Post by Collector's Connection on Apr 24, 2006 0:38:50 GMT -5
Leonardo DiCaprio's toys, Brady American toy collection headliners at Morphy's $2.8m auction
Morphy Auctions' record-setting $2.8 million Spring sale featured Leonardo DiCaprio's vintage toys, which made $110,000 for charity; and the revered Bob Brady American antique toy collection.
Related Website: Morphy Auctions Publish Date: 04/23/2006
The Full Story:
DENVER, Pa. – Collectors of American toys and mechanical banks knew a once in a lifetime opportunity when they saw it, March 30-31 and April 1 at Morphy Auctions’ Spring sale. The blue-chip contents of the Bob Brady collection drew thousands of bids as enthusiasts vied for long-held rarities with lofty pedigrees. As the hammer fell on the final lot, no. 2251, the total had topped $2.8 million (inclusive of 12 percent buyer’s premium), setting a new record for the rapidly growing, 2½-year-old auction house.
The three-day buying-and-selling extravaganza was off to a running start with vintage toys from the Leonardo DiCaprio collection. The stardust factor obviously came into play, as bidders paid premium prices to own toys whose special tags identified them as having come from the DiCaprio collection. All proceeds from their sale, which totaled $110,000, have been donated to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which supports environmental-protection efforts worldwide. DiCaprio, who was on a movie set in Africa as the auction was going on, was notified of the total, which more than tripled presale expectations. Through his assistant, DiCaprio conveyed his thanks and expressed that he was “very pleased” with the results.
A phalanx of robots and Japanese superheroes, some from the collection of Carl Lobel, also put in a stellar performance – especially those examples retaining their rare original boxes. As anticipated, a 16in tin-bodied walking Ultraman superhero with illuminating chest and eyes, complete with dramatically pictorial box, led the group at $6,720.
The second session contained antique advertising, vehicular toys and the day’s highlight: part II of the Gary Selmonsky comic character collection. “The Selmonsky toys brought excellent prices,” said Morphy. “They proved the merits of being particular about condition and rarity.” While Disney character toys were consistently strong, it was a large (14in long by 11in tall), whimsical Felix the Cat tin windup toy that swept top honors in the category. A depiction of Felix and two smaller Felix figures “chasing” two red mice, the circa 1926 platform toy was made by J. Chein and carried a Nifty trademark and Pat Sullivan copyright. One of only four examples known to exist, it made $29,120 against a $10,000-15,000 estimate.
Another niche inclusion to the sale was an assortment of more than 60 condom tins consigned by New York collector Evan Lenk. Many seldom-seen examples were offered, including a Julius Schmid Co. tin emblazoned with images of the Pyramids and the mysterious Egyptian Sphinx figure. It sold at the high end of its estimate, for $1,456.
The auction room was buzzing on the third and final day of the event, as approximately 200 choice lots from the Bob Brady collection took the spotlight. Many veteran collectors came out of the woodwork to go head to head with phone and Internet bidders, resulting in some spectacular prices. Cast-iron mechanical banks ruled the session, with two examples – an 1887 Shepard Hardware Co. Circus bank (ex Oliver Clark collection) and 1870 J. & E. Stevens Horse Race bank (ex L.C. Hegarty collection) – breaking the six-figure barrier. Each garnered audience applause upon settling at $100,800.
“I suspected those particular banks would do well,” said Brady, “because there were people there who had indicated they would be bidding very aggressively on them. I was more surprised by the Mama Katzenjammer (Kenton, circa 1908, ex Alan Joy collection) and Picture Gallery (Shepard Hardware Co., circa 1885, ex Curt Patzloff collection), which sold for $67,200 each; and the Giant in the Tower (John Harper & Co., 1892, ex Perelman Museum collection).” The latter bank was purchased via eBay Live Auctions for $42,000.
Brady, a resident of Lancaster, Pa., once the home of the Hubley Toy Co., had combed the region for fine examples of early Hubley productions. His practice of buying only those toys in exceptional condition paid off many times over on auction day. In particular, Brady was stunned by the $30,800 bid paid for a 1928 Hubley Harley-Davidson Parcel Post motorcycle with hinged rear door and original wood-beaded pull string. “I bought that toy for $4,500 around 20 years ago from a dealer in Chicago, and almost passed on it because of the price. But I ended up buying it because it was the best condition I had ever seen. I never needed to upgrade that one.” The 9¼in cast-iron motorcycle had been entered with a $5,000-7,000 estimate.
