Lot
Number | Description | Final Bid |
|---|
| SHOOTER BALL. Burst lip. 3-piece mold. Light amethyst. 3.0 oz. We’ll start the auction with a few “Shooter” balls. This first example is a light amethyst or purple. It has a load of bubbles and is generally in super shape. Putting together a flavorful collection of Shooter balls together is a must for the beginning or advanced collector. Lots of colors, a rainbow of glass. Great strike on this Grade 9.6 ball. Ex- Frobouck/Kerr collections. Est. $200-300. MB $100. | $ 650 |
| SHOOTER BALL. Burst lip. 3-piece mold. Mossy/grass green. 2.6 oz. Here’s another Shooter in a rarely seen green coloration. This has a roughly burst lip which differs from a ground lip in that it is simply blown out and then the glassblower snaps or bursts the excess glass, leaving this uneven surface. The strike is not as distinct as some, we’ve noticed particular colors have particular degrees of strength of strike. It’s a strong strike mind you, it just isn’t as crisply blown. A grade 9.5 target ball. Ex-Frobouck/Kerr collections. | $ 500 |
| SHOOTER BALL. Medium amethyst. Burst lip, 3-piece mold, 1.6 oz. Another Shooter in a medium amethyst, this one has streaks of darker purple running through the upper portion of the ball. We weigh the balls for a reason. Notice that this ball weighs in at 1.6 oz. The other amethyst example weighs almost twice that yet it’s a lighter color. Weight is an interesting facet of collecting. Is it a heavy, deeply colored example, or fragile ball that’s as light as a feather? Does one particular brand of ball usually weigh the same? It also better documents a particular specimen. Not exactly CNN headline news but it does make for interesting discussion. At any rate, here’s a 9.6 grade ball, just a nice Mint example. Ex-Frobouck/Kerr. | $ 500 |
| TARGET BALL WITH STARS (OR CROSSES). Finely ground lip, 3-piece mold. 2.2 oz. This amber Star Ball as we like to call it was sold in an earlier Alex Kerr auction and at the time we knew almost nothing about it. Since then, we’ve learned little more about this charming piece. According to the fine website, www.glasstargetballs.com, this ball has only been sold twice publicly, on Ebay in 2005 and in our past auction. Both times the price was in the many thousands of dollars. The mouth shows a carefully ground surface, an indication that whoever made it spent some time producing a quality piece. Even the seams are razor thin, the sign of a first class glasshouse. You’re bidding on a rare, highly decorative ball in handsome warm amber. Ex-Frobouck/Kerr. | $ 2,200 |
| PERTH TARGET BALL / PERTH GLASSWORKS. Burst lip, 2.1 oz. Every collection needs a backward Perth as we sometimes refer to this ball. The “S’s” are backwards and the “P” in Perth is upside down. These are a 3-piece mold with the lattice design with embossing on the equator. A very light sapphire, the condition couldn’t be better. Not a rare ball, just a great example in Mint condition. 9.8. Ex-Frobouck/Kerr. | $ 500 |
| TARGET BALL French grenade style. Burst lip, blank equator band, 2.6 oz. Many of the French target balls have this flared mouth, we’re sure they had their reasons. They do make for a little more interesting ball and you can’t beat the brilliant blue colors. Here’s a 9.8 grade Mint condition ball. | $ 210 |
| TARGET BALL French grenade style with a series of squares. Burst flared lip, 2.3 oz. This ball is often referred to as the large square grenade for obvious reasons. Other French balls have much smaller squares. As grenade style balls go, this is probably the most identifiable as the grenade shape. A terrific example in a grade 9.7. Ex-Frobouck/Kerr. | $ 190 |
| TARGET BALL GABLONZ in amethyst. 1.8 oz. Ground lip. We hadn’t seen a “Gablonz” ball until we began selling the Frobouck collection. Peter managed to secure a few of these beautiful balls outside of the auction world and we are sure glad he did. These are a German ball and just looking at the glass, pattern and treatment of the ground mouth, we were very impressed by the workmanship required to make such a sphere. Throw in the gorgeous colors they come in and you have a stunning piece of glass. A ball that transcends the target ball collecting world, these are truly a work of art. This example is a little smaller than the standard 3” ball. It measures 3” from the top of the mouth to the base but is just a little smaller than most balls we see. It is also slightly pear shape adding to its appeal. Please Note: Color is much more vivid and bright as seen in the still photos than in the video. This color is very hard to get across in a streaming video. Condition is perfect and grades a 9.7. | $ 800 |
