Post by Collector's Connection on Apr 24, 2006 0:53:59 GMT -5
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Since 1998, Randy Inman Auctions has produced many memorable auctions in the specialty areas of antique toys and advertising, including two landmark sales of the Buddy ‘L’ Toy Co. archive and last year’s sale of the John and Wendy Johnston collection of antique coin-operated machines. Now the Waterville, Maine-based auction house is moving into another realm of American pop culture with the contents of the Blue Ridge Vintage Car Museum – the centerpiece of Inman’s June 9-10 Summer sale to be held at the Allentown Fairgrounds Agri-Plex.
The Stuart, Va., automotive museum, which was open for little more than a year, housed antique and vintage motor cars, hot rods, early Harley-Davidson motorcycles and even an antique fire truck. Toy vehicles also figured prominently in the collection, with more than 100 premium-brand pressed steel toys and 25 pedal cars included. And yet another display in the museum held gas and oil memorabilia and advertising signs. All items from the Blue Ridge museum will be offered without reserve. “Everything will be sold to the highest bidder,” Randy Inman said, “no matter what the highest bid might be.”
Friday, June 9
The pressed-steel toys, pedal cars and some of the gas and oil memorabilia will take the auction block during the opening session. A sampling of the Buddy ‘L’ toys includes a lumber truck, ride-on bus, outdoor railroad pile-driver, rubber-tired baggage truck, rubber-tired Redcor truck and Railway Express truck, among other examples. Other makes represented in the pressed steel section include Keystone, Smith-Miller, Steelcraft, Nylint, Doepke, Tonka and Kelmet. Also included are a Sturditoy rubber-tired wrecker, a Richfield tank truck and a Chicago Police Department paddy wagon.
Approximately 20 to 25 pedal vehicles have been cataloged, as well. Among them are a Murray tri-motor pedal airplane, a Steelcraft Airmail pedal airplane, Coca-Cola pedal airplane and a Casey Jones pedal car.
Saturday, June 10
In the Saturday session, Inman’s will sell the top-end petroliana from the Blue Ridge museum collection. Among the inclusions are Bennett Texaco, Red Crow, Sinclair-Dino, White Flash and Mobil (restored) gas pumps; a Ford aesthetic neon clock, Mack truck neon sign, Pennzoil lollipop sign, an early, much-sought-after Harley-Davidson motorcycle manual and an Esso 1-quart glass motor oil container. Other lots include a Texaco outdoor tire inflator, a restored barber pole, early brass steam whistle and three unusual custom furnishings: a contemporary sofa designed as a 1957 Chevy and two desks, one of them replicating a 1932 Ford. Small but very desirable, a Buddy ‘L’ 3-in-1 oil bottle is expected to fetch a pretty price. “It’s only 2in tall, but I’ve seen them go for $500 to $700 on eBay,” Inman remarked.
A star lot in the Saturday session is a 1917 mascot steam train commissioned by the Reading Railroad, with Philadelphia & Reading Railroad emblazoned on both sides. The train comes with two passenger cars and one mile of track, and will be offered with a black & white photo of a man and woman in their basement actually building the train, as well as a 1923 picture of the railroad novelty at the Atlantic City (N.J.) boardwalk, where it was awarded the grand prize during the Miss America pageant. “The track weighs a ton. It was so heavy, there was no way we could transport it to Allentown. Whoever buys it will need to make arrangements to have it picked up from the museum in Virginia. Measuring around 15ft long and 40in high, the lot consisting of the mascot train and all accessories will be offered with a $25,000-50,000 estimate.
The auction’s main event is, of course, the automotive collection; and all vehicles will be auctioned with their correct, clear titles. “There are so many incredible cars, it’s hard to single out the highlights,” said Inman. “There’s a 1955 Chevy Bel-Air hardtop, professionally restored ($50,000-100,000); a very desirable 1966 sky-blue Corvette Stingray, professionally restored with a big-block engine ($50,000-100,000); and a 1969 Chevy Camaro Super Sport ($20,000-30,000).”
A 1959 Ford retractable-roof, two-tone hardtop in turquoise and cream motif is estimated at $10,000-15,000; while a 1929 Coca-Cola delivery panel truck with documentation from the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. carries a $10,000-20,000 estimate. Two Cadillacs are among the leading lots: a 1933 Presidential model limousine, professionally restored and with its original engine ($40,000-60,000), and a 1932 S-window coupe, professionally restored ($75,000-100,000).
