Pick-ups in Downtown Scranton can often be difficult. This picture shows the ramp we had to use today to remove merchandise from a high rise on Washington Avenue. We were grateful that all the stuff was small and that we didn’t have to lug any furniture.

Photoset: Picking Up a Load from Laflin

Since July of 2011, we at Savo Auctioneers have been liquidating one of the largest estates we have ever handled. The woman to whom the merchandise belonged was very passionate about buying. Her possessions included a sizable Lladro and Armani figurine collection, brand new designer purses and clothing, over 10,000 pieces of brand new designer costume jewelry and fine jewelry, and over 200 pallets stacked with brand new toys, collectibles, household, electronics, and small appliances. Almost all of this was purchased through QVC, stored, and never used.

The photoset above shows us picking up another load from the family’s warehouse, merchandise which is slated for the 14th auction for this estate.

Lionel Toy Stove No. 455

Yes, the stove pictured here is a children’s toy. Made in the 1930s, this Lionel stove sports two electric burners and an oven that were actually used to cook food. In today’s world of lawyers and lawsuits, a toy like this could never and would never be made. Truly a blast from the past when children were smart enough not to kill themselves while playing.

Naughty Novelty Bronze from the Early 1900s

This LBJ inaugural committee badge was issued to His Excellency Most Reverend Patrick A. O’Boyle, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. and native of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Comically Lousy Auctioneers

Fictional characters from J. Bear’s childhood (the 1980s through the early 1990s) that would make hysterically horrible auctioneers.

On August 12, 2010 we, the Savo Auctioneers, offered more than 250 lots of vintage trains, toys, and comic books — over 90% of which was consigned from one estate. This auction was featured in one of the episodes of Auction Packed, a three-part documentary about our family business that premiered on the National Geographic Channel in February of 2011.

by J. Bear Savo

For the Nth time, 99.99999% of all records (LPs, 45s, 78s, even wax cylinders) are worth very little to as much as nothing. (This assessment is not based on conjecture. Rather it is based on years of experience selling estate merchandise at auction.) Reasonable people understand this when I tell them so. Unreasonable people argue with me, yell at me, cry, and/or curse me to writhe in agony in the deepest layer of Hell. Weary of such reactions, I propose that all records everywhere in the world be gathered onto a rocket and sent hurtling into the sun. Especially Herb Albert’s “Whipped Cream and Other Delights.” Was a law passed in 1965 that ordered everyone in the entire world to buy that album? No, really… I’m asking.

We at Savo Auctioneers have never before sold a fossil. Well, that will change on March 8, 2012. This Paleozoic Fern / Plant fossil hails from Saint Clair, Pennsylvania. It measures approximately 42” long by 14” wide by 1” thick. The colors are natural, caused by the unique mineralization process indicative of the Saint Clair, PA region.

Taxonomy: Paleozoic > Carboniferous > Pennsylvanian (310 million years old)

Resource: EarthFragments.com