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Holabird’s Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction, Held Oct. 28-Nov. 1 Online and in Reno, Nevada, Grosses $500,000

Reno, NV, USA, November 16, 2021 -/ExPressRelease UK/- Holabird Western Americana Collections’ five-day Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction, held October 28th-November 1st, contained over 3,200 lots of Americana, railroadiana, mining collectibles, numismatics, stock certificates, rare books, art and more, online and live in the Reno gallery. By the time it was all over, the auction had grossed about $500,000.

The massive sale featured several important collections, beginning with the Stuart “Scotty” MacKenzie Montana collection. Stuart was a lawyer, inveterate collector and dealer. He scoured the backroads of northern Montana looking for documents, archives, company files, libraries, correspondence and more – most anything historical except for bottles and tokens.

In another major collection, Shirley Bovis was a mainstay in Tombstone, Arizona – an avid collector and part-time dealer. She bought longtime Tombstone dealer Joe Soebbing’s adobe in the middle of town and turned part of it into a museum. Her collection of gambling items, saloon, cowboy, Native American – pretty much everything Tombstone – was in the auction.

More of the Ken Prag collection was also featured. “We picked up another large group of cards and stocks from Ken and had to move at warp speed to process it all,” said Fred Holabird of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “It included a large batch of California postcards, plus rare autograph stocks, including American Express, Wells Fargo, Robert Morris and others.”

Day 1, on Thursday, October 28th, featured General Americana, led by Alaska and Wyoming collectibles and Part 1 of the MacKenzie Montana collection; bottles, saloon and cigar items; marbles and toys. Sold that day was a nearly complete pair of 1920s-era Levi jeans, found in the Empire Mine at Tombstone, Arizona, next to the Toughnut Mine. The jeans gaveled for $625.

Also sold on Day 1 was a pair of trays, one for Old Judge Whiskey (Rothenberg Co.) and one for Wieland’s Beer (both San Francisco), which were sold as one lot for $625; and a Wells Fargo & Company receipt for a shipment of two boxes of gold dust valued at $6,794, transported in 1869 from Helena, Montana to New York City, handwritten “Paid” and showing no vignette ($562).

Day 2, October 29th, featured Part II of General Americana, with gaming, circus and cowboy collectibles, jewelry, general foreign, books, Montana directories, firearms, militaria and political memorabilia. A top lot was the group of six vintage gaming chips, for Harrah’s (one yellow and one red), Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Sahara Tahoe, Sahara Las Vegas and the Andre Club ($3,875).

Other Day 2 star lots included a collection of over 165 original hand-tinted Japanese photographs from the Meiji Era (1868-1912), mostly large-format, contained in four albums and three small envelopes ($3,125); and a 1922 hippo-themed circus poster announcing The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, for four days, starting Sept. 11, brightly colored ($1,062).

Day 3, October 30th, was bursting with 661 lots of art and advertising, Native Americana, transportation (air, auto, steamer, railroadiana and passes), ephemera, keys, lamps and model trains. Eager bidders battled over a hollow silver bead necklace with six bear claws capped with silver adornments, plus a central turquoise cabochon set in silver; it changed hands for $1,562.

The day’s top lot, however, was a Union Pacific Railroad complimentary pass (#1), issued to General A. W. Marley on Dec. 31, 1871, with a vignette of a stag in the upper left-hand corner ($5,125). Also sold was an art print engraving by Arthur Willmore of Yosemite from an original artwork on paper by the renowned American West artist Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) ($750).

Day 4, November 1st, included mining ephemera and collectibles, stocks and bonds (mining, oil, railroad, autographs, early American and Express), and numismatics (ingots, currency, scrip, ephemera, coins, medals, so-called dollars and tokens). An 1898-S $20 Liberty Head gold piece belt buckle and Western belt, by Silver Creek Collection, accented with lizard skin, hit $2,500.

Two Day 4 lots both finished with identical selling prices of $3,125. One was a 1947 50-peso Mexican gold coin with 14 carat bezel, the coin being in almost uncirculated condition. The other was a stock certificate in the amount of one share, for the Silverton Northern Railroad Company, issued to Cora M. Pitcher on Oct. 24, 1921, signed by company president Otto Mears.

Day 5, Monday, November 1st, offered philatelic (postcards, covers and stamps), and bargains and dealer specials (general Americana, stocks and bonds, and numismatics). Bags of nickels proved irresistible to bidders: a bag of 4,000 Buffalo nickels (1913-1938), weighing 43 pounds, went for $3,250, while a bag of 4,060 Liberty nickels (1883-1912), 41 pounds, brought $3,000.

Also sold on Day 5 was a collection of over 100 vintage postcards from the Trinity County (Calif.) town of Weaverville, from the 1940s-1950s and older, many of the Chinese Joss House ($1,000); and a group of five wooden tokens for the Pike Woolen Co., tailors (Oakland, Calif.), the obverse showing a Childs Indian Head and stars, the obverse “Pike Woolen Co.” ($938).

