Date: Fri 29-Jan-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: LIZAM

Quick Words:

Conroy-Easton

Full Text:

14 Classical Matching Empire Chairs At Conroy

(with 3 cuts)

By Rita Easton

BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. -- On December 31, T. W. Conroy & Associates, Inc. held

their sixth annual New Year's Day auction, following previews on the two

previous days. The audience of 300 filled the gallery, with many left

standing, in addition to 150 absentee bids and 15 bidders on the phones, in

competition for 150 lots.

Several local estates and collections were represented, and several pieces

hailed from nearby historic Sherwood Inn on Owasco Lake.

A set of 14 classical Empire chairs, possibly Baltimore, circa 1825, fetched

the top price of the day, at $880 each, all going to the same buyer, a

well-known American furniture dealer, for a total of $12,320. The seats, which

were gently concave-shaped at the front rail, had been reupholstered

approximately 25 years ago.

Purchased by the consignor from the artist over 30 years ago, an oil on canvas

by Antoine Blanchard garnered $7,700; a group of small tiger maple pieces,

including several footstools, ranged from $500 to $1,000; and a completely

original, Nineteenth Century toy horse and two-wheeled cart, 24 by 54 inches,

the horse made of actual horse hide, in fine condition, was the buy of the day

at $2,500.

"It really was in fabulous condition," said Tim Conroy, owner of the firm,

"and if someone was into collecting that type of thing, he would really search

a long time to find one in that condition. I thought it should have brought

$3,500 or $4,000. It had that potential."

Another "find" for the buyer was a Seventeenth or Eighteenth Century chest

with inlay, originally owned by a family which came to America in the

mid-Seventeenth Century.

"The buying audience might have thought it was German or European," said

Conroy, commenting on the $200 hammer price.

A circa 1790 tiger maple pole screen with a needlework scene reached $2,000; a

Chauncey Ives half pillar and splat shelf clock in mahogany with a jester top

formed by the two mouldings flanking the center finial rolling outward,

creating a jester's cap form, sold at $3,000 to a collector; and an American

cherry tall case clock having eight-day movement with date was purchased at

$4,950.

A period drop front country Chippendale desk, a late entry which was purchased

by a picker at a local auction company three weeks before for $1,250, in tiger

maple drawer fronts and cherry, rang up $4,000.

"All the dealers who were at the other auction were kicking themselves,"

Conroy chuckled. "They didn't trust their own opinions, their own ideas. It

was in an auction it shouldn't have been in. They were all talking about it

afterwards. It had to come 20 miles to sell at the right auction."

A "Mary Gregory" type kerosene hanging fixture enamel painted with children

playing fetched $2,400 for the Bohemian-made lot. The buyer is a collector who

owns approximately 600 Mary Gregory pieces.

Conroy was irrepressibly enthusiastic with the growth of his business,

"Overall the sale did about 20 percent better than we'd anticipated. The crowd

was enthusiastic. It was the second auction we've run at our newly renovated

historic bank building. The first two floors are devoted to retail antique

space, and the third floor, with 20-foot ceilings, a huge room with

chandeliers, stage and balcony, is now restored and an auction gallery. A

60-inch Sony television monitor is up on the stage, with a digital picture

displayed of every auctioned item."

"It eliminates confusion," he continued, "and it gives everybody a really good

last look: there it is, two feet across. What that's done is improved the

logistics of our auctions. We don't have to haul the big furniture in front of

the crowd anymore. Our buyers really like that."

Auctioneer Bob Knapp is a retired history teacher from a local high school,

and will be joining auctioneer Terry Dean at the Conroy gallery full time in

June.

"We've just bought the old library here, a 7,000 square foot facility, where

we'll do at least three auctions a month," Conroy said, "and by the end of the

year, six a month. We also have all of the resources to do large on-site

auctions, as we've just purchased one of those big wedding tents and hundreds

of folding chairs. Our finest auctions will take place here at our main

gallery at 36 Oswego Street. We've got a web site now, and we hope that by the

end of the year we have all of our inventory for sale on the "Net."

Fifteen or twenty on-site auctions are expected to take place yearly, in

addition.

Prices quoted reflect a ten percent buyers premium.