By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

LEBANON, Ohio — In many auctions the high-ticket items are often guns and coins. Next in line are cars and boats. The auction of the Donald Aycock Trust from Waynesville, Ohio was no exception.

The top seller at this one-day auction in Lebanon, Ohio was a 1997 Tracter 75-horsepower outboard motor and EX-load boat trailer. It fetched $4,500. A 1989 Series Dutchman, 26-foot camper sold for $3,500, and 97 silver, Jefferson half-dollars went for $1,600.

“There are many reasons why people have auctions, and this is a household trust,” auctioneer Stephen South said. “The owner died; and from the looks of what she had, she collected anything and everything. It’s evident she collected antiques her entire life, but she also collected a lot of other things, too - not just antique furniture.”

There were no coins in this trust auction, but plenty of collector stamps. First-day covers, plate blocks and sheets of stamps had their place in this sale, as did lawn-and-garden equipment, electronics and office equipment. A Toro garden tractor sold for $1,200. Two Victorian iron and wire garden settees sold for $500 while a floor model carrousel horse went for $95.

“With such a variety it was evident that this individual collected everything, and she didn’t give anything away,” South said. “She had it all.”

Glassware was an abundant item and was a favorite among bidders. Ruby Red glassware was on hand, as was 32 crystal stemmed glasses, yellow Depression dishware, pink Depression glassware, Haviland French limoges, LeCreuse pitchers and original Aunt Jemima salt and pepper shakers.

Tools at this auction were so plentiful that they had to be displayed ouside the auction building at the Warren County Fairgrounds.

Antiques included Oak Westminster chime wall clocks, mantle clocks, baby carriages, wooden rocking horses, kraut cutter, brass lanterns, sewing spools, muffin tins, glass insulators, Ball canning jars and lids, a slat wheel barrow and numerous bird houses.

“This auction had a bunch of galvanized tubs and buckets, some with holes in them,” South said. “And we thought we’d be lucky to get a dollar bid on these items, but all of these items brought nearly $500.

Hotly bid items included cast iron scales, an antique hand water pump, Campbell’s Kids tins, galvanized buckets and wood-carved bellows.
David Dalton of Phillipsburg, Ohio is an avid wood carver and owns a small gift shop north of Dayton. He first laid eyes on the wooden duck decoys. Most were hand-carved.

“For a wood carver and artist like myself spotting these wooden ducks is like striking a gold mine,” Dalton said. “The detail in these items are just fantastic. It’s evident she was an avid fan of woodworking and working with her hands. She was definitely a hobbyist and worked with her hands a lot.”

Although there were plenty of antique furniture and rare postage stamps on hand, the owner of this estate also was a collector of old comic books, and that caught the interest of collectors young and old.

“It’s strange to see old Donald Duck and Roy Rogers comic books in such excellent condition, especially when you see it around rusting antiques,” said Dale Blevins of Alexandria, Ky., an avid comic book enthusiast. “Not just a few, there are hundreds of these, most of them dating back to the 1950s.”