October 1, 2024 - Auction Central News

Miller & Miller saw big results for tough-to-find vintage Canadian-market advertising

Red Indian Motor Oils sign, CA$55,000 ($40,520, or $49,840 with buyer's premium) at Miller & Miller.

NEW HAMBURG, Canada — Miller & Miller‘s September 7 Petroliana and Advertising sale brought several elite Canadian collections of vintage signage and related artifacts to market with strong results. The completed catalog is archived at LiveAuctioneers.

The sale’s top earner was a Red Indian Motor Oil sign dating to the 1920s. Miller & Miller notes the firm only used the ‘Best Motor Insurance’ slogan in very early signage. The 23.25-by-17.25in single-sided tin sign was presented with a CA$9,000-CA$12,000 ($6,600-$8,800) estimate, but it soared far beyond that range to land at CA$55,000 ($40,520, or $49,840 with buyer’s premium).

The beloved but late Canadian gasoline retailer White Rose had two strong performances. The first was a 24in-diameter White Rose Dealer porcelain sign and iron bracket estimated at CA$9,000-CA$12,000 ($6,600-$8,800) that hammered for CA$25,000 ($18,420, or $22,655 with buyer’s premium). The three-piece monumental dealer building sign took CA$23,000 ($16,945, or $20,840 with buyer’s premium).

As anticipated, bidders flocked to the Mountie-artwork Drewrys Dry Ginger Ale & Crystal Soda sign dating to the 1940s. It more than doubled its low estimate to hit CA$4,250 ($3,130, or $3,850 with buyer’s premium).

An unusual Orange Crush ‘Come Again, Thank You’ door push doubled its high estimate to hammer for CA$8,000 ($5,895, or $7,250 with buyer’s premium). Miller & Miller noted the orange artwork’s textured, orange-peel-like embossing was unique in its review of similar signs. The sign was also offered with the vintage Aurora airplane model kit box in which the door push was found.

Red Indian Motor Oils sign, CA$55,000 ($40,520, or $49,840 with buyer's premium) at Miller & Miller.

White Rose Dealer porcelain sign and iron bracket, CA$25,000 ($18,420, or $22,655 with buyer's premium) at Miller & Miller.

Drewrys Dry Ginger Ale & Crystal Soda 'Mountie' sign, CA$4,250 ($3,130, or $3,850 with buyer's premium) at Miller & Miller.

Orange Crush 'Come Again, Thank You' door push, CA$8,000 ($5,895, or $7,250 with buyer's premium) at Miller & Miller.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Chairs adorned with portraits of Presidents WH Harrison and Polk pique interest at Freeman’s Hindman October 9

Four Fancy Chairs of Political Interest from the late 19th century, estimate $8,000-$12,000 at Freeman's Hindman.

CINCINNATI, OH — Freeman’s Hindman has launched its latest catalog, titled Collect: American Furniture and Decorative Arts. Scheduled for Wednesday, October 9, the sale includes 284 lots of classic decor from the 18th and 19th centuries, documenting American history through how its inhabitants lived. Early bidding is now open at LiveAuctioneers.

Described by the auction house as ‘Four Fancy Chairs of Political Interest,’ the quartet are believed to be from the Ohio Valley and date to the third quarter of the 19th century. Each cane-bottomed chair is painted yellow with gilt highlights and the crest rails feature a portrait of a political figure. They include Isaac Shelby (1750-1826), George Wythe (1726-1806), and presidents William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and James K. Polk (1795-1849).

Freeman’s Hindman believes the four chairs are from a larger set, though they note such a grouping has yet to be recorded. The set is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.

Three of the four — Shelby, Harrison, and Polk — rose to prominence in Kentucky, Indiana Territory, and Tennessee, respectively, serving as governors of each state. Harrison and Polk would go on to serve as the ninth and eleventh Presidents of the United States. Wythe, a lawyer and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, lived his entire life in Virginia and mentored Thomas Jefferson, Henry Clay, and other notables from US history.

