Sometimes public agony is a form of catharsis. I hope you will forgive me if I use the list to unburden myself. Or you may consign me to Hades to devour myself with interminable remorse.
Take a look at this block (seller's image):
and this
These blocks were in the Kelleher sale that closed just yesterday. I had been a buyer in that sale for a few items of interest the day before, but my key interest in the sale was for these three pieces. An hour before the final session I set up my computer with the SAN bidding window for this sale, and watched and heard it start up for the day. It was going to be a couple of hours before they got to my lots, but I was full of anticipation. Here's why.
Obviously all three are plate number and imprint blocks of 12 or more. The first is a block of the 2c Continental trial color plate proof in black. I have a nice example of that in normal form, but this one has the crayon markings applied by a plate inspector. It nicely shows the purpose and function of these plate proofs. It also has no imprint where one should normally appear (I think) so may indicate an early state of the plate before the imprint was added. It sold for $130. An outstanding price.
The second is a similar type of block for the 3c value but as a block of 16. I have similar blocks for the 1c, 2c, and 6c values; but have not landed one for the three cent. It sold for $250, well within my range.
Finally the stake which plunges into the heart:
This plate block is of a #210 but on the experimental honeycomb watermark paper. It closely corresponds in layout to one I have on horizontally laid paper and is from the same plate set, and compares for color. The two blocks side-by-side could demonstrate the proximity of these two experimental types. Of all the lots in this sale, this was the one at the top of my personal wish list. It sold for a mere $275, which is less than I paid for an imprint block of four of this type some time ago.
Great pieces that sold for great prices, all within range. But I did not get any of these three pieces. Why not?
After I got the sale running on my machine, I estimated that it would take a couple of hours for them to get to my lots, so I left it to run while I had breakfast. At breakfast I let myself get wrapped up in a computer game on my wife's machine. Tempus fugit! Game finished I went back to my computer and could hear the auctioneer knocking down one of the last lots in the entire range of the series of lots in which I had had interest. Aghast, I checked for "unsolds." No luck. All had sold for far less than I would have bid if I had not been asleep at the switch. I fully expect to run into one or more of these someday, retail priced at several times what they sold for. The knife will then be twisted in the wound and the agony will be made fresh again.
And I have no one and nothing to blame but myself. You know?
Posted 01/15/2016 11:43 am
