1,260-lot sale includes brewery, automotive, tobacco, Mr. Peanut, many other categories

DENVER, Pa. – A wealth of rare antique signs, figures and other promotional items from the golden era of advertising is currently on display at Morphy’s central Pennsylvania gallery, all to be auctioned on Friday and Saturday, April 20-21. The 1,260-lot sale incorporates a fantastic array of signage, with the centerpiece being the revered Coca-Cola advertising collection of the late Michael Narvaez. Also featured are Moxie items from the Dick Shay collection, as well as other soda pop lots.

 

The Friday session begins with a collection of 120 occupational shaving mugs. Top lots include mugs with depictions of a steam pump, horse-drawn delivery wagon and an open-air truck. Additionally, a rare mug with a photographic image of a steam accessory will be offered.

 

More than 80 figural cast-iron doorstops, doorknockers, bookends and other novelties will follow. Among the most coveted doorstops are a standing frog, standing honey bear and rabbit. Other standouts in the group include a cast-iron Nichols doorknocker, est. 0-,000; and two carnival targets – a paratrooper, ,000-,000; and a mechanical owl, ,000-,000.

 

Highlights among the 170 lots of general store and mixed advertising include a near-pristine Skinner’s Satin (Holyoke, Mass.) oval sign with the image of an Indian in a full headdress. It is the only example Morphy’s experts have ever seen and is estimated at ,000-,000.

 

An embossed tin Sweet Orr Overalls sign is in near-mint condition and expected to make ,000-,000; while an extremely rare 1905 Beeman’s Pepsin Gum wood-framed tin sign that came directly from the Beeman’s factory could make ,000-,000. The ever-popular Mr. Peanut weighs in at the auction with a ,000-,000 estimate for a beautiful 3½-ft. figural Hamilton scale in original, untouched condition. It is one of 30 Planters Mr. Peanut items to be offered by Morphy’s. Many other popular characters are depicted within the lineup of 50+ advertising figures to be auctioned.

 

Collectors of tobacco-related advertising will find plenty of tempting items in this sale, like the circa-1880s Pride of Durham Smoking Tobacco tin [Wells & Hope Co.] with a lion motif, ,000-,000. Another beauty in the tobacciana grouping is the circa-1910 Stein Club Havana Cigars sign in excellent condition with strong colors.

 

“We’ve estimated the Stein Club sign at ,000-,000, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it went higher,” said Morphy’s CEO Dan Morphy. “A few years ago a different example of this very scarce sign sold for over ,000.”

 

The effervescent Saturday session will focus predominantly on the 400 lots of Coca-Cola advertisements, ephemera and other rare and desirable Coke items from the collection of the late Michael Narvaez.

 

Well liked by his fellow collectors, Michael Narvaez had a passion for collecting that blossomed after his retirement from the Coca-Cola Co. in 1979. Michael and his wife, Joyce, became restaurateurs and decorated their Salinas, Calif., establishment The Recipe Box exclusively with beautiful antique and vintage signage and promotional items for the world’s favorite soft drink. Their collection encompassed festoons, lighted signs, clocks, posters and calendars.

 

Morphy’s specialist in Coca-Cola advertising, Gary Metz, said Narvaez loved sharing his collection and was “a responsible custodian of anything he acquired…handcrafting beautiful walnut frames and using either museum glass or UV-filtering Plexiglas to protect and preserve the calendars and advertising he framed.”

 

One of the top pieces in the Narvaez collection is a matted and framed 1898 calendar, one of very few known, featuring a beauty of the day and estimated at ,000-,000. An 1899 Coke calendar, est. ,000-,000, is another of the more than 60 Coke calendars in the sale. The calendars span a pop culture timeline that begins in 1898 and runs through the 1940s. Another rarity, a 1910 Coke poster is estimated at ,000-,000.

 

An incredible 2-piece window display from 1937 stands 4 ft. tall and depicts a revolving door with a trompe-l’oeil view inside a restaurant and soda fountain. Advertising “The Pleasantest Place in Town,” this colorful slice of Main Street American nostalgia carries a presale estimate of ,000-,000.

 

A Coca-Cola leaded-glass hanging globe made by Metropolitan Glass Company is one of only about a half dozen known examples. “All that are known came out of New York,” said Morphy. “This one was in a soda shop in Queens. When it closed, the owners gave the globe to their Coca-Cola deliveryman as a gift. It has remained in the man’s family ever since, passing down through three generations.” Estimate: ,000-,000.

 

The remainder of the session is devoted to Moxie items from the collection of Dick Shay, a now-retired Ohio native who spent many years scouring the United States for the rarest and best pieces available. An elusive Moxie tip tray from the early 1900s is estimated at ,400-,800. Leading the selection of general soda pop advertising in Saturday’s session is an embossed tin Modox sign in excellent-plus condition. It features the image of an Indian in full headdress and is expected to reach ,000-,000.

