Post Auction Press Release – Decorative Arts Auction

Pook and Pook Inc., Auctioneers and Appraisers in Downingtown, Pennsylvania continued to post strong results in these challenging times with their online only Decorative Arts Auction on May 20th, 2020. Selling 499 out of the 500 lots that crossed the auction block. Prices realized were almost 50% over high estimate proving that the antique buying public is very hungry to add acquisitions to their collections. Limited auctions, cancelled antique shows, and closed antique shops appear to be the driving force behind the online buying frenzy witnessed at the last five Pook & Pook auctions. There were 2,176 registered bidders covering all 50 states as well as a handful of foreign countries all vying to take home a new…or…old prize.

Lot 1459, Pennsylvania watercolor fraktur bookplate dated 1832 for Maria Hochhoused in a Philadelphia New Testament, together with another German script religious text with partial bookplate; Sold for $5,375

The top selling lot of the day came as a big surprise when two early religious texts sold for $5,375. Both books contained watercolor fraktur bookplates, however, it was the book itself that caused the surge in price. An early Ausbund das ist Etliche Schone Christliche Lieder, with leather cover dated 1774, was the prize, not the fraktur inside. It took seventy-four bids before it was hammered down to an east coast buyer for well above estimate. For the second sale in a row, textiles from the collection of Linda & Dennis Moyer of Zionsville, Pennsylvania produced oversized results. Someone loosened up their belt and bid $4,000 against a conservative estimate of $200-300 for one lot of clothing. The remainder of this collection, including dozens of additional textile lots, is coming up for auction on July 10th & 11th, 2020. 

Lot 1285, Seagreaves redware dog; Sold $1,813

Seventy-six bids were needed to declare a winner on lot 1071, which included two pieces of redware from Stahl Pottery. One of the pieces was a vase by I. S. Stahl and dated 1942 with interesting applied flowers and pretzel style handles. A piece of James Seagraves redware went to the dogs! Two bidders chased one charming figural pup, which was initialed and dated 1957, to the howling sum of $1,813. Someone was having company over for Sunday dinner and needed some spare dishes because a nice set of ironstone with morning glory decoration was served up for $1,688, slightly more than the $1,438 paid for a Gaudy ironstone service with a vine pattern. A painted pine drysink in an old mustard surface did well selling to a Midwest buyer. A Westtown School needlework sampler brought $975 and a unframed sampler sold for $850. Pook and Pook Auctions also had some nice stoneware cross the virtual auction block. A S. Hart, Fulton NY jug with love birds led the charge bringing $925. Other items of note were a group of marbles - $613, a leaded glass table lamp - $750, set of six plank seat chairs - $800 and an unusual Wagner Ware cast iron country store display rack - $900.

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