In Skinner’s November 2007 auction of American Furniture and Decorative Arts, a Molded Copper Touring Car with Driver Weather Vane sold to a private collector for $941,000. The weather vane, made in Boston c. 1910 by the W.A. Snow Iron Works Company (as identified by a label on the car’s front grille), came from the collection of an eastern Massachusetts cultural institution. The weather vane’s desirability can be attributed to its unique form and a completely untouched surface with traces of the original gilding.

The auction overall was a tremendous success, grossing nearly $4,000,000, making the event Skinner’s second-highest grossing Americana sale to date. The auction overall saw enthusiastic interest, with bidders participating in the room, on the phone, via absentee bid requests, as well as live over the internet. The two day sale offered a wide-range of collectibles, from lighting and pottery to formal furniture and folk art. Skinner’s next auction of American Furniture & Decorative Arts will be held on Sunday, February 17, 2008 in Skinner’s Boston gallery. To consign property for this auction, contact Skinner’s Americana department at 978-779-6241.