1970 Pontiac GTO ("The Judge"), plus many gold and silver coins, will be sold at Tims Inc. Auctions

PRLog (Press Release) - Sep. 21, 2012 - (BRISTOL, Conn.) – A 1970 Pontiac GTO (“The Judge”) in original condition, a large single-owner lifetime stamp collection, hundreds of fine gold and silver coins, vintage clocks and antique furnishings are just some of what bidders can expect when they attend the first-ever Fall Sizzler Estate Extravaganza Auction scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 30, by Tim’s Inc. Auctions.

   The inaugural event will be held at Tim’s, Inc. Auctions' gallery facility, located at 1185 Farmington Avenue (Route 6) in Bristol. More than 1,000 quality lots are expected to cross the block, making it comparable in size to Tim’s, Inc. Auction’s last Cabin Fever Auction held in March. And, said Tim Chapulis, the firm’s owner, there are similarities between the two sales.

   “We’ve got so much wonderful estate merchandise packed into one day, just like Cabin Fever, all of it items drawn from local estates and collections,” Chapulis said, He mentioned a bank-sealed bag of fine silver coins with a face value of $1,000, that will be sold as one lot.

   Chapulis said it took 12 hours and 15 minutes to sell everything in Cabin Fever. “This will be the same thing,” he said, “a marathon – it might go ‘til midnight, maybe 1 o’clock in the morning. We’ll be selling wonderful merchandise until it’s all gone.” There are six major estates being liquidated.

   To borrow a line from Sammy Davis, Jr. on TV's Laugh-In, “Here comes the judge!” The probable headliner of the auction will be the 1970 Pontiac GTO (“The Judge”), in part because it is a desirable muscle car from the era and in part because of its impeccable provenance. The car is from the original owner, who purchased it new in West Hartford for $4,400 in 1969. The light green “Pon-Pon,” with a dark green top, has been stored and garaged for the past 34-plus years.

   Features of the car include matching VIN numbers, Hurst 4-speed transmission, a 400 cubic inch engine (rated at 366 horse power) and Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor. The interior is all-original. “We’re offering the car in ‘as-found’ condition, but the fact is it’s been stored in a nice dry garage for years,” Chapulis said. “We’ve estimated it will sell for $15,000-$25,000.”

   Chapulis described the massive single-owner stamp collection as “one of the largest and most important collections we've ever sold,” adding, “It will probably end up being 200 lots or so, and it will appeal to just about any collector, with great U.S. and international examples.”

   The coins, too, are certain to spark fierce bidding wars, for two reasons: many are highly collectible and the silver and gold content makes them desirable for the sheer weight alone. The aforementioned bag of silver coins has an estimated market value of around $25,000 (Chapulis said it would fetch $15,000-$25,000). And the gold coins, of course, will get paddles wagging.

   Nearly 100 gold coins will come under the gavel, to include half-ounce Panda gold coins from 1983. In all, aroud 800 lots of coins will be sold, among them 29 sets of silver Chinese 5-yuan coins, each set honoring Chinese nobility. Many U.S. coins will also be sold. “What better way to invest in America than by buying U.S. coins with genuine history?” asked Mr. Chapulis.

Estate jewelry will feature four diamond rings, all with stones of one carat or more, other rings, pocket watches and vintage jewelry pieces, to include ladies’ bracelets and a stunning 18kt gold necklace with a weight of 2.5 troy ounces. Also sold will be pillar-and-scroll clocks by Eli Terry and other Connecticut makers, a gorgeous hand-carved gold gilt carved spread eagle made by a Boston carver in the early 1900s and saying “Live Free or Die,” Oriental carpets and more.

Artwork will include paintings by noted, listed artists, and much of it will be housed in beautiful gold gilt frames. Examples include an antique oil painting by Belgian artist Charles P. Ceradano (1829-1909), titled Shepherdess and Sheep; an oil on canvas seascape by Addison Thomas Millar (Am., 1850-1913); a 19th century oil on canvas landscape rendering by William Berry; and an oil on board landscape done circa 1930s by the noted German artist Max Heichele.

   “We’re still hard at work inventorying and lotting these treasures,” Chapulis said with a chuckle, “and we will be right up to auction day. Which is fine, because the beauty and aura of an auction is not knowing exactly what you’ll find or what valuable heirloom you’ll take home. And many of these items will be purchased as investments -- much safer than stocks and bonds.”

   The auction will begin promptly at 12 noon, with a preview scheduled from 10 a.m. until the first hammer comes down. For folks unable to attend in person, they can bid from the comfort of their homes or businesses online, through LiveAuctioneers.com. Photos of many of the lots may be viewed online, at LiveAuctioneers.com, or on Tim’s website (Timsauction.com).

   Admittance to the auction will be a suggested $10 donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in memory of Peter W. Chapulis, Tim’s late father. “The outpour of support for this effort has been tremendous,” Tim said. “Many people have given more than we asked. To date this year, we’ve raised over $49,000 for the charity. The goal is to reach $50,000, which will coincide with St. Jude's 50th anniversary.” St. Jude's was founded by singer Danny Thomas.

   Tim’s, Inc. Auctions is celebrating 33 years in business (1979-2012). The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call Tim Chapulis at (860) 459-0964, or send him an e-mail him at tims.inc@snet.net. For more information about Tim’s, Inc. Auctions and the upcoming Fall Sizzler Estate Extravaganza Auction, please log on to www.timsauction.com. Updates to the website are posted frequently.

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