Coke pharmacy sign from '20s or '30s fetches $4,675
A vintage Coca-Cola sign from the '20s or '30s, once used in a pharmacy and in excellent, fully restored condition, sold for $4,675 at a weekend liquidation sale of items from the Moose Breath Trading Company in Atlanta. The sale was held May 4-5 by Four Seasons Auction Gallery of Atlanta, at Moose Breath's showroom.
[USPRwire, Fri May 25 2007] A vintage Coca-Cola sign from the '20s or '30s, once used in a pharmacy and in excellent, fully restored condition, sold for $4,675 at a weekend liquidation sale of items from the Moose Breath Trading Company. The sale was held May 4-5 by Four Seasons Auction Gallery at Moose Breath's 20,000-square-foot showroom facility, in the heart of Chamblee's “Antiques Row.”
John Carbon, the owner of Moose Breath Trading Company, decided to retire after devoting 20 years of his life to supplying restaurants, saloons, neighborhood bars, movies and game rooms across the country. Originally, two weekends were to be dedicated to the sale, spanning four full days, but in the end Four Seasons' crack team of auction professionals got the job done in two days.
And it was a lot of merchandise. About 2,000 lots changed hands. Mr. Carbon amassed quite an inventory over the years, most of it advertising collectibles and decorator items. The Coke sign was the weekend's top lot, capturing the attention of a crowd estimated at about 200 people. By the end of the day on May 5th, a unique, 20-year collection had been liquidated, signaling the end of an era.
Moose Breath's spacious building was bulging at the seems, packed with advertising signs, neon signs and clocks, model airplanes, arcade games, barber poles, gas pumps and globes, brass cash registers, Coke collectibles, country store items, mounted fish and game, framed pictures and posters, hunting and fishing items, jukeboxes, lamp posts, movie posters, propellers, radios, scales and more.
Following is a recap of the top-selling lots. Prices quoted include a 10% buyer's premium.
A slot machine from the 1930s, in good working order and with money still inside it, went for $1,430; a Bulova neon clock, originally gracing a storefront in the 1930s and still keeping perfect time, realized $1,045; a 6-foot-tall Pepsi sign from around the 1940s, advertising Pepsi as a bargain-priced alternative to Coke, went for $330; and a neon sign for Red Goose Shoes (circa 1940s) hit $495.
A four-bladed propeller from a World War II-era airplane (considered more desirable than the more common two-bladed models) soared to $1,925; an assortment of airplane models, with wingspans of up to 5', sold for $225-$550 each; a 6' tall neon sign for the Grady Hotel, ready to hang, fetched $495; and a commercial-size, four-door ice box with mirrored doors (circa 1890s) made $660.
A 6' long turned-leg banker's table, made of bronze and wood around 1910-1915 and in fine condition, achieved $1,100; a large brass National cash register (circa 1890-1910) rang up a sale at $660; a 5' tall coffee mill on stand, with a 4' wheel and an urn on top for the grinder (circa 1880-1890), garnered $770; and a rare Coke stop sign, 5' tall and with a policeman graphic (circa 1950s), hit $412.
A candy store table was a crowd pleaser at $660, while a table-top candy scale once used in a general store or candy shop, commanded $154. A chrome pay phone – an artifact in this age of cell phones – found a new owner for $220. Taxidermy items did well: an attention-grabbing pink fiberglass shark, about 6' long, swam off for $335; and a large black and white cow, also fiberglass, made $550.
Four Seasons Auction Gallery's next big sale will be held Sunday, June 24th, starting at 11 a.m. A preview will be held on Saturday. Already consigned are a custom mahogany pub bar, 14' in length; a limited-edition Steinway Tiffany grand rosewood piano, signed by Henry Steinway ($125,000 when new); a Bosendorfer grand piano (circa 1920); and a Chickering square grand piano (circa 1850).
Four Seasons Auction Gallery is one of the premier auction houses in the Southeast, and certainly one of the busiest. From mid-April to mid-May, the firm conducted 11 auctions, about average since the turn of the year. These included two on-site real estate auctions, plus antiques and vintage auto sales. Four Seasons conducts an estate sale every Wednesday evening, starting at 6 p.m.
To learn more about the upcoming June auction, or for more information about Four Seasons Auction Gallery, you may visit them online at www.fsagallery.com. Quality consignments are always being accepted for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call Four Seasons Auction Gallery directly, at (404) 876-1048. The e-mail address is info@fsagallery.com.
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