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Ad Rates / Articles / Classified Ads / Editorial / Home / Links / Showtime   Unique Corneil's auction sale lives up to ad hype    List Robin McMullen Next   Sale for Mona Hall, 99, a winner for Corneil's auctions By Robin McMullen In the September/October issue of the Wayback Times, a small 3" by 4" ad read “Incredible Auction of Once In A Lifetime Finds.”   Catchy. However, one might still not be convinced.   Further on, it read, “An Old Victorian Home Packed to the rafters with amazing, high quality and rare antiques. Most have been packed away for years.”   With a build-up like that, how could one resist going to the preview of this auction? The antiques displayed in Corneil’s auction barn, located in Little Britain just outside of the town of Lindsay, indeed measured up to what was touted in the advertisement.   On view was some of the best quality pressed glass, cranberry glass, kerosene lamps and Victorian artifacts seen at auction in this area over the last several years.   Hundreds of people previewed this sale and the majority of them were present for the Friday, Oct. 9 sale. Many of them were extremely willing to open up their purses or wallets to obtain some very difficult to find Victorian era antiques.   Miss Mona Hall, said to be 99, is the former owner of this collection. She has lived in the Lindsay area all her life and recently moved to a seniors’ residence after selling her home.   Mona and her parents ran an antique business many years ago and her home, said auctioneers Greg and Don Corneil, was truly packed to the ceiling with boxes of antiques. They said the basement had to be entered via a side window in order to access what was stored there.   Highlights of the sale included four very rare “Pigs in Corn” pressed glass goblets, two of which sold for a reasonable $260 each. The second two sold for slightly less because of a very minor flaw in each of the goblets.   Two compotes of the highly sought after “Westward Ho” patterned press glass sold in the $200 range. There were over 50 pieces of cranberry glass available and the amount paid for these pieces was considerably higher than the present going rate for early cranberry glass.   With so much repro cranberry glass on the market, buyers are wary and this has resulted in lowering the price of early antique cranberry glass. However, at this sale, one could buy with confidence, knowing everything in this collection was legitimately old and, in several cases, quite rare.   Most cranberry pieces sold in the range of $100 to $300.   A Five Roses Flour advertisement sign in fair to good condition brought $590 and a Treasure Line Stoves & Range tin shovel in good condition sold for $125.   Old advertisement memorabilia is still much sought after by many collectors. Early in the sale, a circa 1870 lunch pail of Mennonite origin in original dark gray paint and a circa 1880 firkin in original brown paint each brought $250.   This was an indication that high quality, early pieces, be they glass, china, wood or metal, still fetch top dollar at auction.   Two pieces of carnival glass sold for $425 and $485. Both were the “ice” variant carnival glass and depicted a peacock pattern. Many other carnival glass pieces sold in the $50 to $80 range.   There was not a lot of porcelain at the sale, but one highlight was an outstanding eight-piece flow blue washstand set, and it sold for well over $400. The furniture did not match the quality of the other items. Two pieces, however were sought after. The first was a circa 1880 burled walnut table/bookrack, likely of English origin and it sold for over $600.   The second was a circa 1870 Ontario flat to wall with three lights in each door. It sold for under $1,000.   This sale was an unqualified financial success and several of the top pieces sold will likely end up in collections scattered throughout southern Ontario.   The recession of 2008-2009, at this particular sale, was declared, by the author, to be officially over.   When this comment was made to auctioneer Don Corneil at the close of the sale, it brought a smile to his face.   Photos:   1 - Circa 1900 art nouveau ewer in green glass with filigree top and bottom   2 - Carnival glass plate with popular peacock pattern   3 - Late 1800s Prince Edward lamp with base, plus shade of choice   4 - Unusual burl walnut Victorian table/magazine rack sold for over $600     Return to top of page   This Is Livin' Publishing © 2010 581 8th Line West, RR1 Hastings, ON, K0L 1Y0 Phone/Fax: 705-696-1833   webmaster