A Fry visible Mae West gas pump made in America in the 1920s sold for $7,800, and a Kuntz tin lithographed beer tray made in Canada and featuring a St. Bernard dog graphic brought $7,500 in an online-only Advertising, Toys and Historic Objects sale held June 20 by Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd. All prices quoted are in Canadian dollars. The 699-lot auction was packed with advertising and signs, toys, general store items, petroliana (gas station collectibles), automobilia, breweriana and historical ephemera, much of it Canadian in origin. There was no live gallery bidding, but over 400 people registered to bid online and collectively placed 6,658 bids. Overall, the auction grossed $294,558. The Fry gas pump, 9 feet tall, was stamped Guaranteed Liquid Measure Co., Pittsburgh, Pa. It was mechanically untested and had undergone heavy repairs, but that didnt deter eager bidders. The 13-inch diameter antique Kuntz tray, one of Canadas most coveted beer trays, had gorgeous color and gloss, showing a detailed image of a St. Bernard dog behind a bottle of Kuntzs lager. Other top lots included a Coca-Cola school policeman sign, 60 inches tall, the fishtail logo version, with two lithographed metal panels standing on a cast metal base ($3,900), and a J.M. Fortier Cigar framed lithograph, housed in a 35.5-by-27.5 inch gilt plaster frame with molded tobacco leaves, marked Heffron & Phelps, Lithographers (N.Y.) lower right ($3,000). Our online auction platform has proven advantageous during these uncertain times, said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd. The June auction attracted nearly 7,000 bids from within Canada and around the globe. There is no question that the enthusiasm among the collector community is alive and well, if not stronger than before. The sale was a huge success. Miller said hes seen growing international interest for typically Canadian items, pointing out that the Kuntz beer tray went to an international bidder. There is a ripe appetite for quality, fresh-to-the-market collectibles. Value is largely dependent on two factors: historical significance and condition level. Many of Saturdays top sellers were a combination of the two, added Miller. Internet bidding was facilitated by the popular online bidding platform LiveAuctioneers.com, as well as the Miller & Miller website (www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com). Telephone and absentee bids were also accepted. A Goodyear 8-by-2-foot single-sided porcelain sign, made in Canada in the 1930s and marked Property of Goodyear Co. General Steel Wares Product on the lower edge, fetched $3,000. The same winning bid was made for an 1880s Canada Paint Company paper lithograph under glass in the original marked frame, 35.5-by-25.5 inches and free of restoration. Gas station collectibles (petroliana) proved irresistible to bidders. A few of the top sellers are as follows. All three realized identical selling prices of $3,000. An Arno Model 31A pedestal air meter, made in America in the 1940s and featuring a lighted case, 62 inches tall, was manufactured by Romort Mfg. Co. (Oakfield, Wisconsin). A Clearvision visible gas pump, made in Toronto, Canada, in the 1930s, 10 feet tall, with the base, nozzle and brass plate all stamped, repainted, was good looking but not functioning. And a Clearvision visible gas pump, also made in Canada in the 1930s, including hail screen, with base, brass plate and nozzle all stamped, repainted, had condition issues, and not functioning. A Butler Dawes Brewery black horse statue, 18 inches tall, plaster cast in the 1930s by the famed Woodstock, Ontario, artist Ross Butler (1907-95), incised with Butlers name, galloped off for $2,400; and a rare OKeefes Greek Scene tin lithographed beer tray (Canadian 1920s), marked Niagara Lith. Co., Buffalo lower edge, 13.25-by-10.5 inches, changed hands for $2,160. A rare, early De Laval Cream Separator single-sided porcelain flange sign, made in the U.S. in the 1920s with text, Worlds Standard, Over 1,500,000 in Use, measuring 26-by-18 inches, made $1,920, while a top lot in the toys category was a Supertest Minnitoy (by Otaco, Ltd., Orilla, Ontario) pressed steel oil tanker from the 1940s, with the original paint and decals ($2,400). Returning to petroliana, a Canadian Oil Companies White Rose porcelain sign (Canadian 1940s) probably from a bulk distribution plant, 13-by-8 inches, free of restoration, finished at $2,040, and White Rose 4-foot diameter two-sided porcelain dealer sign with original ring, one side retaining excellent gloss while the other side exhibits chalkiness, sold for $1,920. Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd. has three major auctions planned for the fall. A Music Machines, Coin-Op and Advertising Auction, featuring the Ken Vinen collection, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19. Online bidding begins on Aug. 21. The auction will be online and live in the New Hamburg, Ontario, gallery at 59 Webster St. Just added is a Canadiana and Historic Objects auction, featuring the Brian Stead collection, slated for Saturday, Oct. 24, also online and live in the New Hamburg gallery. Then, a Watches and Jewelry Auction that was originally planned for June 6 will now be Saturday, Nov. 21, online and live in the gallery. For further information, call either 519-573-3710 or 519-716-5606 or email info@millerandmillerauctions.com.