Holabird Western Americana Collections LLC


3555 Airway Drive, Suite #308, Reno, Nevada 89511
775-851-1859

About Auction House

Holabird Western Americana Collections LLC was founded in 2012 to meet the needs of Americana Collectors looking for rare and new-to-market collectibles. The Holabird name in the title of the company draws its roots from Fred Holabird, company advisor, co-founder and the professional auctioneer we’ve come to know and love. As the president of Holabird-Kagin Americana, a division of Kagin’s Inc. from 2006-2014, he was the lead historian and author for a production team that published books and auction catalogs with sales in excess of $16 million. When Holabird-Kagin Americana closed the Ren...Read More
o office in May 2014, Holabird’s Western Americana Collections expanded their operations into the former HKA building and are excited to now list some of the best and rarest collectibles at all price points to meet the needs of local collectors, as well as the online community.Read Less

Auction Previews & News

20 Results
  • Auction Result, Press Release
    Levi Jeans Fragments, Two Geronimo Photos And A Bechtler Gold Coin Lead The Way In Holabird’s Western Americana Auction Held Aug. 5-9

    The five-day auction featured nearly 3,000 lots of Native Americana, philatelic and numismatics, militaria, railroad collectibles, Americana, mining memorabilia, stock certificates, art and more. RENO, Nev. – Fragments of Levi jeans from the 1880s soared to $10,312, two period photos of the surrender of Geronimo in Arizona in the 1880s brought $5,125, and a circa 1838 one-dollar gold coin struck in North Carolina by Christoph Bechtler fetched $7,500 at Holabird Western Americana Collections’ Sizzling Summer Western Americana Auction, held August 5th thru 9th.  The five-day mega-event, packed with nearly 3,000 lots of Native Americana, philatelic (stamps) and numismatics (coins), militaria, railroad collectibles, Americana, mining memorabilia, stock certificates, art and more, was held live in Holabird’s Reno, Nevada gallery, as well as online, via the platforms iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Early Levi jeans fragments from the 1880s, unearthed in Eureka, Nevada, consisting of the upper parts of two pairs of early Levi pants, one with a partial label on the side ($10,312). The Levi jeans fragments – which were unearthed in Eureka, Nevada – were the top lot of the sale and its biggest surprise, too. They had a pre-sale estimate of just $100-$150. They consisted of the upper parts of two pairs of early Levi pants, one with a partial label on the side. Each was made for suspenders. They measured 15 inches and 16 inches across the waist when laying flat. The two photographs of the Apache leader Geronimo’s surrender are copies from the period, taken by the Tombstone photographer CS Fly. They were mounted by G.W. Bradley in Menasha, Wisc. The photos show Geronimo with other Apaches and Native children, plus a white child – Santiago McKinn – who had been kidnapped by Geronimo in 1885 in the New Mexico Territory. The one-dollar gold coin produced by Christoph Bechtler around 1838 was actual legal tender, even though the coins he made at his home were not struck at a U.S. Mint. The German-born immigrant had a jewelry and clock repair business. It was miners and merchants who convinced him to produce gold coins, which he did from…

  • Auction Industry, Press Release
    Holabird Western Americana Collections Will Hold A Huge, Five-day Sizzling Summer Western Americana Auction, Aug. 5-9, Live And Online

