Reyne Gauge: How to have a successful garage sale

Photo by Jim Lefever.
Photo by Jim Lefever.
Photo by Jim Lefever.

The weather is finally warming up across the nation and you’re ready to get spring-cleaning started. That can mean only one thing – garage sale time.

Many of us look forward to having a yard sale this time of year to rid the clutter we accumulated over the past year and to get our homes organized.

It’s not like you haven’t had a sale before. Sometimes they have had great turnouts, and other times you’ve called a donation service to come haul it all away.

What is the formula for a great garage sale? I took my ideas and posed the question on my Facebook wall to see what my friends would suggest. I must say their ideas are helpful.

Let’s talk about advertising. You place an ad in the Friday classified section. You want people to know you have good stuff. Don’t be too wordy but sprinkle some spicy keywords that will grab attention and make customers want to stop. Antiques, collectibles, modernism, jewelry and couture always work.

You need proper signage for people to find your sale. Big black letters, arrows – even colorful balloons to get the attention of drivers who are unaware you are having a sale. Put signs out in the wee hours of the morning or the night before.

Call your friends. The bigger the sale, the better. Have them bring over things to sell that day. It also helps having extra bodies there to take payments, answer questions and help set up.

Cash is king. Make sure you have lots of coins and singles for making change. Speaking of cash, consider taking alternative methods of payment. If you are selling items that are more than $10, people might want to pay with a credit card or a check. PayPal offers phone-in credit card services now.

Price items in advance. Many people who won’t ask the price, especially if you are talking with another customer. If they are in a hurry to get to the next sale, you might lose a customer. Also, ask for more than you were hoping to get and be willing to accept a lower offer. Realize that haggling is the nature of the garage sale business.

Consider using the dot system in pricing. Have a poster board illustrating a red dot = $1, a blue dot = 50 cents, etc. Colored dots having adhesive backs are available in stores. Using this method might reduce the time spent pricing – especially smaller items. If you do price items individually, use a fine point Sharpie brand pen on the price stickers. Make sure the numerals are large enough to be read easily.

If you are selling electronics, make sure batteries are fresh and have a power cord available so people can test items to see if they work properly.

Don’t place merchandise on the lawn. Scattered on the ground, they are not visible to drivers, and it gives the impression they have no value. Use tables and shelving, and hang ropes from trees – whatever you can to showcase merchandise.

Group similar things together to make them more appealing. If you have jewelry, put it all in one place. If you have porcelain, display it like you would if it was on the dinner table.

Get the family involved. Kids love making money too. They can sell their old stuffed animals, clothes and toys they no longer want, which helps keep closets unclutterd and gives them extra spending money. If they have nothing to part with, let them set up a lemonade stand.

Music puts people in a shopping mood. Find something upbeat, and have it lightly playing in the background.

Food! Who says you can only sell clothing and knickknacks? Make finger foods – cookies and other snacks that are light but keep the shopper energized. Chances are they were up early that morning and have been on their feet or in the car since their first stop. They will be happy to see an affordable snack on the table.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Photo by Jim Lefever.
Photo by Jim Lefever.
Photo by Jim Lefever.
Photo by Jim Lefever.

Gen. Lee’s sword returning to Appomattox, Va.

Gen. Robert E. Lee, photographed in 1863. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Gen. Robert E. Lee, photographed in 1863. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Gen. Robert E. Lee, photographed in 1863. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – It’s an enduring myth of the Civil War: Robert E. Lee surrendered his sword to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, and his Union counterpart refused the traditional gesture of surrender.

“Lee never offered it, and Grant never asked for it,” said Patrick Schroeder, historian at Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park.

In an historical twist, though, Lee’s French-made ceremonial sword is returning to Appomattox 146 years later, leaving the Richmond museum where it has been displayed for nearly a century.

The Museum of the Confederacy in downtown Richmond is delivering one of its most-treasured pieces to Appomattox for a new museum that it’s building less than a mile from where Lee met with Grant to sign the document of surrender on April 9, 1865. The Army of Northern Virginia’s formal surrender followed three days later, effectively drawing to a close the Civil War that left about 630,000 dead.

The sword, scabbard and the Confederate gray uniform Lee wore to his fateful meeting with Grant, are all destined to be displayed about 75 miles west of Richmond when the museum opens next spring.

Senior curator Robert F. Hancock said the Lee sword remains one of the Confederacy museum’s biggest attractions.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind piece,” he said. “There’s really no replacement so you can’t put a value on it. It’s like putting a value on the Mona Lisa. It can’t be done.”

