Pook & Pook - An Exceptional All Around Story

Sunday, June 29, 2014
     Clear skies, hot and humid

Pook & Pook

An Exceptional All Around Story

   If you were to tell me 10 years ago that I would be writing an antique toy blog, I'd probably have asked you if you were feeling alright! However, 4 year plus in writing this blog, I am constantly rejuvenated and invigorated with the overall experience.

   First and foremost are the great people who have helped me throughout my "journey".  Almost all of those tho whom I write return my e-mails and are happy to help me out. Pook & Pook, Inc. are exceptional. Great items coming to auction, an excellent reputation in the auction world, excellent photography, and of course fantastic people.

  I always try to return to everyone who I have written about, because I know I will find great surprises that I have not yet seen before. And so, when I  revisited Pook & Pook Inc.'s upcoming auction I was aghast!. The upcoming July 15, 2014 auction has toys, but also a most unique collection of cast iron stoves. So I was thinking - stoves, stoves and toys, or  toys. Back and forth in my mind, until I had one of those Eureka moments! Why not write to Pook and Pook Inc. and see if they might wish to select what I could both post only blog, and of course have viewers venture over to their website.

  So I wrote to Deidre Pook  Magarelli, the Vice President of Pook & Pook, Inc. who wrote back to say that she would forward my request to Mr. Jaime Shearer, their toy expert. Jaime wrote that he could offer me a nice collective photo of stoves and recommend some stoves that I could present to my readers. He asked Ms. Jaime Perez of the Pook & Pook, Inc. photography department to send me that composite photo.  I'm truly thankful and hear warmed that I could receive so much help from people who I don;t even know but for having written them., and as well by just writing a blog!

People in the "working world (I'm retired) surely have lots to do, but to stop and work with me is truly "exceptional"  Also, I had asked Jaime Shearer for some information about the exceptional stove collection,and I received a unique narrative that went with the stove collection. Below is the narrative word-for-word from Jaime:

Stacey,

Deirdre asked me to respond to this since I was the one who cataloged the toys.  The stoves came from the collection of Marion and Donald Woelbing of Franklin, Wisconsin. The bio that was used other items we sold of there is as follows:

Marion and Donald Woelbing were the solid citizen types that for generations have built American small businesses.  They were a true partnership supporting each other in their diverse interests from breeding and showing American Kennel Club grand champion prize winning dogs, to building with their own hands “Thorntree” their home in suburban Milwaukee, to building an impressive collection of 17^th and 18^thcentury American antiques, to collecting varied toys and “collectables”.  Donald’s father Alfred started a small company in 1937 that became Carma Laboratories, the manufacturer of Carmex™ lip balm after a varied business career during the Depression.

Marion and Don met while in high school, were married for 55 years, and best friends for life.  When somebody once asked Marion if the two of them ever disagreed, her response was “About what?  We pretty much agreed upon everything and in those rare instances where we didn’t, we deferred to whomever felt the strongest.”

Before joining Alfred in the little Carma Labs business Don was a stone mason.  In the early days of Carma Labs there was not enough business to support two families, but as the business grew Alfred asked Don to join him in the business.  Don had a particular talent for mechanical innovations, so as Carma Labs grew the employees came to produce more Carmex with less effort.

It was quite natural that when Carma Labs became a financial success Don would want to build a house with his own hands, in the way he had persevered in setting the foundation for Carma Labs’ business success.  Don and Marion wanted to build an adaption of a Pennsylvania stone farm house and furnish it in an appropriate fashion; to have it be “perfectly correct” would have meant bring many tons of stone from eastern Pennsylvania, and Don decided that in this instance historical accuracy would be extravagant.   “Thorntree” had all the modern conveniences, but some things, such as light switches, and heating outlets were cleverly hidden so they were not readily evident when one entered a room.   Just as they did everything in their many varied collections they entered into furnishing “Thorntree” with enthusiasm after careful study. 

The Woelbings were generous when there was something for the community that needed to be done.  When the local fire department needed a new fire engine Marion and Don gave them one.

In addition to dogs Marion and Don enjoyed horses, and were active in personally taking care of these as members of the family.  In addition to having two sons and two grandchildren there was room in their house and hearts for others in need, and they acted as surrogate parents for a young woman who needed a home. 

If you wanted to include a photo or two, lots 24, 337 or 481 are some of the better examples or I also have a group shot that has 20 or so stoves in one shot.

Let me know I would be happy to forward anything that you need.

Regards,

Jamie Shearer, Vice President, Appraiser

Pook & Pook, Inc. Auctioneers and Appraisers

463 East Lancaster Avenue

Downingtown, PA 19335

Mon through Fri. 9 am to 5 pm

phone: 610-269-4040

fax: 610-269-9274

www.pookandpook.com

info@pookandpook.com 

Please click here to visit the most exceptional Pook & Pook Inc. website

The cover drawing for the July 2014 auction catalogue

The above group photo is great because it illustrates the relative sizes of the toys and the stoves.

Some of the stoves in the collection are in fact "salesmen samples" as well as toys. I've written about salesman samples because although not really "toys" they are so unique as collectibles.  These samples would be moved around the USA by train with representative salesmen of companies. They were exact replicas of the "real" product" but for the downsizing of the item.

You can search pout my blog for "salesman samples" to see this most unique collectible category!

This stove is especially interesting due to the fact that is has provenance linking it to 

President Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.

For those who do not know the meaning of the word provenance,
 "Provenance"means:
A record of ownership of a work of art or an antique,
 used as a guide to authenticity or quality.*
*http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/provenance

I've seen cast iron stoves when I was a child in the "country". We would go in the summertime to Mississquoi Bay, Quebec located on the Canadian side of Lake Champlain. In the 1950's  you'd find many houses there still had these fine stoves. Also, when I'd go fishing "up north", you'd also find such stoves when you'd rent a cabin for your fishing trip. Of course, the fishing stoves were not as luxurious as the beauties presented here!

Thanks for visiting, 

and as always, 

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com