COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 43, NO. 30 FRIDAY JULY 27, 2012
Historic Mikkelson Boat Collection Draws Global Inter est Speed boat, Larson Falls Flyer Inboard, wood with fabric overlay, circa 1942, 21 foot. Known as the “Flight of Fancy” with a Deluxe twin cockpit forward inboard, it is the largest of the Falls Flyers. Built of steam-bent ribs, white oak frame and cedar strip planking that’s covered with fabric, it’s both light and strong. A Very Rare model as only 2 Deluxe models are known to exist. Powered by a 140 h.p. Gray Marine 6 cylinder Fireball engine, just as it was when new. Comes with a likenew seldom used ShoreLand’r trailer. A professionally restored beauty! Sold at $52,000.
T h a t same video Paul Mikkelson enjoys speaking with one of his many friends that screen attended the auction. w a s w h e r e Friday’s Warehouse Sale machinery, but bid on some P a u l The auction began on Friday of the rarest known examMikkelson introples of vintage marine with a session held in Paul duced the auction with a power.” An extremely Mikkelson’s spacious 10,000 four minute video produced rare Indian Silver square foot warehouse. That’s by Penn’s video production Arrow outboard, from where he stored his acquisitions crew. 1930 and manufac- until he was ready to begin the Top Lot Of The Sale tured by the Indian meticulous process of restoration. The top sale of the aucMotorcycle Company The warehouse was carefully tion, and not unexpected, for just two years, prepared to display all sorts of vinwas Mikkelson’s 1942 brought $6,000. tage boating items by the Rich Larson Falls Flyer Inboard Everyone that looked at it Penn crew. Friday’s session (Lot 370). It hammered down was dazzled by its design, its included full size boats, toys, at an impressive $52,000. beautiful finned muffler and twist printed materials, signage and Speed Known as “Flight of Fancy” this boat, Larson grip throttle, taken from the over 200 unrestored outboards. deluxe twin cockpit forward Falls Flyer Inboard, known as motorcycle technology of the day. The crowd followed auctioneers The toy boats also had every- Fred VanMetre and Matt Lahr “Boondoggle,” circa 1939. The Rarest of the Rare, believed to be the one buzzing. They garnered some around the perimeter as they only single cockpit Falls Flyer of the top bids. A highly stylized offered up lots of boat parts, unreInboard ever built. Also the smallest Japanese ITO (Lot 828) brought stored motors, tables full of toys, at 16 foot. Built of steam-bent oak $6,900. (Prices are hammer prices signage and posters. The crowd frames and cedar strip planking cov- and do not include the 10 percent eagerly grabbed every opportunity ered with fabric. This boat is both sleek and fast, powered by a 90 h.p. to 20 percent buyer’s premium.) to nab hard to find items, many of Gray Fireball 4 cylinder engine. This rare toy boat brought more which were slated to become part Used very little in the 1980s, in excel- than some of Paul’s rare full-sized of another Mikkelson restoration. lent restored condition and comes craft. Another toy boat, a B.J. 3 And though these items are what with a ShoreLand’r trailer and a tether boat (Lot 871), circa 1910 Paul Mikkelson considered not high quality custom cover. A one-of- and made of mahogany, brought Toy boat, Japanese ITO Rocket, a-kind beauty! Sold at $49,000. $6,000. Onsite and online bidders works marked TMY, rare, wood, were both aggressive during the battery powered smaller version, motors which entire sale which was excellent condition, 22 inches long. powered much Sold at $2,000. of the early craft dursuiting the turn of the able for his century. Many of museum colthose compalection, there
lassic and vintage boating collectors worldwide were treated to an event that will probably never again be replicated. The three day event, May 18 to 20, was the Willmar, Minnesota, sale of Paul Mikkelson’s astounding variety of classic Larson Falls Flyers boats, toy boats and motors, restored and unrestored outboard motors and a huge selection of marine related advertising pieces. “This was easily an historic event,” noted Penn. “We had bidders from 27 countries vying to win some of Paul’s rarest collectibles. This collection has been kept in his museum in W i l l m a r , Minnesota, since the time he started collecting. It included many one-of-a-kind items including some of the rarest full size vintage boats which he spent years finding and then restoring to pristine condition.” Penn’s auction team moved over 1,600 lots Youth doesn’t always mean shy! This young man was across the block aggressive and the successful bidder on a number of the in a well orga- Mikkelson toy boats. nized and fast paced auction, selling one lot inboard is the largest of the Falls every 50 seconds. The cataloged Flyers ever built by the Larson portion of the auction was docu- Boat Company in Little Falls, mented in a full color 100 page Minnesota. Little Falls is just up catalog with each lot projected on the road from Willmar and still a huge ten foot screen, as it sold. building boats today. And while much of Mikkelson’s collection
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focused on Minnesotabuilt Larson boats, he had an awesome selection of o u t board
Toy boat, Japanese I T O Rocket, very rare larger version with only a few known to exist, highly stylized with K&O motor, very good condition with some re-touched paint, 36 inches long. Sold at $2,400.
Toy boat, Japanese ITO “W.T.” speed boat, a very rare highly stylized boat with only a few known to exist, excellent plus condition, 21 inches long. Sold at $6,900.
nies continue today to be the power of choice for much of the boating industry. “These early outboards are absolutely beautiful in their design and execution,” said Penn. “The outboard collector had the chance to not only see some super rare
was excitement throughout the day. Many bidders stood for the entire 7-hour sale. They wanted to make certain they could held in two separate venues. The extra venue was needed to accommodate the huge mix of items Mikkelson collected during the past 25 years.
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Toy boat, Japanese ITO speed boat, very rare “Miss Nippon,” wood, battery powered, one of only a few known, excellent condition, 24 inches long. Sold at $2,000.