A stunning 5-piece rosewood Victorian bedroom suite, signed Mitchell & Rammelsberg (circa 1860), soared to $51,700 at the living estate sale of Katherine Creamer, a discerning collector from Mobile, Ala., whose stately mansion was built to contain her vast collections. The sale was held June 13 by Stevens Auction Company at the firm’s gallery facility in Aberdeen, Miss.
The bedroom suite was the top achiever of the 500 lots that crossed the block. “I’m surprised it didn’t bring more, frankly,” said Dwight Stevens of Stevens Auction Company. “A similar suite that wasn’t even as nice sold for over $100,000 some time ago, but that was before the economy took a hit. I guess it was a sign of the times, but the winning bidder – from Buford, Ga. — got a fabulous bargain.”
The suite included a half tester bed, wardrobe, dresser, wash stand and half commode. It was a spectacular grouping, but Ms. Creamer only bought the finest furnishings and wasn’t afraid to spend her money. “She would go to New Orleans to shop, on Royal Street, and if she saw something she liked she bought it, regardless of cost,” Mr. Stevens said. “She was very choosy. Everything had to be the best.”
A crowd of around 300 people packed the Stevens Auction showroom, located at 609 North Meridian Street in Aberdeen, while more than 250 phone and absentee bids were recorded. “We sold for eight solid hours, and the people who were there when the auction started were still there at the end, too,” Mr. Stevens said. “It was an unusual sale, but then, Mrs. Creamer was a remarkable collector.”
Stevens Auction Company will conduct on-site auctions on Saturday, July 11, in Oxford, Miss., and Saturday, Aug. 1, in Macon, Miss. Featured will be fine furnishings and antique items from the living estates of two prominent residents, one of them an interior designer. The Aug. 1 sale will be held in a huge antebellum home built in 1844 for Judge Jernigan and later owned by a prominent landowner.
Stevens Auction Company is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly, at (662) 369-2200, or you can e-mail them at [email protected].
To learn more about Stevens Auction Company and the July 11 and Aug. 1 sales (to include photos of many of the lots to be sold) log on to www.stevensauction.com.