Front and back of early stoneware
still bank with blue bird and floral decoration
with finial. The rare, mint piece brought
$33,000.
Rare Stoneware Penny Still Bank Sells For $33,000 At Blyth's
By W.A. Demers
SCHOHARIE, N.Y. - Daniel T. Blyth,
auctioneer and owner of Blyth's Auction Service, prides
himself on having developed a good eye for important
"merch" during his 15 years in the business. But when
during a house call he spied a rare early stoneware
still bank atop a dresser, he thought it would bring
between $4,000 and $6,000. At his March 24 auction to
his surprise and applause from more than 300 people in
the hall, the diminutive mint bank with blue bird and
floral decoration and intact finial went out at
$33,000.
"It was a New York piece, a
7-inch-tall penny still decorated on two sides," said
Blyth. "That's why it brought so much, and condition is
the rarity of it. It was in wonderful condition, and, of
course, with these kinds of banks, they would have to be
broken in order to be emptied."
Advertising his auction was what
generated high interest for the bank. "Between
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after the ad came out, we
must have had 60-70 calls about the bank," said Blyth.
Ultimately, three phones and about ten bidders on the
floor vied for the item, with a floor bidder capturing
it. And it was not just the winning bidder who was
happy.
A 36-inch antique bisque doll,
$935.
"The
consignor was unable to attend the sale," said Lisa
Blyth, auction house co-owner, "so when I asked her what
she thought the bank might have brought, she said, 'Oh,
maybe a few hundred dollars.' I said, 'How about
$30,000?' and she cried 'Oh, my God,' and later wondered
if she had been dreaming."
The Blyths specialize in estate
auctions, conducting approximately 50 a year - small
country affairs drawing merchandise from the historic
Schoharie area. Usually, they host about 200 people in
the auction hall, but for this auction, they had more
than 250 registered bidders.
Other highlights of the March 24 sale
included an Imperial mahogany case Symphony music box,
which realized $1,650; a 36-inch antique bisque doll,
which fetched $935; an Eighteenth Century period
Chippendale carved armchair, $726; a Niagara Falls
photo, $990; an oak settle-to-table bench, $523; an old
119-drawer post office surround with pigeon holes that
made $523; a postcard album that finished at $468; and
an oak stick and ball easel and a collection of marbles,
each of which sold for $275.
Prices reported include the ten
percent buyer's premium. For information, 518-868-4524
or www.blythauction.com.
