New Hamburg, ON, Canada, September 21, 2021 -- Wheels in motion appealed to bidders on Day 2 of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.'s back-to-back online auctions held Sept. 11th-12th, as a 7 ¼ inch gauge model steam locomotive of the Great Western Railway 4-6-0 locomotive and tender No. 1011 rolled away for $15,340, while an 1869 French style Boneshaker bicycle sped off for $10,620.
All prices quoted here are in Canadian dollars and include an 18 percent buyer's premium.
The Saturday, September 11th event was a Toys & Nostalgia sale, featuring the Bryan Beatty collection of toys and communication-related memorabilia, including a well-rounded offering of cast iron and tin litho toys from the Victorian to the Atomic era. Mr. Beatty's collection also included many radios, microphones and typewriters, with examples spanning the 20th century.
The Sunday, September 12th sale was an Advertising & Historic Objects auction, featuring the Scott Vanner breweriana collection. The finely engineered 7 ¼ inch gauge steam locomotive was the expected Day 2 headliner and was the auction's top lot. It was rebuilt and reboilered by F. West and Lee Green and came with a brazed superheated copper boiler with fittings and gauges.
The 1869 French style Boneshaker bicycle featured a painted iron frame, wood rims and restored wheels, and had a rear brake that was activated by twisting the handlebars forward. It nearly tripled its $3,500 high estimate. Also, a Canadian 1897 Brantford Bicycle Company (Brantford, Ontario), fully restored mechanically and cosmetically, with original wood rims, handle bars and seat, a custom-made solid wood display stand and added stamped leather pouch, rang up $3,835.
œWho says specialized collector auctions are the only way to drive top results? inquired Ben Lennox of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. œOur auctions have showed that great results can be achieved in a highly diverse sale anchored around two solid collections and many different collecting categories. We pride ourselves in bringing objects of merit to the collecting world.
Lennox said, œWhen I analyzed the results of the two-day September sale, I'd never seen such a diversity in the genres collecting “ bicycles, radios, microphones, tin toys, graded comic books, cast iron mechanical banks, toy trains, clocks, breweriana, signs and advertising, jukeboxes, coin-operated novelties, steam engines, gas pumps and even a Mickey Mantle autographed bat.
Lennox concluded, œWe're thrilled that people are taking notice, and that so many collecting categories are hot. While advertising signs continue to achieve record results month after month, it's exciting to see strong results across the board. We're still unable to host in-person sales, but our Miller & Miller bidding platform, plus LiveAuctioneers.com, attracts bidders far and wide.
Following are additional highlights from the auction, which grossed $133,045 on Day 1 and $323,792 on Day 2, for a total of $456,837, including the buyer's premium. On Day 1, 311 bidders placed 5,437 bids, while on Day 2, 426 bidders placed 8,466 bids, online via the Miller & Miller website and on LiveAuctioneers.com. Of the 895 total lots, 96 percent were sold.
A Miller High Life Beer two-sided porcelain hanging sign, made in America in the 1930s and originally designed to accommodate bands of neon surrounding the perimeter, 35 ½ inches by 46 inches, found a new owner for $7,670. Also, a Worth and Martin (Toronto) one-cent bull's head perfume dispenser (œTake the bull by the horns!), made in 1902, solid brass with a glass mirror and able to accept large Canadian cents, 12 inches tall, with the original cashbox, made $5,900.
A Wurlitzer Model 1015 jukebox, made in America in 1946, among the most identifiable and iconic jukeboxes ever produced, this one is a fine functioning example that actually came loaded with 24 period rock ˜n' roll records, changed hands for $7,670; while a Wurlitzer œ2500 model jukebox, made in America in 1961, an exceptional, functioning survivor example, hit $3,540.
Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. has three more online-only auctions lined up for the balance of this year: a Firearms, Sporting & Canadiana auction on October 9th; a Watches & Jewels auction on November 20th; and a Petroliana, Breweriana & Advertising auction on December 4th. To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and firm's calendar of upcoming events, visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com.
