(ANN ARBOR, Mich.) - Over 2,200 lots from two major collections, plus consignments from more than 100 other advanced collectors will be sold at auction the weekend of Apr. 4-6 by Showtime Auction Services. The three-day event will be held at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, located at 5055 Ann Arbor/Saline Road in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Headlining the event will be the lifetime collection of Robert and Janet Straub of Kansas and the lifetime collection of Neil J. Frick of Michigan. Both collections are very diverse and have something for every collector in over 40 categories. This sale will be a bit different from past auctions held by Showtime Auction Services in Ann Arbor, as live, internet and phone bidding will be permitted all three days (no live-only bidding on Friday).

The auction will feature many of the collecting categories for which Showtime Auction Services has become renowned in the industry. These will include petroliana, automobilia, salesman's samples, Heinz collection, trade cards,  general store and country store, advertising signs, match safes, trays, cast iron toys, pressed steel toys, barber shop and saloon.

Additional categories will feature tobacciana, cigar store figures, hardware, store tins, Coca-Cola, whiskey, breweriana, primitives, lamps, bronzes, drug store, soda fountain, ice cream, gambling, cash registers, fishing, folk art , furniture, store displays and fixtures and fire fighting antiques and much more. It will be a packed sale.

“This will undoubtedly be one of the most diverse auctions we've ever held, and it could end up being the best spring auction we've ever staged,” said Mike Eckles of Showtime Auction Services, based in Woodhaven, Mich. “The Straubs and the Fricks are dedicated collectors in their categories, and I encourage fans of primitives and country store to bid early and bid often.”

Individual items expected to do well include an all original Happy Jap Gum Dispenser with a shelf and original porcelain sign, a 1910 Yuenling's Beer reverse glass sign (“Purity, Cleanliness, Porter & Ale, Pottsville”), a 1942 Wurlitzer Model 42 jukebox with keyboard in excellent working condition and boasting excellent and colorful graphics, and a 1932 Packard 902 standard 8 convertible coupe, fully restored and in excellent running condition.

Other featured lots will include an extremely rare early 20th century Smith's Kidney Pills tin sign in the original frame, in remarkable condition, with Black/Americana subject matter.  An equally rare Glencoe Brewing Company Beer Vitrolite sign with original copper flashed frame and a rare green version Hires Rootbeer soda fountain dispenser will also be offered.

Internet bidding will be facilitated by both LiveAuctioneers.com and iCollector.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Previews will be held on Thursday, April 3, from 8-5, and on auction days (April 4-6) from 8-9 a.m. Auction start times all three days are 9 a.m. (EST). Flyers will be sent out around the 5th of February and 250-page, full-color catalogs will be available for shipping around the first of March. To order one, call Amy at (734) 558-1145. 

The host hotel for the auction is Weber’s Inn  in Ann Arbor, Mich. (to reserve a room call 734-769-2500; be sure to mention Showtime Auction Services for a discounted rate). Guests are encouraged to book early, because of spring break events associated with the University of Michigan. Room trading will go on each evening after the auction is over.

Looking ahead to the fall, Showtime Auction Services has another big sale planned for the weekend of Oct. 3-5. Offered will be the lifetime collection of Bud and Sally Bassett of Arizona. The collection spanning over over 50 years will be offered at no minimums and no reserves. Mr. Bassett was Arizona's most highly decorated war veteran in state history, having fought in both the Korea and Vietnam conflicts.

Showtime Auction Services is always accepting quality items for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call Michael Eckles at (951) 453-2415; or, you can e-mail him at either mikeckles@aol.com or mike@showtimeauctions.com. To learn more about Showtime Auction Services and the April 4-6 auction, log on to www.showtimeauctions.com.

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