Astonishing Auctions

[ithinkverydeeply]

 

[junkenstien]

Wow pistol prices for ugly old axes never gets old.

 

[Miller '72]

This one was fun to watch several hundred dollars ago...

 

[Operator1975]

What do u want to buy them for?

 

[Yankee Josh]

This one was fun to watch several hundred dollars ago...

That one really surprised me! I mean it's a nice etch and in good condition but MAN that thing went for a lot more than I thought it would! You just never know sometimes! I guess it must be rare??

 

[junkenstien]

Maybe investments as they think the prices are going to keep going up.Could see big money for nos rare heads but hardware store used stuff seems kinda silly.

 

[pommie]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sager-1941-Chemical-Axe-Double-Bit-Head-Nice-Brown-Patina-Peeling-Axe-NR-/124046320303?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&nma=true&si=G6SJ66bJ1mRByYaErwqvRmgc%2FCY%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc

$241.50 for a sager

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

What do u want to buy them for?

With my collection I’m trying to tell a story of North American axes and logging history. Unquestionably, I swoon over some of these pieces with real historical significance.

 

[Yankee Josh]

With my collection I’m trying to tell a story of North American axes and logging history. Unquestionably, I swoon over some of these pieces with real historical significance.

I like the way you put that! Makes a lot of sense to me. And I have to add that, in my opinion, some of these big dollar axes are just worth so much more than money! Currency means nothing to me. These items do. In fact some of them I really feel are treasure and are, or are almost, priceless. May sound silly but that's how I feel!

 

[Yankee Josh]

Well I wasn't expecting to see this one go for this much! I recognized it as a rare etch as I've never seen one before but holy moses!
I included the description but couldn't fit it all in one photo so that's why there's two.

Do any of you guys have any info about this etch? Is rarity all that drove the price on this one? Must be!

 

[npace]

Well I wasn't expecting to see this one go for this much! I recognized it as a rare etch as I've never seen one before but holy moses!
I included the description but couldn't fit it all in one photo so that's why there's two.
View attachment 1279513 View attachment 1279514 View attachment 1279515 View attachment 1279516 View attachment 1279517
Do any of you guys have any info about this etch? Is rarity all that drove the price on this one? Must be!

That ruler says Union mo. Is that where the seller was located? Right in my neighborhood.

 

[Yankee Josh]

That ruler says Union mo. Is that where the seller was located? Right in my neighborhood.

Shipping from Washington Missouri.

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

New kind of sport in time of Wuhan pandemic. Watching axe bidding wars

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Antiq...kFVlutOrSg%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc
Up for bid is an Antique and VERY SCARCE "American Axe & Tool Co. Embossed Axe Head." This amazing Axe head was produced by the American Axe & Tool Co. for the National Hardware Association 10th Annual Convention in Atlantic City in November, 1904. It features amazing embossing and graphics, different on each side, and was never actually used. These are very hard-to-find, especially in this condition. The embossing is nice and vibrant and is in excellent condition for it's age (OVER 115 YEARS OLD!!!) Axe head is nice and sharp and measures 5" long. Axe head itself is also in very good condition, especially for it's age with very minimal wear. These very rarely come up for sale, don't miss your chance!!

 

[Yankee Josh]

New kind of sport in time of Wuhan pandemic. Watching axe bidding wars

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Antique-American-Axe-amp-Tool-Co-Embossed-Axe-Head-National-Hardware-Assoc-/193447917979?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=wTTLdVrmmoXoY4f1IkFVlutOrSg%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc
Up for bid is an Antique and VERY SCARCE "American Axe & Tool Co. Embossed Axe Head." This amazing Axe head was produced by the American Axe & Tool Co. for the National Hardware Association 10th Annual Convention in Atlantic City in November, 1904. It features amazing embossing and graphics, different on each side, and was never actually used. These are very hard-to-find, especially in this condition. The embossing is nice and vibrant and is in excellent condition for it's age (OVER 115 YEARS OLD!!!) Axe head is nice and sharp and measures 5" long. Axe head itself is also in very good condition, especially for it's age with very minimal wear. These very rarely come up for sale, don't miss your chance!!

I know it. Been watching that that one for a while now. It's so unique and sweet! But I won't remortgage my house for it. I just won't!

