by Deborah Abernethy and Mike McLeod
$2,650 (48 bids, 14 bidders): Cap’n Hanks 1 Gallon Tin Litho Oyster Can packed for Hanks Seafood Co. Easton, Maryland.
I have not run across this one before. Love the colors! Great image of Captain Hank. The front does show some age and usage wear. There are small little nicks and scratches and it is slightly discolored. There are minor crazing spots. There is some top-of-the-can-under-the-rolled-edge wear. The back has a little more wear than the front. Still great color! Still great graphics! Still a very nice example! The bottom has discolored and is textured. I don’t see any holes, even after removing the lid and [holding] it to the light. No holes. The top is really quite clean and very solid. Just some expected surface wear. Please see for yourself as age and usage wear is impossible to accurately describe and must be seen. It really does look nice!
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller hat-trick.)
DBA: The seller got a tremendous deal. This is the highest price that I could find for any other one-gallon tin can. Most similar cans were selling in the low hundreds of dollars, not thousands. These larger cans have lids for using the contents over a period of time—not the serrated lids—and this makes for a more decorative look.

$3,700 (45 bids, 11 bidders): Antique 19th Century Railroad Steam Locomotive Train Headlamp Headlight Lantern.
This is an antique 19th century (circa the 1880s) railroad steam locomotive train headlamp headlight oil lantern. It is quite large measuring 36” tall x 18” wide x 14” deep. It has beautiful ornate corner decorative pieces and a 16” diameter glass. The oil lamp is fairly complete inside but needs the glass chimney. Appears to have a number stamped in it but hard to read; looks like possibly 37. This came from an estate in Sacramento, California. See photo of a similar example on a 19th century locomotive. Overall, an impressive lamp that would certainly be a nice addition to a collection.
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller Gypsiegirlz.)
DBA: From all I could see, this looks authentic. It is rare to find one from this time period. I did find a similar one that sold for $3,200. Many could be found for much less, but those were not as old or as large. It is hard to analyze sales data when not comparing exact matches.

$3,150 (22 bids, 16 bidders): Antique Dr. Lesure’s Remedies Veterinary Medicine Country Store Cabinet Sign Book.
Measuring 27” tall by 20 1/2” wide and 6 1/2” deep. At the top, this early 20th century Country Store Display Cabinet has a tin-litho front door that advertises for “Dr. Lesure’s Famous Remedies.” Dr. J. G. Lesure was a veterinarian during the late 19th and early 20th century. He specialized in the causes, symptoms, and treatment of diseases for livestock animals. Along with this early 20th century cabinet comes an original, 1908 printing of his book, Dr. Lesure’s Warranted Veterinary Remedies. This 8” by 5 1/2” paper-back book has some toning, edge, and corner nicks and folds to the covers and pages, but it is complete. The cabinet is in very good condition. The wood retains its original finish and the lock and key still work properly. The embossed tin-litho advertising sign on the front door has some small dark spots to the surface, as well as some light crinkling to the tin in the lower left-hand corner. The litho of a horse still has strong, un-faded colors and overall, this antique Country Store Cabinet is in very good original, unrestored condition.
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller wwolst12.)
DBA: This is not an unusual price for such a cabinet. I could find several selling at auction for similar prices. This type of medicine cabinet is very decorative. My guess is that many people would buy this type of medicine for their animals and resort to pharmacists for human medicine. Because of the display and competition for animal medicines, the cabinets were particularly decorative.

$3,716 (20 bids, 11 bidders): Antique Iron 1924 Lima Builder’s Plate.
Estate buy: you are buying the pictured authentic antique iron 1924 Lima Builder’s plate, 12” lengthwise. That builder’s plate is from Shay Locomotive, the type used on small logging and mining railways.
DBA: These were made for trains, and there are many collectors of all types of railroad objects. In a search of several databases, especially all types of auctions databases, this was the highest price that I found, although several were close. eBay seems to be getting better prices for railroad objects than most general auctions.