Online bidding was facilitated by iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates are posted often.

About Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC:
Anyone owning a collection that might be a good fit for an upcoming auction at Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC is encouraged to get in touch. The company has agents all over the country and will travel to inspect most collections. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates are posted often.

Holabird’s Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, Has Over 3,200 Lots in Many Collecting Categories

Reno, NV, USA, October 17, 2021 -/ExPressRelease UK/- Holabird Western Americana Collections’ five-day Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction, October 28th-November 1st, is packed with over 3,200 lots of Americana, railroadiana, mining collectibles, numismatics, stock certificates, rare books, art and more, online and live in the Reno gallery at 3555 Airway Drive, starting at 8 am Pacific time all five days.

The massive sale will feature several important collections, beginning with the Stuart “Scotty” MacKenzie Montana collection. Stuart was a lawyer, inveterate collector and dealer. He scoured the backroads of northern Montana looking for documents, archives, company files, libraries, correspondence – most anything historical except bottles and tokens.

“After Stuart’s death, we brought back two 28-foot trucks and a large, tall van full of goods, probably 18-19 tons of collectible material,” said Fred Holabird of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “A local auction was held for some of the items in his store, which had been closed for about ten years.”

Stuart had a strong love of mining items. He acquired major collections in Butte, Virginia City, Pony, Helena and many other towns. “We put together a massive Montana town document collection of over 500 different locations – nearly 600,” Mr. Holabird remarked. “There are document archives from many of Montana’s most famous towns that are being offered in this sale and upcoming sales.”

Another major holding are his fruit labels and other labels, from the 1870s through about 1950 that came from all over America and even Europe. MacKenzie also acquired a major printer’s archive of Victorian wall art, mostly pretty ladies in attire of the times, the kind put up in saloons or used today in interior decorating. There are also postcards, postal history, bird prints and a fantastic Montana library.

In another major collection, Shirley Bovis was a mainstay in Tombstone, Arizona – an avid collector and part-time dealer. She bought longtime Tombstone dealer Joe Soebbing’s adobe in the middle of town and quickly turned part of it into a museum. Her collection of gambling items, saloon, cowboy, Native American – pretty much everything that is and was Tombstone – will be in this and upcoming auctions.

The Ken Prag collection is the gift that keeps on giving. “We picked up another large group of cards and stocks from Ken and by publication time may not have had time to process much, but it’s coming,” Mr. Holabird said. “This sale features a large batch of California postcards, plus more rare autograph stocks including American Express, Wells Fargo, Robert Morris and more.”

Holabird continues to get in great collections of tokens, medals and bullion coins from a wide variety of Western coin dealers and collectors. This sale will feature a great batch of so-called dollars. Also offered will be consignments from three important railroad pass and stock collections, as well as nearly 200 lots of lock keys and lamps, as wells as a huge railroad library.

The mining category will include Western mining photographs, documents and publications, and carbide lamps. Mining stocks will feature a spectacular issued Bodie stock signed by Leland Stanford and a collection of Canadian stocks. Hollywood and Disney autographs and ephemera will feature a big group of autographed pictures and cuts from Hollywood’s biggest stars, plus rare collectibles.

Also up for bid will be Native Americana; jewelry; belt buckles and other cowboy collectibles; bottles and saloon collectibles; rare Western documents and photos; militaria, including Civil War knives; gaming and circus collectibles; art and advertising; and the auction’s star lot: an exceptional and rare William Shakespeare original first folio fragment from The First Part of Henry the Fourth.

Day 1, on Thursday, October 28th, will contain 651 lots of General Americana, led by Alaska and Wyoming collectibles and Part 1 of the MacKenzie Montana collection; bottles, saloon and cigar items; marbles and toys. A featured lot is a signed print of 1920s actress Nita Naldi by the iconic American artist Alberto Vargas (estimate: $3,500-$5,000). Signed prints by Vargas are very rare.

Also offered on Day 1 will be an interesting array of covers and letters addressed to Ruth Disney (Beecher), Walt Disney’s sister; and to Elias Disney, Walt and Ruth’s father – eight items in all, from 1918-1965 (estimate: $2,000-$2,500); and a pair of trays, one for Old Judge Whiskey (Rothenberg Co.) and one for Wieland’s Beer (both San Francisco) (estimate: $1,000-$1,700).

Day 2, Friday, October 29th, will have 632 lots, led by Part II of General Americana, featuring gaming, circus and cowboy collectibles, jewelry, general foreign and books, which will include Montana directories and, of course, the Shakespeare first folio fragment, which could easily sell for $50,000-$100,000. Also being sold will be firearms, military and political memorabilia.

