PANAMA CITY, Fla. – A single-owner lifetime collection of Depression glassware – one of the largest collections in the Southeastern United States, comprising around 175 boxes full and in all the major patterns and colors – will headline an auction slated for Saturday, March 28th, by The Specialists of the South, Inc., in the firm’s gallery located at 544 East 6th Street in Panama City.

It is the total dispersal sale of the Ralph and Alphoretta Holbrook collection of glassware, china and pottery items, gathered over the course of 40 years. Co-headlining the auction will be items from the estate of Albert Cantu, a former Air Force Master Sergeant who accumulated many fine interesting furniture pieces in his worldwide travels. In all, nearly 600 lots will come up for bid.

The auction will get underway promptly at 8 a.m. Central time. “The Holbrooks’ extensive collection was assembled from many auctions and private sources throughout the Southeast, and it must be seen to be fully appreciated,” said Logan Adams of The Specialist of the South, Inc. “They traveled the Eastern United States and carefully acquired many rare and unusual pieces.”

The mammoth elegant Depression and kitchen glassware collection will feature over 40 covered butter dishes, blue and red cut to clear, Vaseline, Carnival, opalescent, iridescent and pressed and cut glass in many known patterns. Art pottery – primarily Roseville, McCoy, Weller and Hull – will also come up for bid, along with cased glass, epergnes, baskets, punch bowl and cup sets, perfume bottles and more.

Also featured will be large collections of Fostoria American, Fenton, American Sweetheart-Monax, Fire-King sapphire blue bubble with creamers, Forest Green and Royal Ruby, Floragold “Louisa,” Button & Bows, Open Rose, Miss America, Sandwich (Hocking and Indiana), Cape Cod, and pieces in nearly 100 other patterns that have been positively identified.

The selection of Fostoria American is particularly nice, and features an uncommon Nappy (Flared) 10 ½ inch by 3 ¾ inch bowl. Other highly desirable patterns in Fostoria include Meadow Rose and Willowmere (example: an owner-identified oyster stemware in Willowmere). “I’m not going to say that every single Depression glass color and pattern are represented in this auction, but most are, and certainly the eleven most collected patterns are,” Ms. Adams said.

Kitchen glassware (circa 1950s-'70s) will include a covered sanitary cheese preserver, mixing and refrigerator bowls, Tom and Jerry bowl and mugs, snack sets, salt and pepper shakers (to include green and cobalt blue), wet and dry measuring cups, a Miracle Maize glass corn stick pan, Mason jars and insulators, covered hens, flower frogs, sherbet sets and custard cups.

Frosted glass pieces will include vases, covered candies and sandwich trays. Also offered will be a cider (or toddy) set having a metal tray with center section for a cobalt blue jar (with lid and ladle) and nine small round glasses; a cylinder cocktail shaker with a ground stopper and a second rooster stopper, with rooster finial; and '50s-'70s-era Moderntone pieces (fired in multi colors, similar to Fiestaware).

The list continues, with Milk Glass pieces, mayonnaise sets, a lovely Crocheted Crystal single-horn epergne, beautiful amethyst glass (including a Moroccan vase), a wonderful china selection (including Haviland in the Springtime pattern, Vogue in the Susanna pattern and Noritake in the Reina pattern), Bavaria china and examples of cobalt green and blue pitchers, vases and glasses.

The Cantu collection is also intriguing, as much for its variety and scope as for its quality and diversity. Albert Cantu was in the Air Force for 30 years, retiring as a Chief Master Sergeant in 1977, then teaching at Haney VoTech (a vocational technical school). He fully retired in 1997. Along the way he gathered antique items from England, Japan, Thailand and the United States.

From the Cantu estate are some wonderful furniture items, with most of the larger Victorian pieces bought in England, including a coal hod (or bin), a Victorian table and chairs, an inlaid music cabinet and an interesting inlaid magazine stand, a camel saddle, two nice English wash stands with marble tops and tile backsplashes, and a bow-front English buffet, nicely carved and with backsplash. From Many Ann’s side of the family (in Indiana) is a handsome Hoosier cabinet with spice rack.

For those unable to attend the auction, internet bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Phone and absentee (left) bids will also be accepted. Previews will be held by appointment and on auction day, March 28th, from 7-8 a.m. To schedule an appointment, call 850-785-257. A buyer’s premium will be applied to all purchases. All sales are final.

The Specialists of the South, Inc., has been serving the Panama City community for over 30 years. The firm specializes in a broad range of services, to include estate auctions, furniture refurbishing, interior decoration, personal property appraisals and business liquidation services. It has been named the Small Business of the Month by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.

The Specialists of the South, Inc., is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them at (850) 785-2577, or you may e-mail them at contact@sospcfl.com. To learn more, or to register for the March 28th auction, you may log on to either of two websites: www.SpecialistsoftheSouth.com or www.PanamaCityAuctions.com.

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