    The auction is loaded with nearly 3,000 lots of Native Americana, philatelic and numismatics, militaria, railroad collectibles, Americana, mining memorabilia, stock certificates, art and more. RENO, Nev. – General George Armstrong Custer’s Civil War holster and gun belt, a photo diary of Pancho Villa with three books on the Mexican Revolution, and an 1898 prostitute’s license and photo from Tombstone, Arizona are a few of the more interesting items in Holabird Western Americana Collections’ Sizzling Summer Western Americana Auction, slated for August 5th-9th. The five-day mega-event, packed with nearly 3,000 lots of Native Americana, philatelic (stamps) and numismatics (coins), militaria, railroad collectibles, Americana, mining memorabilia, stock certificates, art and more, will be held live in Holabird’s Reno gallery at 3555 Airway Drive, as well as online, via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Start times all five days are 8 am Pacific. “This sale will make collectors even hotter than they were before the air conditioning got turned on,” said Fred Holabird, owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “The sale is full of ‘hot stuff’ and features some of the best collections in their genre offered publicly in a long time. Two of the major collections are Western in origin.” This framed cabinet card photo of prostitute “Amelia” (in classic prostitute attire) from 1898, with her business license, is expected to sell for $5,000-$10,000. The first centers around Arizona and Colorado ephemera, to include 19th century photos and documents related to major mining camps, supplemented by gorgeous oil paintings of Native American and western scenes by Douglas Rosa. The framed cabinet card photo of prostitute “Amelia” (in classic prostitute attire) with her business license, should go for $5,000-$10,000. Added to this is a major collection related to the Mexican War and Pancho Villa, including the photo-diary by Arizona photographer Walter Horne, plus three books on the Mexican Revolution (estimate: $25,000-$50,000). The militaria section is equally phenomenal, highlighted by Gen. Custer’s holster and gun belt, accompanied by a lengthy history (estimate: $60,000-$90,000). A California collection of Native American jewelry comprises more than 400 incredible pieces of fine, artistic silver and turquoise jewelry,…

  • Auction Result, Press Release
    1856 Bond Certificate Twice Signed By Cornelius Vanderbilt Sells For $11,250 At Holabird Western Americana Collections’ May 13-17 Auction

    The auction was loaded with historical autographs, minerals and mining collectibles, gold and silver, numismatics, stock certificates, original art, Native Americana and more; 3,049 lots in all California Gold Rush-era bond signed by Cornelius Vanderbilt as president of the Accessory Transit Company of Nicaragua, issued in 1856 for $5,000, with bond number 14 ($11,250). RENO, Nev. – A California Gold Rush-era bond from 1856 signed by Cornelius Vanderbilt sold for $11,250, a photo of the execution hanging of outlaw Fleming “James” Parker taken in 1898 brought $9,062, and a gorgeous circa 1880-1920 Red Mesa Navajo rug in near-perfect condition rose to $5,000 at a huge, five-day Western Americana Signature Sale held May 13th thru 17th by Holabird Western Americana Collections, online and live in the Reno gallery at 3555 Airway Dr. This auction was brimming with over 3,000 lots of historical autographs, gold nuggets and high-grade gold specimens, minerals and mining collectibles, rare reference books, firearms and militaria, numismatics, stock and bond certificates, silver ingots, Native Americana, gaming collectibles, firefighting memorabilia, artwork, turquoise jewelry, medals, tokens and more. Day 1 featured original artwork, stocks and bonds (including mining and non-mining) and autographs. The Vanderbilt-signed bond certificate, as president of the Accessory Transit Company of Nicaragua, which transported gold prospectors from the East Coast to the West Coast, was the star lot of the day. Issued on Feb. 9, 1856 for $5,000, with early bond number 14, the bond was signed front and back by Vanderbilt. It was also signed by Isaac Lea as secretary.  Also sold on Day 1 was a Delaware and Schuylkill Canal Navigation Company (Philadelphia, Pa.) stock certificate dated Aug. 4, 1792, significant because it was signed by Declaration of Independence signer Robert Morris, the company president ($4,375); and a stock certificate for the Houdini Picture Corporation in New York City from 1921, signed by Houdini himself, as company president ($3,375). Houdini produced and starred in two films under the corporation. Day 2, on May 14th, showcased mining and mineral collectibles (including ore specimens and fossils), railroadiana and transportation, and philatelic (including covers, stamps and postcards). A…

  • Auction Industry, Press Release
    Holabird Western Americana Collections Will Hold A Huge, 5-day Western Americana Signature Sale, May 13th Thru 17th, Live And Online