Other Day 2 star lots will include the 1886 edition of The History of California in 23 volumes by Hubert Howe Bancroft, covering the history of the Golden State from 1542-1890 (estimate: $2,000-$2,500); and a group of four first edition books, three of them classics by Dr. Seuss and one by P. D. Eastman, titled Are You My Mother, published in 1960 (estimate: $2,500-$3,500).

Other Day 2 offerings will feature a Haag Bros. Circus poster (date unknown), printed on heavy canvas measuring 29 inches by 44 inches and boasting vibrant colors (estimate: $1,000-$4,000); a Civil War-era Bowie presentation knife made in Sheffield and used by the 9th Corp under Gen. Ambrose Burnside, acid etched “Victory to Our Brave Volunteers” (estimated: $2,000-$3,000); and a beautiful 14-18kt gold Art Deco style brooch with multiple dangling ornamentation and a central clear faceted stone, in a burgundy velveteen drawstring bag (estimate: $1,500-$2,500).

Day 3, Saturday, October 30th, will be bursting with 661 lots of art and advertising, Native Americana, transportation (air, auto, steamer, railroadiana and passes), ephemera, keys, lamps and model trains. A lot to watch is the hollow silver bead necklace with six bear claws capped with silver adornments, plus a central turquoise cabochon set in silver (estimate: $2,000-$4,000).

Day 4, Sunday, November 1st, will be just as busy, with 618 lots of mining ephemera and collectibles, stocks and bonds (mining, oil, railroad and miscellaneous, to include autographs, early American and Express), and numismatics (to include ingots, currency, scrip, ephemera, coins, medals, so-called dollars and tokens. Ingots have done especially well in prior auctions.

An expected Day 4 top achiever is a stock certificate signed by Bret Harte from 1863 for the Alta No. 2 Copper Mining Company (Del Norte County, Calif). This important and rare certificate was signed by the American short story writer and poet Bret Harte as secretary best. Harte was best known for his short fiction works featuring miners and gamblers of the California Gold Rush (estimate: $6,000-$10,000).

Other Day 4 highlights include a round container of 21.2 grams of gold and silver amalgam (estimate: $1,200-$1,200); an 1898-S $20 Liberty Head gold piece belt buckle and Western belt, by Silver Creek Collection, accented with lizard skin (estimate: $3,000-$4,000); and a 1947 50-peso Mexican gold coin (90 percent pure gold) with a 14-carat bezel (estimate: 2,600-$3,000).

Day 5, Monday, November 1st, will offer 648 lots of philatelic (postcards, covers and stamps), and bargains and dealer specials, which include general Americana, stocks and bonds, and numismatics. Sold on Day 5 will be a collection of Humboldt and Del Norte (Calif.) counties postcards, showing NorCal redwoods scenery along US 101, 125 pieces (estimate: $300-$600).

Online bidding via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. The full catalog can be viewed online now, at www.holabirdamericana.com. For those planning to attend the auction in person, regulations and protocols regarding COVID-19 will be enforced.

Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859.To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections and the Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction planned for October 28th-November 1st, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates posted often.

About Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC:
Anyone owning a collection that might fit into an upcoming Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels extensively throughout the U.S., to see and pick up collections. The company has agents all over America and will travel to inspect most collections. Holabird Western Americana Collections is always in the hunt for new and major collections to bring to market. It prides itself as being a major source for selling Americana at the best prices obtainable, having sold more than any other similar company in the past decade alone. The firm will have its entire sales database online soon, at no cost – nearly 200,000 lots sold since 2014. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates posted often.

Holabird’s Massive Sizzling Summer Western Americana Auction, Nearly 3,000 Lots, will be Held Aug. 5-9, Live and Online

Reno, NV, USA, July 23, 2021 -/ExPressRelease UK/- General George Armstrong Custer’s Civil War holster and gun belt, a photo diary of Pancho Villa with three books on the Mexican Revolution, and an 1898 prostitute’s license and photo from Tombstone, Arizona are a few of the more interesting items in Holabird Western Americana Collections’ Sizzling Summer Western Americana Auction, slated for August 5th-9th.

The five-day mega-event, packed with nearly 3,000 lots of Native Americana, philatelic (stamps) and numismatics (coins), militaria, railroad collectibles, Americana, mining memorabilia, stock certificates, art and more, will be held live in Holabird’s Reno gallery at 3555 Airway Drive, as well as online, via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com.

Start times all five days are 8 am Pacific. “This sale will make collectors even hotter than they were before the air conditioning got turned on,” said Fred Holabird, owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “The sale is full of ‘hot stuff’ and features some of the best collections in their genre offered publicly in a long time. Two of the major collections are Western in origin.”

