RENO, Nev. – Holabird Western Americana Collections’ big four-day sale coming up May 7th thru 10th is officially billed as an Americana, Railroad, Mining & More Auction, but those three categories are just the tip of a much larger iceberg. The sale also includes Native Americana, cowboy and Western collectibles, numismatics, tokens, rare soda and medicine bottles and more.

“We also have an incredible collection of antique woodworking tools in their original wooden chests,” said Fred Holabird of Holabird Western Americana Collections, based in Reno. “This represents a great opportunity for museums and collectors.” The auction will be held online and in Holabird’s gallery, at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno, starting at 8 am Pacific time all four days.

For those unable to attend the sale in person, online bidding will be facilitated by iCollector.com, Invaluable.com, eBay Live and Auctionzip.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

Mr. Holabird added, “The sale also features a few rare and gorgeous antique slot machines, Part 1 of the R. B. Worthington Texas token collection with many more parts to follow, a marvelous array of Native American collectibles to include jewelry, baskets, pots and rugs, a nice variety of Continental currency, uncirculated fractional currency, railroad passes, stocks, maps and more.”

Nearly 3,000 lots will come up for bid over the course of the four days. The action will kick off Monday May 7th, with 172 lots of Native Americana, 91 lots of cowboy and Western collectibles and 469 lots of mining memorabilia. An expected top lot in the Native Americana category is a white buckskin Pow Wow dress, colorfully beaded both sides and fringed (est. $1,000-$3,000).

Other stars of the Native Americana category include the following:

• A vintage ceremonial Hupa Indian basket hat with bands, triangle and cross designs, in excellent condition, measuring 3 ½ inches tall and 6 inches in diameter (est. $400-$800).
• A large olla pot signed by Lupe Soto of the Mata Ortiz village of the Casa Grande region, with thumb nail pattern top and snake and a lizard motif, 14 inches tall (est. $350-$450).
• A gorgeous Nevada mined Navajo Boulder turquoise bracelet set in sterling silver, signed ‘J. Nelson’, with colors ranging from light green to light to dark brown (est. $330-$430).
• An elegant, contemporary Zuni turquoise needlepoint necklace with wing motif design, dropping down into another winged pendant piece, 80 mm in length (est. $480-$600).

The cowboy and Western portion of the day will feature a wide selection of bits and spurs, to include a set of double-mounted silver spurs by L&M, makers of the most highly sought-after bits and spurs by collectors. Each spur has six inlaid mother of pearl spots on the heel bands and the shanks have a crescent moon-shaped dropping onto the 3’45-pt. rowells (est. $2,000-$2,800).

The category will also feature ephemera and two Buffalo Bill/Pawnee Bill Wild West Show posters. One is a choice example, 30 inches by 40 inches, mounted on linen, advertising “Pawnee Bill’s Great Far East Combined with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” (the two briefly partnered), with a feature act being “Mons. Alfredo Rossi’s Marvelous Musical Elephants” (est. $8,000-$15,000).

The mining section has the usual wide selection of collectibles people have come to expect from Holabird auctions – artifacts (lighting, signs, explosives and hard goods), a group of territorial Nevada stock certificates, as well as rare Arizona, California, Georgia, Montana and Colorado ephemera from the Laguna, Prag, Al Adams, Potter and other collections, plus geographic sort.

One mining lot to watch is the 24 inch by 30 inch oak-framed chromo-litho broadside poster for the California Powder Works, the first American explosive powder manufacturing company west of the Rocky Mountains. The circa 1885 poster, done in beautiful soft pastel colors with a pretty woman graphic, would have hung in a saloon or mine office. It should realize $12,000-$18,000.

Day 2, on Tuesday, May 8th, will contain 250 lots of tokens, including Holabird’s first offering of tokens from a prominent Texas collection. A featured lot is a J. L. Barnes Saloon (Bryan, Texas) round white metal token, showing the wear one would expect of its age (est. $500-$800).

Day 2 will also feature numismatics (129 lots), World’s Fair and Expositions collectibles (26 lots), gaming items (24 lots), rare vintage and antique bottles (222 lots), jewelry (35 lots) and the category saloon, breweriana, cigar and tobacco which, taken all together, will comprise 63 lots.

The numismatic section is bound to attract keen bidder interest. Aside from the Continental and fractional currency, the category will also feature US and ancient world coins, currency, scrip, medals and other items. Top lots will include a 3-cents third issue fractional currency graded AU 50 PMG (est. $300-$600); and a rare silver drachm of Antiochos VI of Syria (est. $300-$500).

The bottles category features California sodas bottles, Nevada medicines, insulators and more. Lots to watch include a nice cobalt blue pontiled California Gold Rush soda bottle made circa 1850-1862 by Boley & Co. (Sacramento City, Calif.) (est. $400-$600); and a very rare Toiyabe (Nevada) “Cholera and Diarrhea Remedy” bottle, pale aqua, circa 1895-1900 (est. $500-$1,200).

Day 3 – Wednesday, May 9th – will be dedicated to general Americana from the Al Adams collection, the Potter collection and the Prag collection, including early US and world maps; Montana fort and Indian trader documents and very early Montana mining pieces; early Idaho documents; Western postcards and postal history (with a focus on Arizona); Western libraries; plus rare pieces from California, Nevada, Oregon, etc.; Comstock silverware; and antique tools.

Day 4 – Thursday, May 10th – will be headlined by 189 lots of railroad collectibles, featuring railroad passes, stocks, maps and ephemera from the Potter collection. A nice sample lot is the railway pass issued in 1891 to F.H. Thompson, passenger agent for CRI&P Railway, by the Los Angeles Terminal Railway (earlier known as the Pasadena Railway). It should bring $80-$200.

Day 4 will also contain 562 lots of bargains and dealer specials. “These will be entry-level collectibles and large dealer lots that are ideal for resale,” Fred Holabird said. “Our philosophy is to help beginners start their collections and restock their dealer inventories, thereby helping grow the collecting community as a whole.” The auction will also feature around 100 pocket watches.

Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859. Also, anyone owning a collection that might fit into an upcoming Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels extensively throughout the U.S., to see and pick up collections. Last year it visited Boston, Florida, Seattle and New York, among other destinations.

Holabird Western Americana is always seeking quality bottle, advertising, Americana and coin consignments for future auctions. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can e-mail him at fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana's May 7th-10th auction, visit www.fhwac.com.

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