McKenney Collection Called Fantastic

Green Valley Auctions, Inc., Mt. Crawford, Virginia

McKenney Collection Called Fantastic

by Walter C. Newman

"Fantastic!" That was the word that floated about from the 550-plus bidders who attended Green Valley Auctions' March 23 and 24 sale of the personal collection of Dorothy and Henry McKenney. "Dolly" and "Mac," as everyone knew them, were highly respected antiques collectors and dealers. They had built their reputation over the more than 50 years that they had done business from the shop Mac had built in front of their home in Mint Springs, Virginia, just south of Staunton.

Mac, a builder by profession, was active in the restoration of historic buildings, including the 18th-century log tavern in which he and Dolly lived. Dolly ran the shop, was actively involved with many local civic causes, and was a respected member of the mid-Atlantic antiques community. Mac died in April 2004, and Dolly passed away in May 2006. They are missed.

By Green Valley standards, this was a rather small sale, and although it included more than 1,000 lots, only 375 were included in the catalog. There was the range of items that Green Valley followers are accustomed to, from furniture to ceramics to folk art and so on. Everything was sold to the highest bidder. But there the similarity to other sales ended.

Addressing the gallery as the auction began, Jeffrey Evans, Green Valley president and lead auctioneer, echoed the sentiments of those assembled. "This has been an extremely difficult sale for us to do. Dolly and Mac were family. They had been a part of this community for as long as anyone can remember. This weekend has been a time that we have shared stories and memories of Dolly and Mac. It is a testament to who they were and what they meant to so many people."

Virtually everyone had a Dolly and Mac story. Prior to the sale, small groups of attendees reminisced about the couple. Many recalled that it was Dolly and Mac who had inspired them to pursue antiques. Most joked that they were not certain whether that was a blessing or a curse.

But the sale had to go on. Evans noted that because of the large number of bidders present, he would slow his usual pace somewhat. Vowing to slow down from what he considers a normal 120 to 130 lots per hour, he did warn, "If I slow down to under a hundred [lots per hour] my head will explode." With that warning, the sale was off and running.

Evans departed from his usual hard and fast sequence of sale categories, beginning instead with a group of small items. Chief among this group were a number of antique medical/surgical items, primarily lancets. It seemed obvious at this early stage that many individuals were buying items simply as a remembrance of the McKenneys. With only one exception, the first 25 lots each sold to a different bidder. In fact, an unofficial count revealed that the 375 cataloged items sold to 212 different bidders.

This sale, however, was far from all nostalgia and anecdotes. The McKenneys had been serious collectors with some of the most pristine folk art items assembled in one place. Serious buyers were in attendance and on the phones. Well-known dealers Charles Sterling of Philadelphia and Fred Giampietro of New Haven, Connecticut, were active participants. Sterling was on the phone, while Giampietro was bidding in person. Both men had been longtime friends of the McKenneys, and each admitted to bidding with mixed emotions.

High lot of the sale was a carved and painted figure of a standing rooster, the embodiment of the finest in folk art sculpture. Giampietro won the rooster for an unnamed client, paying $41,800 (including buyer's premium) against a catalog estimate of $3000/5000. Giampietro was also the winning bidder of several other items, including a window display of a horse, driver, and cart from a St. Louis tack shop for $12,100, a carved wood fish-form weathervane for $17,600, and a round 19th-century handmade paper valentine for $20,900. He did not reveal the final home of those items.

For his part, Sterling was successful in purchasing an outstanding painted hanging salt box for $16,500 and several primitive paintings, including a 19th-century bird's-eye view of Western State Hospital in Staunton, Virginia, for $31,900.

It is impossible to draw many conclusions from the McKenney sale. Furniture items seemed to bring better prices than has been the case for several years. Ceramics, especially crock ware, realized prices that continue to climb to extraordinary levels. Folk art items, whether paper, paint, carved wood, or woven slats, sold well beyond their high estimates.

Most agree that in today's antiques market it is quality that sells, and this was a quality sale. But as one Richmond, Virginia, dealer said, "Quality is quality, there is no question about that, but I know that Mac McKenney is up there looking down with a smile on his face and shaking his head at what we have seen today."

For additional information, contact Green Valley Auctions at (540) 434-4260 or visit the Web site (www.greenvalleyauctions.com).

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