    The auction is loaded with historical autographs, minerals and mining collectibles, numismatics, stock certificates, Americana, art and more - 3,049 lots - starting at 8 am Pacific time all 5 days. Earliest known American Express certificate (#46) issued in New York City on April 29, 1853 for 12 shares, to William R. Osborn (est. $10,000-$20,000). RENO, Nev. – Fresh off a February auction that attracted about 7,500 registered bidders and featured around $1 million in collectibles of all kinds, Holabird Western Americana Collections will bounce into spring with another five-day monster sale, planned for May 13th thru 17th, online and live in the gallery at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno. Start times all five days are 8 am Pacific. This auction – officially titled a Western Americana Signature Sale – is loaded with historical autographs, minerals and mining collectibles, numismatics, stock certificates, Americana, art and more – a staggering 3,049 lots in all. “We’re proud to present another amazing offering of fresh material from dozens of collections across America,” said company president Fred Holabird. Collectors panning for gold need look no further. The auction features gold nuggets and high-grade gold specimens from two major collections, one of them the superb collection of William Mayrsohn, a longtime mining executive. Also, the mining artifacts, ephemera and historical items run the whole gamut of material and are inclusive of some of the rarest of their kinds. Rare books and reference books range from Fremont to a detailed, multi-volume set of the Oxford dictionary. Firearms and military collectibles include a custom-made copper cannon from Michigan’s Copper Range. Numismatics feature medals and tokens galore, from Ron Lerch and other major collectors. And rare silver ingots include a circa 1874 example from Bristol, Nevada. Ken Prag’s outstanding autograph collection features eleven different Thomas Edison stock certificates, signers of the Declaration of Independence, Harry Houdini and famous financial figures such as J.P. Morgan, Jay Gould and John D. Rockefeller. Also, the American Express collection includes what is believed to be the earliest company stock ever offered at auction. Early American stocks feature American turnpikes, plank roads and…

  • Auction Result, Press Release
    Holabird Western Americana Collections Kicks Off The New Year In Style With A 5-day, 3,800-lot Sweetheart Express Auction, Feb. 11th-15th

    The auction, held online and in the Reno, Nevada gallery, was a record-breaker for a multiple consignor Americana sale. It enjoyed a nearly 90 percent sell-through average per auction day. 1862 Lincoln silver Peace Medal, 62.5 mm, About Uncirculated, the only Presidential peace medal issued in a year other than the inauguration date of the president ($18,750). RENO, Nev. – An 1862 Abraham Lincoln silver Peace Medal in About Uncirculated condition sold for $18,750, an original 1865 tintype of George Armstrong Custer from a photograph taken by the iconic Civil War-era photographer Matthew Brady rang up $5,750, and three scarce and historically significant ingots (two silver, one gold) brought a combined $86,792 in a five-day Sweetheart Express Auction held Feb. 11th-15th by Holabird Western Americana Collections. The auction was held online and live in the Holabird gallery located at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno. The sale was bursting with nearly 4,000 lots in a wide array of collecting categories. “We broke nearly every record anybody’s ever heard about for a multiple consignor Americana sale,” said company president Fred Holabird. “We enjoyed a nearly 90 percent sell-through average.” The auction was titled The Sweetheart Express because it was loaded with sweet deals right around Valentine’s Day and contained thousands of great gift ideas. The sale was headlined by two major collections: the Gary Nelson collection of railroadiana and the Stewart MacKenzie collection of Montana mining. Both attracted great interest as bidders added to their collections. The Lincoln silver Peace medal dated 1862 was one of just 200 made at the Philadelphia mint, 100 each in two sizes (the one in the sale was the smaller size, 62.5 mm). The reverse showed that the medal was an Osage Indian Award. The Peace medals were given to tribal Chiefs, or sometimes to Indians involved in friendly treaties by the various regional superintendencies. A collection of 42 original folio lithographs drawn by artist David Roberts (1796-1864) during his visit to the Holy Land in 1838-1839 was from a catalog that was published in two forms: as a book titled The Holy Land, Syria, Ideuma,…

  • Auction Industry, Press Release
    Holabird Western Americana Collections Will Kick Off 2021 With A Sweetheart Express Auction, Feb. 11-15, Online And Live In Reno, Nev.