| TARGET BALL 6” UNMARKED IN BLUE. 5-piece mold. Burst lip, 1.3 oz. Here’s your basic unmarked ball in a rather unusual 5-piece mold. Nothing earth shattering but another piece that adds color to any collection. Condition is about perfect and would grade a 9.7. | $ 100 |
| TARGET BALL / PERTH GLASSWORKS in light sapphire. 2.2 oz. Burst lip. 3-piece mold. This is another ball made in the same vain as lot 5, a backwards lettering Perth. This one leans toward light blue and condition is about perfect grading a 9.7. Another well-known ball in super condition in a delicate blue coloration. | $ 170 |
| BOGARDUS GLASS BALL PATd APR.10 1877 with four dots above the date. Amber. 1.8 oz. Burst lip. The Bogardus balls are one of the most desirable balls collected by target ball collectors today. The varied patterns colors and historical significance of Captain A.H. Bogardus, the man himself, also lend to the appeal of the different examples out there today. This variant for instance has four consecutive dots above the date, which is a little bit unusual in itself. Also, as Mike O’Malley points out on his website, there is no crossbar in the letter “A” in APR. A light to medium amber, condition couldn’t get much better. The lip is a little shorter than some and overall you have a top-notch example of a beautiful amber Bogardus. Grades 9.8. | $ 375 |
| BOGARDUS GLASS BALL PATd APR. 10 A 1877 with the number 8 above the date. Amethyst and clear. Burst lip, 2.4 oz. Here’s another Bogardus ball that we thought we sold in an earlier Alex Kerr sale. As it turns out, the weight is different (another feature that can help identify a ball) and although the purple and clear coloring is very similar, the other example had a tiny hole under the word PATd. Upon very close inspection using a 10x loupe, we discovered a tiny star or spot on this ball where possibly a piece of shot hit the ball in flight. Because of the color and varying hues in the glass it’s almost impossible to see. We’ll show an extreme close-up in the streaming video. Nonetheless, here’s a terrific colored Bogardus, in perfect condition with the aforementioned “star.” We note that of the three examples of the Bogardus balls in purple and clear that we have seen all have the number 8 on the ball. This one also has some green near the top. Grades a 9.7 without the star, instead of including it in the grade we’ll let you decide how much it affects the grade. | $ 750 |
| SOPHIE & HUTTE IN ILMENAU (THUR) in amber. Burst lip with unusual lattice pattern. 2.2 oz. Here we have a German ball, which we sold earlier out of the Alex Kerr collection. These are a fairly rare ball and only one was included in the Kerr group. This example has a dent in the bottom side and overall it’s a very high condition ball. Another terrific amber target ball with a touch of red, here’s one that won’t disappoint. Grades a 9.6. Ex-Frobouck/Kerr. | $ 800 |
| THREE PIECE MOLD BALL with number 2 on base. Amber, crudely burst lip. 2.5 oz. Talk about a crude mouth. This has good weight to it, which is a result of much of the glass ending up near the bottom and the oddly shaped top. A light amber, there is a touch of stain in the ball but overall it presents itself as an unusual and boldly made target ball. The number 2 on the base is also a bit odd, the only one we’ve seen with that mark. We thought for sure we’d seen this ball before, possibly from the Kerr collection but cannot verify it. Here’s one for someone who collects oddball balls. | $ 100 |
| FRENCH GRENADE STYLE WITH SQUARES. Burst lip. 1.1 oz. Another French grenade style ball, this one is the large square variant but as you can see it’s green rather than the typical blue. Check out the weight on this one, certainly one of the lightest balls in the sale. We’ve only seen one other green large square, that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there but compared to the blue examples there’s no comparison as to rarity. Condition is right on the money and grades 9.7. Another high quality ball in an unusual color, here’s one that would enhance any collection. | $ 600 |
