New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada, February 8, 2023 — A 1923 Willards Chocolates Babe Ruth baseball card was a hit for $23,600 and a cutaway model of a 1962 Vickers VC-10 BOAC (later British Air) jet plane soared to $18,880 in an online-only Advertising & Historic Objects auction held January 21st by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. Both lots blasted through their $2,000-$3,000 estimates.
All prices quoted are in Canadian dollars.
The Babe Ruth card, graded PSA 3 VG (Very Good), is an exceptional example of an early issue Ruth card from a rare Canadian-issued set. It featured a sepia-toned image of the Bambino at bat, with a facsimile signature. It is considered the most sought after card in the series and came out of the estate of collector William Audley “Huck” Caesar. It was also the top lot of the auction.
The cutaway model of a 1962 Vickers VC-10 BOAC jet plane was one of only two known and was made by Walkers Westway in England. The model is highly sought after by collectors for her beautiful lines and interesting history. The plane achieved a record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by a subsonic jet airliner of 5 hours and 1 minute (later broken).
The 376-lot auction, officially titled Advertising & Historic Objects, was brimming with items in many collecting categories, to include advertising signs, banks, breweriana, bicycles, bottles, clocks, coin-ops, fruit jars, general store, historic objects, militaria, models, soda advertising and sports memorabilia – something for just about everybody.
“Collectors fought over key items,” said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “The variety of content made it an exciting auction to watch. There was no shortage of enthusiasm, with key pieces selling multiple times over the high estimate. Sixty-four percent of the top fifty lots exceeded estimate and one hundred percent of lots were sold.”
Following are additional highlights from the auction, one in which all lots were offered without reserve and everything was sold to the highest bidder. Overall it grossed $369,163, with online bidding provided by MillerandMillerAuctions.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. Nearly 500 registered bidders placed a combined 8,546 bids. Prices include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.
To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and their upcoming auctions, please visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com
