Fairfield, Maine. November 20, 2008 - For over 40 years the firm of James D. Julia has been known for handling some of the finest quality collections. This auction is no exception as they present another stunning and diverse array of quality goods. The upcoming sale is highlighted by the Geraldine Gaba Estate of Scottsdale, Arizona. The late Mrs. Gaba’s superb collection of dollhouses and exquisite miniatures is one of the finest collections of its type to hit the market in many years. This collection will be joined by many fine dolls, rare toys, a wide variety of slot machines and other coin-op, quality advertising items including selections from the Phillip H. Morse Collection (vice chairman and co-owner of the Boston Red Sox), salesman samples, and much more.

Julia’s recent foray to the Southwest yielded two truckloads full of items from the Estate, and will be offered over three separate auctions and included fine Victorian furniture, glassware, art, and a stunning collection of Historical Staffordshire. Julia’s will first offer the late Mrs. Gaba’s collection of dollhouses, room settings, and unbelievable miniatures that she amassed over the last 50 years. Included will be over 30 houses and room settings including Gottschalk, Hacker, homemade examples, and many others. Complementing the grouping will be hundreds upon hundreds of top shelf miniature furniture pieces and accessories to fill these dwellings such as Biedermeier, Waltershausen, artisan pieces including Renee Isabelle, which with their incredible detail are considered some of the finest available today, and delicate ormolu accessories. This collection is absolutely fresh to the market and will be sold unreserved!

In the miniature real estate category will be highly sought after examples including two exceedingly detailed “Mystery” houses. It is unknown who made these large and wondrous houses with their textured facades, numerous rooms, and true to life features. They are expected to sell for $10,000-12,000 apiece. A rare Gottschalk 3-story multifaceted red roof dollhouse with access from all four sides, and featuring bay windows, balconies, and meticulous architectural elements it is expected to sell for $4,500-6,500. A gorgeous Mansard roof Dutch dollhouse with stone foundation and classic styling comes to the block with a $7,500-8,500 estimate. A large Silber & Fleming box type city style house with a faux brick façade contains a plethora of rooms to fill with scores of fine accessories. It comes with a $3,000-5,000 estimate. Many other marvelous houses, room dioramas, and settings appointed with various furniture items will be available. Collectors will also be delighted with over 60 individual and multi-piece lots consisting of the finest quality miniature accessories one could hope to find. Included will be stunning sideboards with bone finials and incredibly delicate finish work that are expected to see a lot of action, carrying estimates in the $2,000-3,000 range. A gorgeous Paul Leonhardt furniture set including some 1920s gold painted pieces and some earlier white pieces comes with a $2,000-2,500 estimate. Complete signed artisan parlor sets by Renee Isabelle will also be available with highly refined construction and floral decoration. Accessories to complement any advanced collector’s setting include many ormolu rarities such as a wonderful squirrel cage, a revolving photo stand, domed bird cages, chandeliers aplenty, and more with estimates of $2,000-3,000 apiece. Several lots of rare silk rugs will be offered, many from India and Eastern Europe that exhibit unbelievable detail and craftsmanship. The above houses and settings are ready to be peopled with well over 100 dollhouse dolls including highly sought after soldiers to be offered in multi-piece lots. Covering an entire range of styles in detailed furnishings and fixtures this is a collection you won’t want to miss, not to mention Mrs. Gaba’s entire library on miniatures.

Other groupings include a Western U.S. single owner collection of approximately 70 Lehmann tin windup toys, many of which retain their original boxes. These often quirky and always amusing German toys include several seldom seen examples as well as tried and true favorites. Bidders are wise to invest in condition and diversity, and this collection offers both. A marvelous UHU amphibious automobile that navigates both land and sea carries an estimate of $1,000-1,500. A scarce brown version of the Autobus is also available estimated for $1,000-1,500. Lehmann’s popular line of Asian inspired windup toys will also be available and include the Man-da-Rin, Kadi, and Nu-Nu, and others carrying estimates in the $1,000-2,000 range. And somewhat scarce examples include Terra, Ajax, IHI, Autin, and more. Boxed Lehmann toys include a popular Autobus in wonderful condition carrying an estimate of $2,000-3,000. A Lehmann Duo with its original box is a fanciful toy depicting a rooster pulling a two-wheeled egg cart with a little bunny enjoying the ride. This toy carries an estimate of $1,500-2,000. A marvelous navy blue Lehmann Lila with its original box is perhaps one of the finest condition examples available and comes with a $3,000-4,000 estimate. Other boxed examples include a Tut Tut, Vineta, Mensa, Zulu, and many more.