 

[Hairy Clipper]

New kind of sport in time of Wuhan pandemic. Watching axe bidding wars

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Antique-American-Axe-amp-Tool-Co-Embossed-Axe-Head-National-Hardware-Assoc-/193447917979?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=wTTLdVrmmoXoY4f1IkFVlutOrSg%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc
Up for bid is an Antique and VERY SCARCE "American Axe & Tool Co. Embossed Axe Head." This amazing Axe head was produced by the American Axe & Tool Co. for the National Hardware Association 10th Annual Convention in Atlantic City in November, 1904. It features amazing embossing and graphics, different on each side, and was never actually used. These are very hard-to-find, especially in this condition. The embossing is nice and vibrant and is in excellent condition for it's age (OVER 115 YEARS OLD!!!) Axe head is nice and sharp and measures 5" long. Axe head itself is also in very good condition, especially for it's age with very minimal wear. These very rarely come up for sale, don't miss your chance!!

crbnSteel addict: I did not see this at the time the auction was running. It is an amazing piece that has me in awe of the artistry involved and inspiring "Progress" embossed ribbon banner being held overhead by the winged lady. Fanciest axe head I have ever seen!

I know it. Been watching that that one for a while now. It's so unique and sweet! But I won't remortgage my house for it. I just won't!

Josh: The new owner of this item undoubtedly likes it. As much as I enjoy looking at it and appreciate the fruit of the labors of whomever made it I would have to have a change in my deeply ingrained lack of faith in my retirement savings to last more than a week or two if I were to have bid on it. The real question is: At what point did you stop bidding?

 

[Yankee Josh]

crbnSteel addict: I did not see this at the time the auction was running. It is an amazing piece that has me in awe of the artistry involved and inspiring "Progress" embossed ribbon banner being held overhead by the winged lady. Fanciest axe head I have ever seen!



Josh: The new owner of this item undoubtedly likes it. As much as I enjoy looking at it and appreciate the fruit of the labors of whomever made it I would have to have a change in my deeply ingrained lack of faith in my retirement savings to last more than a week or two if I were to have bid on it. The real question is: At what point did you stop bidding?

Well that's just it! I have a feeling the were 2 very determined individuals with their hearts set on it. I find that piece more unique than beautiful. Done special from the factory like that.
I was willing to go to a thousand once but I only had to reach just over halfway to win the axe. There's currently only one axe that I would spend that or more money on. That might sound silly to some and that's okay. I know it's financially irresponsible. But some of these axes I feel are priceless!! Honestly if I went all the way to a grand I'd most likely keep going a little too. . But that one is something else. Easily the most expensive shingling hatchet in the world! Haha.

 

[Hairy Clipper]

I was willing to go to a thousand once but I only had to reach just over halfway to win the axe. There's currently only one axe that I would spend that or more money on. That might sound silly to some and that's okay. I know it's financially irresponsible. But some of these axes I feel are priceless!! Honestly if I went all the way to a grand I'd most likely keep going a little too. . But that one is something else. Easily the most expensive shingling hatchet in the world! Haha.

I have those same thoughts about fine double barrel side by side shotguns in 20 or 28 gauge and rare old books. My wallet has limited the pursuit of both. You might be amused by this story: I have been trying for more than ten years to find a copy of a book published fairly early in the last century that is only 50 pages long and has been described by some as the holy grail of it's topic. There have been two sold on a familiar auction site during this time period. The first went for $2,750 and the latter very near $6K. Well past my budget by several orders of magnitude. I did not want to really own it, I just wanted to read it ... before I croak! I have checked a particular library catalog periodically over the years (called WORLD CATALOG that most user refer to as worldcat) without luck and had not checked it since 2018 thinking if these guys do not list it perhaps all the copies of a limited run book are in private hands or museums. The Library of Congress does not even have it! Desperately I checked worldcat in early January of this year. There were now about ten libraries that claimed to have a copy. I quickly started making telephone calls from the list. Some libraries would not let you do inter-library loans of the book, some would only let you see it if you were a student or faculty member of their Ivy League College, others would allow you to read it if you requested it while you were in their library but the book could not be removed from the library. But one library I called would do inter-library loans. My request was first denied because of the expense of transportation. After agreeing to pay for the transportation both directions the loan was requested again but the loaning library could not find their copy that was archived. I have had this happen on other old books I tried to borrow and have concluded some are so rare and valuable they get stolen and either end up in someone personal library or find their way to a famous online auction site. I was devastated after all those years of looking and finally finding the only one on the list that would do inter-library loan of the same and then poof! it's gone : ( . My wife worked in the busiest library here in Minnesota for forty plus years and would periodically get assigned to do inter-library loan department and she said that losing a book within a library happens more often than you might think and that I should not give up hope yet because it might get found. Fast forward to March 2020, I get an email stating the book I requested via inter-library loan is here and could be picked up during regular library hours. On Monday I went to pick it up and there is a note on the door of the library stating: The library is closed until staff can consult with the library board to determine what the libraries response will be to the Covid-19 quarantine. Thinking the book would have to be returned to the library of origin in 14 days I could envision it being here and returned before I could have it to read. Expect the worst and hope for the best. The decision was made to place the book in a plastic bag with my name on it and place it on the park bench at the front of the library at 3:30 p.m. Needless to say, I arrived early and there it was ... I have now read it a few times and have had it since early March because the inter-library loan system nationwide is not operational and my local library suggested I keep it until it is operational again. When it does I will then find out what the monetary cost of this epic adventure in rare books is going to cost me, as I have a promise to keep. I hope I have not bored you all to death with this little story about relentless pursuit.

