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News Article  
Boat motors, fishing gear and guns at Merritt sale
By Barb Van Loo

GREENVILLE, Mich. — Recent auctions by Doug Merritt, Merritt Auctions, Inc., featured consignment items from several consignors as well as one which was a single-owner consignment. This provided him with the opportunity to present items to appeal to the interest or taste of a variety of bidders.

Items included everything from those useful items which one can put to use immediate as well as those which are desired by collectors, sportsmen and others.

For the sportsman there were boat motors, fishing gear, and guns. For collectors there were items in many genres including clocks, toys, advertising items, lamps, signs and collectibles of other genres.

From 1960, there was a battery-operated Bandai Volkswagen bus, complete with its driver, which was in mint condition. It had, in fact, been stored in its original box for many years. The first time it had been taken out of the box was for the purpose of taking a picture of it for the catalog. The bidding for this piece ended up in a price duel between an Internet bidder and a telephone bidder. The final selling price for this piece from history was $600.

Another older toy was a Hubley motorcycle with its sidecar. This piece was from 1934 to 1941 and crossed the block for $275. Another older sought-after piece was a metal mechanical Ferris wheel with its original box. This piece was by J. Chein & Co. and sold for $250. A battery-operated Porsche made by Schuco in 1970 was still in its original box and sold for $130, while battery-operated toy outboard motors sold for $110 and $160.

Tonka items included: an airlines tractor with its baggage cart, $100; a livestock semi with a wood-bottom trailer, $160; and other trucks of various descriptions.

Buddy L items include a woody station wagon with spring suspension that saw a final bid of $260; a Gulf Pride service truck and a Wrigley’s truck, both of which earned $90. There were also several toy trucks made by Structo, Nylint and other manufacturers from which toy truck fanciers could add to their collections.

For collectors of antique advertising, there was a variety to be found. A folding seed case from the Nebraska Seed Co. was a popular item and sold for $300; and a porcelain Prestone antifreeze thermometer from the 1950s saw a final bid of $275. A neon advertising clock for Buick sold for $650; and from 1926, an RCA Radiotron advertising doll, “The Selling Fool,” which had been designed by Maxfield Parrish and made by the Cameo Doll Co., crossed the block for $425. This piece was one that was used in a dealer’s shop. It had slits in its hands to hold a card that would tell of specials or prices of a radio that was positioned near the doll.

As is usually the case, firearms continued to be popular. A Winchester Model 1886 .45-90, made in 1896, was sought-after by bidders and sold for $4,250. Other Winchesters included: a Model 1892 .44-40 takedown that sold for $2,250; a Model 1894 .30 that sold for $1,200; and a .30-30 Centennial that crossed the block for $650. A Winchester Model 1400 12 gauge sold for $400; a Model 70 .30-06 bolt-action with a scope earned $425; and a Model 1892 .32-20 crossed the block for $1,200.

Other guns included: an Anschutz Model .54-22 L.R. with an Unertl scope that sold for $2,500; a Marlin Ballard .38-55 that earned $2,600; and a Remington Model 1187 12 gauge that saw a final bid of $375. A Stevens Model 77 BC 12 gauge sold for $180; and a Western Field M550CR 20 gauge earned a final bid of $140.

For the fisherman (or woman) there was a fully restored Chris-Craft Commander racing motor from 1950-1953 that came with its stand that sold for $500; and a slightly older one from1949-1953 that was also fully restored that earned a final bid of $450. Decoys included one from the Paw Paw Bait Co. that sold for $250; and a vintage Oscar Peterson ice decoy that saw $350.

KA-BAR knives are desirable, and their dog head knives are wanted the most. Two of these were available at this sale. One was an early knife from the Western states and earned $470; the other was a single-blade knife and saw $420.

Signs, especially early ones, always seem to find interested bidders. A Mobil Pegasus neon sign which was working, sold for $850; and a porcelain on metal Valvoline sign earned $160. An interesting sign from Kohler Aviation of Grand Rapids, Mich. from the 1930s promoted air travel from Detroit to Grand Rapids, Minneapolis and the Northwest. This company made that route four times per day year-round. This piece of history sold for $180.

There were several other items to tempt the collector. Among them were: a Bradley and Hubbard electric lamp with a leaded slag shade that sold for $350; and a hanging kerosene lamp with a hand-painted adjustable shade with prisms that found a new home for $150.

An old, 13-inch brass railroad bell in good condition sold for $375; and, a piece with a little less hard sound, a Jacots 10-song music box from 1886 earned $550.

License plate collectors had their choice of car license plates or ones for a motorcycle. All were from Michigan. A car license plate from 1916 earned $90, and one from 1921 saw $60. Motorcycle plates included one from 1949 that sold for $120 while one from 1953 crossed the block for $170.

The Snellen chart for measuring visual acuity was developed by Herman Snellen in 1862 and from the 1800s there was a Snellen eye chart on milk glass presented that sold for $260. An Art Deco glass string holder in the form of a devil found a final bid of $210.

Other interesting items included: an early 20-inch hand-hammered copper apple butter kettle that sold for $140; a four-way electric railroad switch lamp that earned $130; and an official fire-making kit from the Boy Scouts of America in its original box that sold for $75.

A hurdy-gurdy is a rather odd instrument. It resembles and organ grinder and is played by turning a crank and pressing buttons to play the notes. The one presented at this auction was a Verbena or Spanish hurdy-gurdy and sold for $200.

From 1969 there was an original poster for the Jimi Hendrix Experience concert in Stuttgart, Germany, which sold for $375.

Examples of other items included: an early English fusee key-wind wall clock that sold for $300; a Sony ham radio that earned $160; a wood-cased apothecary or gold scale that saw $245; and a Texaco Fire Chief replica gas pump that crossed the block for $525.

All prices quoted are the hammer price and do not include the buyer’s premium.

For additional information, contact the auctioneer by phone at (616) 754-9437; by email at merrittauctions@sbcglobal.net or visit www.merrittauctionservice.com.

7/5/2013