Part 1 of An Astounding Collection of B.P.O.E. (Elks) Memorabilia will be Auctioned on October 13th

Part 1 of an incredible single-owner collection of items relating to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (or, simply, the Elks), 438 lots in all, will cross the auction block in a sale slated for Thursday, October 13th, at 9 am Pacific time, by Grant Zahajko Auctions. The auction is being held online and live in the Grant Zahajko gallery located at 510 Morgan Street in Davenport. A preview will be held Oct. 11 from 1-5 pm, or by appointment.

The collection belonged to the late David Wendel, who was active in the Elks and rose to the title of Exalted Ruler. Along the way he accumulated more than 20,000 Elk-related items, a collection so vast it will have to be broken up into several auctions. “Mr. Wendel’s collection is believed to be one of the top three in existence,” said Grant Zahajko of Grant Zahajko Auctions.

Part 1 will be a dream come true for collectors of Elks memorabilia or members of the B.P.O.E., an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City. Included will be a variety of antique elks’ tooth jewelry set in 14k gold, vintage and antique badges, medals, pins and ribbons and a collection of Fenton carnival glass dishes.

Also up for bid will be a stunning collection of porcelain mugs, steins, tankards, china plates and tin trays, a sterling collection of souvenir spoons, antique match safes vesta, card cases and cigar cutters. Desk items include inkwells, match holders and knives. Also, pinback buttons, antique postcards, ephemera, photographs and more will be sold.

Many of the items in Part 1 will be offered in multiple lots, meaning a bidder will be able to score several or many items at once. An example is lot 789, a group of five vintage B.P.O.E. Elks Lodge banners, ranging in size from 18 inches by 18 inches to 100 inches by 44 inches. The banners need a good cleaning and are expected to gavel for $50-$100.

A 1914 Parkersburg (West Va.) Elks Lodge Fenton carnival Glass advertising plate in blue with Elk and Stars design, 7 ½ inches in diameter, has an estimate of $500-$1,000; and an antique B.P.O.E. Elks Lodge sterling silver flask in the shape of an elk’s tooth, the back marked ‘Sterling’, the front inscribed and dated ‘Aug. 17 05’, should hit $400-$600.

An B.P.O.E. 1914 Parkersburg Fenton carnival Glass bell, measuring 6 inches tall by 3 inches across the base, weighing 8 ounces, is estimated to realize $750-$1,250. Also, a dazzling B.P.O.E. Elks commissioned stained glass window with back lighting and stand, overall 78 ½ inches by 75 inches, should bring $500-$1,000 despite a few panel cracks.

A group of four antique 1909 Los Angeles convention B.P.O.E. Elks Lodge pin badges, including San Gabriel Mission no. 99; San Juan Capistrano/Philadelphia no. 2. 3; Salinas no. 614; and Los Angeles Visiting Ladies, with makers’ marks Robbins Co. and others stamped on verso, the largest being 4 ¼ inches by 1 ¼ inches, should go for $150-$250.

An antique B.P.O.E. double elks’ tooth ‘Cervus Alces’ pendant/charm for Lodge 17 with two diamonds (tested) and 14kt gold (also tested), weighing 24.6 grams, has an estimate of $500-$700, as does a vintage B.P.O.E. Elk Lodge set of 24kt gold custom cufflinks and lapel pin with diamond jewels, testing to 24kt gold, with the original jeweler’s box.

An antique pair of B.P.O.E. Elks Lodge cast iron bookends made by Judd Manufacturing (New Britain, Conn.), #9752 on the back side, each bookend weighing about 2.8 pounds, should fetch $600-$800. Also, a B.P.O.E. Elks Lodge humidor marked ‘Nakara’ on the underside, 7 ½ inches tall by 6 inches across the shoulders, has an estimate of $400-$600.

A vintage B.P.O.E. Mettlach 2936 lidded stein (or mug) with a pewter lid, made in Germany by Villeroy and Boch and standing 8 ¼ inches tall, should garner $100-$200; while a vintage B.P.O.E. occupational shaving mug, with the owner’s name (“R. S. Bourbonnais”) showing on the lower edge, 4 inches tall, is expected to make $75-$100.

A group of 16 Elks Lodge B.P.O.E. sterling silver souvenir spoons, with clock dial and Elk design on each handle, weighing a total of 366 grams, is expected to rise to $225-$325; while a group of 11 Elks Lodge B.P.O.E. sterling silver souvenir spoons, also with clock dial and Elk design, weighing approximately 286 grams should finish at $175-$225.

Match holders and lighter cases are expected to perform well. A few examples follow:

- An antique ‘Cervus Alces’ Elk image B.P.O.E. nickel-plated match vesta safe lighter case, pat. Jan. 12, 1904, 2 ¾ inches by 1 ½ inches (est. $75-$150)

- An antique Elk image (New York, No. 1) B.P.O.E. sterling silver match vesta lighter case weighing 22 grams, 2.325 inches by 1.325 inches (est. $75-$125)

- A pair of vintage B.P.O.E. match holders, 3.25-3.5 inches tall (est. $50-$750) 

A group of five Elks Lodge (Dallas, Texas) convention badges, for lodges #30, 755, 837, 489 and 124, ranging in height from 3 inches to 4 ½ inches, should sell for $100-$150. Also, a group of nine vintage and antique Elks Lodge watch fobs with leather straps, in lengths that vary from 5 inches to 6 ¾ inches, carries a pre-sale estimate of $150-$200.

A scarce group of 21 antique B.P.O.E. Elks Lodge celluloid pinback buttons and medallions dated 1900-1913, ranging from .875 inches to 2 ¼ inches in diameter, has an estimate of $150-$250; while an antique Los Angeles 1909 B.P.O.E. Elks Lodge pin badge No. 228 (Spokane, Wash.), the cork in the center reading ‘Jolly’, with the maker’s mark of Robbins Co. on verso, measuring 4 inches by 1 ½ inches, should hit $100-$200.

Internet bidding is available on the popular platforms LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Auctionzip.com, Connect.Invaluable.com (Grant Zahajko’s branded version of Invaluable) and Auction Mobility (Grant Zahajko’s branded platform). Phone and absentee bid will be accepted.

To learn more about Grant Zahajko Auctions and the Part 1 October 13 auction of B.P.O.E. Elks memorabilia, visit www.bid.gzauctions.com.

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