Lifetime collections of Don Fiedler to be sold May 2-3 The lifetime collection of Don Fiedler, comprising 700+ lots of vintage toy trucks, toy motorcycles, full-size antique motorcycles and bicycles, petroliana and more will be sold May 2-3 in Illinois.
(Cedar Point, Ill.) - A spectacular lifetime single-owner collection, comprising over 700 lots of vintage toy trucks, cast-iron and tin motorcycle toys, full-size antique motorcycles and bicycles, advertising signs and displays, petroliana, coin-op machines and even a big-rig 1954 Mack LTH semi truck, will be sold at auction May 2-3 by Matthews Auctions, LLC, and Gavin Pope Auction Co.
The auction will be conducted at a former schoolhouse building in Cedar Point, Ill., a small town located just off I-39 and south of I-80, about 90 minutes southwest of Chicago and an hour north of Bloomington. The collections were amassed over the course of more than 40 years by Don Fiedler of nearby Spring Valley, Ill. Mr. Fiedler is less active today, and wants others to enjoy what he's collected.
“Don Fiedler is 66 years old and one of the most interesting and colorful characters you will ever meet,” said Dan Matthews of Matthews Auctions, LLC. “He's six-foot-six, has been married twice, is a cancer survivor and has long white hair down to his waist and a beard to match. He's a gentle giant who's owned several saloons, a trucking company and the well-known House of Powder paint coating business. It was while in these lines of work that he amassed his many and varied collections.”
The first day of the auction – May 2, beginning at 10 a.m., CST – will feature nearly 175 lots of advertising and petroliana signs; floor and counter-top displays; nearly 50 vintage oil cans; 75 lots of paper goods, from posters to parts boxes; six gas pumps, fully restored; vintage motorcycles, including Indian, Harley Davidson and Cushing models; rare vintage bicycles; and the 1954 Mack semi truck.
The advertising signs will include porcelain, paper and tin examples. Many are scarce and in mint or near-mint condition. A few of the expected top lots include an exceedingly rare AFM Registered Repair Shop porcelain flange sign; a Socony Air-Craft Oils single-sided porcelain sign; a Perfect Circle Piston Rings and Piston Expanders embossed tin sign; a Delco “America's No. 1 Battery” double-sided tin sign; and a rare Texaco Motor Oil Ford porcelain sign.
Several curb and counter-top displays, plus clocks and lighted signs, will also be offered. Some star examples include a Phillips 66 Tires & Batteries double-bubble clock; an original Ford A-1 Used Cars & Trucks lighted clock; an Edison Mazda Super Auto Lamps porcelain storage box; an AC Spark Plugs metal cabinet with original spark plugs; and a Westinghouse Mazda Lamps metal display cabinet.
Day One will also feature several lots of oil cans, to include an original Harley Davidson 5-gallon rocker-style piece, in fabulous condition; and six professionally restored gas pumps, including a 1930s-era Milwaukee cash recording pump; a Wayne 615 10-gallon visible pump; a Frye 117 10-gallon visible pump; a Tokheim 850 pump; and an Eco Air Meter, all painted up and ready for display.
Mr. Fiedler's vintage motorcycle collection is certain to get tongues (and paddles) wagging. Some stars of the category
