The 18th-century Russian treasure was purchased by an anonymous telephone bidder for 10 times its presale estimate of $120,000, Sotheby's auction house said.

The estate of the original owner, George Roberts, learned of its importance during an appraisal over the summer. Roberts purchased it in 1951 from a London dealer.

Experts believe that as few as 10 of the bejeweled miniatures were bestowed by Peter the Great on his subjects for their exceptional service to him. Until the latest discovery, only five were known to exist, three of them in museum collections.

In 2001, one of the two in private hands sold for $132,500 at Christie's.

The 3 1/2-inch-high oval portrait sold Monday depicts Peter the Great in a blue cape and the sash of the Order of St. Andrew. The frame hangs from an imperial crown surrounded with diamonds. The reverse side is engraved with a triple-crowned, imperial double-headed eagle.

While believing it had some value because of the diamonds, Roberts' granddaughter, who lives in northern Arizona and did not want to be identified, had no idea it had historic importance, Sotheby's said. After her grandfather bought it, it spent some time in Illinois where he lived and finally ended up in Arizona where the family kept it in a display cabinet.

On the Net: www.sothebys.com

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WS-11-02-09 1435EST

The Buttersworth oils included Glasgow & Cutter Scout, the top earner at $19,550, and Glasgow & Albion, which finished at $14,375. Glasgow refers to the H.M. Frigate Glasgow, a 50-gun warship. The Albion was a 74-gun second ship. Both paintings were executed circa 1826-27 and were housed in later gilt wood frames. Each measured 19 inches by 23¼ inches in the frame.

“It seems to me that the added value to these otherwise attractive paintings by this popular marine artist is that they are a pair, having survived together since the original execution,” said Gordon S. Converse, adding the paintings were both purchased by the same bidder.

The auction was held at the Italian-American Club in Wayne, a suburb of Philadelphia located about a half-hour west of the city, at 301 West Wayne Ave. Around 100 bidders combined participated live, by phone and through absentee bids. In addition, approximately 200 people registered to bid online, via LiveAuctioneers.com. Session one was a discovery auction, while session two was a gallery sale.

“We had a lot of real, genuine antiques in this auction,” Mr. Converse said, “so I was pleased with the quality of the merchandise. As for prices, I was a little disappointed in the furniture, but the good items held up well because quality is what people crave. The same was true for fine art. Signed artwork of beauty will bring top dollar, but not so much mediocre pieces. That has been a mantra this past year.”

Converse said ceramics held their own without breaking any records, but damaged pieces didn’t sell well at all. “As soon as they see that nick or chip, the paddles come down,” he commented. “That’s sad, because some of those pieces are highly collectible and would fetch much more in better condition.” He added, “Overall, considering this was only our fourth auction, I’d say we did quite well.”

Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

Tops in the furniture category was a well-crafted early 19th century mahogany American dresser or vanity with a drawer commode and lyre-form carved supported cheval mirror ($1,840). Also, an 18th century English (or Irish) walnut dish-top Georgian walnut veneer tea table brought $1,380; and a nice Chippendale-style solid mahogany, closed bonnet highboy, 84 inches tall by 40 inches wide, hit $1,150.

Staying with furniture, a high chest of drawers stamped with the maker (Leopold Stickley of New York) and with a Chippendale-style casement realized $748, while a grand gaming table in three tiers, with the top opening to reveal either a felt-covered card table or a roulette surface, rose to $748. Also, a Winchester repeating rifle (“the rifle that won the West”), model 1873, hit a bull’s eye for $920.

An interesting and rare 18th century silk marriage pillow, dated 1722 and with tassels at each corner and the initials of the soon-to-be-betrothed (“EH” and “HJ”), and decorated with tulip flowers and hearts, garnered $1,725. Also, a 20th century Charles Lotton etch-signed art glass vase, 10 inches tall, made $1,035; and a fine white Federal American mantel, 58 inches by 67½ inches, brought $1,035.

Returning to fine art, a framed and matted 19th century engraving after Benjamin West’s William Penn’s Treaty with the Indians, one of the more fanciful images in Philadelphia history, went for $1,150. Also, a Victorian-era antique oil portrait of a happy cavalier at a tavern merrily drinking wine breezed to $900, which seemed to be a great value, since the elaborate gilt frame was about perfect and the image strong by a listed artist, while portraits of colonial figures Aaron Foster and Hannah Brown Foster sold for $805 and $748, respectively.

An antique oil painting on tin, measuring 7½ inches by 5½ inches and titled on the frame, Self Portrait Thomas Scully 1783-1872, painted by Scully at age 80 and framed later, commanded $805; a pointillist painting of sailboats at a dock by George W.K. Newbold (Am., 1879-1948) realized $633; and a set of four scenes of Italy, each signed Ellore Gianni and measuring 6 by 9 inches, made $633.