In case some of you reading this have not found the books you want to read here is a link to worldcat >>> https://www.worldcat.org/

 

[Meek1]

I have those same thoughts about fine double barrel side by side shotguns in 20 or 28 gauge and rare old books. My wallet has limited the pursuit of both. You might be amused by this story: I have been trying for more than ten years to find a copy of a book published fairly early in the last century that is only 50 pages long and has been described by some as the holy grail of it's topic. There there have been two sold on a familiar auction site during this time period. The first went for $2,750 and the latter very near $6K. Well past my budget by several orders of magnitude. I did not want to really own it, I just wanted to read it ... before I croak! I have checked a particular library catalog periodically over the years (called WORLD CATALOG that most user refer to as worldcat) without luck and had not checked it since 2018 thinking if these guys do not list it perhaps all the copies of a limited run book are in private hands or museums. The Library of Congress does not even have it! Desperately I checked worldcat in early January of this year. There were now about ten libraries that claimed to have a copy. I quickly started making telephone calls from the list. Some libraries would not let you do inter-library loans of the book, some would only let you see it if you were a student or faculty member of their Ivy League College, others would allow you to read it if you requested it while you were in their library but the book could not be removed from the library. But one library I called would do inter-library loans. My request was first denied because of the expense of transportation. After agreeing to pay for the transportation both directions the loan was requested again but the loaning library could not find their copy that was archived. I have had this happen on other old books I tried to borrow and have concluded some are so rare and valuable they get stolen and either end up in someone personal library or find their way to a famous online auction site. I was devastated after all those years of looking and finally finding the only one on the list that would do inter-library loan of the same and then poof! it's gone : ( . My wife worked in the busiest library here in Minnesota for forty plus years and would periodically get assigned to do inter-library loan department and she said that losing a book within a library happens more often than you might think and that I should not give up hope yet because it might get found. Fast forward to March 2020, I get an email stating the book I requested via inter-library loan is here and could be picked up during regular library hours. On Monday I went to pick it up and there is a note on the door of the library stating: The library is closed until staff can consult with the library board to determine what the libraries response will be to the Covid-19 quarantine. Thinking the book would have to be returned to the library of origin in 14 days I could envision it being here and returned before I could have it to read. Expect the worst and hope for the best. The decision was made to place the book in a plastic bag with my name on it and place it on the park bench at the front of the library at 3:30 p.m. Needless to say, I arrived early and there it was ... I have now read it a few times and have had it since early March because the inter-library loan system nationwide is not operational and my local library suggested I keep it until it is operational again. When it does I will then find out what the monetary cost of this epic adventure in rare books is going to cost me, as I have a promise to keep. I hope I have not bored you all to death with this little story about relentless pursuit.

In case some of you reading this have not found the books you want to read here is a link to worldcat >>> https://www.worldcat.org/

That was a great pursuit! Glad it had a happy outcome!

 

[Square_peg]

I have those same thoughts about fine double barrel side by side shotguns in 20 or 28 gauge and rare old books. My wallet has limited the pursuit of both. You might be amused by this story: I have been trying for more than ten years to find a copy of a book published fairly early in the last century that is only 50 pages long and has been described by some as the holy grail of it's topic. There have been two sold on a familiar auction site during this time period. The first went for $2,750 and the latter very near $6K. Well past my budget by several orders of magnitude. I did not want to really own it, I just wanted to read it ... before I croak! I have checked a particular library catalog periodically over the years (called WORLD CATALOG that most user refer to as worldcat) without luck and had not checked it since 2018 thinking if these guys do not list it perhaps all the copies of a limited run book are in private hands or museums. The Library of Congress does not even have it! Desperately I checked worldcat in early January of this year. There were now about ten libraries that claimed to have a copy. I quickly started making telephone calls from the list. Some libraries would not let you do inter-library loans of the book, some would only let you see it if you were a student or faculty member of their Ivy League College, others would allow you to read it if you requested it while you were in their library but the book could not be removed from the library. But one library I called would do inter-library loans. My request was first denied because of the expense of transportation. After agreeing to pay for the transportation both directions the loan was requested again but the loaning library could not find their copy that was archived. I have had this happen on other old books I tried to borrow and have concluded some are so rare and valuable they get stolen and either end up in someone personal library or find their way to a famous online auction site. I was devastated after all those years of looking and finally finding the only one on the list that would do inter-library loan of the same and then poof! it's gone : ( . My wife worked in the busiest library here in Minnesota for forty plus years and would periodically get assigned to do inter-library loan department and she said that losing a book within a library happens more often than you might think and that I should not give up hope yet because it might get found. Fast forward to March 2020, I get an email stating the book I requested via inter-library loan is here and could be picked up during regular library hours. On Monday I went to pick it up and there is a note on the door of the library stating: The library is closed until staff can consult with the library board to determine what the libraries response will be to the Covid-19 quarantine. Thinking the book would have to be returned to the library of origin in 14 days I could envision it being here and returned before I could have it to read. Expect the worst and hope for the best. The decision was made to place the book in a plastic bag with my name on it and place it on the park bench at the front of the library at 3:30 p.m. Needless to say, I arrived early and there it was ... I have now read it a few times and have had it since early March because the inter-library loan system nationwide is not operational and my local library suggested I keep it until it is operational again. When it does I will then find out what the monetary cost of this epic adventure in rare books is going to cost me, as I have a promise to keep. I hope I have not bored you all to death with this little story about relentless pursuit.

