Antiques and collectibles representing some of the most cherished eras and styles in American history will be among the items up for bidding at the 2013 Musical and Coin-op auction at Fontaine's Auction Gallery in Pittsfield, Mass., and online at iCollector.com, this coming Saturday, Sept. 21.
Museum-quality pieces
The Sept. 21 auction features pieces that you might expect to see among the collections of the nation's most celebrated museums. Coming from two different private collections, jukeboxes, player pianos and antique advertising are just a some of the items that offer buyers the opportunity to take home a piece of history.
A classic Yale Wonder Clock, built in Burlington, Vt., at the turn of the 20th century, is one of the more beautiful mechanical wonders on display. Only a handful of these coin-operated clocks with a roulette-style wheel and built-in music boxes are still in existence, and the one up for bid in this antiques auction is the oldest one still in existence.
Musical accompaniment
If you're looking for an old-fashioned jukebox, you won't find a more recognizable brand than Wurlitzer, which spent decades developing a reputation for building the finest musical instruments and listening devices in the industry throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Collectors of all stripes should be jumping and jiving to get their hands on one of the many specimens available Sept. 21, including the Model 850 from 1941 that is still in good working condition (lot #154).
Piano enthusiasts – whether you like to tickle the ivories yourself or get your kicks to the tune of a classic player piano – will be impressed by the options available. The Chickering Ampico Grand Player Piano (lot #286) that is available looks like it could be entertaining the crowd at an old west saloon or adorning the parlor of a classic Victorian home. And the classic World War II-era Steinway & Sons Baby Grand piano (lot #84) still has enough action in it to provide hours of opportunities to bang out your favorite Gershwin tune.
Anyone who feels that the true sound of music can't be captured by the increasing digitalization of modern times may find themselves drawn to one of many phonographs from the first half of the 20th century. A gorgeous Victor Type 6 mahogany example is enough to take your breath away even before you've heard how it plays/. You'll also want to investigate the less traditional-looking Burns & Pollack Lampophone Phonograph with brass feet and cloth-linen lid.
With so many unusual pieces available, you'll find that iCollector.com is your internet stop for building a collection of classic pieces to rival a museum.