A surprise visit from two VIPs added greatly to the excitement of the third session. Stephen A. Geppi (owner and CEO) and John K. Snyder Jr. (president) of Morphy’s parent company, Diamond International Galleries Inc., had driven up from Baltimore to observe the auction activities. Brady said he was “thrilled” that the two execs had come to the sale, and that he and Geppi had chatted for around 15 minutes about the collecting hobby and antiques business. “It was very apparent to me that he’s in the business for the long term. We talked about how too many (dealers) try to maximize their returns over the short term and end up losing their good customers over the long term. You don’t ‘kill’ them; you build a relationship with them and have them for the long term. If you’re truthful with people and treat them with respect, it always pays off.”
Brady lavished praise on the entire Morphy team. “They did a great job – well above my ‘high estimate.’ They ran a three-month preview, which made it very convenient for people who were in the area for shows, like Atlantique City. The staff spent as much time with people as they needed in order to inspect the toys. This way they didn’t have to come back to bid if they didn’t want to. They could leave an absentee bid or bid on the phone or Internet.” Brady, himself, played a major role in the promotion of his collection, making himself available for interviews and meeting with reporters at the gallery for a one-on-one walk-through of his collection.
Brady’s consignment, in total, garnered $1.15 million, and all profits for the mammoth payday will go toward establishing trust funds for his grandchildren’s educations. Based on the prices paid for Brady’s magnificent toys, there should be more than enough to finance PhDs for the Brady Bunch at any university in the world.
The auction’s closing section was comprised of more than 500 lots of figural cast iron, including doorstops, bookends, bottle openers and other decorative objects. “As usual, condition was a big factor,” said Morphy, “and pricewise, there were many surprises. A carnival target of an Asian man that had been estimated at $1,000-1,500 ended up selling for $15,680. People were in awe of the price, but I thought it should have brought every penny, and more, because it’s so rare to find one in that condition. It wouldn’t have surprised me if it had sold for 30 or 40 thousand.”
In summary, Morphy declared the sale to be “the busiest and best three-day event (we’ve) ever had. Getting the Brady collection was the biggest thing that has happened since starting Morphy Auctions. There has been some talk of early pieces and turn of the century items being soft in the marketplace. Well, I beg to differ. Some of the Brady lots went through the roof and then some. After the sale a lot of buyers were saying they were sorry they hadn’t gone after other pieces.”
Morphy also credited his staff with having contributed significantly to the auction’s success. “I owe them everything. So many people remarked on the excellent job they do. The same goes for our auctioneers, Brent Souder and Dave Conly. They did a fantastic job of calling the sale – it was smooth from start to finish.”
Morphy Auctions’ no-reserve Summer sale will be held June 15-17 and will feature 2,200 quality lots from dozens of antique categories.
Contact: (717) 335-3435
www.morphyauctions.com
Morphy Auctions' record-setting $2.8 million Spring sale featured Leonardo DiCaprio's vintage toys, which made $110,000 for charity; and the revered Bob Brady American antique toy collection.
Related Website: Morphy Auctions Publish Date: 04/23/2006
The Full Story:
DENVER, Pa. – Collectors of American toys and mechanical banks knew a once in a lifetime opportunity when they saw it, March 30-31 and April 1 at Morphy Auctions’ Spring sale. The blue-chip contents of the Bob Brady collection drew thousands of bids as enthusiasts vied for long-held rarities with lofty pedigrees. As the hammer fell on the final lot, no. 2251, the total had topped $2.8 million (inclusive of 12 percent buyer’s premium), setting a new record for the rapidly growing, 2½-year-old auction house.
The three-day buying-and-selling extravaganza was off to a running start with vintage toys from the Leonardo DiCaprio collection. The stardust factor obviously came into play, as bidders paid premium prices to own toys whose special tags identified them as having come from the DiCaprio collection. All proceeds from their sale, which totaled $110,000, have been donated to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which supports environmental-protection efforts worldwide. DiCaprio, who was on a movie set in Africa as the auction was going on, was notified of the total, which more than tripled presale expectations. Through his assistant, DiCaprio conveyed his thanks and expressed that he was “very pleased” with the results.
A phalanx of robots and Japanese superheroes, some from the collection of Carl Lobel, also put in a stellar performance – especially those examples retaining their rare original boxes. As anticipated, a 16in tin-bodied walking Ultraman superhero with illuminating chest and eyes, complete with dramatically pictorial box, led the group at $6,720.
The second session contained antique advertising, vehicular toys and the day’s highlight: part II of the Gary Selmonsky comic character collection. “The Selmonsky toys brought excellent prices,” said Morphy. “They proved the merits of being particular about condition and rarity.” While Disney character toys were consistently strong, it was a large (14in long by 11in tall), whimsical Felix the Cat tin windup toy that swept top honors in the category. A depiction of Felix and two smaller Felix figures “chasing” two red mice, the circa 1926 platform toy was made by J. Chein and carried a Nifty trademark and Pat Sullivan copyright. One of only four examples known to exist, it made $29,120 against a $10,000-15,000 estimate.
