Josh Levine
- Nov 19, 2020
- 5 min read

Orange You Glad?

Updated: Nov 20, 2020

Here we go….it’s that time of the week for Last Week at the Auction...America's Favorite Top 10 List of Auction Results from around the globe as hand selected by me, Josh Levine, your host and guide to the world of auctions. This is Episode 4 of Season 3....and officially The Hottest You Tube Series and Social Media Sensation in the world....

Okay, the auction world....

This post features real auction results from real auction houses and with that comes some valuable insight to just what’s going on in the secondary market. So if you are a reseller, downsizing an estate, thinking of selling a collection or just like antiques and collectibles, I have a feeling, you just might learn something.

And what do I always say...

Nothing is more interesting than the Auction World...not even some men’s Fashion Choices in the 1970s.

So, in the end, if you are fan of lists and fun facts like this, Subscribe Below…okay? Let’s just get started....it’s LAST WEEK AT THE AUCTION.

Crackers !

We start off things with #10. A 19th Century Cast Iron Squirrel Nutcracker that brought $700 at Hartzells. True period cast iron collectibles are still commanding top dollar. Nut crackers…door stops, banks and toys are still highly sought after and are always a hit at today’s top auctions.

Orange You Glad

#9 is a rare “Smile Brand” Orange Soda Tin Sign that did $1600 at Dirk Soulis. I love me a good tin litho advertising sign, but with prices like these, I won’t be a collector anytime soon. But if I find one at an estate sale or consignment shop, I will be a seller, that’s for sure.

Sew What

Alright, the next one is one of those sleeper genres I like to tell you all about. #8 is a silver chatelaine with a Queen-stitch pin ball that sold for $2200 at Freemans. Sewing collectibles seem to be a secret, in the know, kind of collectible. Figural celluloid tape measures, thimbles, pin cushions, sewing baskets, needle case and so on, can all command hundreds and some, even 1000s of dollars. Did you know to look for those….if not, I hope you bone up on this little know genre. There is money in those old drawers.

A Great Reference Book

Worth a Mint

#7 is a classic 1904 San Francisco $1 Morgan Silver Dollar that brought $5000 at 1 Great Auction. Again, gotta know your dates and mint marks, especially in those Morgan silver dollars. With only 2.3 million minted that year at the San Fran mint, that makes it today rare, and a key date.

PS - I have a little cheat sheet I made up to help me when reviewing any coin collections. I’d be happy to send it to you…just drop me an email or leave me a comment.

Shocking...

Okay #6 is a 1 Cent Electric Treatment Machine by the 1908 Mills Novelty Co that did $8500 at Morphys. It’s slogan kills me…“Take a Shock and Look Pleasant…” I love Quack medicine stuff and some of the devices produced in the 19th and early 20th century might have just been right up Darwins Alley. How we have survived ourselves, this long is often amazing. But there’s time…

There were even home electroshock therapy kits.

“Honey, you seem to be having a bad day….i got an idea…hold these two wires, would ya.”

Camo Baby

So what’s next…..i followed this one all week. #5 is a WW2 US Army Helmet that crushed !!! $9500 at Matthew Bullock Auctioneers. It was a rare variant, still had it’s liner and original camo paint. Extremely rare to find in this condition. Military Collectibles are hot. Rare examples, in excellent condition can have exponential value when sold at auction. Congrats Matt !

Not Peanuts!

Let’s go back to Morphys for #4 and the 1c / 5c HE Winters RED STAR Peanut Vending Machine that did $18,000…that’s a lot of peanuts. This version, circa 1904 is rare, as it had a new system that gave you “more turns or rotations for your money.” A penny one turn, and nickel….5….pretty cool and apparently very advanced for 1904.

You see the kind of money collectors are willing to pay for exceptional versions of rare coin ops?

Spider Cents

#3 is The Amazing Fantasy #15 Comic brought approx. $18,000 American Dollars when converted from Canadian Dollars. This sold at Canuck Auctions and was right on the money. The blue book money.

You see, it was graded 3.5 which is not the best of conditions, but being the first appearance of The Spiderman, it’s a comic everyone wants and just to show you, grading matters, a 9.0 sold for $415,000 in March of 2018….

Auction Magic

Okay… This one is magic…#2 is the Hofzinser “Any-Card Called For” Magic Card Rise Box that sold for $39,000 at Potter & Potter. An auction company that has quite the unique specialty. Magic !

Their website says they specialize in the sale of collectibles and antiques of all types, and I am sure they do, but if you have magic to sell, these are the guys for sure. You would be amazed with their incredible finds and realized prices in this subculture genre. So cool.

Pow Wow

Are you ready for it….#1 is Fritz Scholders’ Indian Messiah Painting just brought $150,000 at Hindman. I believe if it’s not a record for one of his works at auction, it’s pretty close. A teacher in Sante Fe in the late 1960s, Fritz Scholder influenced a generation of Native American Students with his blend of Post Modern with an almost Pop Art execution. Quite a unique guy too. Check out his bio and other works out there on the web. It’s nice to know his work is appreciated and might be on the way up with those art elites and household names sometime soon.

And now you know what happened, Last Week at the Auction!

Ask Josh Anything

And it’s time for this weeks "viewer email"...This week's question comes from Mr. Webber from Payson AZ

Who asks “Do you plan on ever doing a live show or on location?”

Yes, funny you ask as I have been in talks with several auction houses about doing just that. Live from one of the “featured items” and doing the rest of the show from their place. Looking forward to it and hope to be coming real soon.

Thank you for asking…

And thank you everyone. Don’t forget you can email me: josh@joshlevinespeaks.com Feel free to ask me any, and all questions…

And quick…before I go, if you enjoyed the show, Subscribe Below! Thumbs Up and Leave Comment.

Check out all the great auction houses from today’s show, support your local auctioneers. And, special thanks to the Lucky Odds out of San Antonio Texas, for providing me their hit song, Whiplash, check them out at theluckyodds.com….Support Your Local Artists and Musicians.

I’ll see you next week...or…………….Last Week at the Auction!

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