Houston 24 Expo – Bayou City Sunset Auction

Bayou City Sunset Auction Preview & Auction

Saturday 03 August 2024 [5:30 to 10:00 pm] Hotel ZaZa Museum District | Grapevine

The FOHBC usually tries to complete a convention with a Saturday night bang, and the Crowded House Auctions hammer rang loudly and often at the H24 Bayou City Sunset Auction. We purposely avoided having one of the typical auction glass houses conduct the auction as they are busy with their ever-present catalog auctions. They avoid the FOHBC, too, as an auction is a lot of work because you need auction lots, a live auction, a printed catalog, and online bidding. Though in H24 attendance we had the famous “Jim Hagenbuch” of Glass Works Auctions, who was constantly engaged in conversations with big-time collectors, we were sad to see last-minute cancellations from Jeff Wichmann (American Bottle Auctions) and Norm Heckler, Jr. of Heckler Auctions.

In the past, we’ve tried using “local” auctioneers, having a silent auction (at Reno 22) and room hopping at Springfield in 2017. With frustration rising and the clock ticking, we thought “outside the box” and investigated alternate events for Saturday night. We almost engaged a “Murder Mystery” troupe that would conduct a theatrical performance using our members as bit actors. The theme would be about a stolen diamond at a museum, which seemed appropriate. No matter how excited Elizabeth and I got, I kept getting push-back from H24 team members to make an auction happen. Thank goodness!

To make a long story short, I received an email from fellow collector and past FOHBC board member Martin Van Zant and his business partner “Balsam” Bill Granger. They were promoting an auction with their new endeavor called Crowded House Auctions. Wow, lightning struck, and the wheels started turning, so we spoke often and worked out a deal for the Bayou City Sunset Auction. Martin graciously donated his time, experience and company to conduct and call the auction if we would cover his expenses, such as hotel, banquet, catalog printing, advertising, and online auction costs. We would also provide a room at Hotel ZaZa and all the necessary staging and audio visual equipment.

We used Peachridge as an operations center to solicit, document, and store incoming auction lots. This is where we greatly underestimated the work as our house became a cross between Grand Central Station and an Amazon packaging facility. You cannot even imagine the work involved with receiving deliveries of expensive items packed in boxes of every size, which had to be inspected, cataloged, and repacked…then stored and prepped for delivery to hotel ZaZa. Thankfully, my granddaughter Bella, the FOHBC youth coordinator, took on the task. She even photographed each piece for the printed catalog and advertising! No small task!

In baseball terms, the Sunset Auction was a Grand Slam. We could not have been more impressed with Crowded House Auctions, Martin, Balsam Bill, and Carisa Kimmon, who assisted Martin in calling the auction. We had a lot of fun, and the Hotel ZaZa Grapevine room was packed. To show our appreciation and generate attendance, we also had a catered cocktail party before the auction to entice our bidders to loosen their wallets, so to speak. We wish Martin and Bill success and will give them stellar references to our glass-collecting community. Read Sunset Auction lot catalog.

All photographs are by Gina Pellegrini-Ott unless otherwise noted.

Cash bar and food in the adjacent “Room with a View” on the 11th floor of Hotel ZaZa.

A catered cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres occurred in the adjacent “Room with a View” during the Sunset Auction preview and registration. Pictured—David Hughes and Jim Hagenbuch.

Sunset Auction preview prior to the seated auction. Rick Carney from Maine wearing one of the H24 t-shirts.

Sunset Auction during the preview period.

Sunset Auction during the preview period. Broader angle of the picture above.

Sunset Auction preview. Note the Jim Healy H24 commemorative jug.

A couple lots of whiskey bottles during the Sunset Auction preview period.

An interesting variant Radam’s Microbe Bottle sold with an H24 Radams shirt.

There were many framed advertising pieces in the Sunset Auction including this reverse glass Hostetter’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters advertising piece.

More Sunset Auction preview lots set up in the FOHBC illuminated display case.

During the Sunset Auction preview you could inspect bottles up close in the illuminated display case.

Time to start the Bayou City Sunset Auction.

Crowded House Auctions calling the Bayou City Sunset Auction. Looking over the shoulders of Martin Van Zant and Carissa Kimmon.

The Grapevine room was full at the Houston 24 Bayou City Sunset Auction at Hotel ZaZa.

Three content FOHBC members all wearing the FOHBC denim logo shirts.

John Brezko holding up an extremely rare “Ponce De Leon Spring Water St. Augustine Fla. Mineral Water.”

Glass seashell donated by Treg Silkwood, and two rare bottles—J.T. Wiggins Gentian Bitters and a “H. F. & B. N.Y.” (Holtz, Freystedt & Brothers) dark strawberry puce, melon bottle.

Lot 82 was a glass conch shell blown by Treg Silkwood. See next picture.

Candace & Treg Silkwood (sage color shirt) sitting next to Michael Craig. Treg and Michael blew the Drake’s Plantation Bitters commemorative bottles.

Martin Van Zant with Crowded House Auctions had total control of the crowd.

Auction lots were professionally called and presented to the crowd. A video screen provided additional support imagery and information to the crowd.

Martin Van Zant had to watch online bidding as he was calling the auction live.

The FOHBC back-lit display case set up on the stage held some of the more colorful, and expensive lots.

Houston 24 teal Drake’s Plantation Bitters commemorative bottle was one of the “star” lots of the sale. The figural cabin was flanked by two colorful Texas drugstore bottles.

Jenny Stucky presenting the unique Houston 24 teal Drake’s Plantation Bitters commemorative bottle that sold for over $5,000!

Very special piece donated by Sandor Fuss. Fluorite & Quartz, Shizhuyuan Mine, Chenzhou, Hunan Prov. China crystal group on a finely crystallized contrasting quartz matrix.