A folky portrait of a girl and her dog brought the top price during a single-owner sale held by Garth’s Auctions August 21. However, a variety of smalls defined the market that day. The collection was that of Natalene and Eric Aaberg of Beaverton, Oregon. “Eric is a passionate and voracious collector whom I knew essentially through Facebook,” said Jeff Jeffers, CEO and principal auctioneer of Garth’s. The Aabergs bought from Garth’s over the years, but they also traveled. “He

Pro-ject and e-nun-ci-ate.” Words from a high school English teacher. Mrs. Buzzard was a stickler about speech. She talked with a diction in which every syllable popped, and she expected no less from her students. In that manner, she would have approved of the online-only two-session Americana auction conducted by Garth’s of Columbus, Ohio, that ended March 26 and 27. The sale followed Mrs. Buzzard’s admonition to “speak loud-ly and clear-ly,” beginning with a Queen Anne high

Size played a significant role in the strong bidding for many lots during the annual Thanksgiving Americana auction held by Garth’s Auctioneers & Appraisers, Columbus, Ohio. Because of the ongoing pandemic, the sale was conducted as an online-only event that ended on December 5. Leading the auction were two beds from the Workshops of David T. Smith, Morrow, Ohio. A queen-size tiger maple bed having posts from the early 19th century but with a new headboard, footboard, and rai

Garth’s Auctions held a sale of Americana, decorative arts, and fine jewelry September 9-19. The online-only event was unusual because of its large size (874 lots) and the diverse mix of material, from Windsor chairs to Haitian paintings. The top lot consisted of two pieces of Chinese porcelain—a bowl with flowers on a yellow ground, the white interior decorated with five bats, 2½" high x 5¾" diameter, and a vase decorated with a scene of a woman and child in a garden, 9½" hi

Sometimes auction results provide more information than just market values and buying trends. That was the case with the recent single-owner, online-only sale that concluded on August 8 and consisted of 330 lots of Americana from the collection of Deborah and Edward Dick of Kenton, Ohio. Garth’s Auctions of Columbus, Ohio, conducted the event. The top lot, an unusual sawbuck worktable in pine with old red paint, sold for $5625 (including buyer’s premium) against an estimate o

A Hepplewhite sugar chest was the top lot during the Americana sale held by Garth’s Auctions of Columbus, Ohio, on March 19, selling for $11,250 (includes buyer’s premium) against an estimate of $3000/5000. Dating to the first quarter of the 19th century and likely of Kentucky origin, the piece was walnut with inlay that included two tulips in a flowerpot. The front part of the chest and a lower drawer had line inlay, while the shaped skirt had an inlaid fan. On square tapere

Whirligigs were invented centuries ago. They are both toys and tools, indicators of wind direction and the weather. Sources disagree on where the first were made; it was probably in China about 400 B.C. or by Native Americans about 550 B.C. The whirligig must have a spinning part and a base and many were made in fanciful shapes. The oldest known pictures of a whirligig were in tapestries made in medieval times. There are many names and many shapes of whirligigs. Old sources c

The annual Thanksgiving sale is a tradition at Garth’s Auctions. Held on Black Friday (and in previous years, that Friday and Saturday), the event brings a crowd to Garth’s gallery and is one of the strongest sales of the year for the auction house. The coronavirus pandemic meddled with the sale in 2020. Jeff Jeffers, Garth’s chief executive officer and principal auctioneer, had planned a one-day event for November 27 at the company’s home, the Municipal Light Plant in Columb

A presentation pitcher in an Albany slip with scratched text and decoration sold for $6120 (including buyer’s premium) to lead the country Americana sale held by Garth’s in Columbus, Ohio, on September 12. The 10½" tall pitcher was incised “Mrs. R. Pannabaker from Charles 1891” and had a floral design. The piece had a conservative estimate of $500/800. It had previously sold at Garth’s for $2415 in July 2004. The pitcher exemplified the kind of folk art perennially in demand,

Your great-grandmother may have used this antique box in her kitchen, but not many of us use it today since there are newer, faster ways to get the same result. The pine box is 27 inches high by 36 inches wide and 21 inches deep. It has dovetailed sides and tapered legs. The removable top is made of two boards. Give up? It is a dough box used for proofing bread dough. The box was filled with flour, then water was added and the mixture was kneaded. More ingredients were added,