Maine Antique Digest March 2015

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10-B Maine Antique Digest, March 2015
- AUCTION -
Farmer Auctions, Salem, Virginia
New Ownership and Strong Victorian Sales for
Farmer
by Walter C. Newman
Photos courtesy Farmer Auctions
In October 2012, Ken Farmer and Paul
Quinn joined forces to create a regional
auction firm, Quinn & Farmer Auctions,
in Charlottesville, Virginia. During the
months that followed, one of the changes
that was made while configuring the new
enterprise was to close Ken’s auction house
in Radford, Virginia, and move that business
to the Roanoke, Virginia, area.
After locating a suitable venue and deal-
ing with various zoning issues, the old Ken
Farmer auction held its first catalog sale in
September 2013 in Salem, Virginia.
Now, further evolution has occurred. On
October 30, 2014, Ken’s son, Will, pur-
chased the Salem, Virginia, business in its
entirety from Paul Quinn and Ken Farmer.
His business is completely separate from
any of the previous iterations, although he
will retain the Salem location and virtually
all of the staff. The name of Will Farmer’s
firm is simply Farmer Auctions.
Will Farmer conducted his first catalog
sale on December 6, 2014. The sale was
a very manageable size of 430 or so lots,
including 45 coin lots. There was a very nice
mix of English and American antiques, folk
art, Americana, fine art, jewelry, and glass-
ware. Will Farmer is a veteran auctioneer,
and along with fellow bid caller Steve Cul-
ver he moved the sale along very quickly.
The high lot of the sale came from a cate-
gory that we are now beginning to see come
to life—Victorian furniture. A John Henry
Belter parlor table with its original marble
turtle top sold for $29,900 (includes buy-
er’s premium) against a presale estimate of
$8000/12,000. This particular piece had been
consigned back to the Farmer family by an
individual who had purchased it at the Rad-
ford location in January 1998.
In addition to the Belter table, six other
Belter and Belter-attributed lots sold.Among
those lots, a single parlor chair carved in the
“Tuthill King” pattern brought $2300 (est.
$1000/1500), and a four-piece parlor suite,
consisting of one armchair and three side
chairs, carved in the “Rosalie” pattern, made
$7475 (est. $2000/4000).
In an e-mail following the sale, Will
Farmer commented on this first sale, “My
first observation would be that Victorian
furniture is alive and well in southwest Vir-
ginia.” He went on to attribute some of that
success to the on-line bidding platforms that
are now available. Bidders do not have to go
to New York, Baltimore, or New England.
They simply pull up a chair and turn on their
computers.
The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the
sale of antique ivory, however it may be
defined, emerged center stage at this sale.
A consignor had sent a Georg Jensen ster-
ling silver tea service to be sold. The set had
ivory handles. The consignor had personal
knowledge as to the age of the set and even
supplied documentation as to its having been
purchased sometime around 1930. The set
had been shipped to the Farmer gallery. Upon
arrival, the shipping company representative
informed Will Farmer that he felt uncom-
fortable shipping the set to any international
buyer and would agree to ship only within
the U.S. The catalog noted this, and the sale
was completed to a presumed U.S. telephone
bidder. See the photo and caption for more
details.
This series of events highlights the
dilemma facing auction houses and antiques
dealers. While one person’s understanding
of regulations and documentation require-
ments may seem sound, there is always con-
cern that a customs official or postal inspec-
tor may have a quite different understanding
of those same regulations. Many potential
buyers, dealers, and auction houses are not
willing to risk having a valuable, or at least
pricey, purchase languishing in an airport’s
contraband locker or set on fire because of
various vague interpretations of the laws,
thereby leaving everyone empty-handed.
Will Farmer’s first catalog sale was a treat.
In his e-mail he went on to summarize his
thoughts about the future. He clearly regards
the Internet as a big part of his business. It
“has really made me examine our traditional
auction business model and look to continue
to push to on-line availability. My goal is to
have a regional auction house that serves the
needs of our community while continuing
our family legacy of making national col-
lections available at public auction.”
For additional information, contact
Farmer Auctions at (540) 384-0100 or visit
the Web site ).
This little French carriage clock was
not marked with a specific maker’s
identification, but it generated con-
siderable interest. The 6½" x 5" x 5"
clock, circa 1900, is housed in a gilt
brass case with beveled glass panels.
The dial displays Roman numeral
hour marks and Arabic minute indi-
cators. The strike is a double gong.
The lot included the clock’s original
leather case. A telephone bidder won
the clock for $3162.50 (est. $300/400).
Judging from the number of bidders who participated
in the sale of this lot, there are quite a few people out
there who are interested in the finer points of the black
arts. This five-volume set is titled Hoodoo, Conjura-
tion, Witchcraft, and Rootwork. It was self-published
by Harry M. Hyatt (1886-1978). Hyatt was an Angli-
can minister and amateur folklorist who compiled the
books from his lifetime of notes related to these general
subjects. The series was published between 1970 and
1978. Hyatt planned a sixth volume, an index, but died
before it was completed. This set sold to an Internet
buyer for $1610 (est. $1000/1600).
Will Farmer’s
first catalog sale
was a treat.
This political banner does not display a specific
date, but it is certainly from the 1888 presiden-
tial election campaign. The painted cloth banner
reads “Victory/ Cleveland/ -&-/ Thurman.” The
piece measures approximately 24" x 21". It is in
overall good condition, with expected losses to the
paint and wear at the folds. Because of the death
of Vice President Thomas Hendricks, incumbent
Democratic President Grover Cleveland selected
Allen G. Thurman as his running mate for
reelection. Cleveland and Thurman won the pop-
ular vote but lost the Electoral College vote and
the White House to Benjamin Harrison and Levi
Morton. The banner sold to an Internet buyer for
$747.50 (est. $400/600).
Here is a presidential land grant signed by Andrew Jackson. The docu-
ment granted 80 acres in Vincennes, Indiana, to “John Stork, Junr.” and is
dated April 10, 1829, one month after Jackson took office. The 9 5/8" x 15"
document is printed on vellum and is in fair/good condition. It sold to an
Internet buyer for $460 (est. $500/800).
These two Mt. Washington Glass Company items dis-
play the same pattern but were sold as two separate
lots. The pattern is Coraline and features a satinized
finish over a turquoise-blue ground fading to white.
Yellow coral branches appear to grow upward from
the bases. The perfume bottle measures 7¼" in over-
all height, and the vase is 7½" high. Both pieces are in
good condition with only a minor chip to each exam-
ple. The perfume sold for $115 (est. $150/200), and the
vase sold for $126.50 (est. $200/300).
The pair of Chippendale mirrors from the 18th century was
a late addition to the sale. The looking glasses are mounted
in carved frames, with gilt and gesso decoration. The 37½"
tall frames are mahogany veneer and feature a pierced and
carved flower basket at the center of the crest. The glass in
both mirrors is a replacement, and there is some warping
as expected with their age. These mirrors appeared to be a
bargain at $460 (est. $1200/1500), selling to the Internet.
This Victorian sugar shaker
is decorated with brightly
colored enamel floral designs.
The blossoms around the base
appear to be honeysuckle
blooms. The 5¾" high shaker
is dark blue glass in a thumb-
print pattern. The base ring is
highlighted with gold enamel.
The metal lid is intact, and
the shaker is undamaged. It
sold in the room for $184 (est.
$75/100).