Wearing white gloves, Hancock lifted the glittering sword and its scabbard from a metal case, both freshly conserved after years of polishing had erased much of the gold gilt from the brass. With the gold gone, the sword’s elaborate hilt had turned a dull ocher.

The 40 1/2-inch sword now sparkles, from the lion head on its pommel to the gilded relief on its steel sword. It has an ivory grip.

One side of the blade, in raised letters, reads: “Gen. Robert E. Lee CSA from a Marylander 1863.”

The Lee admirer who had it commissioned in Paris by Louis-Francois Devisme is not known, Hancock said.

The other side of the blade reads: “Aide toi dieu l’aidera.” Translated, it means, “Help yourself and God will help you.”

The scabbard is made of blued steel.

“This would have been very expensive to produce and purchase,” Hancock said of the sword. “It’s the only one like this I’ve ever seen and the fanciest one I’ve ever seen from a Confederate officer.”

The museum claims to possess the world’s largest collection of Confederate artifacts, including battle flags, military gear, uniforms and domestic items.

Russell Bernabo, a fine object conservator, was selected by the museum to restore the piece to its original luster. He considered 12 different samples of gold before settling on a match: 23-karat Italian gold in tissue-thin sheets, used to restore gilt to the engraved text on the blade, the hilt and pommel.

Bernabo approached the job with reverence.

“For an object of this iconic significance, the most important consideration is to not do anything that is too intrusive,” he said. “This sword is of the very highest workmanship. This is absolutely top notch.”

Bernabo was also mindful of the man whose hand once grasped its ivory grip.

“At no moment did I ever consider this to be a burden,” he said. “It was an effervescent treat to be working with such an object. It truly had an energy of its own.”

The sword was intended for ceremonial use. There is no evidence Lee used it in battle.

Lee surrendered after his forces were blocked near Appomattox Court House.

The Virginian returned to Richmond after the surrender and then became president of what is now Washington and Lee University; he died on Oct. 12, 1870 and is buried in the university’s chapel.

Lee’s descendants permanently loaned the sword to the Museum of the Confederacy in 1918. The family bequeathed the sword and scabbard to the museum in 1982.

The museum is sharing its collection – a fraction of which is on display at the Richmond facility, which will remain open – at three planned centers in Virginia. Besides Appomattox, others are planned in the Fredericksburg area and in Hampton Roads.

“I’ll miss not seeing it every day,” Hancock said of the Lee sword. “It’s such an important icon for Lee and the South and the war, and specifically Appomattox. I think any disadvantage of it not being in Richmond will be far outweighed by its presence in Appomattox.”

As for Schroeder, he’s thrilled to have it in the neighborhood. He said it’s a powerful metaphor for the day in 1865 when Grant, who was born of modest means, and the patrician Lee met.

“Lee represented what the country had been, and Grant represented more of Lincoln and what the future would be – that now the common man has a chance to make something of himself,” Schroeder said.

___

Online:

Museum of the Confederacy: www.moc.org

Russell Bernabo: www.russellbernabo.com

Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Park: www.moc.org

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-05-10-11 1751GMT

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Gen. Robert E. Lee, photographed in 1863. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Gen. Robert E. Lee, photographed in 1863. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

‘Guy stuff’ spikes interest in Auctions Neapolitan’s sale May 14

Leroy Neiman signed serigraph, artist proof, ‘Harry’s Wall Street Bar,’ matted and framed, art measures 38 inches wide x 25 1/4 tall. Estimate: $400-$600. Image courtesy of Auctions Neapolitan.
Leroy Neiman signed serigraph, artist proof, ‘Harry’s Wall Street Bar,’ matted and framed, art measures 38 inches wide x 25 1/4 tall. Estimate: $400-$600. Image courtesy of Auctions Neapolitan.
Leroy Neiman signed serigraph, artist proof, ‘Harry’s Wall Street Bar,’ matted and framed, art measures 38 inches wide x 25 1/4 tall. Estimate: $400-$600. Image courtesy of Auctions Neapolitan.

NAPLES, Fla. – A collection of antique pocket watches, “loads” of hickory-shaft golf clubs and several noteworthy works of art should make Auctions Neapolitan’s offering Saturday, May 14, especially appealing to men.

LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet bidding for the 369-lot auction, which begins at noon Eastern.

“It’s guy stuff,” said Auctions Neapolitan’s owner Kathleen Pica. “It’s a lot of fun, affordable gentlemen’s things.”