The first centers around Arizona and Colorado ephemera, to include 19th century photos and documents related to major mining camps, supplemented by gorgeous oil paintings of Native American and western scenes by Douglas Rosa. The framed cabinet card photo of prostitute “Amelia” (in classic prostitute attire) with her business license, should go for $5,000-$10,000.

Added to this is a major collection related to the Mexican War and Pancho Villa, including the photo-diary by Arizona photographer Walter Horne, plus three books on the Mexican Revolution (estimate: $25,000-$50,000). The militaria section is equally phenomenal, highlighted by Gen. Custer’s holster and gun belt, accompanied by a lengthy history (estimate: $60,000-$90,000).

A California collection of Native American jewelry comprises more than 400 incredible pieces of fine, artistic silver and turquoise jewelry, much of it museum-quality and accumulated over several decades. The main part of the collection is represented by bolos from the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico. There are also necklaces, bracelets, rings, belt buckles, brooches and other items.

The California collection also includes jewelry from the Navajo, Santo Domingo Pueblo and the Hopi – amazing pieces of jewelry from many Native people. “Bidders will have a difficult time deciding on which to choose from for their collections,” Mr. Holabird said. “Also, for Western bolo tie collectors, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, the largest sale of its kind ever held.”

A couple of noteworthy Day 3 jewelry lots include a Rainbow Man knifewing bolo by Myra and Homer Vacit, circa 1940s-1950s, with stamped silver edging (estimate $1,200-$1,800); and an incredible vintage No. 8 Mine turquoise jewelry set (Navajo Reservation, Arizona) boasting a magnificent squash blossom necklace with twelve squash blossoms (estimate: $3,000-$5,000).

The Ken Prag collection is the gift that keeps on giving, and there are three distinct parts of his collection in this sale. First and foremost, most or all of the material is from his unsorted acquisitions for decades. There is a wealth of paper ephemera, particularly from California. The post cards (about 500 lots) are stunning, with very rare views in both RPC and printed format.

There are so many examples, it’s hard to pick, like the Tahoe original RPC of Myers, or a trio from Glen Alpine Springs, or printed cards from Weber Lake. Want pioneer cards? The sale has hundreds of them. One of the more fun sections is the gaming section – postcards with a gaming or playing card theme. This collection is now in about 20 lots, comprised of hundreds of cards.

Also from the Prag collection, on Day 5, is a major hoard of German inflation bonds from 1922, with anywhere from 500-1,000 pieces in two types, with varieties: 1,000 Marks with coupons, a 4-inch stack of maybe 1,000 pieces with at least two printing varieties; and a 50,000 Mark bond with coupons, one printing variety, a 3-inch stack of a few hundred (estimate: $1,000-$2,000).

For the firearms collector is a large library of historical books on guns, hunting and related, with some all-time key references. Exploration researchers will love the Arctic Exploration library and other early works on western exploration. Stocks and bonds feature a fantastic selection from about a dozen collections, and there’s a fine selection of railroad passes and stocks, with rarities.

In addition to the 1898 prostitute’s license and photo, another Day 1 super lot is the spectacular large bronze plaque celebrating Charles Lindbergh’s famous first flight across the Atlantic in 1927, made by sculptor and painter Julius T. Gutzwa (Meriden, Conn., 1891-1956). The plaque is one of only two known and is in extra fine to uncirculated condition (estimate: $3,000-$6.000).

Also up for bid on Day 1 will be historic ledgers pertaining to the legendary Hollenbeck Hotel in Los Angeles: three ledgers for the hotel from 1902; one ledger for the hotel restaurant, 1896; and one ledger for the saloon, 1895-1896 (estimate: $2,000-$6,000); and a 14-inch-square original bronze sign for Bell Telephone Company of Nevada, rare and early (estimate: $1,000-$2,000).

Expected star lots on Day 4 will include a painting of Native Americans on horseback, titled Too Many Guns (1982), by the Hungarian-American artist Americo Makk (1927-2015), framed; and a U.S. one dollar gold coin, produced by Christopher Bechtler around 1838. Bechtler’s coins were accepted across the Southeast. Both of the lots have pre-sale estimates of $5,000-$10,000.

The full catalog can be viewed online now, at www.holabirdamericana.com. For those planning to attend the auction in person, regulations and protocols regarding COVID-19 will be enforced.

Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections and the Sizzling Summer Western Americana Auction slated for Thursday thru Monday, August 5th-9th, visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates posted often.

About Holabird Western Americana Collections:
Holabird Western Americana Collections is always in the hunt for new and major collections to bring to market. It prides itself as being a major source for selling Americana at the best prices obtainable, having sold more than any other similar company in the past decade alone. The firm will have its entire sales database online soon, at no cost – nearly 200,00 lots sold since 2014. Anyone owning a collection that might fit into an upcoming Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels extensively throughout the U.S., to see and pick up collections. The company has agents all over America and will travel to inspect most collections. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, visit www.holabirdamericana.com.