Skinner's October 2007 Auction Results

Skinner's most recent auction of Science & Technology and Toys & Dolls, held in October 2007, brought a total of over $2.5 million. It was Skinner's most successful Science & Technology auction to date, with mechanical music, automata and globes performing particularly well. Notable highlights from 2007 included a rare Holbrook planetarium for $37,500, an enameled gold singing bird box by Jaquet-Droz for $160,000, and new world auction record for automata, $450,000 for a pair of life-sized Jean Roullet blackamoor musicians. Fine French dolls and rare German characters also performed strongly, including a 21-inch Series I portrait Jumeau at $18,000, and a Kaulitz Munich Art Doll at $10,500.

Skinner's August 2008 auction of Science & Technology and Toys & Dolls promises to be just as strong. Early consignments for the sale include a rare Edison Class "M" electric phonograph ($12,000-18,000), a fine Vichy monkey harpist automaton ($15,000-$20,000), and a Lecoultre piano-forte overture musical box in carved Black Forest case ($10,000-15,000). Clocks and Timepieces are also in abundance, led by an important group of French clocks including a six month duration floor standing regulator by J.J. Lepaute with equation of time indication, perpetual calendar and grid-iron, temperature compensated pendulum, ($1000,000-150,000), a table regulator with coup perdu escapement, grid-iron pendulum and dial signed L.G. Brocot (estimate $8,000-12,000), and a mahogany cased "Audience" table clock by Janvier with silvered dial and thermometer (estimate $20,000-25,000). A selection of floor standing precision regulators by E. Howard, Boston,round lout the sale. Toy & Doll offering swill be highlighted by fine French dolls, costumes and accessories from the collection of doll maker and collector Rosemary Post.