A selection of dolls will include fine French and German characters. A favorite of this writer is an 18” Armand Marseille 231 known as “Fany”, the largest version this company produced. This delightful character with pouty features and nice modeling comes with a $7,500-9,500 estimate. A very popular 15” BSW “Wendy” with blue glass eyes, captivating expression, and even her original box is expected to sell for $12,000-18,000. A 12” Kestner 206 character with fully jointed composition body, a hint of a precocious smile will surely capture someone’s heart. She carries an estimate of $8,000-9,000.

Desirable French dolls include a wonderful 12” Bru Jne 4 with brown almond cut eyes, delightful facial features, and delicate bisque forearms that carries a $12,000-18,000 estimate. Her mate, a 14” Circle Dot Bru with a hint of a tongue, original kid body, and lots of charm likewise comes with an estimate of $12,000-18,000. A beautiful 17” F.G. block letter doll with blue glass paperweight eyes and her original skin wig comes with a $5,000-7,000 estimate. A rare 15” Mothereau with bulbous blue paperweight eyes, metal body, and a great outfit carries a $12,000-17,000 estimate. A 24” Steiner Fire A bebe is expected to sell for $4,000-6,000.

Fashions include an 18” Rohmer with pale bisque, marked kid body, and wearing a wonderful striped silk outfit and matching hat that is expected to sell for $6,000-8,000. Also worthy of mention is a charming cabinet sized 11” French fashion doll attributed to Bru. Wearing her original dress and wig, highlighted by deep blue glass paperweight eyes, she is expected to sell for $2,500-4,000. A collection of five rare all-original Steiff dolls from a mammoth set featuring a horse drawn carriage includes a black footman, coachman, stable worker, and riders. Having descended through the family of the original purchasers, this marks their first offering at public auction. Alas, the horse and carriage no longer exist after an attempt by the original owner to ride it down a hill. The dolls will be sold individually and are expected to fetch $1,000-2,000 apiece. And two rare Raggedy Ann dolls will also be included, the first a desirable all-original early Exposition Raggedy Ann doll comes with a $4,000-6,000 estimate and a period Beloved Belindy is expected to sell for $1,000-2,000.

A variety of cast iron doorstops will also be included such as a scarce Hubley “Tiger” by Fish that portrays a dandy sporting a top hat and waistcoat. This item carries a $1,500-2,500 estimate. A Red Riding Hood example appearing surprisingly calm despite the approach of the Big Bad Wolf carries an estimate of $1,200-1,500. Other highlights in this section include a signed Spencer Swan depicting a detailed flat bodied swan on a wedge base that carries a $1,000-1,200 estimate and a scarce marked “Ancestral Home of George Washington” showing the thatched roof abode among surrounding trees that is expected to sell for $1,000-2,000.

Other toys include an unknown version of Schoenhut milk wagon from the St. Clair Dairy Company (most likely from Illinois) that is expected to sell for $4,500-6,500.
Toys of a more mechanical variety for the big boys will include a marvelous selection of coin-op slot machines and arcade pieces. Of the latter category will be an outstanding and mammoth “Electricity is Life” shock machine. Standing over six feet, it features a cast dial and glass front within a stunning oak case that emits up to a 55 volt shock to the brave soul willing to play the game. Having been in a doctor’s office in California for the last 30 years, perhaps it helped fund his entire practice. It now comes to the block with a $15,000-20,000 estimate. A fabulous Lukat “The Lucky Cat” early coin-operated gambling device portraying a full bodied reclining feline in a multicolored coat perched atop a wooden base comes with a $9,000-12,000 estimate. Other games include a Chester Pollard coin-op football game featuring a field of players in a lively game of soccer. It is expected to sell for $2,500-4,500.