    Headlining the auction are two major collections: Gary Nelson (railroadiana) and Stewart “Scotty” MacKenzie (Montana mining). Nearly 4,000 premier lots will come up for bid. Important discovery gold ingot from the Vulture Gold Mine near Wickenburg, Arizona Territory, circa 1911-14, weighing 391.17 grams, 825 fine gold, with a report copy (est. $25,000-$30,000). RENO, Nev. – Already famous for its five-day monster auctions that feature thousands of lots in a rainbow of collecting categories, Holabird Western Americana Collections will up the ante with a Sweetheart Express Auction, also five days, from February 11th-15th, online and live in the Reno gallery located at 3555 Airway Drive. The sale is bursting with nearly 4,000 premier lots. “The first sale of 2021 promises to be our best sale in several years – across the board – in every category,” said Fred Holabird, president and owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “We’ve been fortunate to receive many key collections to offer some of the best material to be sold in years. It may be the best cross-section of collectibles since the big market crash of 2008.” Start times all five days are 8 am Pacific time, with Internet bidding available via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted. The full catalog can be viewed online now, at www.HolabirdAmericana.com. For those planning to attend the auction in person, all state and CDC regulations and protocols regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus (masks, social distancing, etc.) will be strictly enforced The auction is titled The Sweetheart Express because it’s loaded with sweet deals right around Valentine’s Day and contains thousands of gift ideas for that special someone. The sale will be headlined by two major collections: the Gary Nelson collection of railroadiana and the Stewart MacKenzie collection of Montana mining. Both should attract a great deal of bidder interest. Top billing goes to Gary Nelson, a lifetime collector and railroad employee whose collection features hundreds of trains in excellent working condition, engines, accessories, buildings, specialty cars (such as snow plows and maintenance cars, with crews), tracks, one-of-a-kind trains (many in mint or near-mint…

  • Auction Result
    Eager bidders add to their collections at Holabird Western Americana Collections’ five-day Holiday Sale, held Dec. 17-21

    The auction was packed with hundreds of lots of mining collectibles, philatelic material, Americana and more, and featured a number of important collections. Pair of Chinese publishing company stock certificates from the 1920s, one for the Young China Publishing Co. (San Francisco) and the other for the Chinese Times Publishing Co. ($2,125). RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, January 4, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A portfolio of five aquatint etchings by the Chilean artist Sebastiàn Matta sold for $3,750, a pictorial letter-sheet from 1856 illustrating all the major types of gold mining done in California by 1855 brought $3,500, a monumental 12-volume railroad survey report published from 1855-1860 compiled to find the best rail route to the Pacific coast realized $3,125, and a pair of Chinese publishing company stock certificates from the 1920s fetched $2,125 at a five-day Holiday Auction held December 17th-21st by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC. The auction was held live in the Holabird gallery at 3355 Airway Drive (Ste. 308) in Reno, as well as online via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. The sale was packed with hundreds of lots of mining collectibles, philatelic material, Americana and more and featured a number of important collections in a wide range of collecting categories. Day 1, December 17th, was dedicated to stocks and bonds – 712 lots in total, led by 208 lots of mining stocks and 66 lots of railroad and transportation stock. Additional categories included agriculture, banking, breweriana, the entertainment industry, Express, firearms and printing and publishing. Headlining the day was Ken Prag’s massive industrial stock certificate collection. Important, monumental 12-volume railroad survey report published from 1855-1860, compiled to determine the best rail route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean ($3,125). “Within the Prag collection were some fantastic sub-collections,” said Fred Holabird of Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC. “Among these were Ken’s banking collection, American entertainment, brewing, telephone and telegraph, turnpikes, firearms, printing and publishing collections. A few categories are so big they’ll be split between this sale and an early 2021 sale.” The two Chinese publishing company stock certificates were a Day 1 top lot. Both were rare. One was…

  • Auction Industry
    Holabird Western Americana Collections will hold a five-day Holiday Auction, Dec. 17-21, online and live in Reno, Nev.

