A sporty black and yellow 1929 Whippet Model 96A four-cylinder roadster roared away for $25,960; vintage Canadian porcelain signs for White Rose service stations and Red Indian Motor Oils realized $17,700 and $14,160, respectively; and rare vintage Schuco toys fetched nice high prices in Miller & Miller online auctions held March 1-2.
All prices in this report are in Canadian dollars and include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.
The March 1st Toys auction featured the late Howard Meyer Legacy Collection. Up for bid were 180 lots, all of them toys and dominated by examples from Schuco. “Condition and rarity reign supreme as the determining factors when it comes to value in toys,” said Justin Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd. “Many of the toys in Howie’s collection were exceptional examples.”
Mr. Miller went on to say that many of the toys in the Meyer collection were also in their original boxes. “That can often double or triple the values,” he remarked, adding, “The Meyer Schuco toy collection generated much international interest, not just in North America. In fact, many lots sold abroad. It’s clear the market for quality vintage toys is solid around the world.”
The Petroliana & Advertising auction on March 2nd, contained 398 lots of petroliana (gas station collectibles), advertising signs, toys, soda advertising and model planes. The 1929 Whippet was the top lot of the two days. “As the market for quality petroliana and advertising continues to mature, collectors are willing to pay higher and higher prices for top examples,” Miller said.
He continued, “Buyers are building collections and many of them remain in holding positions, keeping the best advertising locked up long term. When the time arrives for an older collection to come to market, sellers are almost always rewarded with handsome returns on their investment.”
Next up for Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is a two-day Advertising, Railroadiana & Historic Objects auction, featuring the William Robert Wilson collection, slated for March 23rd-24th. To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and the March 23rd-24th auction, please visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com.
