NEW HAMBURG.- A single-family owned 1966 Ford Ranger 250 Custom Cab "Camper Special" pick-up truck with Avion camper sold for $82,600, and a 2006 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe black cherry motorcycle roared off for $16,520 in Miller, & Miller Auctions, Ltd.’s online-only Petroliana & Advertising auction held on October 29th.

All prices quoted are in Canadian dollars.

The Ford Ranger camper pickup truck was purchased new in 1966 for hunting trips once a year, which explained in part why the odometer showed just 39,966 actual miles. The vehicle boasted parchment cab and trim, and had 100 percent of its original Sahara beige paint. It was powered by an 8-cylinder, 352 c.i. engine and blasted through its pre-sale estimate of $35,000-$40,000.

The all original 2006 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe black cherry motorcycle was purchased new from Dukes Harley-Davidson in Chatham, Ontario, with accessories, for $25,387.38. The bike was well stored, but never used, and had an odometer reading of just 51 actual kilometers. It, too, bested its pre-sale estimate, which was $9,000-$12,000.

The 398-lot auction featured petroliana (gas station memorabilia), advertising signs, advertising tins, breweriana (beer and wine collectibles), general store items, jukeboxes, vintage and antique toys and more. A total of 474 registered bidders placed 9,077 bids in an auction that grossed $534,215. 90 percent of lots were sold and 60 percent of the top 50 lots exceeded their estimate.

“Based on the numbers realized, the demand for good advertising, particularly petroliana, continues to grow,” said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “New buyers were stepping up for some of the top lots in this sale. Our key collectors continue to build and refine their collections. The results confirmed that ‘condition’ remains foremost on their minds.”

Following are additional highlights from the auction. Prices include an 18% buyer’s premium. Online bidding was via the Miller & Miller website, as well as LiveAuctioneers.com. Telephone and absentee bids were also accepted.




An American-made United Motors Service single-sided porcelain neon sign from the 1930s with the original neon, insulators, transformer and can, retaining the original orange paint, changed hands for $15,340; while a 1940s Canadian White Rose Gasoline double-sided porcelain sign, round, with iconic ‘Slate Boy’ graphic, large at 4 feet in diameter and marked “"Vilas Enamel Products Ltd. Cowansville, Que", hit $11,210.

A 1940s American Santa Fe Trail System Bus Depot double-sided porcelain sign, 23 inches by 26 inches, each side featuring a detailed image of a 1940s bus in the Santa Fe system, topped out at $10,030. Also, a round McColl-Frontenac Service Station sign (Canadian, 1940s), 6 feet in diameter and double-sided porcelain, exhibited scattered scratches and porcelain losses but still managed to sell above high estimate for $9,440.

Collectors of Coca-Cola memorabilia were not disappointed. Top lots included the following:

• A monumental 4-foot-by-8-foot Coca-Cola sign (Canadian, 1938), single-sided porcelain, marked “Made in Canada" lower right edge and “St. Thomas Metal Signs 1938" lower left edge ($14,160, against an estimate of $4,000-$6,000).

• A 1953 Canadian Coca-Cola double-sided porcelain sign, the “Emma’s Lunch” privilege banner original and painted, 38 inches by 60 inches, recently discovered at Brown’s Beverages factory in Gravehurst, Ontario ($7,670, est. $2,000-$3,000).

• A Coca-Cola clock (American, 1950s) having a painted metal dial with neon backlit acrylic dial cover and marquee. An excellent example, with all original components. It was marked, "Electric Neon Clock Co., Cleveland” ($7,080).

A Fry “Mae West” cast iron visible gas pump (American, 1920s), the access door embossed “guarantee liquid measure co Rochester”, restored to Red Indian colors and with a reproduction globe, rang up $8,850; while a Ford Genuine Parts agency sign (Canadian, 1920s), rare, double-sided porcelain with a steel hanging bracket, measuring 18 inches by 28 inches and exhibits exceptional color and gloss, also garnered $8,850.

A 1948 American-made Wurlitzer 1100 “Bullet” jukebox, a 24-selection machine playing 78 rpm records, featuring a cobra pick-up system that set the standard for sound quality at the time, played a sweet tune for $8,260. Also, a large (6 feet in diameter) tin lithograph sign for Drewry’s Beer (“The Favorite of Millions”) fetched $5,605. The sign was short-lived, as it depicted a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman on horseback drinking a beer.

An American 1930s Packard Motor Car “Radiator” sign (so-named for its shape), a diecut double-sided porcelain sign with vibrant porcelain and virgin gloss, 14 ½ inches by 72 inches in a flat steel frame, found a new home for $7,670. Also, an American early 20th century Stanley Tools double-sided tin flange sign measuring 9 ¼ inches by 18 ¼ inches, rare, marked “N.Y. Metal Ceiling Co., N.Y.”, went way above estimate to sell for $6,490.