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Here's a farewell toast to the Summer of '05. Sure, we know the official closing date's a month away. But the August auction schedule remains nearly as dry as the backyard lawn.

Among the smattering of sales this week, bidders can bag a trophy catch at the Royal York Auction galleries or relive a bit of local nostalgia at J.S. Dill. For today, we'll discover how an area auctioneer turned his version of child's play into a lifelong vocation.

The California Kid

Jeff Constantine never let the kid stuff get in the way. As his high school classmates in sunny Southern California customized GTOs and surfed all summer during the late 1960s and early '70s, the co-owner of Oakmont's Constantine & Mayer Inc. boutique auction company "lived, slept and ate" the antiques business.

"I was 10 years old when I first started buying and selling at flea markets in California," he says. "I saw other people making money and thought that would be a good way to add to my allowance."

Beefing up his piggy bank with those early transactions, Constantine also gained enough experience to open his first antiques shop in the San Diego suburb of Pacific Beach -- before he earned his driver's license.

"When I got out of school in the afternoon, my mother would drive me to the shop," he says. "We'd keep the place open for a few hours and then go home."

After graduating from high school in 1972, he moved his business to San Diego's famous Antique Row. There, he picked up an education far more valuable than any university could offer. By far the youngest proprietor on the block, Constantine found a willing mentor to guide him through those formative years.

"There was a dealer there named Frank Prince," he says. "And that was such a great name for him, because he really was a prince of a guy. He taught me so much about the business. But I also learned a lot on my own by going to auctions, reading and buying."

The learning curve -- and early success -- continued throughout the 1970s, until Constantine realized he needed to elevate his career to another level.

"I wanted to move east," he says. "I had been traveling there for a few years to buy furniture that I shipped to my California shop. So I sold my art pottery collection, loaded up my van and ended up in Northeast Ohio, about 15 miles outside of Canton."

Even as his new business prospered, he returned to California in 1982 to help care for his ailing father. Soon, however, he longed to return to the other side of the country. So in 1984, he left his home for good. During the next 10 years, he worked as a dealer, scouring antiques shows and fleas markets for rare finds. Then an opportunity beckoned in Pittsburgh.

"Dargate came along and offered me the position as executive director," he says. "It was a great run for me working with (former owners) Larry and Carol Farley. But after six years, my wife, Joyce (Mayer), said it was time to move on. And we formed Constantine and Mayer in 2000. After that, I guess the rest is history."

Actually, Constantine & Mayer continues to rewrite its story and add to its reputation. Starting with the company's inaugural auction, it steadily attracted a roster of top-shelf clients and conducted a series of stellar sales capped by last year's on-site auction in Oakland of The University Club's art collection and other holdings. At the final hammer, the bidding totaled more than $1 million, including buyer's premiums.

"That really was the pinnacle for me," Constantine says. "But ever since I had my first profitable year back in California, I knew I could make a living at this."

Still, he realizes that success is a team effort.

"I've always been confident, but I know that you can't do it alone," he says. "My wife and I have a great partnership. She takes care of the business of being in business. That's very important, because that's not my forte. And I surround myself with knowledgeable people who make the machine run and make us look great."

Certainly not looking to rest on the laurels he's earned during the past five years, Constantine reveals his future plans -- without giving away any secrets.

"We're getting close to finding a permanent place to hold our sales," he says. "The West View Fireman's Banquet Hall is a wonderful spot for us, and we've had some great sales there. But getting a building of our own is the next level."

From that upshot kid from California to one of the area's foremost auctioneers, Constantine says his path to success was simple.

"You just put one foot in front of the other," he says. "And you get down in the trenches and learn. You just never stop."

Look for the next unstoppable Constantine & Mayer sale in late September, followed by a series of blockbusters through year's end.

Royal York Auction Gallery

Yes, we know the last edition of Auction Watch announced that Royal York owner Bob Simon planned to shutter his East Liberty gallery through the end of this month. But "rest" just might be the most unpleasant four-letter word the tireless auctioneer could ever hear.

This Saturday, Simon and crew will answer the call of the wild with a sale of stuffed animals. But don't expect lovable Beanie Babies or cuddly GUND teddy bears. The auction forgoes warm and fuzzy with a lineup of 35 exquisitely stuffed and mounted springboks, caribou, oryx and other exotic beasts.

Collected by a prominent local physician who also hunted the creatures, this first-class menagerie once stood on display in the good doctor's mansion. Now, the four-legged prey are looking for a new home.

While Simon expects to bag big-game hammer prices for the collection, he admits that placing pre-sale estimates on the herd is difficult.

"I've never sold anything like this before," he says. "But I know that there will be a lot of interest. The owner spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on safaris and on shipping the animals home to be stuffed and mounted. But at this point, before I talk to a few taxidermy experts, I can't say what the estimates would be."

Previews will be from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. The critters will go up for bid at 10 a.m. Saturday at 5925 Baum Blvd., East Liberty.

Details: www.auctionzip.com/PA-Auctioneers/1973.html or 412-661-1171.

Royal York Auction Gallery

Beauty and the beast: A graceful springbok and scruffy warthog are just two of the 35 expertly stuffed animals on sale this Saturday at the Royal York. Although these wild things will make perfect house pets, be advised that they are full-sized creatures that need plenty of display room.

Fair warning

J.S. Dill Auctions offers up one last summer bidfest this Thursday with the second session of the Bud Holtz estate sale. Among the items are many old-time "Pittsburg" artifacts, vintage advertising pieces, oak furniture, books and a lot more good buys. Previews begin at 5 p.m., with the sale at 6 p.m., at 2341 Evans City Road, Zelienople.

Details: 724-453-0853, 412-362-9001 or www.jsdillauctions.com.

More Auction Watch headlines

• Noncatalog sales open with some sparkle
• North Side memorabilia will be on the block
• Dental artifacts, movie memorabilia will be available for sale
• Playful Honeck delights holiday crowd
• Post-Thanksgiving sales emphasize toys, decorations
• Month's offerings promise to be memorable
• Modern furniture will be featured auction items
• Local artwork will be highlighted at upcoming sales

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