Copake Auction’s 25th Annual New Year’s Day Auction was an exciting event from the first lot to the last. Starting with Oriental rugs and weathervanes the action was hot. The top lot of the sale was a cast iron Rochester horse weathervane bringing $33,000 to the audience against a fierce phone bidder. Other weathervanes also did well including $9,900 for a Rochester rooster, a cod fish brought $6,900, an Ethan Allen horse fetched $5,600, a horse and sulky made only $2,400 because of its fresh gilt surface, two different game cocks brought $2,300 and $2,090.

A wonderful coastal Virginia raised panel cupboard found in a barn with base damage made $2,970. Lot 80, an 18th C. Conn. walnut lowboy sold to the audience for a reasonable$6,600 under the $10,000 presale estimate. A previously undiscovered oil on panel signed Thomas Cole sold for a very reasonable $3,300, the sketch was found in a local attic. A wonderful miniature blanket box signed & dated “Herkimer CO. New York 1838” in terrific paint made $3,190. Another New York State rarity, a decorated Albany County blanket box with exceptional surface sold to a phone bidder for $21,450. A Hudson Valley Kas with original inlay sold for $7,000 after the sale. A New York wing chair with a very unusual stretcher sold to a phone bidder from California for $7,700, the same bidder won the roadster weathervane for $3,190. Found in a Conn. cellar an 18th C. William & Mary slant lid desk with “antiqued” finish, went for $2,200, very reasonable considering it seemed untouched except for the surface. Found in a local Conn. home an unusual Hepplewhite period “deception” bed hammered down at $2,200. An 18th C. Mass. Chippendale block front slant lid desk c. 1760-80 estimated at $8,500-10,500 made $9,680. Lot 190 a classical period New York marble top pier table sold to a phone bidder from Alabama for $7,900. Found in Millbrook, NY a labeled Ernest Hagen 19th C. bookcase sold to the audience for $2,400. An 18th C. Long Island highboy made $8,250 and a Mass. Q.A. bonnet top highboy brought $11,550. A stunning pictorial hooked rug runner with animals 21 foot in length sold for $3,000.

The last item in the auction was a glazed pottery fish flask, found in a New York City Apartment. The consignor told the Fallons that her mother deeply valued the flask and that it was Moravian. A prominent photo was featured in the Art’s & Antiques Weekly and the item drew serious bidders, it opened on the floor for $400 and quickly sold for $23,100 to a Mass. Dealer against a southern phone bidder and several competitive bidders in the audience.

Auctioneer Michael Fallon seemed very pleased with the overall results, “It’s always our best antique sale of the year, we save special things and the response has always been strong. As usual the fresh merchandise with no apologies does great while mediocre period & country items are flat. We had a good year and have the next 4 sales in storage, we anticipate a good year ahead as well”.