    The auction is packed with hundreds of lots of mining collectibles, philatelic material, Americana and more, and features a number of important collections. Stock certificate for the Edison Storage Battery Co. (West Orange, N.J.), issued for one share to Thomas Edison as company president, dated Nov. 30, 1920, signed twice (est. $2,500-$4,000). RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, December 14, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A five-day Holiday Auction packed with hundreds of lots of mining collectibles, philatelic material, Americana and more, and featuring a number of important collections in a wide range of categories – will be held December 17th thru 21st by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, online and live in the gallery located at 3355 Airway Drive (Ste. 308) in Reno. Start times all five days are 8 am Pacific time, with Internet bidding available via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted. For those planning to attend the auction in person, all state and CDC reg’s and protocols regarding the COVID-19 virus (masks, social distancing, etc.) will be strictly enforced. Rare 1879 stereoview of a freight wagon on Main Street in Bodie, California, matted and framed, photographed by Ramanzo Wood, a Santa Cruz landscape photographer (est. $1,000-$1,500). Day 1, December 17th, will be dedicated to stocks and bonds – 712 lots in total, led by 208 lots of mining stocks and 66 lots of railroad and transportation stock. Other categories will include agriculture, banking, breweriana, the entertainment industry, Express, firearms and printing and publishing. Headlining the day will be Ken Prag’s massive industrial stock certificate collection. “Within the Prag collection are some fantastic sub-collections,” said Fred Holabird of Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC. “Among these are Ken’s banking collection, American entertainment, brewing, telephone and telegraph, turnpikes, firearms, printing and publishing collections. A few categories are so big they’ll be split between this sale and an early 2021 sale.” Major collection of covers from the USS Macon zeppelin, a US airship that was operational from 1933-1935 – 500 covers in all, plus a well-used book on the Macon (est. $2,500-$7,500). Within these collections are pieces signed by famous Americans such…

  • Auction Result
    More than 3,600 slices of Americana come up for bid in Holabird’s huge, 5-day ‘Spooktacular’ auction Oct. 29 thru Nov. 2

    A rare Wells Fargo and Company stock certificate from 1870 sold for $2,875 and a 1960s 25-cent Jennings slot machine from the Nevada Club Casino brought $2,625. 1960s-era 25-cent Jennings slot machine from the famous Nevada Club Casino, a must-have for collectors of Lake Tahoe items, featuring the classic Jennings Indian Head in brass ($2,625). RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, November 16, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A rare Wells Fargo and Company stock certificate from 1870 sold for $2,875, a 1960s-era 25-cent Jennings slot machine from the famous Nevada Club Casino brought $2,625, and a $1,000 Federal Reserve note from 1934 realized $2,500 at Holabird Western Americana Collections’ 5-day “Spooktacular Sale” held Oct. 29-Nov. 2, online and live at the Reno gallery. More than 3,600 lots in a wide array of collecting categories crossed the auction block over the course of the five days. “We had a 75 percent sell-through. It would have topped 80 percent had it not been for the art category,” said Fred Holabird, president and owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “The auction attracted a registered bidder audience of more than 5,000 people who placed over 50,000 bids, representing over 750 separate buyers. It was a great sale.” Following are highlights from the auction. Online bidding was facilitated by iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Telephone and absentee bids were also accepted and were a big part of the sale. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium. $1,000 note from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (Series of 1934-A), in VF-to-EF condition, Fr. 2212-L, featuring a portrait of President Grover Cleveland ($2,500). Day 1, October 29th, was filled with 679 lots of art, Native Americana, textiles, foreign and general collectibles, collector spoons, jewelry, scales, advertising items and signs, furnishings and 3-D items, music, theater, sports, tobacciana, saloon, cowboy, comic books, books and magazines, antiquarian books, bottle, marbles and gaming. It was a veritable collector’s paradise. The star lot of Day 1 was the classic 1960s 25-cent slot machine from the Nevada Club Casino, a must-have for collectors of Lake Tahoe items. The machine featured the classic Jennings Indian Head in brass. Also sold was…

  • Auction Industry
    Holabird’s five-day ‘Spooktacular’ auction, Oct. 29-Nov. 2, will feature over 3,600 lots in many collecting categories

