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Rapid City, SD -- Win Bauer of Vale, SD, spends a lot of his time in the past. It’s there that he finds the stories of the great American West, preserved in bits of steel, leather and paper. He thinks it’s why people from all over the country line up for a buyer’s card and a seat at the Black Hills Stock Show Foundation Cowboy Heritage XI: Old West Collectible’s Auction. “People want a connection to history - whether their own or the country’s,” he observes. “They want to seek it out in a place where a deal is still settled with a handshake; where between a cup of coffee and item displays, they meet old acquaintances and make new ones; where they know the authenticity of lots has been researched - by a number of people.” It’s that low-key, friendly atmosphere as much as the quality offering built over the past 11 years, that draws the novice and the professional collector to the auction that begins with a preview on Friday, Feb. 4 from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. in the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Theater. Recognized across the Midwest as a premiere collectibles auction, there’s another key to the successful staging of the event - its range in what’s presented. “I can’t say we go about it every year thinking, ‘well, we have this grouping in this price range and that grouping of items in another.’ It just works out that way,” notes Bauer, “and I figure it’s supposed to. There should be no place in time that is kept out of the reach of anyone who appreciates and treasures .... history.” Unique to this sale also is that commissions go towards funding the BHSS Foundation’s scholarship programs. “I don’t know of another sale in the country that’s set up like this one,” says Bauer, “where consignors and buyers understand that beyond selling or buying a ‘must have’ piece, the real purpose is to support youth in education.” The center stage of serving the Foundation’s mission of “Preserving the Legacy. Investing in the Future”, will play out Saturday, Feb. 5, opening first with another preview from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m., when approximately 260 lots will go under the auction gavel. Interest from the East Coast, Texas and Canada is already being expressed in the offering that Bauer describes as, “unique pieces in somewhat different categories. Along with the quality representation of bits and spurs people have come to expect from this sale, are such items as a Ted Flowers Silver Mounted Parade Saddle, complete with headstall, serape and breast collar. It’s quite a piece although not something you would have seen out here in the days of the Old West,” he laughs. This year’s set of guns is “outstanding, with a Wyoming Territory U.S. Marshall’s sawed off shotgun up for sale and a set of 1856 Fredrick Lins miniature percussion pistols with the presentation case – a one of one,” he notes. Known for its collection of works in bronze, this years auction features what Bauer calls a, “spectacular piece – a huge work by Remington titled “Catcher in the Rye.” He adds, “We also have a very limited edition bronze by South Dakota artist Norm Fuegens, titled “Pony Express”. Whether watching history unfold or capturing a piece of it, the Foundation’s collector’s auction will feature a spur collection that includes a pair of McChensey Gooseneck’s that are” impressive”, says Bauer, “as is the bit selection.” Attesting to the variety of items, he points to a Civil War Confederate sword scheduled for lotting with the next item to be categorized being a Navaho Desert Pearl choker. Bauer is especially please with this year’s selection of brand books. “Here’s a representation that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, in one location,” he says. “Dating from 1895 with a Western South Dakota Stockgrowers Association Brand Book, is a 1902 Dakota Farmer South Dakota Brand Book and a 1903 Northwestern Stockgrowers Association Brand Book. Other years represented date from 1937 to 1990.” “When we started this auction 11 years ago, we didn’t know what to expect,” he recalls. “From the beginning, the support of the Duhamel family (the sale annually features historic saddles including several with the Duhamel stamp) has played a big role. And the fact that it’s a Foundation event has a lot to do with its success as well.” For more information, contact Bauer at 605-456-2971 or auction co-chairman and Foundation director Jay George at 605-343-5140. The Black Hills Stock Show Foundation is a non-profit organization. As part of its mission of "Preserving The Legacy, Investing In The Future," the Foundation is dedicated to supporting youth in higher education and organizations, programs and projects that enhance services and education to the public. |
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