Featured Eastern Shore Virginia - Chesapeake

There are no known corner cupboards with original paint.
A couple of Blanket Chests Yes, corner cupboards NO.

The Blue interior paint on the cupboard I just bought? I haven't seen it but 99% sure it is not original to the cupboard.
It almost doesn't matter value-wise with these cupboards since there are none known with original paint.
Facts like that are overlooked and accepted with a piece like this, a masterpiece can get away with murder condition-wise, it's just the way it is.

 

Yes, I meant the piece you just bought. TY for answering.

Congrats on your win!

 

congrats............on going out of your comfort zone for the WIN !!

 

Thanks! Well, not out of my comfort zone but, there COULD be bigger fish to fry this Jan.
In the end though I decided a bird in hand.............
Hates situations like this but thinks/hopes I made the correct decision, resources spent today will not be available come Jan. No getting around that.

 

One does not often get a chance at a masterpiece, especially an early one and southern as well, the $5100 I paid today was a bargain I think.
Form for Form, early southern pieces are more valuable because they are much rarer than NE pieces, war & climate has not been kind to early southern furniture forms.
Generally speaking, they command premium prices in the old furniture market so I am well pleased with today's result.
On to shipping, let's take a look at this little guy!

 

Although not looking for furniture, I am trying to learn how these live auctions work. Does the $5100 cover all auction expenses but not shipping? Must you be the one to set up shipping via the method you prefer? What method would that be please? @James Conrad , I know you will be able to way more than double your money on this beautiful piece. Easily.

 

You're THE MAN!!!

 

Take this little table at a different auction house but still in NH yesterday, it sold for more than a period Pilgrim Century chest probably from Deerfield Mass.
Again, the auction house thought their pilgrim chest was the bee's knees and promoted it as their top piece of furniture in that sale.
WRONG AGAIN!
1st quarter 18th C. hard yellow pine, probably New Orleans
Those turnings on the legs, the lamb's tongue stretchers all say French immigrant to me.
Sold for 2k hammer on 21 bids
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/ite...uthern-yellow-pine-single-drawer-tavern-table



Their "top" furniture piece at the same auction
Late 17th -early 18th C. restored paint, side hung drawers, Guesses Deerfield
Sold for $1600. hammer on 16 bids
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/108392786_early-american-ct-river-valley-chest

 

It covers the hammer price, the tax (varies depending on the state you live in) and the CC processing fee.
Buyer arranges & pays for shipping which is not included.

Items Total $3,750.00
Buyer's Premium $937.50
Sales Tax $339.85
Shipping $0.00
Processing Fee $151.07
TOTAL $5,178.42

 

I’m learning a lot. Thank you : -)

(Don’t worry, I don’t purchase in that price range so you are not teaching the competition ; -) I just enjoy learning more about it)

 

My final budget was, $2500 hammer which would be 3250 with BP.
So yes, I did go over budget on what I set before the sale started but only 1250 more, decided 3750 was IT for me, 1 more bid by my competitor and I would have LOST!

 

@James Conrad I love reading your posts. I learn so much. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thank YOU!!!!!

 

@James Conrad, that second chest you showed (light blue & tan), repainted, I actually, personally, hate what they did with the paint....that's just ME!!!!

 

USHIP.com is absolutely positively the way to go for old furniture purchases or anything bulky really.
Have been using them for 10-15 years now, never had an issue.
Mostly small carriers that bid on your shipment, a lot of hubby/wife teams.
The best thing that ever happened to antique furniture collectors in my lifetime, shipping-wise.

 

A couple of concerns I had about my new cupboard while researching before the sale.
The number of "lights", if you notice there are 5 rows of lights & 15 altogether and most of the known examples have 4 rows & 12 altogether.
I found this early example at Williamsburg, 5 rows of lights and double doors!
It seems reasonable the lady of the house was clearly large & in charge! and there are different versions of this same form, not only in construction but colors to decorate. Customer preferences matter, even back then.

C 1740s - notice the double doors & QA tombstone lower door panels



The second concern was the hinges, they are iron & made locally by a blacksmith and not imported brass from GB. Even if replaced as most all the imported brass hinges have been on known cupboards, there is no photo evidence they were ever anything but iron.
My thinking on this is, my cupboard is one of the earliest known, 1730s perhaps? OR more likely, there was some GREAT calamity in England, perhaps the revolutionary war? and the limeys cut off our supply of brass hardware.
Mama doesn't care a wit about any of that, she wants her cupboard and she wants it RIGHT NOW!

click to enlarge

 

I have to ditto Jannette's post..............always a pleasure to read any/all of your posts.

Ghopper said it best...........YOU the MAN!

 

I would second this opinion, and have used them too for many items I've sold online. Plus they are based in Austin so I get to help out a local company.

James, I think it's great that you can use your superior knowledge about these pieces for fun and profit. I imagine there are fewer and fewer people working at the auction houses who can recognize truly special items when they get them. I feel a little bad for the owner, but they obviously didn't know what they had either and are probably happy with the $3K they'll get. Hopefully some rich kid who inherited the estate and doesn't need the money.

 

Thanks, James, it's an eyeopener of expenses, is the BP a percentage of the price? How is that factored? What do you think your shipping will run? Is there a time limit in which Uship must pick it up from the auction house?

Agreed, it looks worse than the mid sixties furniture my mother "antiqued" yuk.

 

Present company excluded from the "moon rock" shot!

The BP or buyer's premium varies from place to place, generally from 20%-30% of the hammer price.