We had known for a long time that the Brucker Collection of Von Dutch art and memorabilia was going to be auctioned off at the Petersen Museum. We were anticipating the day like a little kid waiting Christmas.
Back in the '50s, the Brucker family started renting cars to the Hollywood studios, and eventually opened a museum to show off their collection of movie rides. In 1970, Jim Brucker and his son, Jimmy, opened MovieWorld: Cars of the Stars and Planes of Fame Museum in a touristy part of Southern California called Buena Park. They hired Ed "Big Daddy" Roth to work for them designing and building sets, and painting signs. Roth turned the Bruckers on to the work of artist Robert Williams, who had worked at the Roth Studios in the '60s, and was also a fine art painter working outside of the mainstream art world (to put it mildly). Soon, Von Dutch was working at MovieWorld too. The museum closed in 1979, but the Bruckers kept their collection of cars as well as the largest private collection of artwork by Von Dutch, Roth, Williams, Ed "Newt" Newton, Dave Mann, and other originators of what would eventually be known as "kustom kulture."
That's the stuff that was being auctioned at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in May. Most of the 500 lots (auction-speak for items for sale) were Von Dutch-oriented. In addition to original art, there were signs, tools, personal items, and assorted oddball stuff, all on display and all up for grabs. It was like the world's coolest museum had turned into the world's coolest store, and all you had to do to get something was place the highest bid. The first item on the block was a small Snap-On screwdriver once owned by Von Dutch. The estimate on the item was between $150 and $250, but bidding shot up to $800 in a heartbeat. I slid my debit card back into my wallet. My prize of the day was the priceless experience of looking at all the great stuff on display before it disappeared into the private stashes of collectors. I never met Von Dutch, but seeing his personal tools, his famous flute, his old pinstriper's box, made me feel like at least I somehow got close.
Even so, the question that wouldn't go away was: What would Von Dutch think about all of this? Would he be ticked off by the outrageous sums being paid for artwork for which he was paid next to nothing? Or would he have laughed out loud at fat cat collectors forking out crazy money for old hammers and screwdrivers and paint guns they'll never use? Or would he be happy to know that all these people are his fans, that his legend lives on, and that his talent is just as influential today as it was during his greatest days? Who knows?
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 RM Auctions organized and...  RM Auctions organized and facilitated the Brucker Collection auction. RM is well-known for drawing record-breaking prices for exotic collector cars. This foray into low-brow art and kustom kulture is probably one they'll remember for a while. |
 A lucky bidder paid $149,500...  A lucky bidder paid $149,500 for this metal promotional sign, which Dutch created for the tailgate of his Kenford pickup truck (an F-100 with a Kenworth cab he owned during his Brucker days). There are 1,000 theories about the origin of the flying eyeball. |
 This wooden paint box originally...  This wooden paint box originally belonged to Walker Howard, a sign painter. Wally gave the box as a gift to his son Kenneth (aka Von Dutch), who used it the rest of his life. RM Auctions described it as "one of the most important personal pieces of Von Dutch memorabilia." It was the big gun item of the day, selling for more than $300,000. |
 Two paint guns, used by Von...  Two paint guns, used by Von Dutch throughout his career, were auctioned off. This one went for more than $4,000; the other one sold for more than $10,000. |
 The bargains from the Brucker...  The bargains from the Brucker collection were the various hand tools, including that $805 Snap-On screwdriver, with Von Dutch engraved in the handle. Most of these items sold in the range of $1,000 to $2,000 range. |
 Von Dutch was as skillful...  Von Dutch was as skillful as a gunsmith and knifesmith as he was as a 'striper, and the Brucker collection included many handbuilt guns and knives, customized with engraving and engine turning. Prices on the pistols in this display range from around $2,000 all the way up to $8,000 for the ivory-handled .22 in the case in the lower part of the photo. |
 Here's Von Dutch's cloth cap...  Here's Von Dutch's cloth cap decorated with various pins including the flying eyeball, a Harley-Davidson logo, and Rat Fink. Early in his career he added stripes to Art Chrisman's race helmet, but his own motorcycle helmet is stripeless. The cap sold for $3,450 and the helmet and goggles went for $12,650. |
 The best-known photos of Von...  The best-known photos of Von Dutch show him playing this flute, which sold for $8,050. Ralph Poole (an original Rod & Custom staffer) took a series of those photos which appeared in the teen magazine Dig in 1956. The now-famous shot of Dutch playing the flute with a plastic eye stuck to his forehead was taken around the same time by Erik Rickman for Car Craft, but that photo wasn't published until decades later. |
 We have no idea what it is,...  We have no idea what it is, but it's called a "10 Volt Ball Bearing Rotary Anti Clock Air Whistling And Finger Nipping Machine," and was auctioned for around $9,000. The 3-foot tall contraption was built by Dutch as a noisy prop for MovieWorld. |
 OK, we know what this is....  OK, we know what this is. This Von Dutch-lettered artifact came from the Brucker warehouse, and is now owned by whoever bid $2,300 (a bargain if it works). Sorry about the bad word, parents. |
 Several original Roth car...  Several original Roth car Revell model kits in unopened original boxes were sold at the auction. "Mother's Worry" has a 50 cent sticker on the box, and was still a bargain at $345. |
 There were numerous pieces...  There were numerous pieces of original T-shirt art and decal art by Ed Roth... |
 ...The unfinished "Eatin'...  ...The unfinished "Eatin' Surf" drawing is from 1964 and was one of the cheapest at $2,588... |
 ...The others shown here are...  ...The others shown here are from 1969 and went for between $5,000 and $6,000 each. |
 This illustration of Ed Roth's...  This illustration of Ed Roth's Orbitron was drawn in pastel by Ed "Newt" Newton in 1964. The framed piece was sold for $2,070. |
 Ed Roth got the Bruckers interested...  Ed Roth got the Bruckers interested in the paintings and drawings of Robert Williams, a Roth Studio veteran, a pioneer in underground comics, and the best-known artist in the world of "lowbrow art" (a term Williams coined). There were several large Robert Williams paintings in the Brucker Collection, in addition to this smaller pen and ink illustration which sold for more than $5,000. |
 Outside the auction room,...  Outside the auction room, organizers set up this '76 Ford Ranchero and invited anybody and everybody--young or old, pro or amateur... |