The expected star lot of the auction is this 1970 Pontiac GTO (‘The Judge’), in original condition. Tim’s Inc. Auctions.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding on the more than 1,000 lots. The sale will be comparable in size to Tim’s Inc. Auction’s last Cabin Fever Auction held in March. And, said Tim Chapulis, the firm’s owner, there are similarities between the two sales.
“We’ve got so much wonderful estate merchandise packed into one day, just like Cabin Fever, all of it drawn from local estates and collections,” Chapulis said, He mentioned a bank-sealed bag of fine silver coins with a face value of $1,000, that will be sold as one lot.
Chapulis said it took 12 hours and 15 minutes to sell everything in Cabin Fever. “This will be the same thing,” he said, “a marathon – it might go till midnight, maybe 1 o’clock in the morning. We’ll be selling wonderful merchandise until it’s all gone.” There are six major estates being liquidated.
To borrow a line from Sammy Davis Jr. on TV’s Laugh-In, “Here comes the judge!” The probable headliner of the auction will be the 1970 Pontiac GTO (“The Judge”), in part because it is a desirable muscle car from the era and in part because of its impeccable provenance. The car is from the original owner, who purchased it new in West Hartford for $4,400 in 1969. The light green “Pon-Pon,” with a dark green top, has been stored and garaged for the past 34-plus years.
Features of the car include matching VIN numbers, Hurst four-speed transmission, a 400-cubic-inch engine (rated at 366 horsepower) and Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor. The interior is all-original. “We’re offering the car in as-found condition, but the fact is it’s been stored in a nice dry garage for years,” Chapulis said. “We’ve estimated it will sell for $15,000-$25,000.”
Chapulis described the massive single-owner stamp collection as “one of the largest and most important collections we’ve ever sold,” adding, “It will probably end up being 200 lots or so, and it will appeal to just about any collector, with great U.S. and international examples.”
The coins, too, are certain to spark fierce bidding for two reasons: many are highly collectible and the silver and gold content makes them desirable for the sheer weight alone. The aforementioned bag of silver coins has an estimated market value of around $25,000 Chapulis said it would fetch $15,000-$25,000. And the gold coins, of course, will get paddles waving.
Nearly 100 gold coins will come under the gavel, to include half-ounce Panda gold coins from 1983. In all, around 800 lots of coins will be sold, among them 29 sets of silver Chinese 5-yuan coins, each set honoring Chinese nobility. Many U.S. coins will also be sold. “What better way to invest in America than by buying U.S. coins with genuine history?” asked Mr. Chapulis.
Estate jewelry will feature four diamond rings, all with stones of one carat or more, other rings, pocket watches and vintage jewelry pieces, to include ladies’ bracelets and a stunning 18kt gold necklace with a weight of 2.5 troy ounces. Also sold will be pillar-and-scroll clocks by Eli Terry and other Connecticut makers, a gorgeous hand-carved gold gilt carved spread eagle made by a Boston carver in the early 1900s and saying “Live Free or Die,” Oriental carpets and more.
Artwork will include paintings by noted, listed artists, and much of it will be housed in beautiful gold gilt frames. Examples include an antique oil painting by Belgian artist Charles P. Ceradano (1829-1909), titled Shepherdess and Sheep; an oil on canvas seascape by Addison Thomas Millar (American, 1850-1913); a 19th century oil on canvas landscape rendering by William Berry; and an oil on board landscape done circa 1930s by the noted German artist Max Heichele.
The auction will begin promptly at noon EDT. Admittance to the auction will be a suggested $10 donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in memory of Peter W. Chapulis, Tim’s late father.
“The outpour of support for this effort has been tremendous,” Tim said. “Many people have given more than we asked. To date this year, we’ve raised over $49,000 for the charity. The goal is to reach $50,000, which will coincide with St. Jude’s 50th anniversary.”
Tim’s Inc. Auctions is celebrating 33 years in business. The firm is always accepting quality consignments. Call Tim Chapulis at (860) 459-0964, or e-mail him at tims.inc@snet.net.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
The expected star lot of the auction is this 1970 Pontiac GTO (‘The Judge’), in original condition. Tim’s Inc. Auctions. Gorgeous hand-carved gold gilt carved spread eagle, made by a Boston carver in the early 1900s. Tim’s Inc. Auctions. This beautiful and highly collectible 1924 gold coin is one of hundreds of gold and silver coins to be sold. Tim’s Inc. Auctions. Pillar-and-scroll clock by Connecticut clockmaker Eli Terry, one of several vintage clocks in the sale. Tim’s Inc. Auctions. One of 29 sets of silver Chinese 5-yuan coins, honoring Chinese nobility, and highly collectible. Tim’s Inc. Auctions. The auction will feature four diamond rings, all with stones of more than one carat (like this one). Tim’s Inc. Auctions. This stunning and monumental mahogany breakfront is just one of many antique furnishings that will cross the block. Tim’s Inc. Auctions.