Also of interest is the occupational shaving mug once belonging to Vito Strammello, an oyster shucker. On the custom-decorated mug, Strammello is depicted standing at a counter removing oysters from their shells, surrounded by mignonette sauce and other vinaigrettes. Dating to the late 19th or early 20th century, the 3.75in tall mug is estimated at $600-$800.

Four Fancy Chairs of Political Interest from the late 19th century, estimate $8,000-$12,000 at Freeman's Hindman.

Details of four Fancy Chairs of Political Interest from the late 19th century, estimate $8,000-$12,000 at Freeman's Hindman.

Oyster shucker Vito Strammello's occupational shaving mug, estimate $600-$800 at Freeman's Hindman.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Rolling Stones posters rank among rock royalty

A band-signed Rolling Stones 1972 American Tour poster sold for $9,500 in April 2022. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — For six decades, the Rolling Stones has been a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Few other bands can match its longevity, dating back to its founding in 1962, or its track record, with 31 studio and 13 live albums under its belt.

Having performed more than 2,000 shows, the Rolling Stones toured North America in 2024 in support of its first album since 2005. Live concerts must, in turn, be supported by advertising in the form of concert posters, which present fans with a magnificent opportunity to capture in visuals the experience of the music they love so much.

Collectors of Rolling Stones concert posters have many to choose from, ranging from straightforward designs with a large photo of the band to vibrantly colored psychedelic posters. Rolling Stones posters often feature the band’s famous tongue and lips motif, thought to be the most famous music logo ever.

Concert posters have long been a burgeoning collecting field, but perhaps never more so than now.

“The market has been experiencing a boon in sales prices over the last few years. This is especially true for the baby boomer favorites, with people in that age group remaining very fond of their younger years, their favorite bands, and the best and rarest concert posters,” said Pete Howard, director of concert posters at Heritage Auctions, based in Dallas, Texas. “Those who are financially secure also have disposable income and perhaps a ‘What the hey’ attitude when it comes to spending lavishly on a great concert poster, largely due to the stock market and real estate prices being so healthy and climbing for such a long stretch now.”

Rolling Stones posters are collectible across all decades of performing. A No Filter tour concept poster for a show in Los Angeles in October 2021 realized its high estimate of $800 in April 2022. Image courtesy of Teddies’ Collectables and LiveAuctioneers.

As an evergreen act still touring, the Rolling Stones are very strong in the concert poster market. “Heritage recently set a world record for any Stones concert poster ever sold,” Howard said, adding, “As far as anyone knows, that was more than twice as much as any Stones concert poster had ever sold for — publicly or privately.”

That poster was for the band’s performance at the Altamont Festival Speedway in Livermore, California on December 6, 1969, which was infamously marred by three accidental deaths as well as the killing of attendee Meredith Hunter by a member of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club, who the band had hired to provide security at the event. The poster attained $93,750, including the buyer’s premium.

The poster design itself is fine but fairly tame, featuring a photograph of the whole band. The version sold at Heritage was in orange; others were yellow or green. As is often the case with concert posters, however, events that happened close to or during the show affected its value at auction.

Leaving its $500-$700 estimate in the dust, this Rolling Stones concert poster for a show in April 1965 in Montreal marked the band’s Canadian tour debut. The poster earned $10,005 including the buyer’s premium in June 2020. Image courtesy of RR Auction and LiveAuctioneers.

A band’s concert debut can also encourage strong prices for the related posters, which held true for a Stones concert poster for its first shows in Canada in April 1965. A poster for a concert held at the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal on April 23, 1965, centered by a large image of the band posing with instruments, sold for $10,005 including the buyer’s premium at RR Auction in June 2020.