In case some of you reading this have not found the books you want to read here is a link to worldcat >>> https://www.worldcat.org/

Now I'm dying to know what the book was.

 

[Hairy Clipper]

Now I'm dying to know what the book was.

The title is TOGO'S FIRESIDE REFLECTIONS by Elizabeth M. Ricker. During the 1925 Nome Serum Run to get Diphtheria serum to combat a recent outbreak that was heading to be something that could wipe out the population of Nome and neighboring areas. The then Territorial Gov. Bone decided that the serum they were able to find would go by train to Nenana and a musher would be sent West with the package to meet up with another musher that would leave Nome and head east somewhere around half way. After Leonhard Seppala and his team lead by the famous 13 year old Togo set out on the trail the plan was changed to a relay where teams would do shorter runs and hand off the package to the next team thus cutting the transit time by eliminating the rest periods. This change of plan was unbeknownst to Seppala when he was out on the trail. The dogs still got their rest in, but, while they rested the package was already in the sled of the next team going down the trail to Nome. Leonhard and Togo did not have a short run of 50 miles or less ... their part was much longer, my memory wants to say it was nearer to 200 miles, maybe more I am just sort of foggy on it right now. Togo finally gets the credit he deserves as the result of a Disney+ movie that has been streaming since third week in December 2019. TOGO movie trailer >>>

There is also another movie that was in the theaters a short time ago called THE GREAT ALASKAN RACE that tells the same story in a different way. THE GREAT ALASKAN RACE trailer >>>

The book is written from the dogs perspective and in what Elizabeth puts to pen as Togo's words. Seppala and Ricker enjoined into a partnership when Seppala brought Togo to her and put the elder adventurer to stud. He lasted about two years before time caught up to him. I will type in the last page of the book for you to read. The writing and vocabularies from that time period was so much better than most of what is written these days. There is a line from the movie goes something like this, "you are putting the lives of children into the hands of a stone age technology". The fact still remains that there is no other form of land transportation using animals for locomotion that traverses more miles in less time than the Alaska Husky sled dog team!

The Last Page of Togo’s Fireside Reflections

Now I think I have told you all there is to tell about myself and I have also tried to show you Leonhard as he is. I could not tell you about my life without including him in the greater portion of it. We have been inseparable–have weathered many a gale together. As you know, the time has come when it has seemed best to Leonhard to leave me here. I dare say there will be many who wonder why. Perhaps he and I alone know that, but they will ask you, and I am going to tell you so that you may explain to them.

It is hard to admit that I am too old to be of any use to him, but it is a fact. He would not bring me out again and he knows that I am better here. If he left me in Alaska someone might drive me, and drive me harder than I could stand. It would not be a very pleasant way for me to spend my old age. You may rest assured that he would not have left me here without much thought, and he knows that though he has gone back to the great tundras where they are waiting for him,and possibly to make more history and to do more big things, I shall not have forgotten him. Everyday I shall look up the road watching for his return–watching for the team with Leonhard on the runners of the sled, his familiar voice calling “Gee” to the leader, who will turn the team down into the lane and bring him home to me.

You will think that the hardened old lead dog is growing sentimental in his old age. My throat does feel lumpy and my eyes are blurry. Maybe because it has grown so dark. I'd rather think it was that. Anyhow, I am still game. Leonhard’s judgement has always been best, and I hope that you will understand when I say that he is still the boss. I know, too, that there is a little corner of his life left here with me. Best of luck to him, that Pal of the trail!

If you are interested Elizabeth M. Ricker also wrote a biography of Leonhard Seppala called SEPPALA: ALASKA DOG DRIVER. Here is a link to the Amazon page for it >>> https://www.amazon.com/Seppala-Alaskan-Elizabeth-M-Ricker/dp/1437490883/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1589203305&refinements=p_27:Elizabeth+M.+Ricker&s=books&sr=1-1