PBA Auction recap, bidding low, hadsome great GCA items

« **on:** February 14, 2009, 03:19:03 AM »

PBA Galleries will hold its next auction in downtown San Francisco February 26th at 1:00 PST (21:00 GMT). Bids can be in person, by mail, by phone or on-line. A premium of 20% will be added to the succesful bid. Some of the items will be from the estate of Bob Labbance. Another series will be collectibles and books from the estate of long time Cypress Point caddy Michael Reese (MR at end of item).

This links to the auction catalog http://www.pbagalleries.com/live/sale_details.php?s=398&&PHPSESSID=c59e1ce3266944e09b9031e8244f31e6

There are some reasonably priced items which are GCA related and somewhat unique.

Item # 6. (Ames) Brancaster Golf Course: The Eighteen Original Scetches
(1930s). The 13 1/2 x 10 pages have sketches of all eighteen holes including diagrams of how to play the hole.
Item #236 Mackenzie 4 page brpchure documenting breakup w/Colt, Allison and going out on his own; list of courses
Item # 258 Moorestown Field Club- archive of letters, manuscripts of 1916 rebulding by James Govan
Item # 290 Pine Valley -Archive of letters, photoraphs, plans rlating to Pine Valley C1900-1940 fom the estate of James Govan (clubmaker, professional, greenskeeper)
#377 Weaver - Mounted 16x21 print image of the 16th at Cypress Point

Other books on GCA: ($***)
# 7 Daley - Golf Architecture: A Worldwide Perspective, Vols 1 - 4
# 8 Kato _What Makes a Golf Course Good
# 9 Grant - Review copies of Architectural Side of Golf and Aspects of GCA I
I
#163 Haultain - Mystery of Golf
#164 Hawtree -Colt & Co
#187, 8 Hunter - Links
#240 Macdonald _Scotland's Gift-Golf
#257 M.P.C.C. 30 pp illustrated, maps
#267,8,9 Nash Letters trilogy
#276 Pacific Coast Golfer -28 issues between 1935-1942

Expensive First Editions ($*,***)
#18 Bauer- Hazards
#101 Colt, Allison - Some Essays on Golf Course Architecture)
#108 Darwin - Golf Course of the British Isles
#120 Doak- Confidenital Guide - Maroon
#186 Hunter - Links
#239 Macdonald - Scoland's Gift; Golf
#237 Mackenzie - Golf Architecture...
#280 Parl -The Game of Golf
#294 Shaw- Prestwick
#320 Goodner, Shinnecock
#350 Thomas Architecture in America

Very Expensive First Editions ($**,***)
# 38 Carnegie - Golfiana
#256 Monifieth
#352 Tillinghast -Planning a Golf Course
#379 Wethered, Simpson- The Architectural Side of Golf

Uber Expensive ($***,***)
#252 Mathison - The Goff

« **Reply #1 on:** February 14, 2009, 09:56:31 AM »

Pete,
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

« **Reply #2 on:** February 14, 2009, 06:05:15 PM »

Thanks Pete. PBA web site is still easy to use & find 'stuff.'

As Pete noted, 'Architectural Side of Golf', signed by Wethered and Simpson...low estimate $15000, high $18000.

Also Doak's Confidential Guide, signed, low $1500, high $2500. This time

there are no issues as JakaB previously noted about a year ago.

Also as noted, one very rare, one of 'four' known to exist (two in public insitutions, one in private collection, and this one), Tillinghast's 'Planning A Golf Course,' low $15,000, high $25,000. Yikes. Are the Philly guys awake ? or burping and scratching ?

My favorite item is for sale again, not that expensive on Pete's scale, and I expect to be outbid again, but I'll make'em pay.

Items are often marked that it will not sell for less than 1/2 low estimate.

The auction is live on Feb 26th.
You can place your bids now.

« **Reply #3 on:** February 14, 2009, 07:51:29 PM »

Original post has been edited.
Bidding up the price on some items will certainly add to the estates of Mssrs. Labbance and Reese.

« **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2009, 10:47:34 PM »

anyway of identifying which items are from the labbance estate?

« **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2009, 11:57:57 PM »

Definite Labbances are 7,8, 148, 156, 157, 381. As he had a library of over 4,000 volumes and edited the Golf Collector Society Bulletin, there are obviously many more.
The first page of the PBA booklet says these are from the libraries of Bob Labbance, Mike Reese, The Library of a Gentleman and other owners. If PBA lists these like food containers, a large percentage are from Labbance's library. Since the PBA listed those from Mike Reese with a MR at the end, I am sorry they didn't add a BL. That begs a question only PBA can answer.
He was Bunkie Foozle.

« **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2009, 05:45:51 PM »

Only three days away.
Glancing thru the catalog this caught my eye.

309. (San Rafael, CA Golf Club) Souvenir; Hotel Rafael, San Rafael, California
[16] pp. Photographs. 6x9, cream wrappers with gilt lettering.
San Rafael,CA [R Gilman Brown, Secretary], [1899]
Outdoor recreation at the Hotel Rafael includes an annual lawn tennis tournament, and the San Rafael Golf Club's 18-hole course. Near fine.

I cannot find this course in Cornish/Whitten under Hotel or San Rafael and have no idea if it is NLE, renamed, architect.

« **Reply #7 on:** February 26, 2009, 01:02:04 PM »

Three hours ladies and gents. Still time to resister to bid and follow the live action by going to the link on my first entry and clicking on 'real time bidder' near the upper left.

« **Reply #8 on:** February 26, 2009, 04:10:55 PM »

Underway. Some items not sold. Vol 1-4 of Daley books sold for $160. Was estimated at $300-500.