The sale will also include several upright slot machines including a scarce 2-bit Dewey with a colorful dial, nickel plated cast iron trim, and a nicely patinated case that comes with a $25,000-28,000 estimate. Others include a rare Mills Cricket and a Watling Puck that are sure to receive much attention. In addition will be over 30 tabletop slots including a rare Mills Baseball slot with the even scarcer embossed front that comes with a $4,000-6,000 estimate. A trio of figural slot machines with surrounds by Dick DeLong whose wood carvings serve as great working displays are expected to bring $1,000-2,000 apiece. Also up for bid will be a grand selection of 3-reel slots by Mills, Jennings, Caille, and others accompanied by custom wood stands for elegant display with estimates ranging from $1,000-3,000. And for the game room aficionado who has it all, a great Evans gaming wheel with a reverse on glass horserace motif highlighted by nickel elements comes with a $3,500-4,000 estimate.

Music machines include a Regina 15” auto-changer in a phenomenal mahogany case featuring spiral columns, an intricate leaded glass front door, and a clock at the top. It descended through the family of the present consignor is now offered with a $30,000-35,000 estimate. And a German tabletop upright coin-op music box carries an estimate of $2,000-4,000.

The sale is rounded out by a medley of antique advertising and salesman samples. Soda advertising includes numerous wooden Kay displays such as a set of five panels with various WWII airplanes joined by their original blue and white striped rope that is expected to sell for $2,500-3,000. A lot of five Kay Displays entitled “Work Refreshed” focuses on the various facets of the American workforce and includes Agriculture, Education, Communication, Industry, and Science. The set comes with an estimate of $2,000-3,000.

Other soda pieces include a variety of Hires root beer advertisements as well as a massive Hires “Munimaker” marble syrup dispenser, recently consigned from the Phillip Morse collection. In great condition, it is hoped to be a money maker, and comes with a $3,000-5,000 estimate. Also popular among collectors of advertising are tobacco related pieces. And none are sought after more by the advanced collector than carved tobacconist figures depicting Native Americans that once stood outside smoke shops. Attributed to Robb, this forthcoming example features a proud chief with full headdress and is draped in a blanket. Nicely rendered, it carries an estimate of $8,000-12,000.

The very popular category of salesman samples will also be represented. Within this category, collectors are particularly interested in those of a mechanical nature in the field of construction or agriculture. Recent Julia auctions have uncovered various road graders and have realized strong prices. This time around will be an Adams Leaning Wheel road grader with its original leather carrying case. Featuring intricate gear mechanisms that smoothly adjust the height, angle, and pitch of the blade on the fly, it comes to the block with a $14,000-16,000 estimate. For the wintry months ahead, an outstanding wood and brass salesman sample horse drawn snow plow on runners with its original wooden carrying case comes with an estimate of $7,500-8,500. And a two-wheeled horse drawn cultivator is expected to sell for $2,000-4,000.

A deluxe full-color catalog for the auction will be available for $35 including Priority shipping and prices realized list after the sale. Free full-color, detailed, illustrated brochures are available by contacting the Julia offices. The catalog will also be available on Julia’s website at www.juliaauctions.com. Previews: November 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and November 20, 8 a.m.-10 a.m. at Julia’s auction facility in Fairfield, Maine on Rt. 201, Exit 133 off I-95. Auction commences at 10 a.m. on November 20. Experts and cataloguers Jay Lowe and Mike Caffarella will available the week of the sale for questions or consultation.

For more information about this and other exciting sales, contact Andrew Truman at 207-453-7125, by email: atruman@jamesdjulia.com, or visit Julia’s website at www.juliaauctions.com.

Posted: 10|3|08 at 7:45 pm. Filed under: Press Release.