Old and new, useful and whimsical are just a few of the many adjectives that described the items assembled by Brian Collum and Norris Spainhower at a recent auction at the Monroe Auction Gallery. Pieces that encompassed many genres were available to buyers, and bids were competitive and plenty.

The first order of business at the auction, however, was to sing “Happy Birthday” to Norris Spainhower, in celebration of his 81 years of life. He has been an auctioneer for many of these years, and his enthusiasm when calling bids is infectious.

In an effort to present items that would appeal to everyone’s taste, the items were presented in random order. One of the first of these items to cross the block was a Bradley and Hubbard cast iron “belly” clock dated July, 1857 – this one a caricature of a jolly man with the clock in his belly. This sold for $105.

A large oil on canvas by A. Filger entitled The Big Battle was bid on by many and found a final price of $1,100. This piece was 63 inches high by 51 inches wide and was framed in an ornate frame.

An oil on canvas recreation of Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night sold for $125. This piece, painted when Van Gogh was in a sanitarium and depicted how he saw the night sky from his room, was one of Van Gogh’s most renowned paintings. Another oil on canvas was a recreation of Van Gogh’s Irises and this crossed the block for $200.

An oil on canvas recreation of Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party by R. Fostelly was presented and sold for $400.

One of the most intriguing items presented was a pirate figure. On display, he had his knife in his mouth and was hanging suspended on a rope from the ceiling, perhaps to emulate a pirate climbing down the rigging on a pirate ship.

A marble statue of “Mad Anthony” Wayne, one of the heroes of the Revolutionary War, resplendent in his uniform and with his sword at his side was another of the statues presented at this auction. This piece came from Ohio where it had stood outside a store there. The final bid for this piece was $1,300.

Other marble statues included a white carrera marble statue, possibly of a Greek goddess, saw a final bid of $300 and a rouge marble statue of a small boy under a grapevine with a basket of grapes at his side sold for $300.

Contrasting this very modern piece there was a carved wood Oriental Buddha-like figure with its original paint and patina that sold for $150.

Whether for display or for everyday use, cast iron items proved to be popular. Items for the garden included: a pair of cast iron urn/flowerboxes which sold for $160; a cast iron angel to watch over the garden that earned $250; and a two-piece cast iron urn that crossed the block for $185. A cast iron, three-tier seven-foot tall fountain for the yard or garden sold for $200.

A trio of cast iron figures that looked very much like some type of English guards which could probably be used to guard the garden earned $135 each.

When the first of the several cast iron garden benches came to the block, Norris Spainhower remarked, “Nobody’s going to steal it and it will last forever.” This one sold for $185 with another selling for $250. A two-sided cast iron railroad bench crossed the block for $350.

A small cast iron eagle sold for $80 while a large cast iron eagle that would need a lot of room earned $600.

Lamps seem to generate interest in a bidding crowd, and such was true at this auction.

A tulip lamp sold for $250; a solid bronze lamp with a figural base earned $225; and one with an octagon-shape stained glass shade sold for $150.

A lamp with a figural bear base and a stained glass shade sold for $190; a Tiffany-style dragonfly lamp with a solid bronze base earned $425; and a similar floor lamp earned $475.

Among the furniture pieces presented, a wardrobe from the early 1900s sold for $190; a red mahogany drop-leaf Chippendale-style card table with carving earned $150; and a large teak bench crossed the block for $195.

A fern stand with carving and a marble top sold for $60; a Mission-design walnut table earned $75.

Several pieces of root-wood furniture crossed the block with a table selling for $75, and two root wood bookcases that earned $90 and $175.

Other furniture pieces included a Dearborn rocker with a carved back that sold for $100; a stand with a porcelain sink and a black marble backsplash that earned $100; and a Mission-style sofa that crossed the block for $300.

Other items to cross the block included a marble chess table complete with marble queens and rooks for $275; a mantel for over the fireplace that saw $135; and a three-panel Tiffany-style screen that earned $625.

A large Capodimonte centerpiece with cherubs and angels was declared sold at $225; a crystal chandelier in a brass frame earned $250; and a large ship model, The Belem, (The Belem was built in 1896 and is moored in Belgium,) saw a final bid of $185.

A Lionel Southern diesel freight train set in its box sold for $110; a coin-operated Skittles table, manufactured by Brunswick, from 1933, earned $220; and a carved wall mural that depicted a man on a horse crossed the block for $100.

A set of state quarters (except for the ones from 2008,) which had been gold-plated earned $110; a hand-painted carousel horse earned $150; and a Majolica planter or plant stand sold for $110.

For the person who wants to fish in the surf there was a bamboo surf-fishing rod from 1963 that sold for $95; a mahogany cheval mirror earned $165; and a large mirror in an ornate gilt frame saw a final bid of $165.

Purported to have come from a ranch outside of Las Vegas an ornate gold-gilded clock with cherubs found a winning bid of $300; a gilt two-tier table saw $85; and a leather office chair earned $100.

There were also many other mirrors, vases, glassware pieces, and paintings that crossed the block at this auction. From the interesting to the useful, from the unusual to the items that were more “ordinary,” this was a very interesting auction.

Brian Collum and Norris Spainhower took turns presiding on the auction block during this interesting event.

For information on upcoming auctions, or on the services provided by the Monroe Auction Gallery, you can contact them at (732) 241-7820. Also, watch for their ads in the Auction Exchange and Collectors News for upcoming auctions.