William “Bill” Edward Miedema, 88, of South Beloit, IL, passed away March 10, 2015 at Willowfield Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Delavan, WI. William was born May 7, 1926 in Brodland, SD, to Claus and Rachel Miedema. Bill attended school there until enlisting in the United States Navy and serving in the South Pacific Arena on the USS Saratoga-03 in World War II. He later received a purple heart for his military service. Bill married Carol Williams Ranft in Huron, SD on December 19, 1947. After working for the Chicago Northwestern Railroad in South Dakota, he opened an Auction House in Huron, which he and his wife owned until moving to the Stateline area in the 1960’s. Bill and Carol operated Miedema Auction in South Beloit, IL until 1980. He then continued auctioneering for many years with Beloit Auction Service, a family business. Bill was awarded the coveted Golden Gavel by the State of Wisconsin Auctioneers Association for his 50 years as an auctioneer. Bill participated in the first Vets Roll trip to Washington D.C., where he rekindled memories of his WWII service. Known as “Wild Bill” to many, he leaves a legacy of pride in his service to his country, love of his family and special friends, and memories of his years as an auctioneer. Bill is survived by his two sons, Richard (Pat) Ranft of Beloit, WI, and Michael (Linda) Miedema of Hockley, TX, two daughters, Debora (David) Burdick of Sun Prairie, WI, and Beth (David) Norris of South Beloit, IL, six granddaughters, Tracy (John) Ferraro of Arlington Heights, IL, Nichole (Brad) Cheske of Beloit, WI, Erica (Gabriel) Vogel of Austin, TX, Danielle (Jason Hawkins) Burdick of Madison, WI, Jessica (Logan) Lucas of Austin, TX, and Darcy Burdick of Sun Prairie, WI, three grandsons, William Burdick of Madison, WI, Joshua Norris of South Beloit, IL, and David (Kristin Toon) Norris of Freemont, CA, fourteen great-grandchildren, three brothers, Claus Jr, Steven, and Eddie, and two sisters, Lillian, and Nellie, and his dog, Willie. He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol, and three brothers, James, Robert, and Clarence.
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History of Auctioneering
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The most expensive dinosaur bones sold at auction is a stegosaurus skeleton nicknamed Apex which sold for $44.6 million (£34.4 million / €40.9 million), including buyer’s premium, at a Sotheby’s auction in New York City, USA, on 17 July 2024.
The 3.4 m tall and 8.2 m long (11 ft X 27 ft) skeleton was discovered in Dinosaur, Colorado in 2022. Seven buyers reportedly took part in the bidding process, with the winning bid made by an anonymous buyer.
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The most expensive cricket bat sold at auction is the bat used by Sir Donald Bradman to hit a triple century in the 1934 Ashes series, which sold for a reported 245,000 AUD (roughly 174,250 USD / 131,750 GBP) at auction, in December 2021.
The winning bidder agreed to keep the willow on display at the Bradman Museum in Bowral, New South Wales, Australia.
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The most expensive piece of James Bond movie memorabilia sold at auction is a silver 1965 Aston Martin DB5, one of four such cars made for the early Bond films featuring all the “Q branch” gadgets including machine guns in the bumpers and a retractable bulletproof rear screen. The vehicle sold for $6,385,000 (£5.2 million) at auction at Monterey, California, USA, in August 2019.
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The most expensive sports trading card sold at auction is a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, which sold for $12,600,000 (£10,722,310 / €12,643,344), on 28 August 2022.
The card is from Baseball Hall of Famer Mantle’s rookie season and was bought by its seller for just $50,000 in 1991. It was graded Mint+ 9.5 (out of 10) and was sold through Heritage Auctions.
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The most expensive belt buckle sold at auction is $90,000 (£65,462 / €77,445), paid for a ‘H’ engraved buckle once belonging to Harry Houdini, sold at Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on 30 October 2021.
The winning bidder was Tarek Tabsh (USA), who bought the item to “honor Houdini’s monumental contributions to magic as an art form”.
The custom “H” buckle was worn by Houdini during his last performance and day of his death.
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The most expensive sports memorabilia sold at auction is a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, which sold for $12,600,000 (£10,722,310 / €12,643,344), on 28 August 2022.
The card is from Baseball Hall of Famer Mantle’s rookie season and was bought by its seller for just $50,000 in 1991. It was graded Mint+ 9.5 (out of 10) and was sold through Heritage Auctions.
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The most expensive drum kit sold at auction is Ringo Starr’s Ludwig drum kit, sold at $2,100,000 (£1,395,370, €1,934,890), including premium, at Julien’s Auctions held in California, USA, on 5 December 2015.
The Ludwig drum kit was said to have been used in at least 200 performances since it was purchased by Ringo Starr in 1962.
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The most expensive painting by Monet sold at auction is a 1890 Meules (Haystacks) painting, which sold for $110,747,000 (£85,227,200; €98,572,600), including buyer’s premium, by Sotheby’s in New York, USA, on 14 May 2019.
Completed in 1890, the painting depicts the haystacks of rural Normandy in France. It is one of several paintings in his Meulesor series, commonly known as “Haystacks”. It is one of only four to have been auctioned since 2000 and is one of eight that still remain in private collections.
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The most expensive port wine sold at auction is a decanter of Niepoort in Lalique 1863 port wine, which sold for HK$1,054,000 (US$134,269; £102,636; €119,489), auctioned by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, China Hong Kong, on 22 March 2019.
The previous record holder was also a 1863 Niepoort in a Lalique decanter, which sold for $126,706.
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