Annual Pre-Christmas Auction 2025

It was a bonanza of an auction with offerings covering everything from Frank Lloyd Wright furniture, Severin Roesen oil paintings, Pablo Picasso Ceramics, Art Glass, Watches, Sterling, Gold Coins, Fine Jewelry, Toys & Dolls, a wide selection of Antiques & Collectibles, and even a vintage lucite toilet seat filled with silver coins that sold for $650….the most expensive seat in the house! It was an auction beaming with novelty and interest and we are so thankful for the opportunity.

This year we shook things up a bit offering all three days, Thurs. December 18th thru Sat. December 20th, online with only Friday’s session to include live, in-person bidding here at the gallery.

Thursday’s session offered a variety of Art Glass, primarily from the estate of Barry Cossitor, Altoona PA. In the collection were pieces from well known companies to include Dorflinger, Steuben, Tiffany, Thomas Webb, Loetz and others. We offered four sets of Manhattan glasses all with applied red glass ‘cherries’, which drew much interest. The lots ranged from $2,400 to $1,000 with
4 or 5 stemmed glasses in each lot. A Webb type watermelon pink cameo epergne centerpiece realized $1,200 while a signed Webb yellow cameo bleeding hearts nappy topped out at $250. Steuben’s gold aurene line were the favorites out of those offered bringing in $350 & $325 for a vase & compote, respectfully, and then other pieces in translucent colors including a Wisteria Grotesque bowl for $110.00

Friday’s live audience was buzzing with excitement as they chased after their heart’s desires. The day consisted of mostly a well curated collection of antiques and collectibles from a Northumberland County collector, along with some select other consignments. Heading up the day were a few Severin Roesen fruit still life oil paintings. The large 38 1/2” x 45” sold singularly for $55,000 to a group of local historians and the smaller pair realized $35,000 to another local collector. A Marklin “Olympia” painted tin toy ship drew attention from all over and eventually settled at $8,000, while a French Jumeau doll with full markings was won in-house for $2,500. Highly sought after early rarities such as an antique brass surveyors compass stamped ‘Made By John Kline’ with decorated star dial topped out at $6,000; a rare, undocumented ‘Wrestler Brand’ tin litho one pint oyster can was chased until it reached $4,750 and an exceedingly rare cast iron ‘Middleton’s Corn Sheller’ for $4,000 were some of the top tier antiques on the block.

Silver, Watches, Gold, and Jewelry were offered on both Friday and Saturday in one manner or another. The winning bidder of the 215 pieces of the Durgin flatware paid top dollar for the set at $10.500 and they were just as happy with their winning bid of the five piece sterling tea service for $3,900. A single antique Tiffany sterling figural spoon landed in the hands of it’s new owner for $2,000. A variety of high quality watches had collectors battling with bids. A Vacheron & Constantin 18K gold in open face 18K case - $4,250, a rare C. F. Dreyspring repeating automation pocket watch in 18K Gold - $3,250, and a 1904 Gold $20 LeCoultre men’s wristwatch for $3,000, were just a few that kept their interest sparked. Additional gold items offered included two 1910 $2 1/2 dollar coins that sold for $750 each, a 20.6 dwt watch band for $2,100, and a few handcrafted rings by local jewelers - Rick Mahonski diamond ring, $1,400 and a James Meyer engagement set, $800. Along similar lines, a beautiful antique bronze & enameled singing bird music box was chased until the gavel landed at $3,500.

They battled to the end, with eventually only two live bidders left sitting in the seats on Friday and the other several hundred bidding online from afar (a real sign of the times). Regardless of where our bidders are physically when they bid, we are grateful for them all!

Saturday’s line-up was a conglomeration of consignments stemming from various PA & NY locations with the 40+ pieces of Frank Lloyd Wright ‘Taliesin’ furniture and few pieces of Picasso ceramics garnering the most attention. Bidders from across the nation were after the hard to find pieces with only a few being successful in their attempts. North to South, East to West, the collection that originated from a State College estate is now spread around to include a few pieces being shipped overseas. The lots of FLW furniture ranged in hammer price from $5,500 for the upright chest down to $140 for a desk that had seen better days. We even had a few FLW design books that ranged from $460 to $30 each lot. The four Picasso earthenware items that were offered; - Visage pitcher - $7,500, Pitchet Yat pitcher - $3,600, Vase au bouquet plate - $3,500 and Tete de Chevre de profile plate - $3,100, are now in the hands of their new owners. A good deal was made with the purchase of a Steinway Baby Grand Piano for $4,300 and antique rugs in a variety of sizes and styles were sold for a few thousand dollars each.

All in all it was a wonderful three-day event full of fantastic items which we could go on forever mentioning it all. Instead, bidders with accounts with Invaluable or AuctionZip can find all of this and more on those bidding sites under Past Auctions. Check it out!

Please note that the prices given do not include the additional buyer’s premium or fees.