Ron's Garage Sale at Shannons

MELBOURNE – Sept 17, 2012: An amazing array of garagenalia and associated Route 66-style memorabilia accumulated over a 40-year period by a Melbourne collector is going under the hammer at Shannons in Melbourne on Sunday October 14.

Amongst the garagenalia items that will attract enthusiasts are 14 rare American and Australian petrol pumps from the 1920s to1980s (guiding ranges from $2,000-$12,000), a number of beautiful local and imported Neon signs ($1,000-$5,000), oil racks, a set of traffic lights, drive-in speakers and a pair of parking meters.

A large and very collectible Seeburg 100 Select-o-Matic juke box ($4,000-$6,000) would also make an ideal addition to any enthusiasts’ den or garage.

The selection of spectacular custom-built show cars are also amongst the 120-plus lots in the auction. They include a stunning and award-winning 1959 Holden FC Crewman Utility Street Machine ($80,000-$90,000), a beautiful, customised 1956 Chevrolet ‘Hotrod’ pick-up truck ($45,000-$55,000) and a fully-restored 1970 Ford Falcon XW GT ($100,000-$125,000).

The auction also includes a number of unique items of memorabilia, including life-size statues of Marilyn Monroe and a Red Indian, an enormous moose head and a late 19th Century Koken American quarter oak barbers’ chair.

All the garagenalia and memorabilia lots are being offered with no reserve.

Memorabilia enthusiast Ron Kirwan, who spent more than 40 years gathering items that caught his eye, is entrusting Shannons with his ‘garage sale’ because he has run out of room to house and maintain his collection.

“I have virtually emptied the building in Yarraville where they were housed,” he said. “We still have five corporate suites filled with sporting memorabilia at the MCG and Etihad Stadium and now that I am retired, keeping them maintained takes up all of my time.”

Ron admits he is a compulsive collector.

“I was driving down Toorak Road, South Yarra when I saw a large wooden Red Indian outside a shop, so I dashed inside and did a deal on the spot,” he said.

Other items have come from trips to the United States, trips along Route 66 and from auctions throughout Australia.

“I often walk into a shop and the owner asks me what I want,” he said. “I tell him ‘I don’t know, but I’ll know when I see it’!

“Sometimes people just give me stuff when they are cleaning out their garage, knowing I’ll appreciate it.”

The Private Collector Auction presented by Shannons will be staged at Shannons Melbourne showroom, 321 Warrigal Road, Melbourne, commencing at 1pm on Sunday October 14.