Reviewing the preliminary online bids, she pointed to a pair of highly sought-after items. One is a 17-jewel railroad standard pocket watch made by the Ball Watch Co. in an open-face silver case. Another is a Leroy Neiman signed serigraph titled Harry’s Wall Street Bar. The artist proof print is in a frame 49 inches wide by 38 inches high and has a $400-$600 estimate.

A framed Audubon chromolithograph, Wild Turkey, measuring 39 1/2 inches high by 29 inches wide, carries a $4,000-$6,000 estimate.

The auction will also feature clocks, art pottery, sports items and collectibles.

For details visit Auctions Neapolitan’s website www.auctionsn.com or phone 239-262-7333.

 

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Ball Watch Co. produced this standard railroad pocket watch in an open-face silver case. The size 18 watch carries a conservative $50-$100 estimate. Image courtesy of Auctions Neapolitan.
Ball Watch Co. produced this standard railroad pocket watch in an open-face silver case. The size 18 watch carries a conservative $50-$100 estimate. Image courtesy of Auctions Neapolitan.
Framed Audubon chromolithograph ‘Wild Turkey,’ marked ‘ … J. Bien, New York 1858,
Framed Audubon chromolithograph ‘Wild Turkey,’ marked ‘ … J. Bien, New York 1858,
Monumental 19th century oil painting depicting soldiers, peasants and royal travelers in a landscape background, no apparent signatures, frame measures 80 inches x 58 inches. Estimate $2,000-$3,000. Image courtesy of Auctions Neapolitan.
Monumental 19th century oil painting depicting soldiers, peasants and royal travelers in a landscape background, no apparent signatures, frame measures 80 inches x 58 inches. Estimate $2,000-$3,000. Image courtesy of Auctions Neapolitan.
‘Brillo’ poster after Andy Warhol, color screen print, unsigned, published for the Warhol exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of Art in 1970, 30 inches x 26 inches. Estimate: $600-$800.
‘Brillo’ poster after Andy Warhol, color screen print, unsigned, published for the Warhol exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of Art in 1970, 30 inches x 26 inches. Estimate: $600-$800.

Jewelry, antiques share spotlight at A.H. Wilkens sale May 17

Nineteenth century Chinese white jade ruyi scepter made with zitan wood with three white jade plaques, with original case. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.
Nineteenth century Chinese white jade ruyi scepter made with zitan wood with three white jade plaques, with original case. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.
Nineteenth century Chinese white jade ruyi scepter made with zitan wood with three white jade plaques, with original case. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.

TORONTO – A.H. Wilkens’ latest Fine and Decorative Arts Auction catalog has been released to LiveAuctioneers. The auction is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17, at 7 p.m. Eastern at their downtown Toronto gallery. The 380-lot auction features a broad selection of fine quality antiques, jewelery and art from private collections and estates from the region.

LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

“Our offering will certainly entice buyers from around the world. We are very pleased with the collection, most notably, the silver and Chinese art,” said Andrew Wilkens, one of two principals with the auction house.

Silver highlights include an Art Deco tea set and tray with ebonized attachments from the Dutch silver maker Christa Ehrlich for Zilverfabriek Voorschoten, William and Mary Trefid spoons, an A.E. Jones Arts and Crafts canister, an 18th century French silver ecuelle in pristine condition. A fine collection of Indian and Chinese colonial silver is among the other gems of Georgian, Victorian, Canadian and Continental silver.

A 19th century white jade ruyi sceptre with its original wood case, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 is the highest valued lot in the Chinese art. Other significant lots include a large pair of turquoise glaze lions, a Ming bronze Buddha from the Yongle reign, a pair of Claire de Lune dragon bottle vases and several lots of 18th century export porcelain and cloisonné.

The auction is rounded out with an interesting selection of jewelery, pottery and porcelain, glass, decorative accessories, furniture and fine art. A beautiful hand-made jadeite, diamond and gold bracelet commences the auction, followed by more gems and watches. A collection of 18th century porcelain including Nymphenburg, Worcester, Chelsea, Savona, 19th century Wedgwood jasper, Meissen and Sevres are highlighted. Fine Victorian tole, papier-mâché, pietre dure and a micro mosaic Doves of Pliny paperweight close the auction along with a Queen Anne long-case clock with original movement by Joseph Shepard. Being a Canadian auction house, no auction is complete without a spattering of fine art by the likes of J.W. Beatty, Alan Collier and Stanley Cosgrove.

