session 3, which proved to be an indication of the spirited bidding much of the collection would receive. The top lot was a rare Shenandoah Valley long rifle, signed “GF” and attributed to George Washington Fisher (1780-1869) of Shenandoah County, which featured an engraved brass patch box, German silver inlays, and relief carving on the stock. This rifle from the first quarter of the 19th century was in excellent overall condition, and had been deaccessioned by a Virginia museum which no doubt contributed to it making $6,600, against an estimate of $2,000 to $3,000. The next lot up was a Harper’s Ferry U.S. Model 1819 Hall breach-loading flintlock rifle in very good condition which also surpassed its estimate of $800 to $1,200, finally selling for $2,970.

Winchester rifles always draw considerable interest, and the ten early examples offered here proved to be no exception. A Model 1866 fourth model 44 caliber carbine with brass frame and iron butt plate dated to 1889, sold for a strong $2,310 ($500 to $800 estimate) despite being in only fair to good condition. Other Winchester highlights included a Model 1876 third model 45-60 caliber rifle circa 1883 at $1,870, and a Model 1873 third model 44 caliber musket, also circa 1883, which reached $1,430. Colt handguns were also in high demand, and included a circa 1887 Single Action Army 44 caliber revolver in very good condition, and with what appeared to be the original holster and belt with blew past its $300 to $500 estimate, ultimately selling for $2,860. Other revolvers included a circa 1876 Smith & Wesson second model Schofield single action 45 caliber in fine condition which brought a strong $2,750.

Green Valley always offers good Civil War items although Evans noted that “the supply of fresh out-of-the-attic material is getting very thin.” This sale included a group of twenty-seven letters written between 1861 and 1865, from James Patterson to his future wife of Wytheville, Virginia, which seemed to be a good buy at $2,640.

Many other categories were sold on Friday evening, including a signed Gustav Stickley #332 oak Morris chair with original but faded finish, and lacking original cushions, which sold to the phone for $3,520. A collection of American historical flasks included a yellow olive green McKearin GXIII-16 sailor/banjo player half pint which fetched $523. A collection of Bennington and Rockingham pottery was highlighted by two flint-glazed candlesticks standing 6-1/2 inches and 7 inches high which were in excellent condition and sold strongly at $1,485.

The doors opened at 8 a.m. Saturday morning for Session 4, and by the 9:30 a.m. starting time, the gallery was standing room only. Green Valley is well known for offering great Shenandoah Valley folk pottery, and many of those in attendance had arrived early for the over 150 lots which kicked off this session. After Evans made the pre-auction announcements, lot number 1 came to the block, and the sale was off to a rousing start. This important five gallon stoneware churn featured a freehand bright cobalt blue chicken on one side, and was strongly attributed to Emanuel Suter’s New Erection Pottery of Rockingham County, Virginia. The churn, which had descended in a local family, was featured in the 2004 Rockingham County pottery exhibit “A Great Deal of Stone & Earthen Ware” and illustrated in the exhibit catalog co-authored by Evans and Scott Suter. Estimated at $15,000 to $20,000, this fine example sold quickly to a local collector for $25,300, a record auction price for a piece of Rockingham County pottery. Numerous pieces of Anthony W. Bacher earthenware from the Winchester area were offered, including a signed and dated 1877 copper-glazed pitcher, and an unsigned polychrome-glazed figure of a bird, both of which flew to $7,150. Bell family pottery continues to be among the most popular, and this sale included many examples. The top John Bell example was a fine signed lead and manganese-glazed cream jug which stood 4-3/4 inches high and brought $4,620. An impressed “S. Bell & Son/Strasburg” polychrome-glazed 7-inch high oversized mug which showed some glaze restoration still managed to reach $4,510.

The pottery was followed by over 150 lots of textiles, including 120 quilts from the collection of Dr. Charles Rand Penney of Lockport, New York. This is one of many varied collections assembled by Dr. Penney that Green Valley has sold over the past four years. Many different styles of quilts were represented including appliquÈ and Amish, with condition ranging from fair to excellent. Overall prices seemed to be fairly soft, with numerous examples selling below estimate. The top lot was a fine Coxcomb and Tulip appliquÈ from the mid 19th century, in excellent condition, which sold for $1,650. Evans was somewhat disappointed but not entirely surprised by the less than stellar prices. “The market for average quilts has been thin at best over the last several years,” he observed. “Dr. Penney’s quilts received a lot of interest, and generated many in-house and phone bids, and most examples in excellent condition brought solid prices; on the other hand, those that had condition issues drew very little interest and low bids,” Evans commented.

A good selection of Virginia baskets was offered including a fine Page County white oak splint low round example, with two handles and outstanding dry worn paint, which reached $2,970. A signed and dated 1905 tooled leather key basket, in excellent condition, sold to the phone for $2,860. Many interesting examples of folk and outsider art were offered from the Franklin collection, with most examples selling in the $110 to $935 range. Children’s and miniature furniture was well represented, including a fine Virginia inlaid walnut miniature three-drawer blanket chest, late 18th or early 19th century, and in excellent original condition, which brought $5,500. Four tall case clocks were sold, led by an unsigned Federal period inlaid cherry case example attributed to Pennsylvania, featuring an eight-day brass movement, which more than doubled its high estimate when it was knocked down at $13,200.