    Included is original artwork for the very first psychedelic rock poster – created in 1965 for the grand opening of the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada. Original artwork for what is widely regarded as the very first psychedelic rock poster – created in 1965 for the grand opening of the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nev. (est. $10,000-$15,000). RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Original artwork for what is widely regarded as the very first psychedelic rock poster – created in 1965 for the grand opening of the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada and advertising the acid-rock group The Charlatans for a series of dates that never happened – is an expected star lot in Holabird Western Americana Collections’ big, five-day Spooktacular Sale planned for Oct. 29-Nov. 2, online and live in the gallery located at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno. Start times all five days are 8 am Pacific time. More than 3,600 lots in a wide array of collecting categories are set to cross the auction block. “We continue to get in marvelous collections of Americana from all over the country, and this auction features many amazing one-of-a-kind rarities and several long-awaited collections, like the ones for Ken Prag, Salvatore Falcone and John Reynolds,” said Fred Holabird, the president of Holabird Western Americana Collections. The Charlatans concert poster will be offered on Day 1, October 29th, and has a pre-sale estimate of $10,000-$15,000. In 1965, when Red Dog Saloon owners Mark Unobsky and Chandler Laughlin made plans to open for business, they decided against a jukebox for music and instead wanted to enlist a house band. A friend suggested The Charlatans, a fledgling acid-rock group in San Francisco that had never even played a gig – just practiced. Oh, and dropped a lot of acid. Turquoise cluster bracelet by the well-known Navajo silversmith Ella Peter, boasting beautiful dark blue turquoise stones, flanked on both sides by nice silver work, signed (est. $550-$650). To advertise the event, one of The Charlatans, George Hunter, suggested a poster, only not the usual kind that featured…

  • Auction Result
    Civil War-era military amputation kit sells for $5,000 at Holabird’s Great American Pow-Wow Auction held August 27-31

    Also, a pair of circa 1910-1920 railroad signal lamps brought $5,375 and a choice, attractive crystalline gold specimen weighing 5.45 troy ounces hit $5,625. Civil War-era military amputation kit made around 1861 by G. Tiemann & Co. (N.Y.), which had been making surgical instruments since 1826 ($5,000). RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, September 22, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A Civil War-era military amputation kit sold for $5,000, a pair of circa 1910-1920 railroad signal lamps brought $5,375 and a choice, attractive crystalline gold specimen weighing 5.45 troy ounces hit $5,625 at a Great American Pow-Wow Auction held August 27th-August 31st by Holabird Western Americana Collections, online and live in the Reno gallery. Native and general Americana took center stage at the huge, five-day auction, which Holabird Western Americana Collections president and owner Fred Holabird said contained “the best material we've offered in a hot August auction in many years.” He added, “The variety was outstanding, as was the quality of goods offered. There was truly something for everybody.” Pair of circa 1910-1920 railroad signal lamps, one the four-color Adlake lamp, a prize for any collector, the other marked “SP & Co.”, for Southern Pacific Railway ($5,375). The military amputation kit was made around 1861 by G. Tiemann & Co. (N.Y.), which had been making surgical instruments since 1826. The kit contained an oval label adhered to the center of the protective felt cover of the saw department (with the address of 63 Chatham St., New York City), dating the piece prior to 1861. Most of the tools were punched “Tiemann”. One of the two railroad signal lamps was the four-color Adlake lamp, a prize for any collector, 15 inches tall and 8 inches in diameter. The other was marked “SP & Co.” (for Southern Pacific Railway) and was without a globe. The crystalline gold specimen contained lead and silver sulfides. The specimen had one cut edge, exposing a very high percentage of native gold. Native American offerings included turquoise and silver jewelry, baskets, Kachinas, and rugs. Also up for bid was a fine California token collection, American and foreign counters and tokens from the Benjamin Fauver collection, rare…

  • Auction Industry
    Holabird’s massive Great Americana Pow-Wow Auction, featuring Native and general Americana, will be held August 27-31

