Rich and vibrant Winchester rifle poster from 1909 fetches $4,246 at SoldUSA.com auction, Jan. 22

Jan. 31, 2011 - PRLog -- (MATTHEWS, N.C.) – A colorfully rich and vibrant poster from 1909, advertising the Winchester .401 caliber self-loading rifle, one of the most highly sought after of the Winchester images, sold for $4,246 in an Internet and catalog auction that went online in mid-December and ended Jan. 22 by SoldUSA.com. The poster was the top lot of the hundreds that changed hands.

   The auction featured an array of categories: vintage firearms, ammunition and ammo boxes, militaria, advertising items, hunting and fishing and a nice selection of rare Buffalo Bill memorabilia. “Thanks to the high prices realized in this auction, we’ve had numerous inquiries from consignors for the next sale, ending March 19,” remarked David Reichle of SoldUSA.com.

   Mr. Reichle said he was impressed with the spirited bidding in the Jan. 22 auction, and took it as a sign the economy is in a state of recovery. “Not only were prices going higher than even we expected, but we signed up around 200 new bidders, who competed with the large number of old bidders who also participated,” he said. “The sale overall was very encouraging.”

   The Winchester poster was a beauty, and a rare beauty at that, originally executed by Philip R. Goodwin (specifically for Winchester) and lithographed circa 1908. The poster measured 15 ¼ inches by 29 ½ inches (which is correct), and had both top and bottom bands. It had some light wrinkling near the top and bottom, but the piece’s rarity overrode its minor flaws.

   Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 13 percent buyer’s premium.

   The sale’s second top lot was another Winchester item – a 1917 calendar titled Spooked, originally painted in 1915 by W.K. Leigh (for Winchester) and lithographed in 1916 by the American Litho Co. ($3,678). Also, a bright and clean shell box for Winchester Precision 200 target cartridges (.22 cal.) brought $475. All the shells were correct and three had been polished.

   A beautiful condition Burnside cavalry carbine rifle, all-original and fully functional in dry operation, hammered for $1,718. The metal on the weapon had a plum/brown patina, with no deep pitting, and the wood had not been sanded or otherwise touched. The bore showed strong rifling, with normal widespread pitting. A label said the rifle had been “used at Fort Sanders.”

   An Evans lever-action sporting rifle with an interesting provenance changed hands for $1,302. The weapon had been assembled from leftover parts after the Evans Repeating Rifle Company went into bankruptcy in 1879. The work was supposedly done by E.G. Ridout & Co. (N.Y.) or Turner & Ross (Boston, Mass.), the two firms that acquired Evans’ remaining stock.

   An extremely rare 1864 Lamson, Goodnow & Yale Company contract musket, with fantastic cartouches on the stock, scored a bull’s-eye for $1,163. Only around 50,000 guns in this line were made, with this particular model being the last of the three types produced by the firm. The metal on the musket had a silver gray patina, with some light to moderate pinprick pitting.

   A nice Civil War-era Whitney ‘New Model’ .31 caliber 5-shot revolver with a 6-inch barrel rang out at $1,092. The revolver was complete and in fine, original condition. The barrel and frame showed a uniform brown patina and the trigger guard a dull brass finish. The original numbered walnut grips were solid and intact. A prior owner had carved his initials into the grip.

   An early World War II German Luftwaffe radio operator/air gunner badge, cased and made by C.E. Junkers (Berlin) coasted to $1,056. The beautiful wartime badge featured two-piece construction, with two rivets on the reverse mounting an eagle to an oak leaf wreath. The original blue leatherette case had outside gold lettering, and was hinged with a locking front.

   Rounding out the sale’s top lots, an 1860 Colt Army pistol with a very rare detachable shoulder stock, measuring 17 inches long and boasting an all-original wood butt stock with brass butt plate, commanded $565; and a Springfield-Krag M1899 carbine (3rd Model, made in 1902), one of only 2,000 manufactured and one of the last carbines in the Krag series, garnered $783.

   SoldUSA.com’s next Internet and catalog auction is already online and will conclude March 19. Featured are hundreds of lots of militaria, ammunition, firearms and more. At press time, consignments for this sale were still being accepted. To consign an item or a collection, you may call SoldUSA.com at (704) 815-1500, or e-mail them at support@SoldUSA.com.

   To learn more about SoldUSA.com and the auction currently underway, please log on to www.SoldUSA.com. Images of many lots are there, in color, and updates are posted frequently.

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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.