2/16/08 - Northport, Alabama - Horner & Moorish fretwork (huge!)

I am not accustomed to seeing so much Horner-esque stuff surrounded by so much 1970s wood paneling.  There must be a couple long tons of Horner stuff, another half-ton of lighting, and a serious collection (a whole page, anyway) of fretwork items.  Be sure to click each of the 9 pages of additional photos. 

http://www.halhunt.com/new_page_5.htm

Please note the following description from the auction house:

"This will be one of the finest  40 Year Museum Quality Antique Collections to ever be sold in
America - Over 600 items - no added dealer consignment - no reproductions,
Truly a rare auction event, To be auctioned in one day, one location!!!
Don't miss this rare opportunity!!!    Sorry this auction will not have phone or internet bidding.
It will be worth your time attending this great event!!!"

I'm glad that I'm not a Horner fan or else I'd be trying to find an excuse to get down to Alabama. 

- Jason

Holey schmoley.  As a Horner fan, you may have just sealed my fate for Feb. 16th!

After seeing the fretwork page I think that Paul Tucker may end up being in the carpool.  I think I see some Ransom in there.

Thanks Jason.

Quick question on this auction that hopefully more seasoned auction participants than myself can answer:  how do you think the whole no internet or phone bidding in this auction will affect prices?  Obviously one thinks that it reduces the pool of potential buyers, which could have a downward effect on prices.  But is it the case that dealers still attend these auctions in significant enough numbers to cancel out any such downward effect?  If anyone has been to such an auction before and can speak as to whether there were a significant number of deals vis-a-vis your typical auction, it would be much appreciated!

Dear Furniture fanatic:  Just my experiences of course, but after years of going to "local" regional type auctions with no internet exposure, prices tend to be somewhat lower I think than in the widely advertised, internet exposure auctions---

Hello
            Just my opinion as well,I believe this format will bring out the passionate collector which will drive up the prices. It's only a percentage that buy via internet. I myself use phone bidding when I have a set number on a piece, It keeps you detached from the item and your hand down. The auction is well advertised in national publications. What's the old catch phrase? "I'd walk a mile for a camel".I believe nice pieces will do very well.
                                         
                                              John

This sale will garner big prices.  There are pieces in this collection that haven't been seen in decades and won't be seen again for decades.  I spoke to a dealer friend of mine that specializes in Horner and he will be buying - he just sold a Horner desk for $80,000.  I think the big guns will be buying at this sale.

Thanks for the replies, everyone.  I am just trying to get an idea of whether to make the trip (it is quite a long drive for me, and I have to work all day Friday!).  Thanks again.

I wonder what kind of exposure this auction is getting.  I don't subscribe to any of the antiques newsletters or papers, but this particular auction house strikes me as a low-overhead kind of place.  I am, quite honestly, surprised that they will be the ones selling this particular collection.  I wonder if the seller would have been better off to haul everything to, say, Flomaton Autcions or Neal Auctions.  Those folks certainly appear to me to have a bigger net to cast when it comes to attracting buyers for a collection like this.  I think that excluding phone & internet bids will certainly help to keep sale prices down. 

If any of you do go to this one, please let me know what the experience is like.

Thank you,

Jason

I'm not sure if all interested folks saw this, but apparently you can reserve seats...

- Jason

Plan Now To Attend

Call for more info. or reserved seats

1-205-333-2517

As to 1881 Victorian's question as to how much exposure this auction is getting,  I can't say I know the answer to that question, but I did today get in the mail a multipage,  color, high gloss book, yes a book, on the pieces in this auction...so, someone is putting a little $$ into advertising it---I have been on this auction site for sometime though, and on their mailing list for sometime...Charles.

I received my copy as well,you're right it's a book.Neal auction has it's market place . Hunt was a solid choice for this type collection in my opinion.  John

I think that my opinion speaks to the importance of an auction house's website.  In the instant case, Hunt's website is, in my opinion, very "cheap looking" compared to those of their peers in Alabama, Louisiana, & Mississippi.  I'm glad to hear that they have put together a book featuring the contents of the collection that they will be selling, but I fail to understand why the contents of that book are not posted on their website. 

So...regardless of how hard-working the good folks at Hunt may be, their first impression on me is conveyed through their web site.  For a collection like this, I would expect to see more description for each item (perhaps this is in their book?).  I would also expect to see these items on the ebay live auctions so as to attract more buyers.  I'd like to see these items compared to those in museum collections.  Hammer price estimates would be nice.  A collection like this deserves something more like what Horton puts together for his clock auctions.  ...again, maybe the "book" does the job, but Horton posts his book online. 

Ads in the Antiques Digests or in Victorian magazines ought to be standard for a collection like this...maybe there are such ads, but I certainly don't see any listed via Ye Olde Google other than the Hunt site itself.  The recent Cowan auction, for example, had a nice ad in Victorian Homes magazine. 

Anyway, I'm just rambling a bit.  I have never been down to see a Hunt auction and I'm looking forward to hearing all about what it is like from board members here who attend.  Happy hunting!

- Jason

OK, who went and can give us the scoop on the sale?  I think Paul Tucker was going.