 

Both the April 20 and 21 auction sessions will commence at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Morphy Live or LiveAuctioneers.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online at www.morphyauctions.com or www.liveauctioneers.com. For additional information, call 717-335-3435 or e-mail serena@morphyauctions.com. Visit Morphy Auctions online at www.morphyauctions.com.

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DENVER, Pa. – Some say chivalry is dead, but Dan Morphy says “Nay, verily.” Morphy’s central Pennsylvania auction gallery will soon be the setting for an auction of antique helmets, swords and other metal weaponry that even Sir Lancelot might be tempted to bid on. The 40-lot grouping of armor is one of several collections featured in Morphy’s Feb. 24-25 General Antiques auction, along with Tiffany silver, early telephones, antique American firearms, jewelry and watches.

 

Day one of Morphy’s 1,350-lot auction – a Friday session – will open with 150 occupational shaving mugs from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the top lots in this grouping are mugs with images of a railway steam shovel, estimate ,000-,500; and a fire truck with the word “Liberty,” est. ,000-,500. A particularly rare mug has a photographic image of its owner, identified as “W.I. Xander.” Est. ,000-,500.

 

The 100 automobilia lots to follow include a number of early 20th-century French posters, as well as Royal Doulton and Nippon pottery with motoring themes. There are six pieces of Roseville in a pattern featuring touring cars, with a jardinière estimated at ,000-,000; and a flared vase, ,500-,500.

 

An additional 100 lots of general pottery feature Roseville, Rookwood and Weller. Highlights include an eight-color Roseville Della Robbia vase designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead (1880-1942), ,000-,000; and a Weller Louwelsa American Indian portrait vase, signed “A. Williams” and estimated at ,000-,500.

 

An extensive selection of fine jewelry has been cataloged, with top lots led by a highly decorative 14K gold bridal belt, circa 1920s and weighing 578 grams, est. ,000-,000. A trove of bracelets, necklaces, pendants and rings of very high gold content will be offered, including a heavy “statement” ring with a lion’s-head motif that is expected to make ,000-,000. Weighing 171 grams, an 18K gold enameled ladies’ compact carries an estimate of ,000-,000.

 

From the private vault collection of retired Florida jewelers comes an array of fine wristwatches by prestigious Swiss watchmakers. Patek Philippe, Juvenia and Rolex models from the 1930s through 1950s are included, as are numerous pocket watches and several 18K gold repeaters with individual estimates of ,500-,500.

 

The Saturday session will begin with Part II of the late Bill Daniels’ collection of antique and vintage telephones. Highlights from the more than 200 lots to be auctioned include a circa-1878 Charles Williams “coffin” telephone, ,000-,000; an 1895 Western Electric folding vanity telephone, ,000-,000; and a circa-1904 pay station phone that operates on silver dollars, ,000-,000. The collection also includes telephone-related porcelain signs and other great advertising pieces.

 

The featured collection of antique armor was amassed over a period of 50+ years by renowned Hollywood animator and film director Frank Andrina. The most imposing item in the collection is a suit of full standing armor, with most of its composite pieces dating to around 1560. Standing approximately 75 inches tall, the suit is in very good to excellent condition. It is expected to sell in the ,000-,000 range.

 

A favorite sword in the Andrina collection is a circa-1580 German production with flambé blade and deeply stamped haft. One side of the handle is marked “SDIOSDI,” while the other bears the sacred “IHS” monogram. The 75-inch-long sword could fetch ,000-,000.

 

Constructed entirely of hand-forged steel, a circa-16th-century mace incorporates six unusual arrowhead-spiked flanges. Each flange features the touch mark of a shield with cross and the initials “H.K.” Nicely laminated throughout, it carries an estimate of ,000-,000.

 

Yet another leading lot is a circa-1630 Italian or German Savoyard-style helmet with two-piece skull, low comb and

two-piece visor. The helmet retains the majority of its blackened finish and displays two small period restorations. Estimate: ,000-,000.

 

From armor and swords, the sale moves into a grouping of 100+ vintage firearms, including more than a dozen prized Kentucky rifles.

 

“The highlight is definitely the early (1st/2nd quarter) 19th-century Leonard Reedy rifle that passed through descent in the family of the original owner,” said Morphy Auctions CEO Dan Morphy. “It’s a very rare and desirable Pennsylvania gun, and although we’ve estimated it at ,000 to ,000, our antique firearms expert, Steve Hench, said it would not surprise him if it sold for ,000 or more.”