Other vehicles include a professionally restored 1930 Mack dump truck ($15,000-25,000), a 1932 Ford roadster hotrod, a 1918 REO fire truck with original firemen’s tools ($7,500-12,500), and a 1910 Sears, Roebuck & Co. gas-powered truck in 100 percent original condition ($20,000-30,000). The motorcycle category is crowned by two extremely rare, professionally restored Harleys: a 1925 model with JDV twin engine ($10,000-20,000), and a 1927 model with single-cylinder engine and original handbook ($15,000-25,000)
The motor vehicles, like the toys, were amassed by a single devoted enthusiast, Robin Hiatt, founder of the Blue Ridge Vintage Car Museum. Hiatt said he was “weaned on Tonka trucks” in the 1970s and that he began collecting in the traditional sense at age 12 or 13. “My dad was in the antiques business for years, and I was always with him. Toys were always fascinating to me, and I guess I never outgrew my love for them, especially Buddy ‘L’s.”
Fittingly, Hiatt became a leading vendor of heavy equipment – tractors, bulldozers and dump trucks – in Stuart, Va. His success enabled him to pursue his toy-collecting hobby and to advance to higher-end examples. While he also purchased superior examples of rare, full-size vintage vehicles, it was always the toys that brought him the most satisfaction. “It wasn’t so much about actually owning them; I loved to hunt – to try to find the ones I was missing. I’ve got examples of all but 10 of the toys Buddy ‘L’ ever made.
Hiatt said his quest for toys took him from the hills and hollows of southwestern Virginia to the far-western reaches of California and Washington state. “They’ve come from auctions, toy shows and flea markets. A lot of them came from just word of mouth. People knew someone that had a toy in their family and they would bring it to me, or I’d hear about it and go get it.”
With such a diverse and extensive collection, Hiatt decided to act upon his longtime dream to open a private museum. “I wanted to construct a new building for my office and thought we’d might as well make it a little bigger and turn it into a museum.” Hence, the Blue Ridge Vintage Car Museum became a reality. At the same time, Hiatt established a children’s charity in Stuart, which benefited from all the museum’s profits.
Unfortunately, failing health would force 37-year-old Hiatt to close the museum and commence plans to sell the collection. Hiatt approached Inman, whom he had known for years since first attending an Inman sale. “I had gone to his auction and bought a bunch of Buddy ‘L’ toys. Randy said he remembered me because of my Southern accent and because I was about the youngest person there who was buying.”
If he has one regret, Hiatt says it is that he never fired up the 1917 mascot steam train, which he purchased in 1978 from a man in the Reading, Pa., area. “Everybody wanted me to do that, and I had plenty of retired (railroad) people who volunteered to run it for me, but I was afraid that, because the train was hand built, it might get broken or abused – then how would I ever replace it?”
The Jim Grimwade Penny Arcade collection
Saturday’s session also includes a wonderful 150-piece selection of penny arcade and coin-operated machines from the collection of Jim Grimwade of Grand Rapids, Mich. Within the varied grouping of early rarities are five upright slot machines – some with music – an array of strength testers – including a Caille Mickey Finn – and shockers, such as the Mills Imperial and 1920s bow-front Electricity is Life model. Several penny arcade “diggers” will be auctioned, as well as Caille’s Uncle Sam and Mascot coin ops. From the Regina company comes a Pepsin Gum dispenser and a 27in disc changer. Also coming from the Grimwade collection is a 1937 World Series Baseball coin-op.
Preview details
All lots may be previewed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 9 and 8-10 a.m. on Saturday, June 10. Motorheads will have the chance of a lifetime during the Friday preview when, from 12 noon till 2 p.m., they’ll be able to request a start-up and inspect the engines of any of the museum vehicles. “Mr. Hiatt is arranging for his expert mechanics to come up from Virginia,” said Inman, “so they can be on hand prior to and during the preview to start up the engines upon request. That two-hour period of the preview is the only time they’ll be cranked.”
Inman noted that anyone buying a motor vehicle at the auction must make arrangements to remove their purchase from the Allentown Fairgrounds Agri-Plex within two days of the sale. “We will have an auto transporter there on site, in case buyers want to use their services.”
