PRESS RELEASE (11/25/2013)- As clothes are said to make the man, so in the world of auctions and antiques, an exceptional housing or original box can sometimes influence the price of an item exponentially. Such was the case at Auction Team Breker’s marathon 900-lot last auction of “Antique Toys and Technology”, in which an example of the world’s first commercially made calculator, Thomas de Colmar’s Arithmomètre (lot 8), sold to a private French collector for Euro 233.600,- / US$ 313,000.-.
Not only is the Arithmomètre a milestone in its own right, but this 1835 example was housed in a luxuriously appointed ‘Boulle’ case engraved as a “Souvenir de l’Inventeur” to de Colmar’s sister-in-law, Emilie Charlotte Reynaud de Barbarin.
From calculators to computers, an historical 1976 Apple I – the first ready to use PC in the world to offer monitor and keyboard access – was bought for almost Euro 246.000,- / US$ 330,000.- by another collector from overseas (lot 22). In addition to an original monitor, software and peripherals in near-mint condition, the motherboard also retained its original cardboard shipping box that had been signed and authenticated by Apple’s co-founder Steve Wozniak.
A contemporary photograph taken in the Jobs’ family home showed a pile of identical white boxes awaiting shipment to the company’s first customer, Californian electronics chain the “Byte Shop”.
Another landmark was the first officially named ‘Mac’ computer, a very rare surviving prototype of the unsuccessful “Twiggy Mac” series from 1983 (lot 19), which fetched Euro 30.750,- / US$ 41,200.-.
Meanwhile a 3-rotor 1944 Enigma cyphering machine (lot 10) and a lilliputian German watch-form Kryha-Liliput cipher device (lot 11) from 1924, both of which were in their original cases, sold for Euro 39.350,- / US$ 53,100.- and Euro 9.850,- / US$ 13,300.- respectively.
Continuing the trend of top prices for pieces in superb original condition was a single-owner collection of scientific instruments whose strength was 19th century surveying apparatus. Two German transit theodolites, both with well-preserved original lacquer, by Hildebrand of Freiburg (lot 213) and Sartorius of Göttingen (lot 252) garnered particular interest, selling for many times their pre-sale estimates at Euro 8.000,- / US$ 10,800.- each.
Casework also proved important for mechanical music instruments, which ranged in size from the mighty – a Frati & Co. pneumatic orchestrion with the vocal capacity of a small band (lot 366) for Euro 8.000,- / US$ 10,800.- – to the miniature, a gem-set necessaire formed as a grand piano by Russian silversmith Konstantin Egorovitch Knyasev (lot 421) for Euro 30.750,- / US$ 41,500.-.
Two French automata with an oriental inspiration proved especially popular. The first, an early and intricate piece for the Chinese market, depicting three artisans and a musician at work in the forecourt of a stately building, fetched Euro 18.500,- / US$ 25,000.- (lot 431). The second was a large and elaborate electric advertising automaton entitled “The Mysterious Illusion” (lot 436), whose Mandarin magician and elusive assistant had originally entertained passers-by from the windows of Midwestern businesses during the 1930s. The publicity piece, which was accompanied by period testimonials and photographs from the shops which leased it, fetched Euro 36.900,- / US$ 49,800.-. – An automaton with a contemporary American theme was the 2013 “Portrait of Obama” by Christian Bailly (lot 438), which sold to an online bidder from the US for Euro 27.800,- / US$ 37,500.-.
As with the instruments, original boxes add a special cache for toy collectors and can mean the difference between an average and an exceptional price. Auction Team Breker’s sale featured a fine private collection of about 400 antique tin-toys which included the work of German makers Bing, Lehmann, Carette and Märklin as well as classic Japanese makers of the 1950s and 60s. In the first category were favourites such as Lehmann’s “Masuyama Rickshaw” (lot 574) for Euro 4.300,- / US$ 5,800.-. Bing’s largest limousine (lot 629) for Euro 11.000,- / US$ 15,000.- and a Märklin horse-drawn coupé (lot 560) for Euro 6.400,- / US$ 8,600.-, while amongst the second were elegant automobiles like ATC’s Buick (lot 687) for Euro 5.000,- / US$ 6,750.-, mostly in pristine condition, many in their original boxes.
Also in its original box was a fine Jouet de Paris “Train Automobile Rénard”, produced in a short run for the luxury department store Grand Magasins du Louvre (lot 593), which fetched Euro 17.700,- /US$ 24,000.-.
A convoy of over 70 miniature tin motorcycles inspired some of the most heated bidding of the day, with the work of William Krauss of Nuremberg (lot 767) at Euro 9.200,- / US$ 12,500.- and a rare Chinese tin toy cycle from the 1930s (lot 764) at Euro 11.400,- / US$ 15,400.-, more than tenfold its pre-sale estimate – just two of the exceptional prices achieved. – Others included a large and near-mint Tipp & Co. motorcycle (lot 737) for Euro 9.200,- /US$ 12,400.- and a Johann Distler cyclist and female pillion (lot 799) for Euro 9.800,- / US$ 13,200.-.
Aeronautical transport was represented by a selection of early biplanes, gliders and airships, including a Wright-pattern “Aerona” (lot 530) which floated to a new home in a significant German toy museum for Euro 6.600,- / US$ 8,900.-. With its roots planted firmly on the ground was an extremely rare Märklin tree stump monkey bank illustrated – but previously unknown – in the maker’s 1910 catalogue (lot 846) for Euro 6.900,- / US$ 9,300.-. Creating interest amongst collectors in several categories, a Tipp & Co. Calculating Boy (lot 3) brought surprisingly high Euro 6.750,- / US$ 9,100.-: a new record price for this piece.
For a list of realised prices and details of future auctions and events, please visit www.breker.com.
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