Drove To Martin's Auction

[goodhors]

Spent a lot of driving time going and coming home from Martin’s Carriage Auction Thursday and Saturday. Looking at stuff being sold on Friday. Mostly prices are WAY down on vehicles. Some special ones sold well, but were higher priced in years past. A Brewster Tandem Cart, good original condition, went for $7000 or so. Some pretty Kimble vehicles, restored, went high. The pretty red Vet wagon got $13,000, as a restored Kimble in excellent condition.

I REALLY wanted the Yellowstone Wagon carriage, but we have no place to store it. I could cry about that!! That is really the last type vehicle i would like to own. Hitch up Four to canter down the road with, like in the movies! Vehicle needed some visible work done, maybe more work needed as you started digging. Been stored for a while. Cheapest I have ever seen one sell there at about $11,500.

Misc “stuff” was much reduced and they told you as you consigned things that anything selling for less than $30 would not be getting any cash back. That was the consignment fee. Several of the backroom tables were sold as one-lot, with only one double row of tables back there. Rest of the room was carriages, wagon seats, some poles and shafts. The other back room was also full of carriages of all sorts. The Hall by the food stand was about half full of various types carriages.

The good stuff, cataloged carriages, were in the main room by the seating area. Mostly in excellent restored condition, new marathon Kuhnle pony vehicles, presentation vehicles. Some lovely Roof Seat Breaks, an original Western-type Stagecoach with seating on the top which they called a Hotel Stagecoach. I had never seen one in person before. Looked in pretty fair shape for the age. Really TALL. Would need stout Wheelers to move it fully loaded!!

Stuff in the front corner, art, harness, accessories that were not cataloged, had a good assortment to look at. Dispersal of Martin’s Kuhnle parts, pole heads, poles, wheels, boxes of misc nuts and bolts. We got some nice bits, Myler Liverpools, 6" widths, out of that corner. A pair of unbroken, cast iron stall dividers in a lattice pattern that I was outbid on. They matched one we have in use in the tie stalls Darn! A fancy cast iron water hydrant with an iron bowl with a grate in it at the bottom to catch drips as you filled buckets from the faucet. No cracks or rust, just lovely.

Quite a few harnesses. Single, Pairs and some Fours sets in varying condition. Prices were mostly low for the better quality, Name brand harness. Again, prices were wild for some items. You just never knew what item would go for!

Friends got some new looking Road Carts, horse size for the $500 range. One restored spindle seat, road cart went for $1100. All buyers were really happy! We got a Bennington marathon carriage for a good price. Missing removable back seat but we can make another. Husband was very happy to snag it. He was planning modifications on the way home! Friend is hauling it home for us, should be here Wed or so. Another friend got the Glinkowski marathon vehicle and was ecstatic about that. She is just getting back into driving, looking at doing CDE things as her young horses develop and mature. Her smile went ear-to-ear!!

It was a good adventure weekend. Great weather, warm temps, good driving. Time visiting with far-away friends was fun too, catching up. Fall color was erratic across the States, not enough cold weather, plus being dry, prevented the expected vivid fall color.

[2DogsFarm]

Friends (you met them at Topeka, helped load a junk wagon) are headed for Kalona in Iowa.
One bought - practically stole - a pony sized road cart & they’re going to sell it there.
IIRC, cart doesn’t need major repairs of any kind.
I told them if they at least get the money back, let it go. But nope. If they don’t get a higher price they’ll bring it home.
With Winter coming I’d expect prices to be lower, unless someone (not like me ) plans ahead.

Not much color here either.
Dry + just a couple cold nights = blah foliage.

[red_mares]

This weekend is always a choice between the sale and the NC State Fair. I didn’t see many pony vehicles listed, so to the fair I went. I also picked up a lovely kelly green (think John Deere green) fine harness buggy a couple months ago, so I reached my purchase limit for the year.

The pony fire wagon did look cute. The heavy black pony would make it adorable. The red & black trap trap looks like it was nice. Glad I wasn’t there, it might have come home with me.

[Su.Zi]

Wow
Buyers are happy and I do so hope that they are the fresh enthusiasts.
Here in Florida, marketplace and everywhere else has been flooded with carriages, carriages–some from Ms Gloria’s former collection–heartbreaking; and prices are in the cellar.
I was tasked with selling three equestrian estates , as the owners put the horses down and so forth, and it took me a very long time–even with pony bits for thirty bucks (and I still have many of hers, in addition to mine).
Judging by the description of the glut of stuff at auction, I fear for the sport; truly

[goodhors]

I did see a lot of “different” faces in the crowd, along with many regulars. As you say, hoping new folks are getting the driving bug to encourage more participation in any kind of driving. A number of the vehicles were estate collection items. People had died or had no horses any more. Auctioneer mentioned names, most of whom I had never heard of! Guess they were quiet, background collectors, known to those involved in those circles.

I am seeing more interest in Pleasure Driving competition than seen in the past. Our “local” club’s Blue Ribbon Show was bursting at the seams last June! About 3 years back we considered dropping it for lack of competitors! We barely broke even! We now pull in folks from Ohio, IN, IL, WI, as well as the Michigan folks. They turnout beautifully in a variety of harness, vehicles, well-groomed equines and drivers.

So maybe a good use for the antiques is just around the corner. As with any horse specialty, folks come and go. Some are long time enthusiasts who bring in new folks after a carriage ride around the Farm. It was fun! Often parents still have Spot that the kids rode, can’t bear to sell him. Kids are gone, he is healthy, not elderly, so will be around awhile. But he needs a job because he is just getting fat! Driving is certainly never going to make you saddle-sore, no matter how many miles you cover! So the empty-nesters are looking our way for their horse fun.

I think we have some time yet to enjoy our Driving. Yes we are past the big-money prices, so don’t buy as an investment carriage! We are getting the antiques out to drive, not saving them as valuable investments anymore. We got them inexpensively, then watched prices rise AND fall. They are comfortable, fun to drive.