AMAZING AUTOMOBILIA ON TAP FOR SCOTTSDALE: Several outstanding collections featured

December 30, 2016
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Automobilia from the estate of internationally recognized collector Gordon Apker will be featured at the 2017 Scottsdale Auction.

At the 2015 Scottsdale Auction, the incredible Ron Pratte Collection of more than 100 collector cars and over 1,000 pieces of automobilia was unquestionably the star of the show. The sale of Pratte’s pristine automobilia alone ultimately led to Barrett-Jackson nearly tripling the world record for automobilia sales.

Now, two years later, an automobilia offering of more than 2,000 authentic pieces – “equal in magnitude to the Ron Pratte Collection,” says Barrett-Jackson Director of Automobilia Rory Brinkman – will be coming to the 2017 Scottsdale Auction.

The majority of the automobilia coming to Scottsdale in January hails from the estate of Gordon Apker, who was an internationally recognized car collector, longtime Pebble Beach Concours judge and cherished member of the extended Barrett-Jackson family. “We have all his pieces,” says Brinkman, “which include magnificent porcelain neon dealership signs, unusual tin and porcelain signs, pedal cars, beautifully restored gas pumps, service station equipment, transportation toys and other unique collectibles.”

There will also be pieces from other noteworthy collections, including that of Mike Seracino, which also features nicely restored gas pumps and unusual items such as kiddy rides and coin-operated machines.

“It’s a very well-balanced offering overall,” says Brinkman, “but probably one of the best offerings of authentic dealership signs ever to cross an auction block. It’s really going to be the history of the automobile told through tin and porcelain dealership signs – there are many, many brands represented.”

Barrett-Jackson is renowned for offering authentic, original automobilia. “There are a lot of reproductions and counterfeits on the market,” Brinkman points out. “I try to create a safe harbor for our bidders by looking at each piece to help ensure it is what is stated in the auction description.”

Brinkman knows his stuff: he has been collecting automobilia since he was a child. Just as a “car guy” knows every nuance of a vehicle, Brinkman knows volumes about automobilia from his years of experience, for example, by handling a piece and examining things such as its color, the font, the type of porcelain or the edges of a sign. “My father was one of the pioneers in the hobby,” he says. “He collected both cars and automobilia, but was really a pioneer regarding automobilia. He initially started collecting signs, gas globes and related pieces back in the 1960s, and when I was 12, I got my first sign. My collection grew along with my knowledge, and led to my vocation.”

The quality of a restoration is paramount when it comes to automobilia. “People like the pieces of their automobilia collection to be of the same caliber as the cars they are collecting,” points out Brinkman. “The pedal cars, gas pumps and most else we sell are usually fully restored – some of them beyond original – because that’s what the marketplace desires.”

Dean McLaren of McLaren Restorations, whose meticulous work is often seen in automobilia pieces on the Barrett-Jackson auction block, agrees that restored pieces are definitely the crowd favorites. McLaren, who has been restoring automobilia for 21 years, is passionate about what he does, but says it is sometimes challenging. “Restoring go-karts is one of the most difficult things,” he says, “because all of the little pieces have to be built from scratch.”

“Finding original parts – especially for something like an unusual gas pump that’s missing a bezel – can be another difficult aspect of restoring these nostalgic items,” adds Brinkman. But the difficult restorations are worth it, because those exquisitely restored, colorful pieces of the past provide the perfect accessories for everything from a “man cave” or garage to a massive warehouse full of collector cars.

The automotive-related collectibles also serve another important purpose. “Automobilia takes you back in time, to another place,” says McLaren. “It makes you feel young again.”

Who doesn’t want that feeling?

To view the entire Automobilia docket for the 2017 Scottsdale Auction, click HERE.