A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals has quickly built up a reputation as being a knowledgeable and respected auction house in Canada. Since their inception in early 2010 they have become Toronto’s second-largest auction house. “Our areas of expertise include good antiques, fine art and Asian art,” said principal Andrea Zeifman. “We believe the Internet has strengthened the global community. Our goal is to keep on the cusp of new trends in the international marketplace.”

For details visit A.H. Wilkens’ website at www.ahwilkens.com or phone 416-360-7600.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Eighteenth century silver gilt ecuelle, Paris, 1789, 8 inches in diameter, 6 1/4 inches high. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.
Eighteenth century silver gilt ecuelle, Paris, 1789, 8 inches in diameter, 6 1/4 inches high. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.
Gold jadeite and diamond bracelet, approximately 1 carat of diamonds, stamped ‘Birks, P.H.,’ circa 1950. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.
Gold jadeite and diamond bracelet, approximately 1 carat of diamonds, stamped ‘Birks, P.H.,’ circa 1950. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.
Emerald and diamond cocktail cluster ring, 14k white gold. Estimate: $3,500-$4,500. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.
Emerald and diamond cocktail cluster ring, 14k white gold. Estimate: $3,500-$4,500. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.
John William Beatty (Canadian 1869-1941) ‘Cottages on Shoreline,’ oil on canvas board, 9 x 11 1/2 inches. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.
John William Beatty (Canadian 1869-1941) ‘Cottages on Shoreline,’ oil on canvas board, 9 x 11 1/2 inches. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals.

Auction Gallery of Palm Beaches to have Cuban flavor May 23-24

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938), oil on canvas, signed and dated 1926, 18 1/4 inches x 15 inches. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938), oil on canvas, signed and dated 1926, 18 1/4 inches x 15 inches. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938), oil on canvas, signed and dated 1926, 18 1/4 inches x 15 inches. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The market for Cuban art is strong, competitive and definitely mysterious in South Florida. On Monday, May 23, and Tuesday, May 24, Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches will offer to collectors a group of Cuban artworks that according to gallery president Brian Kogan, “is as far as I know is totally new and unseen to the auction market.”

LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The problems in establishing authenticity are well known in the Cuban art market. With the political issues surrounding Cuban art and the some of the scandals that have ensued in Cuba and in Miami over the past 25 years, getting a Cuban work of art authenticated in writing is next to impossible. Aware of these difficulties the consignor decided to offer the works without any guarantee of authenticity and let the buyers establish how desirable and valuable the works are.

The collection is an array of Cuban artists including paintings and watercolors by Rene Portocarrero, Mario Carreno, Segundo Cabrera Moreno, Leopold Romanach and two bronze sculptures by Manuel Carbonell. There are two paintings by Rene Portocarrero, one an oil on canvas of the façade of the Cathedral de Madrid at night in his characteristic colorful palette and heavy impasoto, and a watercolor of a Harlequin musician dated 1960. The paintings by Segundo Cabrera Moreno are visually exciting with the imagery of farm workers wrangling horses. Both are signed and dated for 1964. There are two paintings by Leopold Romanch y Guillen of beach scenes and two figurative bronzes by Manuel Carbonell.

The May 23 auction will also feature an oil on canvas still life by French artist Suzanne Valadon dated 1926 from a Boca Raton private collection with provenance. Valadon is the mother of Maurice Utrillo (French 1883-1955), and there is a large and beautiful Le Pho oil on silk painting from a Fort Lauderdale collection with many other paintings and prints coming from a Boca Raton estate plus additional fine art by James Coignard, Franklin De Haven, Erte, Salvador Dali, Eugene Lami, Fritz Bultman and Robert Motherwell.

The auction will also have an array of Orientalia. As the market for Chinese and Oriental items is still ascending, the consignments from South Florida and the Palm Beaches continues to unearth remarkable objects. Featured is an important collection of jades to include a set of 10 19th century green nephrite book tablets with Imperial marks and a celadon nephrite archaistic Fang Ding censor with elephant handles. Also featured is a Sino-Tibetan gilt bronze bodhisattva with a Yung Lo (15th century) mark and an exotic 50 lot snuff bottle collection with some excellent examples in jade, enamel and ivory.

From the Boca Raton estate there is a Lalique “Cactus” table, a pair of 5-foot uncarved ivory tusks, a 19th century Chinese four panel screen, Paul Storr silver, Meissen 10-piece monkey band, R. Lalique, and a Russian five-piece silver and enamel tea service along with English, Italian and French furniture, carpets and lighting.