    The auction will be held live in the gallery at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno, and online via several bidding platforms. Start times all five days are 8 am Pacific. Spectacular silver and exquisite sky-blue turquoise squash blossom necklace, circa 1950s or ‘60s, “the finest one we’ve ever seen,” according to Fred Holabird (est. $3,000-$4,000). RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Native and general Americana will take center stage at Holabird Western Americana Collections’ huge, five-day auction planned for August 27th-31st, live in the gallery at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno, and online via several bidding platforms. The sale is officially titled The Great Americana Pow-Wow Auction. Start times all five days are 8 am Pacific time. “This auction marks the best material we've offered in a hot August sale in many years,” said Fred Holabird of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “The variety is outstanding, as is the quality of goods offered. There is truly something for everybody. And sellers take note – we average about 5,000 registered bidders per sale, probably the most in America for an Americana sale. With buyers all over the globe, we get to everybody. We are always after great collections.” Native American offerings in The Great Americana Pow-Wow Auction will include turquoise and silver jewelry, baskets, Kachinas, and rugs. Also up for bid will be a fine California token collection, American and foreign counters and tokens from the Benjamin Fauver collection, rare whiskey bottles, a beautiful drugstore carved wood frontispiece and scarce Nevada documents. Nicely composed Santo Domingo olla (or jar) from around the 1920s, 10 ½ inches tall and beautifully decorated with perky birds and sunflowers (est. $2,000-$4,000). The catalog also features a major pinback collection, baseball and boxing collectibles, gold specimens (including some from the Goodshaw Mine at Bodie, Calif.), American and foreign medals, Victorian furniture, a fantastic array of Western art, original Buffalo Bill/Pawnee Bill posters, large ore cars and incline cars from a Nevada City mine, and dynamite and candle boxes. The list continues with an American souvenir plate collection (from around 1900 to 1920), music collectibles, toys and toy trains,…

  • Auction Result
    Frontier Gasoline “Rarin’ to Go” porcelain gas station sign from the 1950s brings $5,375 at Holabird’s seven-day auction

    The two-session Summer 2020 Extravaganza Auction was held June 25-28 and July 10-12 by Holabird Western Americana Collections, live in Reno, Nevada and online. Late 1950s Frontier Gasoline “Rarin’-to-Go” single-sided porcelain gas station sign, six feet in diameter, in excellent condition, with a graphic of a cowboy on a bucking bronco ($5,375). RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, July 22, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A late 1950s Frontier Gasoline “Rarin’-to-Go” single-sided porcelain gas station sign, six feet in diameter, sold for $5,375, and an Antique Apparatus reproduction jukebox of a Wurlitzer Model 1015 from the 1940s finished at $2,875 in a massive, seven-day Summer 2020 Extravaganza Auction held June 25-28/July 10-12 by Holabird Western Americana Collections. The two-session sale was packed with important collections of Americana – more than 4,800 lots in all. Categories included numismatics, mining, railroadiana, Native Americana and much more. The event was held live in the Reno gallery and online via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, AuctionMobility.com and Auctionzip.com. Phone and left bids were also taken. Day 1, on Thursday, June 25th, contained California ephemera (a continuation of the John Reynolds collection), parts of the Idaho real photo postcard collection, Western maps (also in other places in the catalog), historical and vintage pinbacks from the Benjamin Fauver collection, vintage dolls, an American Directory collection and a Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) collection. Antique Apparatus reproduction jukebox of a Wurlitzer Model 1015 from the 1940s, geared to play 45rpm records (the original played 78s) and including some 45s ($2,875). The Frontier Gasoline “Rarin’-to-Go” gasoline sign was offered on Day 1 and was the top lot of the auction overall. The red, white and black sign, in excellent condition, showed a cowboy on a bucking bronco and was found in the 1950s just south of Eureka, Nevada, covering a septic tank behind an old gas station. Frontier Gasoline was involved in the 1920s Teapot Dome scandal. The Antique Apparatus jukebox reproduction of the Wurlitzer Model 1015 was also sold on Day 1. It was geared to play 45rpm records (the original played 78s) and it included some 45s. It had been tested prior to sale and the…

