A fantastic early example of a Star Pepsin gum machine has beaten its estimate to reach top spot in Morphy Auctions' Advertising & Pinballs sale, held on February 22-23 in Pennsylvania.
 It's remarkable that the gum machine is not in worse condition - its porcelain sign has survived since 1899 |
Made in 1899 and displaying a porcelain sign in fantastic condition, it sold for $27,600, rising past its $15,000 high estimate by 84%.
The machine is one of only three known, and remains in excellent to near mint condition, aside from the expected wear and chips to its wooden case.
Coca-Cola memorabilia was a focal point of the sale, with a fantastic calendar issued by the company in 1905 selling for $20,400, up 13.3% on its $15,000-18,000 estimate.
The ephemeral nature of these calendars has meant very few have survived in good condition, yet this example boasts strong colour with little overall wear.
A single page from the 1903 calendar by Coca-Cola made $19,200, realising a 140% increase on its $8,000 estimate, with Morphy stating: "It would take perfection to only slightly improve upon this condition."
 Wineberries are a type of raspberry that grow wild across North America |
The second highest bids of the sale were seen by a rare 1920s Wineberry ceramic syrup dispenser, which retains its bold graphics and gold banding with almost no wear. Despite the original handle being replaced with a wooden one, the piece made $25,200 - a 68% increase on its $10,000-15,000 estimate.
The sale totalled just over $1m, with strong results seen across the board, which serve as testament to Morphy Auctions' reputation as one of the leading auction houses for advertising memorabilia.
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