For more information and images see the auction house’s website at www.AGOPB.com or call 561-805-7115. In addition to Internet live bidding with LiveAuctioneers, absentee and phone bidding is available. Previews will be online and at the gallery, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; noon–5 p.m. Sunday; and 10 a.m. to the start of the auction. The auction will start each day at 6 p.m. Eastern.

The Gallery is located at 1609 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 5, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401.

 

 

View the fully illustrated catalogs and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Faberge silver and enamel tea service (1908-1917) with imperial warrant. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
Faberge silver and enamel tea service (1908-1917) with imperial warrant. Image courtesy of Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
Rene Portocarrero (1912-1986), oil on canvas, signed and dated '63. The painting measures 39 1/2 inches x 29 1/2 inches. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
Rene Portocarrero (1912-1986), oil on canvas, signed and dated ’63. The painting measures 39 1/2 inches x 29 1/2 inches. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
Manuel Carbonell (b. 1918), bronze, signed, marked No. 3/8, dated ‘91,’ 36 inches high. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
Manuel Carbonell (b. 1918), bronze, signed, marked No. 3/8, dated ‘91,’ 36 inches high. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
Sino-Tibetan gilt bronze Bodhisattva. Ming Dynasty. Yung-Lo mark, 1403-1424. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.
Sino-Tibetan gilt bronze Bodhisattva. Ming Dynasty. Yung-Lo mark, 1403-1424. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches.

From paintings to art glass, wide array fills out Fuller’s lineup May 21

Dale Chihuly, (American, b. 1941), ‘Untitled (Seaform Series),’ 1983, hand blown glass, 6 1/4 x 10 x 9 1/2 inches (object). Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.

Dale Chihuly, (American, b. 1941), ‘Untitled (Seaform Series),’ 1983, hand blown glass, 6 1/4 x 10 x 9 1/2 inches (object). Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.
Dale Chihuly, (American, b. 1941), ‘Untitled (Seaform Series),’ 1983, hand blown glass, 6 1/4 x 10 x 9 1/2 inches (object). Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.
PHILADELPHIA – Fuller’s Fine Art Auctions will host a sale composed of 182 lots of a wide variety of paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, art glass and a tapestry on Saturday, May 21.

Real-time online bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.com beginning at noon the day of the auction.

Highlights include paintings by Benito Quinquela Martin, Rincon de la Boca, ($15,000-$20,000); Claude Vénard, Le Sacré Coeur, Paris, ($4,000-$6,000); Morris Blackburn, untitled – beach/dock scene ($1,000-$1,500); and James Longacre Wood, untitled – floral still life ($1,000-$1,500); a large group of prints including Joan Miró, Le Dandy, ($6,000-$8,000); Andy Warhol, Flash – November 22, 1963, ($4,000-$6,000); Robert Indiana’s Hope ($3,000-$5,000), and Art ($600-$900); Claes Oldenburg Proposal for a Colossal Monument … ($1,000-$1,500); a 1959 photograph by Paul Caponigro, West Hartford Connecticut – Rock Wall ($800-$1,200); a large group of works on paper including Dox Thrash, Theatrical Illustration ($600-$800); and many others.

Excellent examples of contemporary glass including three glass vases by William Morris, estimated at ($6,000-$8,000), ($3,000-$5,000) and ($1,000-$1,500) respectively; and Dale Chihuly’s Untitled Seaform Series ($3,000-$5,000). A tapestry after the famous Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, who was once married to Max Ernst ($8,000-$12,000), will also be offered in addition to a sculpture by Val Bertoia and a bronze sculpture after August Rodin, Man with a Broken Nose ($300-$500).

Previews of the sale will be at Fuller’s West Mount Airy location on Saturday, May 14, through Friday, May 20, noon until 5 p.m. daily. A reception will be held Thursday, May 19, 5 to 8 p.m.

Doors open on Saturday, May 21, at 9 a.m.

Fuller’s will accept telephone line requests and absentee bids until noon on Friday, May 20.

For details visit Fuller’s website at www.FullersLLC.com or phone 215-991-0100.

