Owner of Sedona’s Clear Creek Trading Company had acquired a massive collection, including art, antique firearms, an antique copper moonshine still, antique axes and more
GLENDALE, Ariz. (October 31, 2018) – A massive, personal collection of rare, vintage porcelain signs, scarce advertising ephemera and wooden crates, valuable Native American items, vintage gas pumps, and antiques will hit the auction block on Saturday, Nov. 10. The Ronald B. Bowling Estate Auction will feature more than 1,000 lots with thousands of collectibles in three live rings beginning at 10 a.m. MT at EJ’s Auction & Consignment, 5880 W. Bell Road, in Glendale on the northeast corner of 59th Avenue and Bell Road. Collectors can bid in-person or online.
“Many people knew Ronald Bowling from his store in Sedona, the Clear Creek Trading Company, which his family is now running. Sadly, he passed in June, and this was his personal collection from his Camp Verde home,” said Erik Hoyer, owner and auctioneer of EJ’s Auction & Consignment.
Hoyer said the notable collection is so large, it took four 24-foot moving trucks and two trailers to transport everything to the Glendale auction house.
“We’re honored to represent such a high-caliber collection. This was a man who built his reputation on collecting authentic pieces of history. Between his extensive network of dealers throughout the country, his depth of knowledge and his business savvy, he was able to amass one of the finest personal collections I’ve seen in decades,” Hoyer said.
Mr. Bowling’s sister, Phyllis Cole, said her younger brother began collecting toy cars and baseball cards as a child.
“He loved the Wild West, and when he was old enough, he left Ohio to work as a fur trader around the country,” Cole said. “He would set up goods on the side of the road and trade with Native Americans. At one point, he lived in a teepee for two years outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He had a great sense of adventure, and he developed strong relationships with vendors from Alaska to Florida.”
Hoyer anticipates a packed house on November 10 and a spike in internet bidding as the auction date approaches.
“This collection will appeal to everyone from automobilia and firearms collectors to those who collect fine art and antiques,” he said.
Highlights include some 200 vintage porcelain signs and a large collection of Native American pottery, baskets, rugs, and beaded items from multiple tribes. The diverse collection also includes rare, antique axes, antique firearms, an antique copper moonshine still, a chuckwagon portable kitchen, a Tiger Oak fire surround, five rare butcher blocks, a bear trap, vintage copper boilers, and many other antiques from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
A free public preview takes place Wednesday through Friday, November 7, 8 & 9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Collectors also can preview items and bid online. The auction house will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 10 for preview, with bidding starting at 10 a.m. MT.
For details, visit www.ejsauction.com or call (623) 878-2003.