DECATUR — Dorothy Mae Peterson’s lifetime collection of antiques will be sold to collectors all over the world through a live and internet auction next week.
Dorothy Mae Peterson, the sister of Peterson Farms’ founder Lloyd Peterson, was a prominent figure in Decatur’s history. She died on March 31 at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale, according to her obituary.
Dorothy Mae was born in 1922 and grew to young adulthood during the Great Depression. As a young girl, she acquired a love of antiques, and many were accumulated as payment when she and her mother would barter with chickens and eggs. Her collection grew during the World War II era and continued to the present, according to a description posted on Auction Zip LIVE website.
The auction is being handled by a collaborationbetween Estate Road Show and Kruse Energy and Equipment, LLC.
A semi-truck load of valuables - 26 pallets - plus several more smaller trailer loads of items have already been sold for more than $300,000, according to Michael Whelchel, CEO of Estate Road Show. Online auctions are ongoing.
The live auction, to be held on Sept. 22 and 23, will be conducted simultaneously online in 51 countries, according to auction coordinator Andy Stone of Kruse Energy. Whelchel said he expects the event to net between $700,000 and $1 million.
Dorothy Mae’s collection has preserved antiques for collectors all over the world, said Stone, who is a self-proclaimed collector of glass, china, fine art and cars himself.
“That’s hugely significant,” he said, explaining that the collectibles world is better off because Dorothy Mae’s collection is being sold worldwide as well as locally.
“The truth is we’re only temporary custodians. What she did better than most was that she preserved and cared for this stuff and she obviously loved it,” Stone said.
There are many examples of items that most people might pitch, if they didn’t know better, but that are heavily documented and worth thousands of dollars, Stone said.
Dorothy Mae was obviously very educated and she knew what she was doing as she grouped pieces in her collection. She haunted antique shops and loved auctions, Stone said.
“I know Dorothy Mae would love what we’re doing because she loved auctions,” he said.
Perhaps one of the largest features of the estate is Dorothy Mae’s huge collection of Majolica from all over the world, with some pieces worth over $10,000, Whelchel said. The Majolica International Society describes Majolica as whimsical, richly-sculptedand brilliantly-glazed Victorian ceramic.
Walking through the collection, which takes up several houses, is a mindboggling experience. The sheer magnitude of Dorothy Mae’s vast collection of valuable art prints, antique furniture and lamps, among many other things, is hard to comprehend.
Outside her homes she had an abundance of handmade custom ironwork made from items like horseshoes, wagon wheels and bits, as well as other folk art. Whelchel said the team discovers more every day.
Dorothy Mae’s estate is very unique and there are not many auctions houses that could handle it, according to Stone and Whelchel, who have worked together for more than 11 years.
Whelchel’s company does the research on each item and complete write up of who, when and where the item was madeand why it was significant, using a direct source, such as a book, whenever possible, Stone said.
“It’s worth its weight in gold,” Stone said.
He explained that Whelchel’s research makes the difference between buying something in an antique shop because it’s attractive and knowing the object’s history and true value.
“Auctions are the greatest show ever,” Stone said, who compared them to a Las Vegas show or a circus. Stone believes in keeping things fun and letting customers find a deal.
At the end of Saturday’s sale, the chicken coops in Dorothy Mae’s yard will be packed full of stuff to be sold as lots, similar to the popular TV show Storage Wars, said Whelchel. Lots will also include random items, such as a giant pile of natural stones, like those used to build Peterson buildings.
The auction has already attracted attention acrossthe country. Stone said he received a phone call from a group of designers in southern California who were very interested and planning to attend the auction.
On Thursday, a couple from Mountain Home, who identified themselves as Bill and Sharon, picked up a needlepoint bench they had purchased online.
The auction will be held at the Decatur Community Center on Sept. 22 and 23, although online auctions of the remnants will go on for some time, Whelchel said.
The estate will be open for viewing Tuesday through Friday of this week. None of the items will be taken to the community center for the auction, so buyers who would like to preview the items for sale must tour the estate, said Whelchel.
To participate in the sale, buyers are required to purchase a $20 color program that lists all the lots for sale, Whelchel said.
The items for sale can be viewed online at www.estateroadshow.com. For more information about the sale, call 877-855-3253 or 602-677-6839.
News, Pages 10 on 09/19/2012