Mickey
& Minnie Mouse motorcycle sells for a staggering $222,000 at
Bertoia’s $2.1M sale of Monique Knowlton antique toy collection
Armed over the years with guidance from the Bertoia family, Knowlton
collected with an eye for art and paid the price to acquire toys of
exceptional rarity and quality
VINELAND, N.J. – One of the most exciting events ever to be held at
Bertoia Auctions’ New Jersey gallery took place on March 11-12 with the
sale of the spectacular Monique Knowlton antique toy collection. The
globally publicized auction of mostly 20th-century European, American
and Japanese toys kept collectors riveted as examples with stellar
provenance commanded unheard-of prices. After the hammer fell on the
last of 628 lots, Bertoia’s president and principal auctioneer Michael
Bertoia confirmed to the media that the single-owner collection had
achieved a grand total of $2.16 million, inclusive of 20% buyer’s
premium.
The top lot of the sale, a circa-1932 Tippco Mickey and Minnie tin
wind-up motorcycle, stirred a bidding frenzy in the run-up to a
world-record auction price of $222,000. Prior to the sale, Bertoia’s had
fielded numerous phone calls from bidders with an interest in the
classic Disney toy, which was estimated at $25,000-$45,000.
“There were several very substantial absentee bids in place, some
from collectors who had tried unsuccessfully to win the toy at its last
auction appearance twelve years ago. Those absentee bids faced strong
competition from bidders on the phones and in the room,” Bertoia said.
“Personally, I couldn’t have guessed how high it would go – that would
have been impossible – but I felt confident that it would set an auction
record because of all the excitement surrounding it. We were all
surprised and happy for Monique when the motorcycle sold for such a
fantastic price.”
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