May 14, 2007
 

SUMMER STARTS WITH A BLOWOUT SALE

CEDAR FALLS, IA- Over 500 registered bidders representing 39 states and 13 countries competed for various and sundry postcards and ephemera offered at Jackson’s International Auction of May 8th-10th. The auction featured items for the estate of the late Nina Swanson of California, the Ben Egerton collection, Middletown, Delaware, the Jack and Vicki Stock collection, Pendleton, Indiana and others.

While there were many highlights in the auction, which produced sales of $520,500.00 (including a collection of Alaska scenes postcards that sold for $14,160.00), the main strengths were Art Nouveau, a small offering of better than average Halloween and Santa’s, together with good real photo Native American material and cut out dolls.

If there were any trends set, so to speak, it really came in the form of confirmation of what is already universally known, and that is good material garners good, even great prices. Whereas the more average and mundane material remains soft whether at auction, at a postcard show or offered online.

The full color auction cataloged received multitudes of compliments, particularly the large clear color photos. This in turn accounted for the high number of absentee and phone bids, as large color photos in many cases help allow potential buyers to bid from their catalog and from the comfort of their home. Additionally, President and CEO James Jackson confirmed that this particular auction saw an overwhelming jump in live online bidders, more than triple the amount in comparison to any previous auction.

As is standard for Jackson’s postcard and ephemera auctions, items were available for viewing well over a week in advance of the auction, an opportunity taken advantage of by more than a few buyers. The auction setting, for those who have never had the advantage of visiting Jackson’s, is upscale (but not overwhelming), comfortable and the staff is exceedingly hospitable. Jackson’s decades old advertising tag line speaks volumes-Main Street friendly with Madison Avenue results!

The sale opened with Art Nouveau material, much of it from the estate of longtime and well-known collector Ben Egerton of Delaware and with good examples seeing very aggressive competition. Some of the highlights (including the 18% buyers premium) are: A postally used and heavily inscribed Mucha for Waverley Cycles postcard sold for right at $5,000.00. A set of 10 Mucha Moet and Chandon menu cards sold for $3,540.00 and a group of 30 Job advertising cards finished at $3,068.00 against a pre-sale estimate of $1,000-$1,500. A set of four Mucha “Four Jewels” cards with an estimate of $1,000-$1,500 sold strong bringing $2,832.00. Although it was postally used and exhibited writing on both front and back, the Mucha “Bergamo Fair” card saw keen interest selling for $2,242.00. A set of 12 Mucha “Months of the Year” cards sold for $1,880.00 and a set of four Mucha “Times of the Day” did $944.00. 

Kirchner Art Nouveau and Belle Époque cards did very well with strong interest both stateside and overseas.  A set of 10 Kirchner “Christmas Pictures” by BKW sold for $2,478.00 against a pre-sale estimate of $500-$750.  A set of 10 Kirchner “Figures on Turquoise background” doubled their high pre-sale estimate selling for $2,124.00. A group of six Kirchner “Mayflyes” sold for more than three times their high pre-auction estimate bringing $1,642.00. A group of seven Kirchner die-cut hold-to-lights in less than ideal condition still sold strong at $2,446.00. Other good Kirchner examples sold at or above the high estimate.

Halloween and Santa’s followed with a good amount of interest across the spectrum. A mixed group of 46 Halloween cards sold for four times their high estimate bringing $2,360.00. A set of four Clapsaddle mechanical Halloweens did $944.00. A pair of Winsch Halloweens did $767.00 more than doubling the high estimate. A group of seven Winsch Halloweens made $649.00 and a group of four various Winsch Halloweens sold for $531.00. A Gibson and a Winsch Halloween sold for $424.00 and a single Schmucker Winsch Halloween bridge tally card sold for $271.00. Other Halloween lots sold within or over their estimate. While the amount of good Christmas and Santa’s was sparse those good examples far exceeded their estimates. For example Lot #378, a Santa patriotic hold to light, estimated at $800-$1,200 sold for $2,360.00. Another similar card but lower grade sold for $1,298.00.  And a pair Mela Kohler for Wiener Werkstatte Christmas cards totaled $1,475.00.