 

The rifle showcases the very best of Reedy’s workmanship, according to an extensive catalog description written by Hench. He writes: “The brass patchbox with its nine piercings may be considered his finest design; obviously it was a costly undertaking. The patchbox engraving, while typically light in depth, is highly visible on the mellowed, oxidized brass, and inside the patchbox cavity, there is still some of the tallow-beeswax used for greasing the patches that encase the lead balls… The rifle stock’s relief carving is almost as crisp as the day it was done.”

 

In addition to the Kentucky rifles, Morphy’s Feb. 24-25 sale includes a nice selection of Springfield bolt-action rifles, a Colt Lightning Model 1877 with original papers, est. ,500-,000; and a Philadelphia Derringer with ivory grip, est. ,500-,000. Additionally, there are numerous other shotguns, muskets and pistols; as well as more-contemporary entries.

 

The session continues with several lots of folk art, led by two circa-1870s Brubaker carved wood horses, ,000-,000 pr.; a five-color stoneware water cooler with a Niagara Falls scene, ,000-,000; and more than 100 figural napkin rings. Designs include Kate Greenaway designs – two girls on ladder, and lady on toboggan – and a giraffe under a palm tree. Each is estimated at ,500-,000.

 

More than 50 lots of fine sterling silver from a single-owner collection add luster to the auction. “This is a fantastic collection – certainly the best one we’ve ever been privileged to sell,” said Morphy, noting, “This will be our inaugural sale with Peter Thompson as our in-house specialist for silver.”

 

Two consecutive lots feature exquisite pieces from Tiffany & Co., all dating to around 1882. A pair of elegant 16-inch-tall candelabra are extensively chased and embossed with rocaille work and seaweed – one with tritons and seahorses; the other with mermaids. Each candelabrum features nine tentacle-like candle arms terminating in sockets with removable drip pans. The pair will be offered together with a ,000-,000 estimate.

 

Two circa-1882 Tiffany silver center bowls are decorated similarly to the candelabra, with extensive chasing and embossing, and swirling seaweed and rocaille work. The triton-theme bowl weighs 80 oz., as does the bowl with the mermaid motif. Their liners weigh 23.5 oz. and 24 oz., respectively. These spectacular bowls are expected to fetch ,000-,000 the pair.

 

Another highlight is a circa-1899 Gorham martele silver water pitcher. Originally retailed by the Chicago jewelers Spaulding & Co., the vessel is entered in the sale with a ,000-,000 estimate.

 

Both the Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 auction sessions will commence at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Morphy Live or LiveAuctioneers.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online at www.morphyauctions.com or www.liveauctioneers.com. For additional information, call 717-335-3435 or e-mail serena@morphyauctions.com.

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DENVER, Pa. – With the widely publicized .1 million auction price achieved recently by a rare copy of Action Comics No. 1, some investors are contemplating a shift of focus from gold and silver to paper. Vintage comic books – once considered a niche collectable for nostalgic boomers – have become a potent alternative to stocks and bonds. In recognizing this trend, Morphy Auctions recently forged an alliance with the specialist company Sparkle City Comics, of North Bergen, New Jersey.

 

Morphy’s, with the expert oversight of Sparkle City, will launch its new Comic Book division during a Feb. 9-11 Toys & Advertising sale that features 200 prized comics from an original-owner collection. The top lot, a 1963 The Amazing Spider-Man No. 1 in 8.5 condition, is expected to realize ,000-,000. Other anticipated top lots include a 1963 X-Men No. 1 and a 1963 Tales of Suspense No. 39 featuring the first appearance of Iron Man.

 

The association between Morphy’s and Sparkle City came about when the latter company’s principal, Brian Schutzer, purchased ,000 worth of comics in a previous Morphy’s sale.

 

“Brian called me after the sale to finalize his purchase, and during our discussion he suggested that we consider building a relationship,” Morphy Auctions’ CEO Dan Morphy recalled. “I had been wanting to launch a comic book division in-house, and during that conversation with Brian, it became clear to me that the smartest and most direct path to our goal would be a collaboration with Sparkle City. They’re an energetic, extremely knowledgeable company with a tremendous database of comic book buyers.”

 

“On the other side of the coin, Morphy’s has the physical gallery and marketing team to promote and produce successful live sales,” Morphy continued. “It’s an exciting combination that could prove very successful, given collectors’ insatiable interest in rare comics.”

 

Morphy’s first auction dedicated exclusively to comic books will be a 700 to 800-lot event held either in April or May. “My goal is to have two, if not three, sales per year devoted exclusively to vintage comic books and also original comic book art, a subcategory that has a long collecting arc ahead of it,” Morphy said.

 

To contact Morphy’s, call 717-335-3435 or e-mail info@morphyauctions.com. Online:

www.morphyauctions.com.