  • Auction Result
    Massive circus side show collection of photos and ephemera sells for $37,500 in Holabird’s Big Tent Auction, April 16-19

    The collection – around 50,000 pieces in all and spanning over a century, from 1850-1960 – was the sale's top lot. About 3,200 lots in many categories were sold The John Reynolds collection of circus side show original photographs and ephemera – around 50,000 pieces in all and spanning over a century, from 1850-1960 ($37,500). A massive collection of circus side show original photographs and ephemera – around 50,000 pieces in all and spanning over a century, from 1850-1960 – sold for $37,500 at a four-day, online-only Big Tent Auction held April 16th-19th by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC. The auction was packed with around 3,200 lots in many collecting categories. The John Reynolds circus side show collection was the sale’s top lot and had three main parts: • The midget collection, nearly 3,000 pieces, a photographic history of how PT Barnum got the world to love midgets like the world-famous Nicu de Barcsy and Tom Thumb, and how circus and entertainment entities promoted the odd and curious to the world.• The circus freaks side show collection, about 2,000 pieces, including cartes de visite of every sort of human disfigurement (circa 1860s-1870s), cabinet cards (circa 1880s-1900), real photo post cards, a Fat Lady collection (200 pieces), handbills, signed photos, more.• The circus collection, including Ringling calendars, broadsides, tickets, promo material, circus programs from the 1940s, and a notebook of historical circus collectibles including many of the colorful letterheads of various circuses from the first half of the 20th century. Pastel on paper painting of a reptilian alien swallowing a phoenix by the noted Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo (1889-1991), signed and framed ($4,250). The auction was led by Part 2 of the John Reynolds collections. His circus side show collection was just for starters. They also featured California tokens, medals and shell cards, as well as his fabulous aviation mail (and California) postal history collection of more than 10,000 covers, plus his Pioneer postcard collection. The collections contributed to a highly successful online auction. “This may have been a record-setting auction,” remarked Fred Holabird, president and owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “Over time, we…

  • Auction Industry
    Holabird’s Online-Only Big Tent Auction, April 16-19, Features Philatelic, Numismatic, Americana And Mining Collectibles

    The huge four-day auction is packed with nearly 3,100 lots of philatelic and numismatic (stamps and coins), mining, Americana, railroad collectibles and more. RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, April 6, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A huge, four-day, online-only Big Tent Auction packed with nearly 3,100 lots of philatelic and numismatic (stamps and coins), mining, Americana, railroad collectibles and more will be held Thursday thru Sunday, April 16-19, by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, starting at 8 am Pacific time each day. There will be no live in-gallery bidding for this sale. Original gouache on paper portrait of a woman by Cuban artist Amelia Pelaez (1896-1968), signed and with an image area of 16 inches by 11 ¾ inches (est. $10,000-$20,000). Online bidding will be facilitated by iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, AuctionMobility.com and Auctionzip.com. On Day 3 only, people will also be able to bid at www.StampAuctionNetwork.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted. The number to call for phone bidders is 775-851-1859. For details, please visit www.fhwac.com. “Our Reno facility is currently closed and will not be open to in-person attendees, but the vast majority of the bidding action takes place online and over the phone anyway, so we’re expecting a huge online turnout for this auction,” said company president Fred Holabird. “Meantime, we’re observing WHO recommendations and sanitizing the offices and gallery up to four times a day.” The auction features items in around 30 collecting categories. It will be led by Part 2 of the John Reynolds collection of California tokens, medals and shell cards, as well as his fabulous aviation mail (and California) postal history collection of more than 10,000 covers, plus his Pioneer post card collection and an important collection of circus and slide show photography and ephemera. John Reynolds collection of circus and slide show photography and ephemera, to include thousands of photographs (CDV, cabinet card, photo post cards) (est. $60,000-$85,000). “We only split out some of the circus and slide show collection, such as the tokens, medals and scrip, into individual lots,” Mr. Holabird said. “The bulk of the collection is so good, and of such excellent quality, that we felt it needed…