Merchandise from three prominent Virginia estates will be auctioned Feb. 4 by Tom's in Ivor, Va.

Jan. 10, 2012 - PRLog -- (IVOR, Va.) – Hundreds of select, handpicked items from three prominent Virginia estates –in Franklin, Virginia Beach and Norfolk, plus other consignments -- will be sold at auction Saturday, Feb. 4, by Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals, at the former Ivor High School building in Ivor. The action will begin promptly at 10 a.m. (EST). Doors will open at 8:30 a.m.

   At press time, over 600 lots of merchandise had been counted, but items were still being inventoried and the final tally could easily top the 700 mark. Offered will be items in a wide range of categories – period furniture, stoneware and pottery, duck decoys, stamps and coins, glassware, hand-made baskets, fountain pens, ephemera, decorative accessories and collectibles.

   “We’ve pulled choice items out of these outstanding estates and will offer them for sale to the highest bidder,” said Tom Perry of Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals, based in Suffolk, Va. “We are expecting a healthy crowd of up to 200 people. Bring your cash, folks – these items are high quality and will get snapped up quickly.” There will be no Internet bidding for this auction.

   Headlining the period furniture category will be an early blue-painted dovetailed blanket chest, probably made in Pennsylvania in the early-to-mid 1800s; a burled mahogany 8-drawer highboy (circa 1780-1800) with ball-and-claw feet and arched shell carved into the center of the base; and a mid-1700s mahogany bachelor’s chest with bracket feet and four graduated drawers.

   Other furniture pieces will include a diminutive and unusual eastern North Carolina cupboard, not much larger that a child’s piece and made circa mid-1800s; a period drop-leaf Pembroke dining table (possibly European); a huge Victorian-era wardrobe; and Empire pieces.

   One lot certain to pique bidder interest is a 1927 diorama with squirrels, executed by the renowned American taxidermy artist Herman Grieb (Buffalo, N.Y., 1869-1928), about 48 inches wide and signed by the artist. Mr. Grieb’s production was both prodigious and endearing. His natural creations are still actively sought out by collectors, more than 80 years after his death.

   Another lot sure to get paddles wagging is a 19th century Carlsbad fish set, comprising a scalloped oval platter and twelve plates, all hand-painted and in perfect condition. All pieces carry the Carlsbad mark, ensuring their authenticity. Carlsbad is the Austrian-based china firm renowned for its hand-painted fish platter and plate sets. They are highly coveted by collectors.

   Decorative accessories will feature a gorgeous green Northwood Carnival glass epergne (marked Northwood), around 20 pieces of stoneware (some of it beautifully decorated and highly sought after pieces from South Carolina, plus examples from New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey), Roseville pottery, oil lamps, doorstops, sterling silver and a nice group of picture frames.

   Also sold will be a circa 1880-1900 6-tune music box, probably Swiss, with damper and brass cylinder that plays six songs, a hand-illustrated cloth book of the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (circa 1880-1920), original paperwork from a washing machine made in 1900 (that cost just $10 new!), and a Virginia slave document transferring a slave from father to son.

   The duck decoys are mostly unsigned, except for one signed “A. Wood,” and the group of hand-made baskets includes a desirable miniature example. Stamps and coins will also cross the block (although none of the coins are gold). Other lots will include a Gem Roller organ that plays 16-inch cylinder rolls (cylinders included) and a rare sportsman’s yearbook from 1940.

   Previews will be held on Friday, Feb. 3, from 3-6 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 4, the date of sale, from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m., when the first gavel comes down. Phone and absentee bids will be accepted. A 10 percent buyer’s premium will be applied to all purchases. Terms will be cash and good checks only. No credit card purchases will be allowed. Refreshments will be served.

   The old high school building in Ivor is located at 8430 Bell Avenue, off Route 460. To learn more about the auction, and for directions to the venue, log on to www.tomsauction.com. Many of the items to be sold have already been posted, and more images were being added at press time. A photo gallery of the items can also be viewed at Auctionzip.com (ID #1328).

   Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals is one of the premier auction firms in the Mid-Atlantic States. The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (757) 539-2498, or (757) 617-9647. Or, you may send them an e-mail, at tombuys@tomsauction.com. For more info, log on to tomsauction.com.

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Ken Hall writes pre-sale and post-sale press releases for auction houses, for a fee. He writes, submits and tracks stories for clients. Submissions are published in trade magazines, posted on industry websites and appear in local newspapers.