Green Valley assembled another fine selection of Virginia furniture for this sale with a Rockingham County walnut sideboard/pie safe drawing the most interest. This very rare form rested on four tall turned legs and featured an applied dovetailed gallery and four drawers above four doors which were each fitted with two hand-punched tins. Evans indicated that this was one of four or five recorded examples from the same cabinet shop near Edom, Virginia. This example, which measured 75 inches long and was in excellent refinished condition, soared above its $8,000 to $12,000 estimate, eventually selling for a record $31,900. Other Virginia furniture highlights included a Southside cherry sugar chest on frame with two lower drawers and minor repairs which reached $7,150 and a Chippendale mahogany side chair, with voluted ears and cut out heart in the splat, which drew much attention and despite “numerous honest old repairs” sold for $4,290 to a phone bidder. Many good pieces of Pennsylvania furniture were also offered, including a Chippendale inlaid walnut high chest featuring three over two over four graduated drawers, fluted quarter columns and original bold ogee bracket feet. In a warm old crackled finish, it more than doubled its high estimate, selling for $9,075. A nice selection of Victorian furniture included a walnut Wooten Patent secretary with burl panels and accents, which brought $7,425; and a most unusual walnut marble top 12-inch square flower stand with a carved dog beside a doghouse, that quadrupled its high estimate selling for $3,300.

After the furniture, a large collection of over 500 pieces of Staffordshire transferware was offered, with most selling in good-size lots. Platters included a 15-inch by 18-1/2-inch dark blue example with a fox hunting scene which was chased to $990. Many groups of plates and cups and saucers were sold, ranging in price from $55 to $550.

Part 2 of Session 4 began at 6 p.m. with a selection of silver and jewelry, including a lady’s 14k yellow gold pendant necklace set with six diamonds ranging from .50 carat to 1.70 carat† in weight, which found a new home for $6,600. An extremely interesting collection of mourning and memorial items was next to the block, and consisted of jewelry, miniatures, textiles, and shadow box framed wreaths. The top selling lot was a late 18th-century gold memorial ring with a miniature painting on porcelain, inscribed and dated 1786, which brought $2,090.

Sunday’s Session 5, which began at 10 a.m., was made up of over 400 lots of glass of all types. A collection of Wave Crest drew tremendous interest, and included three rare wall plaques, two of which were scenic examples and sold for $4,675 each, and the third having floral decoration and selling for $3,190. English Cameo made a good showing with an unsigned English globular cologne bottle with white to red floral design and London silver mounts, selling for $1,980. American art glass proved very popular, led by a pair of 8-inch lily vases in an extremely rare and possibly experimental bright fuchsia to yellow opalescent color, which were battled to $5,500 against a $1,000 to $1,500 estimate. Other hotly contested examples included a fine Mt. Washington Burmese bride’s basket with beaded floral decoration which sold for $2,420; and a signed Tiffany blue Favrile rib-optic compote measuring six inches in height and diameter, which reached $1,485. Glass department head Karen Reed commented that a collection of primarily contemporary paperweights received an unexpectedly large amount of presale inquiries. But the star turned out to be a fine signed and dated 1848 Baccarat scattered millefiori example containing eight animal canes, which galloped off at $2,310.

A large collection of American cut glass finished out the session with a flurry of excitement. Reed observed that the collection had been placed at the end of the sale because “the cut glass market has been extremely flat of late, and we didn’t want it to dampen the excitement of the rest of the sale.” Little did Reed know that between three strong phone bidders and numerous absentee and in-house bidders, the cut glass would prove to be the most fiercely battled segment of the session. The first sign of this was a 12-inch high, stepped neck vase, cut with hobstars and canes, which quickly passed its $300 to $400 estimate selling for $990. Several lots later a signed Sinclaire 9-3/4-inch by 12-1/2-inch tray, cut with hobstars and intaglio thistles, demolished its $150 to $250 estimate in a fierce battle between the phones finally selling for $2,420. Another big surprise proved to be a 9-1/2-inch plate featuring an intricate pattern of hobstars, strawberry diamonds and feathers which brought ten times its estimate, again selling to the phone for $1,155.

After the auction Jeff Evans and his staff were exhausted, but very pleased with the sale’s results. “Other than the quilts, I thought the auction was very strong across the board. Several segments of the market, especially the cut glass and transferware which had been somewhat soft, performed extremely well.” Evans commented. “A big part of our success is that collectors and dealers alike can come here and see a tremendous amount of fresh merchandise sell totally unreserved and very quickly without annoying chit-chat,” he added. Green Valley once again proved true the age old adage “If you snooze, you lose,” as they averaged over 120 lots per hour over the five session weekend.

Evans reported that Green Valley’s next Antiques and Americana auction will take place on June 23 and 24, 2006, and they already have several fine collections on hand, including a major collection of Staffordshire transferware. Green Valley Auctions can be reached at (540) 434-4260, or through their Web site at www.greenvalleyauctions.com.