Some Rare Royal Doultons at MacGregors on Sunday April 19

Some rare and not usually seen Royal Doultons

MacGregor Auctions is having a sale of some fabulous  Royal Doulton Figures. Doulton figurines come to auction on a regular basis and most we see are pretty common. This wonderful grouping is the exception to the general rule.  There are some I have never seen and I am sure are in demand. Please take a minute and look at the.

Steiff Teddy Mania @ MacGregors Auction

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This weekend, Sunday February 15th at MacGregors a great collection of Steiff Teddy Bears is coming to auction, be there early doors open by 8:00 AM. This no reserve auction features a great collection of Teddies from Steiff.  This is the url for Mike MacGregor’s website.

http://www.theauctionadvertiser.com/MMacGregor/indexc.htm

MacGregor Auction Has a Great Sale Coming Dec 8

This auction has some very rare items. A very unusual number of primitive furniture in one sale. Lots of items in move in condition. Just a beautiful sale. Check Mike’s website for time and more photos.
theauctionadvertiser.com/cgi-bin/slsearcx.pl?s1=25730528

A Remarkable Vintage Riding Toy Collection

I was recently in Collingwood area for a few days of R and R. We stopped at a place near Meaford that contains the most fabulous Riding Toy Collection. It is located just 1 mile of Meaford. The collection is housed in a building on Carl Jolley’s property.

Jolley’s Riding Toy Museum is home to a collection of 400 riding toys, painstakingly restored down to the original lettering and design by Carl Jolley.

The collection includes pedal cars, hand cars, tricycles, wagons, trains, horses, scooters, sleds and bicycles including a penny farthing bicycle.

You will be delighted at the detail in each piece, some of which include working headlights, brakes and horns. Carl’s tours are a trip back in time to simpler times, when the kids cThe museum is located in Meaford, on the 7th line, just south of Highway 26.  Call 519-538-3200 for an appointment. Carls tours are a delight for young and old.

Carl by the way for those interested in purchasing items from Carl he will be at

LINDSAY ANTIQUE  AUTOMOTIVE FLEA MARKET@ the Lindsay Exhibition Grounds

                                                          May 4th and 5th

 Visit or call Carl prior to the Lindsay show if you are interested in a particular item or part for your collection. He may have it in stock.

Sturrock Period Pieces For Christmas 2012

Dan Sturrock has been a busy man adding to his inventory for the Christmas season. I won’t bore you with verbage, here are the new pieces.

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Dan Sturroch’s shop is located at 263 King Ave W. Highway #2 in the Village Newcastle. 905-987-4489. Stop by and see his passion.

Rare Gold Dust Tobacco Tin Up for Auction on Nov 4

It is not often a rare collectible such as a Gold Dust Tobacco tin comes into my hands. I have the pleasure to be able to handle one. It will be sold at MacGregors auction on November 4th. The condition is excellent and the graphics are amazing. Here is a little history below and some photos.

Antique and vintage tobacco tins are extremely popular collectible items, especially within the smoking paraphernalia community. While the majority of tobacco tins are made from simple and cheap sheet metal, there are some examples that are decorated with precious metals, such as gold and silver. Collectors should also look out for tobacco tins that once belonged to celebrities as these also command high prices at auction.

Instances of antique and vintage tobacco tins sold at national auction houses are quite common. The price of a tobacco tin is determined by the item’s age, condition, decoration and the brand of tobacco it advertises. As a general rule, old American brands such as Shogun, Gold Dust, OK and Lucy Strike are the most sought after by collectors.

Relik – Inspired by the Style of George Nakashima

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Just north of the town of Newcastle Ontario sits a place where life begins anew for trees. It comes in the form of a fledgling business called Relik. These stunningly beautiful pieces of wooden art are being created by two brothers from Orono, Dawson and Myles Campbell. They take their inspiration from a master of style and form George Nakashima. Myles and Dawson have a saw mill on site. The trees they acquire are processed through their sawmill and stored on the property until it is time to turn the slabs into artwork. Recently they had a booth at the Orono Antique and Art Street Festival. They are now working on a few custom order. Their passion is clear when you talk with them. If a unique piece is what you are looking for to add style to your home or cottage take a run out to 3388 Concession 3, Newcastle.

Antique Outboard Motor Club at Maplefest in Bowmanville

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In my opinion the members of the Antique Outboard Motor Club are art collectors. The antique and vintage motors they collect and restore are more akin to artwork than they are to mechanical marvels.  The well known names such as … Continue reading →

Sturrock Period Furniture A History Gem in Newcastle

This fountain of knowledge and skill in Newcastle comes in the form of Dan Sturrock. Dan has been building primitive period furniture for decades. His knowledge of primitive carpentry techniques is unsurpassed in the area. He has also been working with the original primitive colour palette  which he can match to any decor. A skilled craftsman of history. Visit Dan and tour his workshop, where he creates his masterpieces. He often uses repurposed lumber sometimes hundreds of years old. Dan’s shop also has various primitive antiques through out his shop. All available for purchase. I have attached some photos.

Dan is located at 263 King Ave W. Highway #2 in Newcastle village. Stop by and see his passion.

Stunning Colours

Muskoka’s Bygone Era Represented in This Auction Find

Several weeks ago I was at Mike MacGregors auction in Orono when I spotted it. Now, usually I would have seen this by now having been at the auction several times over the past few days. No matter how seasoned an auction goer you are there is still a chance you will miss something. Such is the case with this rare collection of pins. It was hanging on a post on the stage of the auction hall. Sufficiently high almost to be out of reach, but out of my line of sight for sure. Once I did spot it I moved closer to inspect it and to take it down. After absorbing just what it was , I then recognized how it was dripping with history.  The names Windermere, Rosseau, Port Carling and 1000 Islands prominent within this collection. This was a collection of very historic pins from nearly 100 years ago all in one framed shadow box.

The photos you see are just a few of the great pins I acquired. The canoes would have been from the turn of the century from those famous Muskoka area grand hotels. The children of the rich and famous would most surely have enjoyed the water sports available in that era. That sport was the canoe.  Imagine trains coming from Toronto loaded with well to do passengers eagerly anticipating their holiday at the grand lodges of Muskoka. These holidays would sometimes have lasted the entire summer. The magnificent steam ships wating at the wharf to take their passengers to Windermere, Clevelands House, The Baldwins to begin their adventure.

For the adults activity there was the Motor Boat Clubs, some of which are represented in the flag pins in the other photo. These clubs would have persued the speedier method of moving about the water. That gleaming Cedar Strip boat powered by the state of the art latest technology in motors.  These pins are a fascinating glimpse into that era and time in Ontario history. For more information please contact me at thehamptons@sympatico.ca.