Posters from the band’s earlier decades are harder to find, as they were not printed in runs of millions and are of high interest to those who attended the concerts. However, younger buyers coming into the field are also creating demand. “Being one of the most important rock bands of the last 60 years, there has always been a strong market for Rolling Stones concert posters, particularly for early rare examples from the 1960s,” said Giles Moon, head of music at Julien’s Auctions in Gardena, California. “There has been a significant rise in prices, particularly in the last five years. This includes the more modern posters from the 70s and 80s — possibly due to a younger demographic buying for nostalgic reasons from that period.”

The sweet spot for Stones poster collectors seems to be the 1960s to 1980s. “There’s no question that generally, the older a Rolling Stones concert poster gets, the more valuable it is. Original Stones posters from the 1960s are of high value for a number of reasons,” Howard said. “First of all, they were the band’s peak years for hit singles. Second, relatively few advertising posters were made back then. There was no secondary or collectors’ market for them at all, and therefore 99 percent of them were thrown away after the shows.”

Details of a band-signed Rolling Stones 1972 American Tour poster that sold for $9,500 in April 2022. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

More Rolling Stones concert posters were printed in the 1970s, making examples from that decade and later less scarce, Howard said, adding, “However, they were still churning out major product, such as the Exile on Main St. and Some Girls albums, and having hits like Tumbling Dice and Miss You, so they were still highly relevant. Nostalgia for the ’70s is strong, so their posters continue to have a decent market.”

Moving away from the psychedelic colors that dominated poster design in the 1960s is a band-signed poster made to promote its American tour in 1972, instead of a specific concert. It sports a streamlined modern design and depicts a plane with the band’s logo on its tail, floating near New York City skyscrapers. The poster sold for $9,500 plus the buyer’s premium in April 2022 at Heritage Auctions.

Another interesting example from the 1970s is a 1978 concert poster for the band’s show at the Superdome New Orleans on July 13 of that year. Picturing only Mick Jagger instead of the whole band, the poster took $850 plus the buyer’s premium in August 2020 at Stephenson’s Auction.

A concert poster for a Rolling Stones show at the Superdome in New Orleans on July 13, 1978 took $850 plus the buyer’s premium in August 2020. Image courtesy of Stephenson’s Auction and LiveAuctioneers.

Contemporary artists have found inspiration in rock music. Jeff Koons’ passion for the Rolling Stones moved him to draw upon poster art from the band’s 2003 poster for shows in London to create a limited edition lithograph. A low-editioned copy of that print, number 49 of 10,000, which was signed by Koons and members of the Rolling Stones, earned $2,500 plus the buyer’s premium in November 2023 at Julien’s Auctions.

In the same sale, the house also offered a band-signed example of the 2003 poster that Koons referenced in his print. It landed near the low end of it $2,000-$4,000 estimate to realize $2,250 plus the buyer’s premium — a little less than the Koons print. If it hadn’t been signed by the Stones, it might have gone for less.

A band-signed poster for Rolling Stones concerts in London in 2003 and a limited edition Jeff Koons print that drew upon its imagery were among the 13 Rolling Stones-related lots offered in a November 2023 auction at Julien’s. The print, signed by Koons and members of the Stones, brought $2,500 plus the buyer’s premium, while the band-signed poster made $2,250 plus the buyer’s premium. Images courtesy of Julien’s Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

“Being a relatively modern poster, unsigned, it has modest value, a few hundred dollars. The signatures make it much more desirable,” Moon said. “It makes it appealing to an autograph collector, as well as a poster collector, hence its auction value.”

Speaking of the enduring popularity of posters advertising the legendary band, Moon said, “The Rolling Stones are one of the most popular and influential rock bands of the past 60 years, which means that they have a huge fan base. Their posters appeal to collectors on a number of levels — as an investment, as a nostalgic collector’s item, or purely as a fantastic artwork to hang on the wall.”

Andrea Valluzzo

Andrea Valluzzo is an award-winning journalist who has worked for media publications for more than 20 years. Today, she enjoys writing about antiques, collectibles, art and the art of collecting. Based in Connecticut, she's also an avid scrapbooker who loves Broadway shows.