BRINGING THE BEST: Stellar collections coming to the 2020 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Automobilia Auction
December 12, 2019
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by Barbara Toombs
An incredible offering from the Mike Money Collection out of Kansas will be among the highlights of the 2020 Scottsdale Automobilia Auction.
Lot #9494 is a stunning Skylark Hi Grade Gasoline single-sided neon porcelain sign.
When it comes to tracking down the very best, most high-quality items for Barrett-Jackson’s Automobilia Auctions, Rory Brinkman searches far and wide. As the company’s Automobilia Director, Brinkman is committed to offering the finest, most authentic pieces to customers, which is why, in the fall of 2019, he found himself traveling from frost-covered Kansas plains to an attic in Montana, the deep woods of Connecticut and the mountains of Colorado.
The first collection offered comes from a man Brinkman has known for 20-some years, Mike Money. In 1956, Money’s father founded an Oldsmobile dealership in the small town of Hill City, Kansas, about 300 miles west of Kansas City, not far south of the Nebraska border, population around 1,300.
The dealership eventually expanded to include Chevrolet, Pontiac and Buick. Money joined his father in the business, and became the youngest dealer in Kansas to have all four GM lines.
This museum-quality Chevrolet Automobiles neon porcelain sign from the 1930s will be crossing the auction block as Lot #9490.
“As most teenagers and young men do,” said Money, “I liked cars a lot.” That love evolved into a passion for automotive signage and other items, as well as those cars. “Most of the items were in another building, stacked and under wrap,” he remembers. The result is a fabulous collection of near-mint to mint condition tin, porcelain and neon porcelain signs.
“It’s hard for me to turn all this loose,” admitted Money, “but when you’re older, you need to think about that! The friendly treatment and help I’ve gotten from Barrett-Jackson make me excited about the sale. I hope these items will go to good homes, people who appreciate the quality.”
Quality indeed. Offered at the 2020 Scottsdale Auction at No Reserve will be hundreds of items from the Mike Money collection that are in pristine condition, including an abundance of GM/Chevrolet pieces, some of which Barrett-Jackson has never seen or offered before.
“There are pieces in the collection that are one-of-a-kind or the best examples known,” says Brinkman. They include GM and Chevrolet pieces that are highly desirable and difficult to acquire. A sub-section of the collection is an exceptional offering of neon signs – several of which are first-time offerings at the automobilia auction.
One example is a Chevrolet Automobiles neon porcelain sign (Lot #9490) from the 1930s. “It’s actually one of the best examples to have survived,” says Brinkman. “It’s art deco; a very desirable piece. There are only a handful of these known.”
Hailing from the 1930s-40s, this Standard Oil Gold Crown Gas Pump (Lot #9390) will be sure to attract the bidders’ attention.
A Chevrolet Genuine Parts neon porcelain sign (Lot #8446) is one of only two known to exist. The rare piece is offered in untouched, flawless condition, and is the only one ever offered at a Barrett-Jackson auction.
Lot #8446.2 is a Chevrolet in tin painted neon sign that Brinkman says “is the nicest survivor I have ever seen.” According to Brinkman, tin-finished signs – unlike their porcelain brethren – didn’t survive well. But not this example. “This one’s amazing,” says Brinkman. “It seems like it was restored, but it wasn’t. It’s all-original. It was either never displayed, or was mounted inside the service department and left untouched. It’s an amazing survivor.”
In addition to the prestigious Mike Money Collection, from the attic above a dealership in Montana comes a highly collectible assortment of GM, Chevrolet and New Old Stock showroom pieces from the 1930s and ’40s – everything from cardboard dealerships signs, posters, dealer sales books and more.
From a longtime Connecticut-based collector comes a selection of primarily porcelain auto dealership, oil company and garage-related signs, most in mint condition. This offering includes an amazing AAA sign and paraphernalia collection from the 1930s-50s, as well as a rare 1930s Quincy Gasoline of Quincy, Massachusetts, 5-foot-tall die-cut tin service station sign featuring a period attendant graphic.
Another major offering hails from the Cory Larson Collection out of Colorado and features a high-end selection of gas and oil signs, as well as porcelain and neon dealerships signs. Among the offering from Larson, who began collecting in the late 1980s, is a singled-sided Husky dog porcelain neon service station marquee sign, as well as a rare 6-foot-tall Frontier Gasoline double-sided porcelain keyhole-shaped sign with a horse ride graphic that hails from Gillette, Wyoming.
“We seek out the best of the best,” says Brinkman. “We attempt to make sure everything is old and original as represented, to try and create a good buying environment for our bidders.”
Whether you’re looking to enhance your car collection or building with authentic automobilia pieces or seeking just one memorable piece for your garage or den, the Barrett-Jackson Automobilia Auction has got you covered.
For a look at all the authentic items on the 2020 Scottsdale Automobilia docket, click HERE.