COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 43, NO. 36 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
Vintage Fireworks Collection Pops At Morphy’s orphy Auctions’ June athletes, soldiers, sci-fi and pop kick.” Possibly the only extant was the one advertising “Crax Boy Cowardly Lion characters. 22-23 auction was culture icons; Native Americans, example, the lot was entered with a Loudest Flashlight Crackers.” Estimated at $200 to $400, the devoted exclusively to clowns, cowboys, and Christmas $500 to $1,000 estimate but was Executed in appealing primary col- pack followed the Yellow Brick things that go ors, the label featured Road all the way to a $1,440 bid. bang in the night – the a knock-off character With crossover appeal to colantique and vintage nearly identical to the lectors of space-theme colfireworks collection of Whitman’s Sampler lectibles, a 1937 pack of Buck Pennsylvanian George candy messenger boy. Rogers “Disintegrators,” with an Moyer. The 40-year But instead of choco- image of the futuristic hero in assemblage of rare lates, Crax Boy deliv- action, blasted its presale image antique and vintage ers packets of fire- of $400 to $800, bringing in firecracker packs and works. Estimated at $540. labels; salutes, $500 to $1,000, the The image on the label (no sparklers and other Crax Boy pack was pack) for “Round One” firecrackpyrotechnical rarities bid to $3,025. ers could be described as ahead of went out with a flourish The pack that its time, since it was issued a during the two-day sale Moyer said he found good half-century before Hilary that realized $438,000. hardest to part with Swank won an Oscar (in 2004) All prices quoted are was the one called for her role in “Million Dollar inclusive of 20% “Marine,” with a Baby.” The firecracker label has a buyer’s premium. The depiction of US cartoon-like drawing of a woman sale took place at Marines in a battle- boxer, dressed in shorts and a halMorphy’s Denver, field. “I had a senti- ter top, wearing boxing gloves Pennsylvania, Gallery. mental attachment to and sitting confidently in her corThe Moyer collecit because I, myself, ner of a boxing ring. The label tion had been widely served in the Marine knocked down a winning bid of publicized in the mainCorps,” he said. The $1,020. lot of the sale: salesman’s sample board containing 20 sample sparklers, caps and firecracker pack of 70 crackers – stream media, both in the Top The pack known as packs, $7,200. Morphy Auctions image. USA and abroad. Feature possibly a unique “Evergreen” features a large, articles appeared in The New York characters are pursued by a wide bid to $2,700. survivor – achieved $3,000. snow-laden conifer and was Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, range of collectors who do not Another pack that may be the Seldom seen, a 16-pack of fire- described in the auction catalog The Washington Times and specifically pursue fireworks. only known example of its type crackers titled “The Wizard” had as possibly being the only known Forbes.com, and there example. Containing 16 firewas coverage on at least crackers, it appears to have two television networks. been manufactured specifi“This level of media cally for “Northwest attention might not have Jobbers Supply – State of seemed so unusual had it Washington, U.S.A.” It was been a collection of bid to the midpoint of its Picassos,” said Morphy estimate, settling at $1,920. Auctions CEO Dan Other top lots included: Morphy, “but we’re talkMerry-Go-Round, $3,000; ing about firecrackers – Mercury, $2,280; and China ephemeral objects that Goo Boy [probably an abercost as little as one cent ration of “Good Boy”] – when they were first mar$2,400. The image of a keted.” Native-American brave Morphy’s “one cent” adorned the label on a pack comment was in reference of “Three Feathers” crackers, to what collectors call which sold for $1,440. “penny packs,” which were Although many packs manufactured to provide fetched amazing prices, there cheap thrills for financially were plenty of tempting items challenged Fourth of July for the beginning and intercelebrants. In particular, mediate collector. A greatthese auction lots proved a looking 32-pack in vibrant penny-wise investment for Three Feathers 20-pack of firecrackers with Mercury Firecrackers 16-pack manu- Crax Boy firecracker pack with primary colors featured an factured by Hing Cheong Yeung Hong, imagery similar to that of vintage Moyer. image of desirable Native American image, $1,440. Portuguese Macau, $2,280. Morphy Whitman’s Sampler chocolate boxes, unauthorized “There were over 40 Morphy Auctions image. Batman, complete with bat Auctions image. $3,025. Morphy Auctions image. packs in the sale that sold for wings and the word “Bang!” individual prices of $1,000 or A Balfour’s 40-piece pack bidding paddles waving in the exploding from the character’s more, and several were penny of “supercharged flashair. The brightly colored label chest. It sold within estimate for packs,” said Morphy. “Not a bad light crackers” with a depicts an Oriental version of $180. return on George’s money.” depiction of early, openAnother pocket pleaser was the Wizard of Oz emerging Moyer started his collection at wheel Indy-style racers from a plume of smoke, emit- “Home Run,” a 20-pack with the age 10, picking up wrappers that competing on a racetrack ted by a large, upright fire- image of a baseball player at his older friends discarded after no doubt received a boost cracker. Below, looking on home plate, poised to swing the removing the crackers. from automotive collecapprehensively, are Dorothy, bat, and a full crowd in the (Continued on page 2) The top lot of the sale was a tors. The pack raced past the Tin Man, Scarecrow and rare salesman’s display board the checkered flag with a containing 20 sample sparklers, winning bid of $3,900. caps, and firecracker packs. It finA packet of 32 Tally ished at the midpoint of its esti- Ho! Firecrackers adorned mate range, at $7,200. A second with a vibrant image of salesman’s display board contain- riders on horseback, ing 12 fireworks samples from flanked by hunting dogs in the R.F. Company of Rochester, full stride, finished at N.Y., was considered historically $3,300; while a significant because it presented Greyhound pack emblaan especially diverse overview of zoned with the image of a the firm’s product range, includ- sleek hound bolting across ing elusive pinwheels and the countryside more than “bombs.” Against an estimate of doubled its high estimate to $1,000 to $2,500, the assortment reach $2,280. sold for $4,800. Manufactured by Tung The appeal of firecracker Fong, a 24-pack of Jackass packs, with their vividly colored Brand Firecrackers from the labels and fantasy themes, cross- company’s “Lucky Series” es over into many other collecting advertised its product as Merry-Go-Round Firecrackers, $3,000. Morphy genres. Packs with depictions of being “the cracker with a Auctions image. Greyhound Firecrackers, $2,280. Morphy Auctions image.
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