Wurlitzer jukebox on stand tops charts at two-day Miller & Miller sale

IN PROGRESS

NEW HAMBURG, Canada – A Wurlitzer Model 71 tabletop jukebox on a stand, made in America circa 1940-1941, sold for $14,750 on the second of two days of online-only auctions held June 9 and June 10 by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. The June 9 auction was dedicated entirely to toys and grossed $141,541 (Canadian); the June 10 sale featured petroliana, advertising and coin-ops and grossed $531,531 (Canadian). Absentee and Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers. All prices quoted are in Canadian dollars.

The Wurlitzer Model 71 tabletop jukebox on a stand was the overall top lot of both days. It was a mechanically functioning and nicely restored example with original toned catalin inserts and a refinished case and trim. It sat on a restored original Wurlitzer model 810 stand. The wood base was painted with designs that simulated mixed wood inlays.

The top two lots of the June 9 toys auction were a Marx Indian motorcycle with sidecar, made in America in 1940 and boasting original lithographed tin, which brought $2,950; and a Canadian 1950s Lincoln Trans-Canada Air Lines pressed tin model airplane with four propellers, rubber landing gear and T.C.A. decals, which realized $2,950.

A Canadian circa-1900 Kuntz Park Brewery Waterloo factory scene beer tray in lithographed tin, with vibrant colors and a rare factory scene, made $12,980; while an 1890s Kuntz Park Brewery lithographed tin Lager sign with a factory scene, embossed lettering and design, also from Waterloo, Ontario, earned $12,980.

An American Globe Amusement Lighthouse grip strength tester from 1924, featuring lights and a horn that sounded when the player reached the top level of the game, went for $12,980. Also, an American Caille Brothers 5-cent Olympia Puncher strength tester dating to the 1910s, fashioned from cast iron with nickel-plated trim and a painted top sign, rose to $8,850.

A monumental single-sided porcelain building sign made in Canada in 1935 that read “Drink Coca-Cola, Delicious and Refreshing,” reached $9,440. Also, a 1900s Quebec Frontenac Brewery Buccaneer porcelain corner sign made to be mounted to a corner of a building and showing excellent gloss, found a new home for $10,030.

The toys auction featured treasures from old collections, among them toys from the 1920s to the 1950s; early tin windups from Germany and France; tin windup character toys from America; hard-to-find Canadian tin, pressed steel and cast-iron toys; and Japanese friction and battery-op toys. Toy makers included Lehmann, Hess, Bing, Doll, Fernand Martin, Carette, Meccano, Bandai, Yonezawa, Schuco, Lincoln and Marx.

The session’s expected top lot was a 1920 American pre-World War I-style Samuel Orkin USS New Mexico toy battleship, the largest one made, a survivor made from pressed steel and wood and presented in a glass display case. It sold for $2,124, but it was bested by a German World War I Marklin U-Boat submarine with pressed tin plate and featuring adjustable diving planes, which floated to $2,242. Both toys were tested and were working.

A uniquely designed circa-1880-1900 Church architectural cast iron still bank, maker unknown, possibly English, went to a determined bidder for $2,655. Also, a German pre-World War I-era Fleischmann pressed tinplate toy battleship, reading “GERMANY” on the stern, with a replaced key, lifeboat and flags but otherwise excellent, hit $2,124.

To consign a single piece, an estate or a collection, call Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. at 519-573-3710, or email info@millerandmillerauctions.com. To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., please visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com.

 

Click to view top auction results on LiveAuctioneers: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/