Canadian error stamps fetch $50,850 at Weiss auction A block of six rare Canadian error stamps (Scott 387A), never hinged, from the corner of the sheet, sold for $50,850 at a multi-estate sale held May 8-9 by Philip Weiss Auctions in Oceanside, N.Y.
(OCEANSIDE, N.Y.) - A block of six rare Canadian error stamps (Scott 387A), never hinged, from the corner of the sheet, sold for $50,850 at a multi-estate sale held May 8-9 by Philip Weiss Auctions. It was the first of two weekend May events conducted by the firm; the other was held May 29-30. Both took place in Philip Weiss Auctions' spacious gallery, at #1 Neil Court in Oceanside, N.Y.
“May was a pleasant surprise for us,” remarked Philip Weiss. “Both sales were successful. The good material did exceptionally well, while the mid-level merchandise brought better-than-expected prices.” Mr. Weiss said between 2,000 and 2,500 lots crossed the block for the two sales combined, with over 1,000 registered bidders participating via Proxibid and the website (www.prwauctions.com).
Each sale attracted between 30 and 100 bidders in the room, while absentee and phone bidding was active in both auctions. The May 8-9 event featured collectible toy trains, coins and stamps, rare books, autographs, manuscripts and vintage posters. The May 29-30 auction had antique toys, sports memorabilia items and quality, fresh-to-the-market merchandise from several prominent local estates.
Following are additional highlights from the May 8-9 auction. All prices quoted include a 13 percent buyer's premium.
Tying with the block of six Canadian error stamps for top lot honors was a two-set, 10-volume compilation by J.J. Audubon – seven volumes dedicated to The Birds of America and three volumes to The Quadrupeds of America – that realized $50,850. Both sets -- first printings published around 1840 -- featured hundreds of remarkably clean hand-colored lithograph plates and original leather bindings.
An exceedingly rare, original, two-sided handwritten manuscript leaf page from the seminal book Walden by Henry David Thoreau climbed to $18,080. The leaf, measuring 8-1/2 inches by 5-1/2 inches, begins, “It is very natural...I feel more like” and, on the verso,“goes lumber from... rags in bales, of all.” Walden (Life in the Woods), Thoreau's manual on self-reliance, was published in 1854.
Original pen-and-ink Peanuts comic strips by the renowned cartoonist Charles Schulz, staples at many Philip Weiss auctions, crossed the block at this one, too. A 10-panel Sunday comic page, signed and dated (4/6/86), with a “Game Day” theme featuring Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty, realized $29,380; and a 4-panel daily strip dated 5/23/69 and featuring Lucy, Linus and Woodstock hit $18,080.
Also, two lots of Charles Schulz books, signed and inscribed to legendary golfer Sam Snead, who was referenced in several jokes in Peanuts comic strips of the 1950s and '60s, each made $1,695. The first was Happiness Is a Warm Puppy (copyright 1962). The second was Christmas Get-Together Time (copyright 1964). Both had all their pages and dust jackets, plus drawings from Schulz to Snead.
Following are highlights from the May 29-30 sale. All prices quoted include a 13 percent buyer's premium.
The top lot was a rare toy egg from the Columbian Exposition of 1893, a world's fair held near Buffalo, N.Y. ($6,665). The egg – coveted by toy and world's fair collectors