Auction details
The auction will take place at the Allentown Fairgrounds Agri-Plex, 302 N. 17th St., Allentown, PA 18104. The opening session commences at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 9. The Saturday, June 10 session commences at 10 a.m. All forms of bidding will be available including live via the Internet through eBay Live Auctions. Catalogs are available for $35 postpaid in the USA, $55 to overseas addresses. A complete, fully illustrated electronic catalog will be available to view online approximately two to three weeks before the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Postal address: P.O. Box 726, Waterville, ME 04903-0726 USA
Website: www.inmanauctions.com
The Stuart, Va., automotive museum, which was open for little more than a year, housed antique and vintage motor cars, hot rods, early Harley-Davidson motorcycles and even an antique fire truck. Toy vehicles also figured prominently in the collection, with more than 100 premium-brand pressed steel toys and 25 pedal cars included. And yet another display in the museum held gas and oil memorabilia and advertising signs. All items from the Blue Ridge museum will be offered without reserve. “Everything will be sold to the highest bidder,” Randy Inman said, “no matter what the highest bid might be.”
Friday, June 9
The pressed-steel toys, pedal cars and some of the gas and oil memorabilia will take the auction block during the opening session. A sampling of the Buddy ‘L’ toys includes a lumber truck, ride-on bus, outdoor railroad pile-driver, rubber-tired baggage truck, rubber-tired Redcor truck and Railway Express truck, among other examples. Other makes represented in the pressed steel section include Keystone, Smith-Miller, Steelcraft, Nylint, Doepke, Tonka and Kelmet. Also included are a Sturditoy rubber-tired wrecker, a Richfield tank truck and a Chicago Police Department paddy wagon.
Approximately 20 to 25 pedal vehicles have been cataloged, as well. Among them are a Murray tri-motor pedal airplane, a Steelcraft Airmail pedal airplane, Coca-Cola pedal airplane and a Casey Jones pedal car.
Saturday, June 10
In the Saturday session, Inman’s will sell the top-end petroliana from the Blue Ridge museum collection. Among the inclusions are Bennett Texaco, Red Crow, Sinclair-Dino, White Flash and Mobil (restored) gas pumps; a Ford aesthetic neon clock, Mack truck neon sign, Pennzoil lollipop sign, an early, much-sought-after Harley-Davidson motorcycle manual and an Esso 1-quart glass motor oil container. Other lots include a Texaco outdoor tire inflator, a restored barber pole, early brass steam whistle and three unusual custom furnishings: a contemporary sofa designed as a 1957 Chevy and two desks, one of them replicating a 1932 Ford. Small but very desirable, a Buddy ‘L’ 3-in-1 oil bottle is expected to fetch a pretty price. “It’s only 2in tall, but I’ve seen them go for $500 to $700 on eBay,” Inman remarked.
A star lot in the Saturday session is a 1917 mascot steam train commissioned by the Reading Railroad, with Philadelphia & Reading Railroad emblazoned on both sides. The train comes with two passenger cars and one mile of track, and will be offered with a black & white photo of a man and woman in their basement actually building the train, as well as a 1923 picture of the railroad novelty at the Atlantic City (N.J.) boardwalk, where it was awarded the grand prize during the Miss America pageant. “The track weighs a ton. It was so heavy, there was no way we could transport it to Allentown. Whoever buys it will need to make arrangements to have it picked up from the museum in Virginia. Measuring around 15ft long and 40in high, the lot consisting of the mascot train and all accessories will be offered with a $25,000-50,000 estimate.
The auction’s main event is, of course, the automotive collection; and all vehicles will be auctioned with their correct, clear titles. “There are so many incredible cars, it’s hard to single out the highlights,” said Inman. “There’s a 1955 Chevy Bel-Air hardtop, professionally restored ($50,000-100,000); a very desirable 1966 sky-blue Corvette Stingray, professionally restored with a big-block engine ($50,000-100,000); and a 1969 Chevy Camaro Super Sport ($20,000-30,000).”
A 1959 Ford retractable-roof, two-tone hardtop in turquoise and cream motif is estimated at $10,000-15,000; while a 1929 Coca-Cola delivery panel truck with documentation from the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. carries a $10,000-20,000 estimate. Two Cadillacs are among the leading lots: a 1933 Presidential model limousine, professionally restored and with its original engine ($40,000-60,000), and a 1932 S-window coupe, professionally restored ($75,000-100,000).
