The Zipps of Crocker Farm, a stoneware and redware speciality auction company in Sparks, Md., held their third sale of the year from Nov. 20 to Dec. 4. It was also their third timed online format sale with a callback session at the end. Bids are updated throughout the two-week period and can be placed by calling, emailing, faxing, or, of course, bidding online. The day after the sale closes, callbacks are done on lots that reached more than $2,000. The top four bidders on any lot over that figure get the callbacks. Including an addenda for a few late consignments, it was a 455-lot auction with a total gross of $1,008,330 (includes 20-percent buyers premium). This total was 120 percent above total low estimate and 42 percent over total high estimate. Weve had our best year, mentioned Tony Zipp following the sale. The family started holding pottery auctions 16 years ago. Everything is up. The interest in stoneware is high, furthered Zipp. This fall sale had 442 bidders and 215 successful bidders. The sell-through rate was over 98 percent; four lots did not meet a reserve, and four lots did not receive a bid at the minimums set. This was our third $1 million-grossing sale of the year. Weve never had three in a year before, stated Zipp. They grossed $3,497,730. We seem to be gaining customers each sale, mentioned Luke Zipp, one of Tony and Barbaras three sons, who all work full time for the family business. To the familys credit, through the new bidding format, expert cataloging, and strong customer service, the material keeps pouring in, and in a scary climate, they put together a massive year. This also speaks to a resilient, well-heeled clientele marketplace. Material from all major pottery-production regions were represented. One of two notable world auction records in this sale was lot one, a four-gallon stoneware ovoid presentation cooler with large incised ship decoration, dated 1839 and inscribed John B. Wilson, attributed to Abial Price, South Amboy, N.J., which realized $252,000, selling to a private collector in New Jersey. The second was a stamped W. BURCHNELL/LONDON, William Burchnell, London, Madison County, Ohio, origin, ca. 1835, straight-sided redware jar, selling for $36,000, a record for Ohio redware. As explained by Brandt Zipp, The higher-level lots speak for themselves, but as a quick comment on the sale overall, we found even down to the three-figure price range things were performing extremely well, which bodes well for the market and shows robust interest in stoneware at nearly all levels. A very rare slip-decorated redware pig bottle, stamped D.P. SHENFELDER / READING, PA, ca. 1870, realized $14,400, going to a Pennsylvania collector. The molded bottle in the form of a reclining hog with oval eyes, tusked mouth, and drinking spout at rear, the surface dipped in yellowish slip, decorated with dripped spots of copper and manganese slip, and covered in a clear lead glaze was a late consignment to the auction. We got it as the catalog was at the printer and put it on the addenda, said Tony Zipp. It was bought privately by a dealer out of a house near Reading. A similar stamped example sold at the Sothebys sale of the late Pauline Heilman collection on the York Fairgrounds in 1982 . It brought $4,000 and was eventually owned by the late Lester Breininger and is today in another Pennsylvania collection. The companys next auction will take place from March 26 to April 9. We are off and running for the spring sale. Typically this is a quiet time of year, but people are reaching out to consign, said Tony Zipp. We have 115 pieces from one collection in Long Island that were collected in the 1960s, said Luke Zipp. To learn more, call 410-472-2016 or visit www.crockerfarm.com.