 

 

 

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Benito Quinquela Martin, (Argentinean, 1890-1977), ‘Rincon de la Boca,’ 1963, oil on Masonite, 23 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches (board). Estimate: $15,000-$20,000.
Benito Quinquela Martin, (Argentinean, 1890-1977), ‘Rincon de la Boca,’ 1963, oil on Masonite, 23 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches (board). Estimate: $15,000-$20,000.
Claude Vénard, (French, 1913-1999), ‘Le Sacré-Coeur, Paris,’ 1955, oil on canvas, 29 3/4 x 29 1/2 inches (stretcher). Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.
Claude Vénard, (French, 1913-1999), ‘Le Sacré-Coeur, Paris,’ 1955, oil on canvas, 29 3/4 x 29 1/2 inches (stretcher). Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.
William Morris, (American, b. 1957), ‘Glass Vase,’ 1985, hand blown glass, 18 1/2 x 13 x 5 inches (object). Estimate: $6,000-$8,000.
William Morris, (American, b. 1957), ‘Glass Vase,’ 1985, hand blown glass, 18 1/2 x 13 x 5 inches (object). Estimate: $6,000-$8,000.
Andy Warhol, (American, 1928-1987), ‘Flash - November 22, 1963,’ 1968, screenprint in colors, 98/200, 21 x 21 inches, (image and sheet). Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.
Andy Warhol, (American, 1928-1987), ‘Flash – November 22, 1963,’ 1968, screenprint in colors, 98/200, 21 x 21 inches, (image and sheet). Estimate: $4,000-$6,000.
Robert Indiana, (American, b. 1928), ‘HOPE, 2008,’ screenprint in colors, 199/200, 25 x 19 inches (sheet). Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.
Robert Indiana, (American, b. 1928), ‘HOPE, 2008,’ screenprint in colors, 199/200, 25 x 19 inches (sheet). Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.

Flood spares Graceland, Memphis music landmarks

Graceland, the Memphis home of Elvis Presley, is unaffected by the Mississippi River flooding. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
Graceland, the Memphis home of Elvis Presley, is unaffected by the Mississippi River flooding. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
Graceland, the Memphis home of Elvis Presley, is unaffected by the Mississippi River flooding. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – The Mississippi crept toward the highest level ever in the river city, flooding pockets of low-lying neighborhoods and forcing hundreds from their homes, though the water was not threatening the music heartland’s most recognizable landmarks, from Graceland to Beale Street.

As residents waited for the river to reach its peak as early as Monday night – several inches short of the record mark set in 1937 – those downstream in Mississippi and Louisiana evacuated prisoners and diverted water from the river in an attempt to stave off catastrophic flooding in a region prone to such disasters.

In Memphis, emergency officials warned the river was still dangerous and unpredictable, but they were confident the levees would hold and there were no plans for more evacuations. Sandbags were put up in front of the 32-story tall Pyramid Arena, but the former home of college and professional basketball teams was believed to be safe. Also out of the way were Stax Records, which launched the careers of Otis Redding and the Staple Singers, and Sun Studio, which helped make Elvis the king of rock ’n’ roll.

Sun Studio still does some recording, but Stax is now a museum and tourist attraction. Graceland, which is several miles south of downtown, was also spared.

“I want to say this: Graceland is safe. And we would charge hell with a water pistol to keep it that way and I’d be willing to lead the charge,” said Bob Nations Jr., director of the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency.

Authorities spent the weekend knocking on doors to tell a couple hundred more people that they should abandon their homes before they are swamped by waters. More than 300 people were staying in shelters, and officials said they had stepped up patrols in evacuated areas to prevent looting.

Aurelio Flores, 36, his pregnant wife and their three children have been living at a shelter for 11 days. His mobile home had about four feet of water when he last visited the trailer park Wednesday.

“I imagine that my trailer, if it’s not covered, it’s close,” said Flores, an out-of-work construction worker. “If I think about it too much, and get angry about it, it will mean the end of me.”

He was one of 175 people staying in a gymnasium at the Hope Presbyterian Church in east Shelby County. He said morale was good at the shelter, mostly because there were friends and neighbors staying there, too.

“The main thing is that all left that trailer park with our lives,” Flores said. “God will help us find a new place to live.”

Forecasters said it looks like the river was starting to level out and could crest at or near 48 feet, just shy of the 48.7-foot mark set in 1937. Forecasters had previously predicted the crest would come as late as Wednesday. On the horizon, however, rain was forecast for later in the week, which could bring the danger of flash flooding.

Kevin Kane, president and chief executive of the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he believed the media had overblown the flooding.

“The country thinks were in lifeboats and we are underwater,” Kane said. “For visitors, its business as usual.”

