Around 1,200 lots in a wide array of categories – to include toy trains, transportation, advertising, militaria, ocean liner, World’s Fair, railroadiana, automotive, Hollywood memorabilia, historical items and more – will be sold at a three-day event slated for July 31-Aug. 2 by Philip Weiss Auctions, in the firm’s spacious gallery facility located at #1 Neil Court in Oceanside, N.Y.
“We had several well-attended and successful sales in the first half of 2009, and now we’ll continue in the July 31-Aug. 2 auction with some of the best collections we’ve ever offered,” said Philip Weiss. Previews will be held on Wednesday, July 29, from noon to 5 p.m., and on Thursday and Friday, July 30-31, from noon to 8 p.m. each day. Online bidding will be facilitated by Proxibid.com.
The Friday, July 31 session (starting at 4 p.m.), will be dedicated to toy trains — about 450 lots, 95 percent of them mint in the box. Featured will be an important attic find of 1940s-’60s Lionel trains (most with original boxes and many outfit boxes), group lots of 1970s-’80s mint-in-the-box Lionel and other makers’ trains and accessories, modern Lionel trains, Rail King, MTH, K-Line, Weaver and more.
The Saturday, Aug. 1 session (with a 10 a.m. start time) will feature transportation items, advertising memorabilia and militaria, plus around 150 lots from the estate of Ken Schultz, a dedicated collector of ocean liner, World’s Fair and Hollywood collectibles. Ocean liner china and silver from other collections will be included as well. Also to be sold will be about 100 antique advertising signs.
The Aug. 1 session will continue with a nice selection of railroading items and automotive material, to include a run of vintage Pennsylvania Railroad calendars, lanterns, an original lamp from Grand Central Station in New York, stock certificates, 100+ lots of vintage advertising agricultural signs, vintage soap advertising and other related material. Additional items are being regularly added.
The Sunday, Aug. 2 session (also with a 10 a.m. start time) will feature 500 lots, to include Hollywood memorabilia such as celebrity-worn items, movie props and posters, autographed photos, a collection of Clarence Bull photos, and photos from the LOOK Magazine archives. Historical items will include the lock box belonging to Maj. Gustavus S. Dana (an organizer of Lincoln’s Honor Guard).
Also to cross the block Aug. 2: a nice selection of authenticated Civil War-era carte-de-visites (early photographic images), and an important archive of material pertaining to Charles J. Guiteau, the assassin of President James A. Garfield in 1881 (to include two actual pieces of the rope used to hang Guiteau, a cabinet card of Guiteau, letters written to him while he was in prison, an archive of Garfield photos (to include the earliest known daguerreotypes of him), illustrations, a strong box and more. Also to be offered: an original Apollo 10 flag and patch flown to the moon during an historic lunar mission.
Military material to be sold Aug. 2 includes a Thomas Griswold & Co. Confederate officer’s cavalry saber, an authentic Civil War bugle, a U.S. percussion musket, and more items a collection that includes all major wars, highlighted by both World Wars, posters from World War I & II, and more. All purchases will be subject to a 13% buyer’s premium. Terms are cash, check and all major credit cards.
Sometime in September, on a day and time still to be determined, Philip Weiss Auctions will offer a truly unique object — a pearl weighing an incredible five pounds and measuring six inches in length. The brain-shaped specimen – a giant non-nacreous natural blister pearl – was found in the waters off the Philippines, in the giant clam Tridacna Gigas. It is one of the largest pearls ever found.
A team of expert gemologists analyzed the pearl, using digital radiography, close magnification and data provided by a hand-held X-ray fluorescence (XRF) unit. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime look at one of nature’s most unique treasures,” said Mitch Jakubovic, a gemologist with EGL USA. “A pearl this size is not only the largest one we’ve ever seen, it is among the largest pearls ever seen anywhere.”
David Bidwell, a senior appraiser with Universal Gemological Services (EGL USA’a appraisal affiliate), said, “This is clearly one of the most valuable pearls of its kind in the world today. I will be very curious to see what it sells for.” The pearl was consigned to Philip Weiss Auctions by its current owner. “To coin a phrase, you might say the pearl world is his oyster,” Bidwell said of the consignor.
Philip Weiss Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or an entire collection, you may call them directly, at (516) 594-0731, or you can e-mail them at [email protected].
To learn more about the company and its calendar of upcoming sales, to include the July 31-Aug. 2 auction, log on to www.prwauctions.com. Updates are posted often.