Other highlights worthy of mention that sold on Day One include a set of 10 cut out animal postcard “Salmon” series which sold for $1,652.00. A set of six Art Deco Levavesseur cards put out for Moet and Chandon champagne, sold for $885.00. A group of 12 Wiener Werkstatte postcards sold for $1,23.00. A group of 10 Louis Wain cat postcards sold for $531.00 and a group of Margaret Tarrant fairy series postcards sold for $767.00. 

The offering on the second day was wide and varied and included a little bit of everything. Highlights include a group of six A.L. Rose Baseball Company postcards, circa 1908 that sold for $4,159.00. A lot of 300 stamp montage postcards sold for $3,068.00 against an estimate of $500-$800. Stamp montage postcards were mostly produced with cheap labor in China around the turn of the century (circa 1900). They consist of various images partially executed in cutout used postage stamps and hand painted scenes. Subsequently each postcard is unique and truly one-of-a-kind. More sales of interest are a group of 462 linen postcards (circa 1931-1959) like those featured in the book “Linen Postcards-Images of the American Dream” – the group totaled $2,832.00. A pair of 10 card sets of Quaddy Club by Thornton Burgess and Harrison Caddy sold for $2,773.00.  A group of four Louis Wain “Cats” paper doll cut-out postcards sold for $2,596.00. An interesting set of 12 “Frog In The Throat” advertising postcards, circa 1907, advertising “Frog in the Throat Lozenge Co.” finished at $1,652.00 against an estimate of $500-$1,000.

A few more notable sales from Day Two include a group of 118 linen Military Base postcards (circa 1940-1945) mostly Curt Teich that sold for $1,062.00. A mixed variety of 17 artist signed cards sold for $944.00. A set of six Schmucker “Childhood Days” postcards sold for $885.00. A set of 16 Cracker Jack Bears advertising cards sold for $708.00 and a group of 23 Boulanger “Cat” postcards sold for $619.00.

The sale concluded with Day Three featuring a variety of merchandise including real photo postcards, photography, valentines, comic books and various other ephemera. Some interesting sales include a collection of real photo and printed postcards depicting Alaska scenes that sold for $14,160.00.  An interesting group of 33 Tuck animal cut-out postcards that crossed the block at $4,366.00. A group of 16 Native American real photo postcards made $1,003.00. A group of 20 Midwest Depot real photo postcards sold for $708.00. A group of 35 Civil War period patriotic covers totaled $979.00.

One of the most interesting lots to sell was a group of 300 letters spanning the period of 1840-1870 including some Civil War related correspondence. The group was estimated at $2,000-$3,000 and saw strong interest with bidding finishing at $12,390.00. A group of nine sets of 19th century playing cards sold to a European buyer for $2,000.00 against an estimate of $200-$400. A real photo postcard depicting a Dr. Pepper delivery truck sold for $560.00. A pair of KKK real photo postcards did $472.00 and another real photo postcard depicting a circus freak did $440.00.

Native American photo’s in both postcard format and other all did well selling in or far above the estimate, as did Civil War military photo imagery such as a small 9th plate tintype of a Union soldier that sold for $472.00 against an estimate of $75-$150. A small offering of large die-cut fold-out Victorians valentines and other related items sold well, such as a 1904 fold-out calendar that sold for $649.00. A Victorian folding fan valentine sold for $560.00 and a Tuck and Sons greeting card display sold for $424.00.  A group of four 1920 travel posters sold for $1,947.00. A Thomas Moran color lithograph scene for Santa Fe Railroad sold for $1,416.00 and a large collection of mostly late (post 1980) comic books sold totaled $11,092.00.