Other vehicles include a professionally restored 1930 Mack dump truck ($15,000-25,000), a 1932 Ford roadster hotrod, a 1918 REO fire truck with original firemen’s tools ($7,500-12,500), and a 1910 Sears, Roebuck & Co. gas-powered truck in 100 percent original condition ($20,000-30,000). The motorcycle category is crowned by two extremely rare, professionally restored Harleys: a 1925 model with JDV twin engine ($10,000-20,000), and a 1927 model with single-cylinder engine and original handbook ($15,000-25,000)
The motor vehicles, like the toys, were amassed by a single devoted enthusiast, Robin Hiatt, founder of the Blue Ridge Vintage Car Museum. Hiatt said he was “weaned on Tonka trucks” in the 1970s and that he began collecting in the traditional sense at age 12 or 13. “My dad was in the antiques business for years, and I was always with him. Toys were always fascinating to me, and I guess I never outgrew my love for them, especially Buddy ‘L’s.”
Fittingly, Hiatt became a leading vendor of heavy equipment – tractors, bulldozers and dump trucks – in Stuart, Va. His success enabled him to pursue his toy-collecting hobby and to advance to higher-end examples. While he also purchased superior examples of rare, full-size vintage vehicles, it was always the toys that brought him the most satisfaction. “It wasn’t so much about actually owning them; I loved to hunt – to try to find the ones I was missing. I’ve got examples of all but 10 of the toys Buddy ‘L’ ever made.
Hiatt said his quest for toys took him from the hills and hollows of southwestern Virginia to the far-western reaches of California and Washington state. “They’ve come from auctions, toy shows and flea markets. A lot of them came from just word of mouth. People knew someone that had a toy in their family and they would bring it to me, or I’d hear about it and go get it.”
With such a diverse and extensive collection, Hiatt decided to act upon his longtime dream to open a private museum. “I wanted to construct a new building for my office and thought we’d might as well make it a little bigger and turn it into a museum.” Hence, the Blue Ridge Vintage Car Museum became a reality. At the same time, Hiatt established a children’s charity in Stuart, which benefited from all the museum’s profits.
Unfortunately, failing health would force 37-year-old Hiatt to close the museum and commence plans to sell the collection. Hiatt approached Inman, whom he had known for years since first attending an Inman sale. “I had gone to his auction and bought a bunch of Buddy ‘L’ toys. Randy said he remembered me because of my Southern accent and because I was about the youngest person there who was buying.”
If he has one regret, Hiatt says it is that he never fired up the 1917 mascot steam train, which he purchased in 1978 from a man in the Reading, Pa., area. “Everybody wanted me to do that, and I had plenty of retired (railroad) people who volunteered to run it for me, but I was afraid that, because the train was hand built, it might get broken or abused – then how would I ever replace it?”
The Jim Grimwade Penny Arcade collection
Saturday’s session also includes a wonderful 150-piece selection of penny arcade and coin-operated machines from the collection of Jim Grimwade of Grand Rapids, Mich. Within the varied grouping of early rarities are five upright slot machines – some with music – an array of strength testers – including a Caille Mickey Finn – and shockers, such as the Mills Imperial and 1920s bow-front Electricity is Life model. Several penny arcade “diggers” will be auctioned, as well as Caille’s Uncle Sam and Mascot coin ops. From the Regina company comes a Pepsin Gum dispenser and a 27in disc changer. Also coming from the Grimwade collection is a 1937 World Series Baseball coin-op.
Preview details
All lots may be previewed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 9 and 8-10 a.m. on Saturday, June 10. Motorheads will have the chance of a lifetime during the Friday preview when, from 12 noon till 2 p.m., they’ll be able to request a start-up and inspect the engines of any of the museum vehicles. “Mr. Hiatt is arranging for his expert mechanics to come up from Virginia,” said Inman, “so they can be on hand prior to and during the preview to start up the engines upon request. That two-hour period of the preview is the only time they’ll be cranked.”
Inman noted that anyone buying a motor vehicle at the auction must make arrangements to remove their purchase from the Allentown Fairgrounds Agri-Plex within two days of the sale. “We will have an auto transporter there on site, in case buyers want to use their services.”
Auction details
The auction will take place at the Allentown Fairgrounds Agri-Plex, 302 N. 17th St., Allentown, PA 18104. The opening session commences at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 9. The Saturday, June 10 session commences at 10 a.m. All forms of bidding will be available including live via the Internet through eBay Live Auctions. Catalogs are available for $35 postpaid in the USA, $55 to overseas addresses. A complete, fully illustrated electronic catalog will be available to view online approximately two to three weeks before the sale at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Postal address: P.O. Box 726, Waterville, ME 04903-0726 USA
Website: www.inmanauctions.com