Tuesday, February 20, 2007

GOOD RESULTS FOR WINTER SALE IN JULY AT PROFESSIONAL APPRAISERS AND LIQUIDATORS ON JULY 29, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2006

PROFESSIONAL APPRAISERS AND LIQUIDATORS
CRYSTAL RIVER, FL
SALE OF JULY 29, 2006

Crystal River, FL – The turnout for the Professional Appraisers and Liquidators sale on July 29 in Crystal River verified owner Charlie Fudge’s premonition that this would be a Winter Sale in July. The 300 seats in the air conditioned 7,500 sq. ft. auction hall were quickly reserved and claimed and the auction started with standing room only. Auction representative Diane Fudge said, "I gave out 250 bidder numbers before we got started. Forty of those were for new dealers registering with us for the first time."

Several lots of fine estate furniture added some spice to the sale. The star of the sale was a solid wood bedroom made by Ethan Allen in the 1980s featuring a four post canopy bed with scalloped rails in the canopy, a double pillow top Beautyrest mattress and boxspring set, a large triple dresser with beveled mirror, two nightstands and gentleman’s chest. Matching the base set was a French marriage chest with raised panel doors and shell carving on the apron and a matching raised panel two door entertainment center on cabriole legs. The entire set originally retailed at Ethan Allen for over $20,000. The base set and the two matching pieces were sold as three separate lots but all three were won by a dealer from the east coast of Florida for a combined total price of $5,610 including the buyer’s premium. Another modern piece also did very well. It was six piece mahogany wall unit bookcase, entertainment center and display case combination made by Drexel featuring lots of options for lighting and shelf arrangement. It brought a winner of $2,200 including premium.

Older and antique furniture held its ground. An elegant Victorian marble top display cabinet with inlaid doors and drawers, jeweled leaded glass panels and a beveled back mirror sold above estimate at $1,485 and a 19th century Hepplewhite mahogany flip top game table with satinwood inlay made over four times the estimate at $1,320. An early century tiger maple lift top mule chest or raised blanket chest with two lower drawers, pegged construction and turned and tapered feet, possibly from Pennsylvania, went to a bidder on the phone in Alabama for $1,155 while a 12 foot long cherry banquet table with stick and ball ends and barley twist legs, circa 1880, sold in the room for $990. A southern lift top sugar chest from Kentucky or the Tennessee Valley earned $715. However, six nicely grained mid century Empire style chairs could muster only $22 each. Fudge said, "You can’t give away chairs these days." But that was not entirely accurate. There was one chair that fostered some lively bidding. It was a "bicycle" chair manufactured by Charles P. Limbert Co. of Grand Rapids, still bearing the Limbert tag used in 1903. In spite of needing a replacement leather panel in the back, this Arts and Crafts artifact found a new Florida based owner at $1,100. From around the same period in time a five stack Globe-Wernicke walnut bookcase in excellent condition made $880.

There were a few pleasant surprises in the smalls department. A Hummel figurine, Whitsuntide #163, TM1 brought $550, We Wish You Were Here #600 TM7 made $660 and Culprit Table Lamp #44a TM4 sold for $605. A pair of Chinese export bowls, 9¾ in diameter with floral and animal decorations eclipsed the $200 estimate by closing at $742 and an antique Currier & Ives print entitled "Polly & Kitty", 14½ X 17½in, brought an over estimate winner of $302.
Fudge said, "What was good was very good" in spite of remarking that prices seemed to be slightly off what would be expected in a seasonal winter sale. But phone activity was heavy and bidder interest and attendance was high so overall he said, "It was an excellent winter sale – for July." For more information visit our website: http://www.charliefudge.com/ or call 800-542-3877.
written by:
Fred & Gail Taylor
800-387-6377

PHOTO CAPTIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL APPRAISER AND LIQUIDATORS

This solid wood bedroom from the 1980 made by Ethan Allen sold in three lots to a single buyer for $5,610.


The 12 ft long cheery banquet table brought $990. The 12 place setting set of Royal Doulton china, 83 pieces, made $550.




The Arts and Crafts "bicycle" chair by Limbert, 1903, brought $1,100.




The brass inlaid Egyptian or Islamic scribe’s box closed at $440.




A sugar chest with a southern provenance sold for $715.




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