Another niche inclusion to the sale was an assortment of more than 60 condom tins consigned by New York collector Evan Lenk. Many seldom-seen examples were offered, including a Julius Schmid Co. tin emblazoned with images of the Pyramids and the mysterious Egyptian Sphinx figure. It sold at the high end of its estimate, for $1,456.
The auction room was buzzing on the third and final day of the event, as approximately 200 choice lots from the Bob Brady collection took the spotlight. Many veteran collectors came out of the woodwork to go head to head with phone and Internet bidders, resulting in some spectacular prices. Cast-iron mechanical banks ruled the session, with two examples – an 1887 Shepard Hardware Co. Circus bank (ex Oliver Clark collection) and 1870 J. & E. Stevens Horse Race bank (ex L.C. Hegarty collection) – breaking the six-figure barrier. Each garnered audience applause upon settling at $100,800.
“I suspected those particular banks would do well,” said Brady, “because there were people there who had indicated they would be bidding very aggressively on them. I was more surprised by the Mama Katzenjammer (Kenton, circa 1908, ex Alan Joy collection) and Picture Gallery (Shepard Hardware Co., circa 1885, ex Curt Patzloff collection), which sold for $67,200 each; and the Giant in the Tower (John Harper & Co., 1892, ex Perelman Museum collection).” The latter bank was purchased via eBay Live Auctions for $42,000.
Brady, a resident of Lancaster, Pa., once the home of the Hubley Toy Co., had combed the region for fine examples of early Hubley productions. His practice of buying only those toys in exceptional condition paid off many times over on auction day. In particular, Brady was stunned by the $30,800 bid paid for a 1928 Hubley Harley-Davidson Parcel Post motorcycle with hinged rear door and original wood-beaded pull string. “I bought that toy for $4,500 around 20 years ago from a dealer in Chicago, and almost passed on it because of the price. But I ended up buying it because it was the best condition I had ever seen. I never needed to upgrade that one.” The 9¼in cast-iron motorcycle had been entered with a $5,000-7,000 estimate.
A surprise visit from two VIPs added greatly to the excitement of the third session. Stephen A. Geppi (owner and CEO) and John K. Snyder Jr. (president) of Morphy’s parent company, Diamond International Galleries Inc., had driven up from Baltimore to observe the auction activities. Brady said he was “thrilled” that the two execs had come to the sale, and that he and Geppi had chatted for around 15 minutes about the collecting hobby and antiques business. “It was very apparent to me that he’s in the business for the long term. We talked about how too many (dealers) try to maximize their returns over the short term and end up losing their good customers over the long term. You don’t ‘kill’ them; you build a relationship with them and have them for the long term. If you’re truthful with people and treat them with respect, it always pays off.”
Brady lavished praise on the entire Morphy team. “They did a great job – well above my ‘high estimate.’ They ran a three-month preview, which made it very convenient for people who were in the area for shows, like Atlantique City. The staff spent as much time with people as they needed in order to inspect the toys. This way they didn’t have to come back to bid if they didn’t want to. They could leave an absentee bid or bid on the phone or Internet.” Brady, himself, played a major role in the promotion of his collection, making himself available for interviews and meeting with reporters at the gallery for a one-on-one walk-through of his collection.
Brady’s consignment, in total, garnered $1.15 million, and all profits for the mammoth payday will go toward establishing trust funds for his grandchildren’s educations. Based on the prices paid for Brady’s magnificent toys, there should be more than enough to finance PhDs for the Brady Bunch at any university in the world.
The auction’s closing section was comprised of more than 500 lots of figural cast iron, including doorstops, bookends, bottle openers and other decorative objects. “As usual, condition was a big factor,” said Morphy, “and pricewise, there were many surprises. A carnival target of an Asian man that had been estimated at $1,000-1,500 ended up selling for $15,680. People were in awe of the price, but I thought it should have brought every penny, and more, because it’s so rare to find one in that condition. It wouldn’t have surprised me if it had sold for 30 or 40 thousand.”
In summary, Morphy declared the sale to be “the busiest and best three-day event (we’ve) ever had. Getting the Brady collection was the biggest thing that has happened since starting Morphy Auctions. There has been some talk of early pieces and turn of the century items being soft in the marketplace. Well, I beg to differ. Some of the Brady lots went through the roof and then some. After the sale a lot of buyers were saying they were sorry they hadn’t gone after other pieces.”
Morphy also credited his staff with having contributed significantly to the auction’s success. “I owe them everything. So many people remarked on the excellent job they do. The same goes for our auctioneers, Brent Souder and Dave Conly. They did a fantastic job of calling the sale – it was smooth from start to finish.”
Morphy Auctions’ no-reserve Summer sale will be held June 15-17 and will feature 2,200 quality lots from dozens of antique categories.
Contact: (717) 335-3435
www.morphyauctions.com