(Oceanside, N.Y.) – When the final gavel fell at Philip Weiss Auctions’ June 20-22 multi-estate sale, it marked the start of a summer hiatus for the Long Island firm that will end in September. An incredible six auction dates are planned, signaling a strong end-of-year run. Actually, the company hasn’t been idle this summer. It has been busy securing quality consignments and updating its catalogs.
The September onslaught commences on Saturday, September 13, at 10 a.m., with about 500 lots of toys, trains and toy soldiers, plus Part 2 of the B. L. “Phil” Phillips Collection (mostly battery-ops). Mr. Phillips was a dedicated collector of rare, collectible robots and space toys. The day will also feature an impressive single-owner toy truck collection that includes high-end pieces in great condition.
The next day (Sunday, September 14, also at 10 a.m.) will be dedicated to comics, comic art, original cover art and sports memorabilia. Star lots will include the original cover art for Batman #173 by Carmine Infantino (est. $20,000-$30,000); two original “Peanuts” comic strips (one daily and one Sunday) by the late artist Charles Schulz; and examples from the Silver and Golden Ages of comics.
Sports memorabilia will include an authentic Yankee Stadium usher’s uniform (circa 1940s-’50s) with the original jacket, pants, hat and lapel pin (est. $1,000-$1,500); many lots of Topps baseball cards from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, in large multiple groups; a nice Babe Ruth signed photo; a 19th-century baseball trophy bat; an early collection of tobacco cards; and a lifetime collection of sports autographs.
The following weekend (September 19-21) will be a three-day affair, starting at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon with high-end material from prominent area estates. Offered will be about 50 original oil paintings, many by noted, listed artists (including a rare landscape rendering by the famous designer Louis Comfort Tiffany, done in the 20s); silver; porcelain; posters; pottery; doorstops; quilts; and more.
The Saturday session (September 20, starting at 10 a.m.) will be dedicated to a pair of important aviation collections, plus military memorabilia. Aviation items include a rare first-edition copy of a book on flight by Wilbur Wright (est. $25,000-$45,000), published in 1903, the same year as Kitty Hawk. The book, “Observations in Soaring Flight,” is in excellent condition, still in the original wraps.
Also offered will be a first-edition copy of a pamphlet on kite flying, written by telephone pioneer Alexander Graham Bell (1903, est. $8,000-$12,000), in very fine condition, still in the original wraps; a rare aviation program signed by Thomas Edison and many early aviators (Curtis, Santos, etc.); plus early aviator pamphlets; catalogs; posters; manuals; postcards; photos; flight helmets; and goggles.
On Sunday, September 21, at 10 a.m., about 500 lots of rare books, manuscripts, autographs and historical memorabilia will come up for bid. Featured will be an original manuscript page from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s seminal work on slavery, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (1852). Also sold will be an archive of Ms. Stowe’s handwritten letters; more “Peanuts” art; ocean liner material; and Hollywood memorabilia.
The following Saturday, September 27, at 11 a.m., stamps and coins will take center stage, beginning with Part 3 of The Newport Stamp Collection. Presented will be an outstanding group of scarce and valuable U.S. Plate Blocks, including #24 1-cent Type V; many 1881 issues to the 10-cent in Plate Blocks of ten and twelve; and 90-cent (#229) and 50-cent (#260) Orange Plate Blocks of twelve.
Other featured stamps will include a #277 $2 Madison; Columbians in Plate Blocks of eight to the 50-cent; Trans-Mississippi in Plate Blocks of four to the 50-cent; a Pan Americans complete set; 2-cent Lincoln blue paper; a Pan-Pacific complete set; Washington-Franklins, to include #’s 342, 500, 523, 524, 534B, 547 and 573; Parcel Posts to the 20-cent; a complete set of Duck stamps; and more.
After the stamps in The Newport Collection are sold, several other collections from consigned estates will be offered, as well as a huge medical stamp collection and several postcard collections.
Coins and currency will also come under the gavel, with an expected highlight being two 1907 St. Gaudens $20 gold coins in high relief. Additional consignments were being secured at press time.
Philip Weiss Auctions is planning sales for October, although firm dates have not yet been set. Dolls, trains and more are expected to be in the mix. Watch the website for more details as fall approaches: www.prwauctions.com. Quality consignments are always being accepted. To consign an item, estate or collection, call Philip Weiss at (516) 594-0731, or e-mail to [email protected]
