News

Auctiongoers will enjoy a choice of two local sales to ring in the new year. Along with J.S. Dill's now-traditional New Year's Day sale in Zelienople, Constantine & Pletcher looks to start its own holiday ritual with an auction on the opening day of 2010.

Last New Year's Day, Dan Pletcher took a busman's holiday, of sorts. Buckling his then 7-year-old daughter into the family vehicle, the co-owner of Constantine & Pletcher set off on a two-hour eastward trek across the state to attend an auction to start 2009. He looked forward to spending an enjoyable day at the sale with his little girl -- and maybe making a purchase or two. That hope ended just about the same time he pulled into the parking lot of the auction house.

"The place was packed," Pletcher says. "We couldn't even get past the door because people were shoulder to shoulder waiting to get in. So, we got back in the car, got some breakfast and headed back home."

Though disappointed by the day's outcome, he was impressed by the turnout he saw. As a result, Pletcher resolved to start 2010 at Constantine & Pletcher with a New Year's Day sale. When Jan.1 rolls around a few days from now, Pletcher and co-owner Jeff Constantine will open their Cheswick showroom for their first sale of the second decade of the 21st century. To welcome old acquaintances -- and a perhaps a few new friends -- Constantine & Pletcher will serve free hotdogs and sauerkraut with Bloody Marys, just in case a bit of the hair of the dog is necessary.

"We want to make this an annual event," Pletcher says. He thinks they can draw a strong crowd because a lot of people are looking for something to do on New Year's Day besides going to the mall or watching football games on TV. While complimentary wieners and kraut are a nice touch, the big draw will be an eclectic lineup of goods in this single-consignor sale from an estate just north of Butler.

One of the stars of this show should be a well-preserved early coffee grinder -- complete with its original paint -- from the Enterprise Manufacturing Co. of Philadelphia. Measuring a little more than a foot tall, the red-and-blue piece sports a fireplug look with a large grinding wheel. This is one item that certainly comes with some great perks.

Another highlight is a Pairpoint lamp with a reverse-painted shade. Perched atop a double-handled vase base, the shade sheds a warm light through a canopy of leafy trees. Always popular with local bidders, Pairpoint lamps trace their legacy back to the early 1830s. In fact, an offshoot of the original Pairpoint company operates on Massachusetts' Cape Cod and claims to be the nation's oldest, continuously running glass works.

With a big emphasis on "smalls" such as dolls, glassware, toys, clocks and figurines, the sale will include a smattering of furniture, stained-glass windows, artwork and a few curiosities such as a vendor's cart and baby carriage.

The sale preview starts at 11 a.m. on New Year's Days with opening bids at noon at the Constantine & Pletcher showroom at 1306 Pittsburgh St., Cheswick.

Details: 724-275-7190.

Ushering in a new year is, in some ways, a tentative great leap forward. Thankfully, the Jan. 1 sale at J. S. Dill Auctions promises to be a welcome giant step back with 300 lots of genuine old-fashion country goods. Hailing from a single estate, some items date back 200 years or more and were part of the original family homestead.

"When you handle some of these things, you realize you're holding a piece of history that was hand-carved by people who lived in a world that was so much different than ours today," says co-owner Bob Hanks. "It really grounds you and returns you to a simpler time."

What's not so simple about Dill's ninth annual New Year's Day sale is describing the event's many highlights. From a two-piece Chippendale-style cupboard and a painted, 19th-century, two-door jelly cupboard to a circa 1750 Queen Anne tavern table and children's Gustav Stickley chair, the sale is filled with well-preserved treasures from top to bottom.

One item that rises above the rest of the offerings is a handsome tallcase clock that once stood in a general store in Rose Point, a small Lawrence County town near McConnell's Mill and Moraine State Park. A couple of hand-stenciled crocks show their Pittsburgh roots with addresses on Downtown's Market and Diamond streets. And a sporty buckboard wagon with cutout wheel wells for quick turns is one sweet ride, assuming the eventual high bidder owns a horse or two.

Antiques abound throughout the sale with toys, weathervanes, a piesafe decorated with Masonic temples, a 19th-century dovetailed cradle, advertising items, desks and much, much more.

Though the stellar selection of sale goods is the auction's main attraction, co-owner Jack Dill says that many attendees return to the company's inaugural sale year after year to escape the endless parade of TV bowl games and to wish the auction staff well for the next 12 months.

"It's a nice way to extend the holiday season," Dill says. "When we held our first New Year's Day it turned out to be such a big success in terms of sales and with our customers, who were looking for a way to keep the spirit of the holidays alive for at least one more day."

The festivities start with a preview at 11 a.m. on Jan. 1 before bidding begins at noon -- all at the J. S. Dill showroom at 2341 Evans City Road, Zelienople.

Details: 724-453-0853.

• Most Read
• Most E-mailed
• Latest News