No updates from me for a couple of hours - on an airport pickup run.

« **Reply #9 on:** February 26, 2009, 05:39:16 PM »

The autographed maroon Doak Confidential Guide was not sold. Either it was withdrawn or bids didn't meet the minimum of $750 ($1500/2500).

They are around item 150. Dirt cheap stuff

« **Reply #10 on:** February 26, 2009, 05:47:43 PM »

I just spent 75 minutes at the auction. I saw a lot of the ceramic items being auctioned off.

The Carnegie Golfiana (item #38) went for $22,500.

Doak's Confidential Guide (item #120) went for $1,100.

« **Reply #11 on:** February 26, 2009, 05:57:10 PM »

I missed the first few items ... did anyone catch how much the Brancaster drawings fetched?

A: $600.

« **Reply #12 on:** February 26, 2009, 06:25:52 PM »

Brancaster drawings did not sell. Don't remember any bids. You can go to 'live auctions', then 'prices realized', which include the 20% commission.

« **Reply #13 on:** February 26, 2009, 06:32:11 PM »

David,
I was away when Doak went to bid, and it was not listed on the prices realized page. That is why I thought it was unsold, but it was still below their range. They are somwhere around item 220 now.

« **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2009, 02:51:04 AM »

Quote from: john_stiles on February 14, 2009, 06:05:15 PM

Thanks Pete. PBA web site is still easy to use & find 'stuff.'

As Pete noted, 'Architectural Side of Golf', signed by Wethered and Simpson...low estimate $15000, high $18000.

Also Doak's Confidential Guide, signed, low $1500, high $2500. This time there are no issues as JakaB previously noted about a year ago.

Also as noted, one very rare, one of 'four' known to exist (two in public insitutions, one in private collection, and this one), Tillinghast's 'Planning A Golf Course,' low $15,000, high $25,000. Yikes. Are the Philly guys awake ? or burping and scratching ?

My favorite item is for sale again, not that expensive on Pete's scale, and I expect to be outbid again, but I'll make'em pay.

Items are often marked that it will not sell for less than 1/2 low estimate.

The auction is live on Feb 26th.
You can place your bids now.

A few of these prices are several times over true value. Wethered's signature is just not worth that much!

« **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2009, 04:01:28 AM »

Wehtered's signature was apparently worth $14,400. Not bad.

I liked lot 341 the best--a box of various 1920's-30's grass seeds in their original packaging. Went for double the estimate--I wonder which turfhead bought them and what evil clones he or she will be designing as we speak......

« **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2009, 04:36:37 AM »

San Rafael, CA Golf Club? NLE...but, I would love to know where it was.

« **Reply #17 on:** February 27, 2009, 09:03:07 AM »

I was following Lot #290, the Govan Pine Valley material. I don't know what the over-all auction prices were against estimates but that lot went a bit high---above the high estimate. To me it was basically about perhaps previously unknown information value and kindly the auction manager read me apparently most of it. I was interested if it contained any architectural information and it didn't seem to even though it got close at times.

What happened to "Goff", the really high estimate? It must have gotten pulled as its lot wasn't even listed in the price results list.

« **Reply #18 on:** February 27, 2009, 09:04:39 AM »

Forrest R. -

You may have missed this thread: http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,38714.0.html

DT

« **Reply #19 on:** February 27, 2009, 10:20:56 AM »

Quote from: Rich Goodale on February 27, 2009, 04:01:28 AM

Wehtered's signature was apparently worth $14,400. Not bad.

I liked lot 341 the best--a box of various 1920's-30's grass seeds in their original packaging. Went for double the estimate--I wonder which turfhead bought them and what evil clones he or she will be designing as we speak......

Wethered's signature is about $14,300 too much, very few signatures are worth in excess of $100, on a rare book it might add more, signed programmes might add a bi toot, but, Old Tom, Bobby Jones are the only ones where there are the big premiums.

« **Reply #20 on:** February 27, 2009, 10:26:37 AM »

Adrian

"Worth" is best determined by transparent markets. If somebody paid $14,300 for the signature in a free and open auction, that is what it's worth, or at least was worth a few days ago. You may not agree with that valuation, but that disagreement is irrelevant to the person that bought it.

rich

« **Reply #21 on:** February 27, 2009, 10:34:37 AM »

The book had both Simpson and Wethered's signatures, plus inscription to Wethered's son.

Still 14k is pretty steep.

« **Reply #22 on:** February 27, 2009, 11:00:20 AM »

Quote from: Rich Goodale on February 27, 2009, 10:26:37 AM

Adrian

"Worth" is best determined by transparent markets. If somebody paid $14,300 for the signature in a free and open auction, that is what it's worth, or at least was worth a few days ago. You may not agree with that valuation, but that disagreement is irrelevant to the person that bought it.

rich

Rich. It wont sell for$14,300. There is dealer price for these types of things and that price changes with market conditions and demands, but that price is nuts. The only time these sort of items make silly money is by mug punters at auctions that do not know the market. I have a US open programme from Merion signed on the cover by Bobby Jones, I have most Open programmes signed by the winners, they are not worth much more than the programme value.

« **Reply #23 on:** February 27, 2009, 11:05:39 AM »

You are absolutely right, Adrian. If fact it sold for $14,400. See below.

http://www.pbagalleries.com/search/item197886.php?&PHPSESSID=c59e1ce3266944e09b9031e8244f31e6

Sorry for my misunderestimation.

Rich

« **Reply #24 on:** February 27, 2009, 11:14:35 AM »

Rich- I don't trust the validity it is just a silly price. Some auction houses will print twaddle. That book is probably a $200 book it just does not command at $14,200 premium for those signatures.

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