While some evacuated, others came as spectators. At Beale Street, the famous thoroughfare known for blues music, people gawked and snapped photos as water pooled at the end of the road. Floodwaters were about a half-mile from the Beale Street’s world-famous nightspots, which are on higher ground.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

AP-WF-05-09-11 2117GMT

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Graceland, the Memphis home of Elvis Presley, is unaffected by the Mississippi River flooding. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.[/caption]

Willie Mosconi’s pool cue, table on auction block

Willie Mosconi autographed this publicity photograph of himself. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers Archive and The Written Word Autographs.
Willie Mosconi autographed this publicity photograph of himself. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers Archive and The Written Word Autographs.
Willie Mosconi autographed this publicity photograph of himself. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers Archive and The Written Word Autographs.

PHILADELPHIA — When illness forced billiards great Willie Mosconi into a nursing home toward the end of his life, his equipment sponsor donated a pool table to the Cherry Hill, N.J., facility.

Mosconi refused to play the game he had dominated for much of the 20th century. Finally, he agreed to play just once to quiet his grandchildren.

“He hadn’t played in years. He ran 15 balls in. He said, ‘That’s it,'” son Bill Mosconi recalled of his father, who died in 1993 at age 80.

With the death last year of Mosconi’s widow, the family is selling his beloved pool cue, a personal pool table and other memorabilia at a weekend auction in Chicago.

The auction house handling the sale believes Mosconi’s famed “Balabushka” cue could bring $100,000. The stick, with mother-of-pearl inlays, gets its name from the Russian-born craftsman George Balabushka, considered by some the Stradivarius of cuemakers.

Mosconi used several Balabushkas during a career capped by 15 straight world championships from 1941 to 1957 and his record 526 straight shots at a two-day exhibition in Ohio in 1954. Several will remain with the family. But the one being sold was a favorite, as evidenced by the blue chalk residue and light scuff marks.

Mosconi grew up in a large family in South Philadelphia, where his father, a boxer, ran a first-floor pool hall that doubled as a hangout for boxers. Mosconi’s father hoped his son would someday join a cousin’s vaudeville act. Instead, the pint-sized pool prodigy was competing against the sport’s heavyweights by age 6.

While still a youngster in the early 1920s, he was being paid $75 or $100 for appearances around town.

“The City of Philadelphia stepped in and said, ‘You can’t do this. You’re not even allowed in a pool room,” the son said.

Mosconi went on to spend his lifetime in pool halls, criss-crossing the country much of the year for exhibits and matches. A devoted family man, he hated both the pool-hall lifestyle and the constant travel. But his drive to win – and to support his family – kept him out there.

“I think it was a very lonely life, even though he was a tough character. He was devoted to his wife, and certainly to his kids. I think that’s why he did it,” Bill Mosconi said. “(He would say), the only way you could make a living is if you’re a champion. You can’t lose.”

Mosconi earned $10,000 to $15,000 a year in the 1930s, and 10 times that by the 1960s.

And by the late 1970s and 1980s, television had come calling. He appeared in televised grudge matches against his rival, Rudolf “Minnesota Fats” Wanderone Jr. Brash ABC sports anchor Howard Cosell announced some of the showdowns between the tuxedoed men.

Bill Mosconi, 69, of Philadelphia, attributes his father’s success to his fierce competitiveness, stellar vision and soft stroke.

“He could make the cue ball stop on a dime,” the younger Mosconi said Monday, standing beside a mural of his dapper father on a somewhat neglected stretch of South Street in Philadelphia. The mural shows Mosconi playing with the black pool player Edward “Chick” Davis.

Mosconi, at the height of his power, at least once refused to play unless black players could compete beside him, his son said. Though he concedes that he heard that story – and many others – second-hand. His father did not spend much time talking about himself.

“I never heard him brag. But he was so unbelievably competitive, that if somebody said he could beat him, he had to beat him. He couldn’t let that go by,” the son said.

Mosconi, who also had two daughters, ran a pool hall in North Philadelphia, but raised his children in the New Jersey suburbs and stressed education at home. His son became an accountant and his grandson a doctor.

After suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Mosconi died at home in Haddon Heights, N.J. His wife, Flora, died in March 2010.

The family is keeping several of his pool cues and tables, but no longer has room for all of them.

Proceeds from the cue and pool table being sold will go to the individual descendants who own them. But the son hopes to make enough from the other items – from event posters to portraits to billiards paraphernalia – to fund something in his father’s name in Philadelphia, perhaps linked to education.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Willie Mosconi autographed this publicity photograph of himself. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers Archive and The Written Word Autographs.
Willie Mosconi autographed this publicity photograph of himself. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers Archive and The Written Word Autographs.

