On January 24 through 26, Brian Lebel’s Mesa Old West Show & Auction returns to the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Arizona. The annual event, now in its 30th year, will once again bring top Western and Native American art and artifacts from around the country to collectors of all stripes. A guest browses through weaving and jewelry at the Ranchfolks booth at a past Mesa Old West Show & Auction.

Crowds gather around booths at the show, held in Mesa, Arizona.

For show owner Brian Lebel, he takes pride that his events have friendly environments, even as the art world is known as a cutthroat industry. “It’s a tough business,” Lebel says. “Some of the bidders and dealers really go at it at these auctions. But at our events we might have two bidders going at it, and one of them has to lose, but they’ll go out for drinks after. It’s all very friendly.”Nampeyo (Hopi-Tewa, 1859-1942), handled Hopi jar, ca. 1900

Three silver bracelets. Courtesy Turkey Mountain Traders.

This year’s dealer show, as with past years of the Mesa Old West Show, is completely sold out within the Mesa Convention Center. Lebel has used the facility many times before and has learned how to maximize the space for dealers, which means visitors will have even more opportunities to browse through a diverse arrangement of materials—from paintings and bronzes to vintage Western gear and saddles to contemporary and historic Native American objects. The dealer show, which is held on Saturday and Sunday, January 25 and 26, will feature more than 150 vendors. The Manitou Galleries booth at Brian Lebel’s Mesa Old West Show & Auction.

“What we offer at our shows isn’t just objects. It’s a Western way of life,” says Lebel. “And most of these collectors are buying it for themselves, and not just to show off to their friends. When you buy a Picasso or a Maserati your neighbors understand what those things are when they see them. But our top collectors are paying $100,000 for a set of spurs or $50,000 for a parade saddle. They’re not doing it to impress the neighbors. They’re collecting those things because it’s what they love and they believe in the Western way of life, whether it’s spurs or a saddle, or even a Pueblo pot or a Navajo weaving or a piece of turquoise jewelry.”Nampeyo Family Hopi pottery. Courtesy Territorial Indian Arts Gallery.

Lakota beaded counting coup vest Estimate: $18/22,000

Dealers at this year’s show include Sherwoods Spirit of America, Miles and Miles Trading Company, Manitou Galleries, Morning Star Traders, Terry DeWald American Indian Art and many others. Steve Elmore Indian Art will be showing a number of important pottery pieces, including a Nampeyo handled Hopi jar from around 1900 and a rare four-color Acomita jar from around 1860. Territorial Indian Arts Gallery will be showing a wide range of materials, including Hopi items, Nampeyo Family pottery and vintage Hopi katsinam. Turkey Mountain Traders will be offering silver jewelry, including several works with magnificent turquoise stones. Shoshone beaded gauntlets Estimate: $4/6,000

In addition to the dealer portion of the event, Mesa Old West Show also features a live auction component on both Friday and Saturday night. The Friday night sale will be offering nearly 250 firearms from the collection of the late gun enthusiast Cordy Rich, who took a special interest in lever-action Winchester rifles. The guns go back as far as the Revolutionary War, and his collection also includes prominent Western firearms. Rich died in 2017 and was a friend of Lebel, who often encountered the New York collector at shows around the country. “I knew him for about 40 years, way back when I was dealing Winchester stuff on the East Coast,” Lebel says. “He was one of those guys who just couldn’t help but collect.”

Nez Perce girls dress Estimate: $10/12,000

Kiowa leggings with beaded dragonflies Estimate: $7/9,000

The Saturday portion of the sale will include additional pieces from Rich’s collection, as well as major pieces from a variety of other owners. Significant works include a Southern Plains silver bridle (est. $4/5,000), a Nez Perce girls dress (est. $10/12,000), Kiowa leggings with beaded dragonflies (est. $7/9,000), a Lakota beaded counting coup vest (est. $18/22,000) and a pair of Shoshone beaded gauntlets (est. $4/6,000).

“The sale is really shaping up to be quite good,” Lebel says. “We’re very proud of our sell-through rate, which is above 90 percent. It’s exciting watching new collectors jump into the fray and start collecting things.”  

The firearms sale will take place Friday, January 24, at 6 p.m., with the second session following on Saturday, January 25, with bidding starting at 5 p.m.  —

January 24-26, 2020
Brian Lebel’s Mesa Old West Show & Auction
Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center Street,
Mesa, AZ 85201, (480) 779-9378,
www.oldwestevents.com

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