Lot
Number | Description | Final Bid |
|---|
| UNMARKED LIGHT LAVENDER. 1 ounce. Here we have a rather plain but interesting first offering, a one piece, 2 ¾” diam. light lavender ball. We have not sold one of these before, and although it’s not exactly a purple Johnston ball, it’s a little different and a nice addition to any collection. Grade 10 condition, virtually unimprovable. A very light and fragile ball. | $ 275 |
| COBALT BLUE WITH SEVEN RINGS. 3” diam. Weighing 1.8 ounces. This is a ball that is not unknown to target ball collectors, this example is a very pretty blue coloration and is in a grade 10 condition with just a piece of sodium embedded near the base. | $ 325 |
| D. BOGARDUS GLASS BALL PATd APR 10TH 1877. 1.8 ounces. 3” diam. Here is an American-made Bogardus balls with the large “D” firmly placed before the name “Bogardus.” There was a recent cache of amber Bogardus balls found, as noted in On Target, the newsletter for target ball collectors, however, we wonder if any had the eye-appeal of this gorgeous example. Described possibly as a smoky golden yellow, the hue changes from top to bottom. This is one of the nicer amber Bogardus balls we’ve ever seen and grades a solid Attic Mint 10. The pictures and video speak for themselves. A top specimen. | $ 1,300 |
| EMERALD GREEN WITH UNEMBOSSED BAND AND LATTICE DESIGN. 2.6 ounces. 2 ¾” diam. With dot in center of base. Ground lip. For pure color, this might be the most beautiful ball in this sale. The peacock greenish blue hue is almost too pretty to destroy (shoot with a gun). This has the ground lip versus a burst or sheared finish, and an unusual tiny dot on the base. With the lattice and band, this is a very striking ball with lots of whittle. The first we’ve seen in this color, here is one that will light up your shelf. Grades a 10. | $ 550 |
| AMBER 3-PIECE UNEMBOSSED WITH SIX DOTS BELOW MOUTH. Sheared lip. 1.7 ounces, 3-piece mold. Here is one that is a little different than the usual 3-piece mold we see, in that it has six dots below the mouth. The ball is in perfect condition and would simply grade a 10. | $ 275 |
| W.W. GREENER ST. MARY’S WORKS BIRMm & 68 HAYMARKET LONDON. 3 ounces, 3” diam. Here we have a fairly rich cobalt-blue Greener with pretty much everything you’re looking for in a top-notch English ball. Condition is super and it has one of the better strikes we have seen on a Greener. If you look closely, you can see some deep-blue striations through the ball. A fairly heavy example with just the most minor of dirt residue. There is a super-tiny radiating potstone near the base, and we mean tiny, as it’s only visible through a loupe. A very pretty example that we will grade an 8 despite the stone. | $ 250 |
| BOGARDUS GLASS BALL PATd APR. 10. 1877. 2.3 ounces, 3” diam. Tobacco amber. Alex Kerr had another example very similar to this one, which we sold in an earlier auction. It is a completely different mold than some of the others we’ve seen. Alex points out in some of his notes that Bogardus target balls were made throughout he country, which saved shipping costs. He also pointed out that the first examples were made in New York. This is a fairly heavy ball with an exceedingly strong strike. No numbers above the “A”, this was most likely made in the United States. The lip has a little roughness, certainly part of the production process. Another grade 10. | $ 700 |
| W.W. GREENER ST. MARY’S WORKS BIRMm & 68 HAYMARKET LONDON. 2.3 ounces, 3” diam. Here we have another Greener, this one in a light, delicate sapphire blue. As you can see from the previous Greener, this one is much lighter and has loads of whittle throughout the ball. The embossing is easily readable and the condition is perfect. If one were to be very picky, there is just a hint of some content stain at the base, but it’s barely visible. Otherwise, let’s just call it a grade 9. | $ 300 |
| NB GLASS WORKS PERTH with identical writing on both sides. Burst lip. 2.8 ounces, 3” diam. Here we have one of the well-known Perth balls in an almost colorless hue. We see these often in blue. These were made from about 1880-1900; this has the flat base, which makes for an easy display piece. A super condition ball that grades a 9. | $ 325 |
| SHOOTER BALL. 3 ounces, 3” diam. Here we have the first of a number of different-colored shooter balls. For those not aware, these balls have an embossed marksman on each side are 3-piece molds with a lattice design throughout. This one has, as the picture shows, gone through quite a bumpy ride. The base is severely pushed in and, despite this unusual flaw, it still sits quite nicely in a plastic ring for display. This ball also has some pretty dramatic lime-green striations running throughout. A grade 10 shooter with strong embossing. | $ 400 |
| SHOOTER BALL. 2 ounces, 3” diam. Here we have another wonderful shooter ball, this one in a soft blue with deeper streaks of cobalt. This example has a fairly nice strike, but the color is what really excels. We are happy to offer a number of different colors of this popular target ball. Something we’ve noticed selling the Kerr collection is the propensity of streaks in these particular balls, and this one is no different. This ball will certainly light up the shelf. Grades a 10 with a grade 7 strike on a 1-10 scale. | $ 350 |
| SHOOTER BALL. 2.6 ounces, 3” diam. Another thing we’ve noticed with these shooter balls, is that green seems to be a very popular and fairly scarce color. Here’s a grade 10 ball with a grade 7 strike. These balls seem to have a neat and well-done strike or end up a little crude looking with a less defined strike. | $ 600 |
| SHOOTER BALL. 2.3 ounces, 3” diam. And here we have another blue example of the shooter ball. However, this is entirely different than the previous blue example. First off, it is pretty much light cobalt and is very deliberate in its condition. In other words, the embossing on the shooter is a 10 and the ball in general is extremely — well let’s just say, well struck. A grade 10 ball in a grade 10 condition. What more could you want? | $ 550 |
| SHOOTER BALL. 2.1 ounces, 3” diam. Like the last lot, this example is quite uniformly made. A beautiful medium amethyst, this also has some nice deeper purple streaks running through it. The condition is superb and grades a 9 with just a hint of some dirt near the base. This shooter would warrant a grade 10 as far as embossing on a 1-10 scale. Another top quality target ball from the Alex Kerr collection | $ 650 |
| PAT AUG. 13TH 1878. 1.7 ounces, 3” diam. Here we have a ball believed to have been made by the Whithall Tatum Company of Millville, N.J.(for more information on the Whitall Tatum Company go to:www.myinsulators.com/glass-factories/whitalltatum.html.) These balls were meant to have “an opaque or roughened surface of metallic or mineralized substances granulated or pulverized,” according to Ralph Finch, who was quoting from the patent. The patent for this ball was number 206,983 and issued to Charles A. Tatum. But, as you can see, there is no “roughened surface,” as this one must have missed the final step of production. It is basically a very pale aqua and has an inverted dot in the base and is a two piece mold. There is also a very tiny piece of glass on the side, which was probably just an in-making defect. This is the first one of these balls that we’ve handled and was the only one in the Alex Kerr collection. We feel safe in saying that this likely will be your one and only chance to bid on this extremely rare — possibly one of a kind — ball. You’re bidding on a grade 10 and an oddball one at that. | $ 2,800 |
