An estimated 30,000+ rare phonographs, reel-to-reels, vintage gas pumps, porcelain signs, toys, jukeboxes, radios, farm implements & more to be sold
GLENDALE, Ariz. (August 3, 2017) – A massive collection from one of Arizona’s historic landmarks, Smitty’s Antiques Museum, will be auctioned at EJ’s Auction & Consignment in Glendale starting on Saturday, August 12 at 10 a.m. and continuing every Saturday for several weeks. EJ’s Auction & Consignment is located at 5880 W. Bell Road, in Glendale on the northeast corner of 59th Avenue and Bell Road.
The famous museum in the northern-Arizona town of Mayer closed after experiencing recurring flash flooding problems in its parking lot as a result of the devastating Goodwin Fire in June. None of the collectibles were affected, but the museum’s current owner, Kenneth Seo, decided to close the museum in July.
The eclectic museum – which was featured in the popular television show American Pickers in 2011 – housed an estimated 30,000+ collectibles, including Seo’s personal collection of rare phonographs, reel-to-reels, and other audio equipment. The enormous collection also includes Native American items, vintage gas pumps, porcelain signs, vintage toys, antique radios, clocks, jukeboxes, antique cash registers, glassware, antique telephones, farm implements, swords, taxidermy and more.
Erik Hoyer, owner of EJ’s Auction & Consignment, has allocated extra staff to help with the logistics of auctioning such a large collection. EJ’s has five employees working full-time at the Mayer museum to carefully pack up the collectibles and move them to the 29,000 square-foot auction house. An additional five employees photograph and catalog the collectibles prior to each auction. Once cataloged, EJ’s floor crew sets the collectibles out in the auction rings for the free public preview which begins each week on Wednesdays.
“It’s a huge honor to represent Smitty’s Antiques Museum and Mr. Seo’s personal collection,” Hoyer said. “It was Mr. Seo’s life dream to open a museum. He purchased Smitty’s earlier this year with the hopes of sharing his passion for collecting with others. We hope bidders will appreciate the historical significance of the museum items and the tremendous amount of time that Mr. Seo devoted to building and maintaining such an impressive collection.”
A lifetime collector of stamps, coins and other items, Mr. Seo became interested in collecting antique phonographs, reel-to-reels and other audio equipment some 20 years ago. He traveled to Hong Kong, California and other locations to find a museum site that could house his collection. After purchasing Smitty’s Antiques Museum in February 2017, he spent more than $200,000 on renovations and he worked 16-hour days to prepare for a grand-opening.
“I had big plans that included bringing a theme park to Mayer,” Seo said. “All of the work and my dreams were destroyed in 30 minutes with the first flash food and then five more after that. Thank goodness no one was hurt and the collectibles were not affected, but the flooding is a recurring problem for residents, and many of them recently had to evacuate.”
EJ’s conducts three live auctions in its Glendale location beginning at 10 a.m. every Saturday. The public can bid live, online, or via phone. A free public preview begins on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For details, visit www.ejsauction.com or call (623) 878-2003.
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Media Contacts:
Sue Kern-Fleischer, (602) 810-1404, suekern@gmail.com
Erik Hoyer, EJ’s Auction & Consignment, (623) 878-2003
