The auction will be conducted by Matthews Auctions at the Clarion Hotel in Davenport, Ia.
(DAVENPORT, Ia.) – A single-owner lifetime collection of motorcycle memorabilia – much of it Harley-Davidson and to include vintage clothing, posters, accessories, parts, signs and even three operational Servi-Car three-wheelers – will be sold at an auction on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, 5202 Brady Street in Davenport, at 10 a.m. (CST).
The auction will be conducted by Matthews Auctions, LLC, based in Nokomis, Ill. In addition to the motorcycle items, the sale will also feature nearly 100 examples of porcelain and painted petroliana, automobilia and antique advertising signs. For those unable to attend, Internet bidding will be facilitated by Proxibid.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.
The three three-wheelers – or “trikes” as they’re called – are from the mid-1900s (two are circa 1950s; the other was made in 1965). They are Servi-Cars, three-wheelers often used by the police, or owned as novelty vehicles by the general public. All three are operational and could conceivably be driven off the auction site. They are expected to gavel for $7,000-$15,000 each.
Harley-Davidson signs will feature a vintage cardboard sign, framed, made circa 1915 and reading “J.D. Dickerson, Rural Home” (est. $4,000-$5,000); a Sales-Service single-sided embossed tin sign (“Leo N. Herrick, Rochester, N.Y.”), with bar-and-shield logo, circa ’20s/’30s (est. $3,000-$4,000); and a Sales-Service double-sided metal flange sign (est. $4,000-$5,000).
Accessories (all circa 1930s-‘50s) will include a rare Harley-Davidson mini wind sock (est. $3,000-$4,000); a Harley-Davidson metal bottle opener and spinner, in the form of a man on a motorcycle (est. $750-$1,000); a combination motorcycle grip and cigarette lighter (est. $1,000-$1,200); a Harley-Davidson pocket knife (est. $300-$500); and a brass fender mount fixture of a spread-wing eagle with Harley-Davidson bar-and-shield logo (est. $1,500-$2,000).
A great selection of 50-70 vintage motorcycle clothing items will be offered, for prices expected to bring $300 and up. These include an Atlanta Motorcycle Club jacket with Antique Motorcycles of America (AMA) patch; a Twin States Ramblers child’s leather jacket; and a full uniform, complete with pins, insignias and a cap stitched with the words “Road Kings” on it.
A group of felt pennants will also come up for bid and should fetch $1,500-$2,000 each. These will include ones for the A.M.A. Motorcycle Gypsy Tour (Belknap Mt. Area, Laconia, Gilford, N.H.); the Old Orchard Beach Maine Gypsy Tour (N.E. Champ Races, 1940); Indian Motorcycles (Hendee Mfg. Co., Springfield, Mass., with graphic of a smiling Indian); and Indian Motorcycles (Walter Goerke, Newark, N.J.), this one with a depiction of a stern-faced Indian.
A collection of vintage Harley-Davidson and Indian one-quart oil cans should hammer for around $200-$700 per can, while 30-40 other lots of oil cans and accessories will also cross the auction block. Also sold will be after-market accessories (all pertaining to Buco), such as Buco leather motorcycle gloves, Buco motorcycle goggles and after-market accessory catalogs.
Also sold will be an after-market stop light with traffic cop and American flag graphic, for car or motorcycle mounting, about 8 inches in diameter (est. $1,000-$1,500); a very retro and colorful space-ship design hood ornament for car or motorcycle, metal, made in the 1940s or ‘50s (est. $1,000-$1,500); and a genuine 1907 bicycle used for mail delivery RFD (Rural Free Delivery) in Carlisle, Pa. The bike, with wooden rims, is expected to hammer for $2,000-$4,000.
Petroliana signs will feature a group of Signal Gasoline single-sided porcelain pump plate signs, all about 12 inches in diameter and all expected to bring $1,200-$2,000 each; a William Penn Motor Oils (Permit No. 29) double-sided porcelain sign (“100% Pure Pennsylvania Oil”), 24 inches in diameter (est. $5,000-$7,000); an En-ar-co Motor Oil (“White Rose Gasoline”) single-sided round porcelain sign, with graphic of a man in short checkered pants (est. $2,000-$3,000); and a Husky Hi-Power single-sided porcelain sign with dog image (est. $5,000-$6,000).
Advertising signs will include a Ben-Hur Grocer double-sided porcelain sign (“Full Line Agency – The Sign of a Dependable Grocer”), with graphics of Ben-Hur coffee, tea and other products (est. $7,000-$10,000); and a Povely (“Baby First Best Milk”) single-sided porcelain sign with image of a baby clutching a bottle and smiling (est. $5,000-$7,000). Also sold will be a group of black memorabilia cast-iron banks, all circa 1880-1920, by J. & E. Stevens and others.
The Clarion Hotel & Convention Center is located at 5202 Brady Street in Davenport, Ia. Matthews Auctions has secured a special discounted rate for those attending the auction. To get the special rate, you may call the hotel directly, at (563) 391-1230 and mention the Matthews Auctions group block of rooms. The discounted rate will apply only to a limited block of rooms.
Dan Matthews has written a book about petroliana, titled The Fine Art of Collecting Petroliana. For information on how to order a copy, please log on to the Matthews Auctions, LLC website, at www.matthewsauctions.com. For more information about Matthews Auctions, LLC, and the upcoming Aug. 28 auction in Iowa, please log on to www.matthewsauctions.com