By Bruce McKinney

This winter there will be a series of unreserved auctions conducted by Antiques and Estate Auctions and Appraisers of Wellington, Ohio, to settle the estate of Merle "Mickey" Mishne of Cleveland. Books and ephemera are included in each sale. There will be three auctions during the January-April period. The first takes place on January15th and covers "automotive transport and poster art." The second sale, tentatively scheduled for late February, includes important and collectible books. The third sale will include the balance of the estate.

Mr. Mishne was an avid sportsman and collector who collected and raced Bugattis when he was younger and later in life concentrated on building a substantial collection of printed materials often but not exclusively about cars. These sales are court ordered and all lots are sold without reserve.

Mr. Mishne's posters offer a very complete history of the automotive and racing history of the 20th century though the emphasis is on the exotic. Lot 142 is a poster of the 1921 Ford Model "T" Runabout. Lot 143 is a poster of the 1934 MG K3 Magnette. Lots 148 -150 are framed collections of patches and membership cards all relating to automobiles. For the patriotic American there are lots 203 to 210 associated with World War Two. Lot 228 is a signed Frederick Remington print and lots 229 to 234 are signed Ansel Adams prints. There is also an extensive collection of vintage European posters. For the oenophile, there is lot 298, a circa 1895 poster for spirits merchant M. Hommel of Sandusky, Ohio. Lot 321 is a 16" by 20" photograph of riverboats. No. 365 is a group of Ludwig Bemelman's letters. Lot 399 is a book of Yellowstone photographs. Lots 366 to 450 are books of all descriptions. Finally, for those for whom printed images are not enough, lot 100A is a 1946 American LaFrance Fire Engine. Be brave. Buy a one way ticket to the auction. That way you know you'll be driving it home.

Each sale will be available electronically and the January 15th sale is already posted both on AE (AE Auction Calendar) and on the seller's site. Antiques & Estate Auctions is using Proxibid software which allows interested parties to register and bid online either by leaving an absentee bid before the sale or bidding interactively during the sale.

These auctions look to have something for everyone. To visit the auction site online follow this link: www.estateauctioneers.com, then select Upcoming Auctions and then More Info for the January 15th Mishne Estate Auction.