Ultimate Collector's Toy Box Set for Florida Auction Block

BLENHEIM, Ontario, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The focus of the global collector community turns to South Florida next week as RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby's, lifts the gavel on one of the world's finest private museums, the Milhous Collection, Feb. 24-25, in Boca Raton, Florida.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120215/NY54235)

The result of over 50 years of dedicated collecting by brothers Bob & Paul Milhous, the Milhous Collection represents the ultimate collector's toy box, brimming with an incredible series of rare and highly desirable collectibles. For the "man cave", there's a wonderful assortment of "big boy" toys, from automobiles to motorcycles, a large range of antique firearms from the late 19th century and even a c. 1941 Ryan PT-22 Recruit Airplane. Also on offer, unique gasoline-powered tether cars and models and a diverse series of slot machines, petroliana, clocks and neon and porcelain signs. For those with a penchant for music, the collection features an extraordinary series of mechanical musical instruments, the technical sophistication of which rivals the engineering found in the finest motor cars of the era, along with a 46-foot custom carousel.

The auction will feature over 500 lots, most of which will be offered 'without reserve', selling to the highest bidder.

"We are honored to have been entrusted with the sale of this important collection," says Rob Myers, RM Auctions. "Compiled by connoisseurs for connoisseurs, it's one of the finest museums of its kind anywhere in the world, presenting a range of unrepeatable ownership opportunities."

The musical offering is headlined by a magnificent Welte Wotan Brass Band Orchestrion, originally built for the immense Bob-Lo Island Dance Hall in Detroit, Michigan, along with the original Wurlitzer Family Residential / Theatre Pipe Organ, formerly displayed in the Wurlitzer home in Cincinnati, Ohio.

For motoring enthusiasts, highlights span the spectrum of the collector car market from a one-off 1912 Oldsmobile Limited Five-Passenger Tourabout to the 1949 Rounds Rocket Race Car, the first mid-engine, rear-drive Indianapolis racing car. The offering also includes a range of cars with celebrity ties, including a flawless 1939 Lagonda V-12 Rapide Sports Roadster, delivered new to actor Robert Montgomery; a 1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial Five-Passenger Phaeton, the stunning personal car of renowned automotive designer Ralph Roberts; and a 1938 Cadillac Sixteen Convertible Coupe, believed to have been owned new by actor Gary Cooper.

Full event details and a digital catalogue are available online at www.rmauctions.com or visit http://bit.ly/wb07ZU for a virtual tour of the museum.

For those planning to bid onsite, reserved seating closes February 17. For those interested in participating in the auction but unable to attend in person, a wide range of remote bidding options are available including absentee, Internet and telephone bidding.

For further information or to register to bid, call +1 519 352 4575 or visit www.rmauctions.com/bid.

The sale will stream live online at www.rmauctions.com.

SOURCE RM Auctions