ANN ARBOR, Mich. – What will quite possibly be the largest and most important collection of Cowboy and Native American Indian items ever offered at auction will come up for bid on the weekend of September 29th through October 1st at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor. The three-day event will be held by Showtime Auction Services, based in Woodhaven.

Approximately 2,000 lots of investment-grade, museum-quality artifacts will cross the auction block, the vast majority of them coming from the lifetime collection of Brad and Mary Watts of Phoenix, Ariz. “Mary passed away not long ago and Brad has decided to unleash this incredible trove of material onto the collecting public,” said Mike Eckles of Showtime Auction Services.

The Watts collection is filled with Native American Indian objects as well as traditional cowboy antiques and collectibles. “Even the cigar tins are Western themed with cowboys and Indians,” Mr. Eckles remarked. This is a rare chance for “Old West” fans to enhance their collections.”

All items in the auction are guaranteed authentic, with no reproductions or fakes. In addition to the Watts collection, the auction will also feature investment-grade items from other advanced collections, to include cash registers, pharmaceutical show globes and holiday collectibles (for Halloween and Thanksgiving) and more.

Another highlight for collectors: The auction will be held at the same time as the 8th annual Indian Art & Frontier Antiques Show, which will be one day only – Saturday, September 30th, from 9-4 Eastern time – also at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor. For dealer table information regarding that event, interested parties may call Dick Lloyd at (248) 840-7070.

Hours for the auction are 9-5 Eastern Time all 3 days. To get a 280 page full color catalog for $40, call Showtime Auction Services at (313) 715-4486 (EST). You can order a full color fold-out flyer for free. The auction will be posted on the website around early September. Online bidding will start at that time. Online Bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable. You can go to Showtime’s website at www.showtimeauctions.com and click the “Bid Now” button. As always, absentee and phone bidding will also be available.

The host hotel is Weber’s Inn located at 3050 Jackson Avenue in Ann Arbor. For reservations, call (734) 769-2500 and mention Showtime Auctions to get the discounted rate of $99 per night. The Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds are located at 5055 Ann Arbor/Saline Rd. in Ann Arbor. Just 4 miles from the Weber’s Inn.

Showtime Auction Services is always accepting quality items for future sales. To consign one item or an entire collection, you may call Michael Eckles at (951) 453-2415; or, you can e-mail him at mike@showtimeauctions.com . To learn more about Showtime Auction Services and the big upcoming September 29th through October 1st auction, please visit www.showtimeauctions.com.

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