It is sad when estates go up for auction without being offered to families first, whether for settlement reasons or family differences. I've seen it happen before, and you can tell it hurts. I know one of my immediate family members who has it in his will to do it this way. I think that person believes it will be more equitable to just split the proceeds, having paid in for anything you want at the auction, but he doesn't understand that some things are worth more than a paycheck to the rest of us.
I knew that apple core top was going to go out of my price range, so I took lots of pictures! It was a little wonky on the piecing (by hand), but it had pristine fabrics that looked to be from the early 40s to the 50s or maybe 60s. I was talking to the daughter, and she said it was her grandmother who had been the quilter. Her mother was into different types of crafts, so that might explain the tops that were put away and not finished.