Clark’s mounts fine and decorative art sale May 14

Mariano Andreu (Spanish, 1888-1976), still life, 1956, 14 1/2 inches x 16 3/4 inches, signed and dated, estimate $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of Clark's Fine Art & Auctioneers.

Mariano Andreu (Spanish, 1888-1976), still life, 1956, 14 1/2 inches x 16 3/4 inches, signed and dated, estimate $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of Clark's Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Mariano Andreu (Spanish, 1888-1976), still life, 1956, 14 1/2 inches x 16 3/4 inches, signed and dated, estimate $4,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art & Auctioneers.
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. – Clark’s Fine Art & Auctioneers Inc. will present a fine art auction Saturday, May 14, that features an eclectic variety of paintings, prints, sculpture, photography, objects of art and decorative arts. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding at the 300-lot auction, which begins at noon Pacific.

There are two lots of fine early 20th century porcelain by the highly collected Franz Arthur Bischoff including a Belleek teapot and creamer/sugar set and a Limoges dish, all of which are signed.

There is a large original painting by renowned Mexican artist Leonardo Nierman and artworks by local California artists including a painting by Carlos Almaraz and a monoprint by Charles Arnoldi. There is a strong collection of 19th/ 20th century French sculpture by artists including Antonin-Claire Forestier. Also represented are artists Willem De Kooning, Sam Francis, Neil Leifer and many more.

Previews are May 12 and 13, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., at 14931 Califa St., Building A, Sherman Oaks, CA 91411.

For details visit Clark’s website at www.estateauctionservice.com or phone 818-783-3052. Clark’s e-mail address is gallery@pacbell.net.

 

 

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Image courtesy of Clark's Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Image courtesy of Clark's Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Image courtesy of Clark's Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Image courtesy of Clark's Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Image courtesy of Clark's Fine Art & Auctioneers.
Image courtesy of Clark’s Fine Art & Auctioneers.

Potter & Potter to make magic memorabilia disappear May 22

Howard Thurston’s three-sheet color lithograph poster from the late 1920s has a $4,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Howard Thurston’s three-sheet color lithograph poster from the late 1920s has a $4,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Howard Thurston’s three-sheet color lithograph poster from the late 1920s has a $4,000-$5,000 estimate. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.

CHICAGO – Tom Mullica is one of the most unusual entertainers in the world. In the 1970s and ’80s, The Tom-Foolery Magic Bar Theatre was a haven for celebrities, magicians and fun-seekers of every description. Mullica performed there nightly, and developed a legendary reputation as a world-class clown, comic, and magician.

Among Mullica’s most famous routines were his “Nicotine Nincompoop” act, in which he ate an entire pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes – while they were still lit. The routine put Mullica on dozens of international TV shows, among them Late Night with David Letterman, and drew thousands of patrons to the bar in its decade long existence. Now memorabilia from the Tom-Foolery will go up for sale on May 22 at Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago.

LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The auction will include the cigarette cases and tricks Mullica used at the bar and on stage, as well as many of the framed photos, posters, and souvenirs from the walls of the bar, and his personal library of books on magic tricks. Among these is his own copy of The Encyclopedia of Cigarette Tricks (est. $400/$600), the book from which he learned many of his greatest tricks.

The auction will also feature vintage magic tricks, illusions and apparatus from other consignors. Among them are antique trunks and illusions from the Will Rock/Thurston illusion show, which toured America in the 1930s and ’40s. One such item is the “Glass Lined Trunk” used by Rock. After showing the trunk empty and lining its interior with sheets of glass, a girl appeared inside. The trunk – which carries an estimate of $700-$1,000) – is still in the bright orange packing crate Rock used, its lid emblazoned with the words “Will Rock/Thurston Show.” Another highlight is a pair of handcuffs owned by the best-known magician of all time, Harry Houdini. The set of “Bean Cobb” cuffs carries an estimate of $3,000-$4,000.

Other magic props in the auction include an elaborate Vanishing and Appearing Lamp set similar to props used by Houdini (est. $4,000/$6,000), stainless steel and Lucite props manufactured by Merv Taylor (who also operated one of the first concessions at Disneyland), an unusual poster advertising Chung Ling Soo (est. $4,000/$5,000), several elaborate automatons, and other “devices of wonder” built by many well-known American craftsmen.

An illustrated catalog will be available from the auction house.

For details contact Potter & Potter Auctions Inc., 3729 N. Ravenswood Ave., Suite 116, Chicago, IL 60613 or visit www.potterauctions.com.

 

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.