Even the prices of the reproductions were way too high. That’s how us auction-regulars felt about the sale of memorabilia that once hung on the walls of the now-closed Spaghetti Warehouse in Philadelphia.
Collectors and dealers from as far away as New York not only drove down to the auction but drove up the prices into places we could not reach.
A pair of Barnum & Bailey reproduction framed circus posters for $170? When one auction-goer reminded a buyer that a metal poster was a reproduction, the response was: “What’s that?” The auction-goer walked away, incredulous. Another regular had hoped to slip in a bid, but after seeing the high prices, he wasn’t so sure.
I’m hoping that most of the bidders were much more aware of what they were buying, because there was some pretty good stuff selling at the site of restaurant, which closed in December.
The auction got started late, one auctioneer told me, because the registration line was so long – “it was like Ellis Island,” according to one regular. This was an absolute sale, so everything was auctioned, including the kitchen sink. The auction-house owner mentioned that the huge red and yellow trolley in the center of the cavernous (and cold) restaurant also had to go. On this day, it was being used as a hotdog and coffee stand. It was neat, though, with its plain tables and chairs, and advertising on the walls.
I remember going to the Spaghetti Warehouse with a friend soon after it opened about 20 years ago, and the food was so bad that I never went back. It seemed to be a very popular place over the years, especially for families and large groups. A sign for sale at the auction advertised children’s birthday parties with Uncle Skeddy.
The restaurant was part of a chain that opened in 1972 in Dallas, and according to its website, had 21 restaurants in nine states. It was known for its nostalgic vintage and antique decorations: a trolley car, stained-glass windows, metal advertising signs. It still has a location in Pittsburgh. The Philadelphia location is set to be occupied this fall by Union Transfer, an indie-music concert venue.
I got to the auction an hour after it started last weekend, and the kitchen equipment had already been sold. As the sale progressed, more than 100 bidders followed the auctioneer from room to room, item to item.
My auction-buddy Janet had her eye on an original metal bananas sign with the inscription “Felix Rhymes Bananas.” Bidding started at $100, and I knew Janet was out. The sign sold for $275. Another regular had staked out an “Old Oscar” rye and bourbon whiskey sign. He tiptoed into the bidding early on but soon dropped out. The sign was one of the least-expensive; it sold with two others for $30.
I didn’t see much that was calling my name, except for a few Coca Cola signs – the most expensive of which sold for around $270. The double traffic lights, brightly lit, hanging from the ceiling also enticed me, but I couldn’t figure out where I’d put them in my house with my low ceilings. They went for $100.
As I stood watching and not buying, I noticed the odd name of a company on the jackets of two bidders: “obnoxiousantiques.com. Always Buying. Antique to the Unusual.”
Curious, I asked what did they sell. “Anything you want,” one of them answered. I pressed him. “Penny arcades, big stuff. … Check us out.” I already had done that on my Droid. Later, they won the bid for a pair of life-sized Thai figures, 76″ tall, $750.
Here are some of the other items and prices (none of these include the 15 percent premium):
Samuel Yellin iron and Rouge Marble bank table. This was the real deal, the auctioneer said, and Yellin had been commissioned to make it. Said he had gotten a phone call from a former bank employee who attested to the authenticity of the 1924 table. Yellin was one of the 20th century’s best ironworks artisans. A master blacksmith and craftsman, he opened a shop in Philadelphia in 1909, producing work for major corporations, colleges, churches, homes, banks and museums. The company is still in operation in Bryn Mawr, PA, just outside Philadelphia. The table sold for $12,000.
Two 48″-tall cast-iron figures from Washington Liberty bank (they looked like George & Martha), $8,750.
Stained glass panel of woman, $7,100
Stained glass panel of woman and children, $3,800
Wm. G Tucker lighted outdoor optician sign, $2,500
Mobil Pegasus sign, $3,500
Art Nouveau figural carved & parquetry tall case clock, $3,500
Michelin Tire sign, $3,100
Victorian carved buffet, $2,200. There were several large and heavily carved cabinets and hutches.
2 stained glass windows, 10 feet tall, $1,750 each
Sinclair Aircraft glass globe fuel pump, $1,700
Large oil painting of horses, signed by C. Mulready, $1,600
Victorian bronze and jeweled floor lamp, $1,500.
Studebaker service sign, double-sided, $1,100
Outdoor hanging lighted drug store sign, $850
Brass National Cash register with nine-drawer wooden cabinet base, $700. One auction-goer had overheard one man tell another that he would go no higher than $7,000 in his bid.
Traiser’s 5-cent cigar enamel sign, $500
Pennsylvania Railroad sign, $450
Bus stop sign. This was a very simple, small and narrow sign with the word “Bus Stop” in white letters on a navy background. Bidding commenced like a ping-pong ball until it stopped at $240.
Bathroom signs: Pay toilet, toilet paper, lock door, reward, soap, $120
Lucky Strike cigarette sign, $100
Pepsi Cola thermometer. $85. There were plenty of thermometers advertising soft drinks and whiskey.
Nehi sign, $80. The auctioneer pronounced it “Nay-hee,” and was roundly corrected by the audience. It’s “knee-hi.”
Three early framed women fashion prints, $5. These were among the cheapest sold, except for a commercial vacuum cleaner that the auction house almost had to give away. Bidding dropped to $1 and it sold for $4. For more photos and prices, click on the first photo of the slideshow below.
[nggallery id=16]