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DENVER, Pa. – The 40-year collection of antique advertising tins, signs, store displays and promotional items amassed by Chicago design executives David and Marcia Hirsch made 0,000 (inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium) in a Nov. 19-20 auction held at Dan Morphy’s gallery in Lancaster County, Pa.

More than half of the articles offered in the 1,520-lot sale pertained to tobacco, with as many as 500 of them associated with cigars – a category that has continued to show strength in the marketplace. The auction’s top lot was an early, richly illustrated tin that once held Home Run Cigars. As implied by its name, the tin’s motif depicts baseball players in action on a baseball diamond, with a runner sliding across home plate to score a run amid clouds of dust. Described in the auction catalog as “one of few known examples,” and displaying the best condition among those whose existence is known, it easily surpassed its ,000-,000 estimate to achieve ,400.

Made by a different cigar manufacturer but having a similar name, a Home-Run Stogie tin from J.A. Rigby Cigar Co., of Mansfield, Ohio, featured images of baseball players on both sides and the price “3 for 5 cents.” Retaining its rich sky blue, crimson and white coloration, the near-mint tin shot past its estimate to land at ,600.

Yet another rarity with a baseball theme, a Spalding Athletic Goods double-sided porcelain flange signdepicting the company’s stitched-baseball trademark measured 19½ inches in diameter and was in eye-popping near-mint condition. Estimated at ,000-,000, it was bid to ,500.

A Poppy Cigar tin manufactured in California was decorated with the

image of a turn of the century beauty surrounded by border of red-and-yellow poppies. Described by the auction house company’s owner and CEO Dan Morphy as “a highly sought-after but rarely found tin,” it garnered a winning bid of ,450.

Other “pretty lady” images that found favor with the crowd included a 1902 diamond-shape sign for Burdena Broad Leaf Cigars, ,200 (estimate 0-,200) and a stunning reverse-on-glass advertisement for Opia Cigars with a mysterious veiled woman posed dramatically against stars and poppies, ,200 (estimate ,000-,500).

Another lovely feminine character was the brunette lady in off-the-shoulder evening attire gracing the Exquisite Cut Plug Tobacco flat pocket tin from Larus & Bro., Richmond, Va. Against an estimate of 0-,200, it hammered ,185. An elusive Columbia Dome square-corner tin created for Cameron & Cameron’s Mixture No. 2 boasted colorful graphics on all sides. It sold for ,750.

A handsome metal with glass store counter display for Ever-Ready Shaving Brushes retained 10 soap brushes with variously colored handles, as well as six packs of razor blades. Its die-cut marquee included the company’s widely identifiable man with lathered face and razor logo. Against an estimate of ,000-,000, it made ,750.

Predicted to be one of the sale’s top lots, a 19th-century lithographed heavy paper sign advertising Sweet, Orr & Co. Union Made Overalls featured a cartouche with the image of two teams playing tug of war with a pair of seemingly indestructible denim pants. Given a generous estimate range of ,000-,000 owing to its rarity, it realized ,750.

A crowd-pleasing lot that drew a surprising price was the Yellow Kid Ginger Wafer tin with bonus addition of a cloth-gowned puppet depicting the early comic strip character. Around the puppet’s neck was a celluloid cigarette pin with Yellow Kid patois reading: “Dis is Easy Shot.” The two-piece lot with multiple crossover appeal handily outdistanced its 0-,200 estimate to reach a final bid of ,350.

Dan Morphy remarked that a “strong crowd of interested bidders” was present for the sale. “Everyone who collects antique advertising knows David and Marcia Hirsch. They are two of the most involved and best-liked collectors in the hobby,” Morphy said. “It was such a pleasure to be able to offer their collection at auction. Our entire team loved working with them and handling the amazing assortment of signs and tins they had acquired over so many years.”

After the sale, David Hirsch commented: “I could not have asked for anything more from an auction house. The entire staff at Morphy’s is a very skilled group of people. I particularly enjoyed working with the design and production group. They were most gracious in incorporating my comments and suggestions. Since my professional background is in graphic design, it added to the enjoyment of the whole project. It was like working with family.”

Marcia Hirsch remarked that she and her husband did not fully realize what a major undertaking it would be to prepare their collection for auction until they were actually immersed “into the process…Unless you were there, you couldn’t imagine the amount of detailing and quality of service we received.” As for seller’s remorse, there wasn’t any, Marcia said. “We had no regrets about parting with the collection, but once the decision was made to sell it, we just moved forward. It was the right time to do it, and we were just fine with it,” she said.

Morphy Auctions will conduct a General Antiques sale on Jan. 22, 2011; and an Antique Toy sale on Jan. 29, 2011. For additional information on upcoming auctions, visit Morphy’s online at www.MorphyAuctions.com. Tel. 717-335-3435 or e-mail dan@morphyauctions.com.

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