In ceramics, a pair of nicely decorated yellow and blue glazed bowls soared to $2,645, and a celadon yellow glazed bowl, 7 inches in diameter and embossed with landscape suggestions, hit $891. Clocks seemed to sell at low levels, but a few also did well. A solid walnut Chippendale Pennsylvania tall case clock, 90 inches tall, chimed on time for $3,795, and a Federal American solid cherry grandfather clock (circa 1800-1830) made $2,300.

A walnut Chippendale-style side chair in the manner of 18th century Philadelphia with carved ball and claw feet hammered for $690; a walnut American Chippendale-style carved stool with cabriole legs and ball and claw feet topped out at $690; and a solid mahogany Empire-era upholstered armchair with scroll-shaped armrests and mounted with brass ormolu mounts hit $633.

Gordon S. Converse & Co. has a big sale planned for Dec. 29. “We will be selling one of the largest collections of important shelf clocks in the United States that day,” said Converse. “We will have 200 or more lots in the auction.”

To contact Gordon S. Converse, call 610-722-9004 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Visit the company’s Web site at www.AuctionsatConverse.com or www.ConverseClocks.com.

View the auction catalog and prices realized online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

"The sale did over $1.5 million (inclusive of 15 percent buyer's premium), and the usual factors came into play - rarity and condition," said Morphy's owner and CEO, Dan Morphy. "We specialize in genuinely fresh to the market collections that have been held for many years. When the quality is there and the antiques legitimately have not been available to the public for several decades, the collectors don't hold back. They buy."

Antique advertising signs, salesman's samples and an extraordinary collection of decorative 19th-century folk art "bride sticks" (implements once used to push down laundry into washing water) generated tremendous presale interest. A beautiful 1890s paper sign advertising Soapine Soap, which previously had been displayed in the president's office at Kendall Manufacturing in Providence, Rhode Island, hit the midpoint of its estimate at $17,250. "It was a rare and spectacular example," Morphy noted.

Many other graphically appealing soap and laundry-related advertising signs in the Shapiro collection finished in the top 20. An 1890s bas-relief composition sign for Snow Boy Washing Powder, featuring a child clutching a box of soap and sledding downhill was bid well past its $7,000-$10,000 estimate to realize $15,000. A late-19th-century Magic Washer Soap sign depicting Uncle Sam with a proclamation reading "The Chinese must go!" exceeded its estimate to settle at $5,750.

Morphy said he was especially pleased to see adventurous participation from new buyers right alongside confident bidding from the more-seasoned collectors. "One man whom I did not know drove up from North Carolina specifically to bid on - and buy - an antique Pepsi-Cola sign," Morphy said. The 27½-inch by 34-inch heavy cardboard sign from the early 1900s featured "Miss Pepsi-Cola," a strawberry blond, turn-of-the-20th-century beauty dressed in a diaphanous gown and daintily holding a glass of the fizzy soft drink. Estimated at $7,000-$10,000, it was bid to $12,650.

No one "took a powder" when the talcum tins took the spotlight; in fact, there was unexpected interest from a new collector who made quite an impression as an absentee bidder. Morphy explained: "A New York buyer who is known for collecting something entirely different apparently took a shine to the collection of antique talcum, spice and other advertising tins in the sale. He ended up buying 183 lots. The established collectors for talcum tins, in particular, were blown away by the prices. Some had left bids in the $2,000 to $3,000 range for tins estimated around $600, and even then they didn't get the tins." An example was the 4-inch-high Yankee Talcum Powder tin with the image of a cherubic baby sprinkling powder on himself. Against a $1,000-$1,500 estimate, it climbed to $3,250.

Morphy said he intends to show his appreciation to the New York buyer by personally delivering the tins to him. "It's just another way of helping to keep the auction business vibrant and strong," he said. "I'll personally deliver the purchased goods to anyone who spends $100,000 or more in one of my sales."

The top lot of the sale was a J. & E. Stevens Girl Skipping Rope cast-iron mechanical bank. In all-original condition and consigned by the original owners, the highly desirable moneybox rated "excellent plus" had no trouble achieving $32,000 against an estimate of $18,000-$24,000. Leading the still banks was a circa-1902 example replicating the Battleship Iowa. Complete with all masts and lifeboats, and in near-mint condition, it sailed to an above-estimate $4,600.

Bidders gave in to temptation after they saw the superb condition of the antique and vintage toys offered in the sale, many of which came from the Carl Lobel collection. A Popeye tinplate Heavy Hitter with exceptional pictorial box was a strong contender at $8,000, as was the boxed B & R Charlie Chaplin mechanical walker, which also earned $8,000.

A 1930s Marx Blondie Jalopy toy with its original box glided to $5,500 (estimate $2,000-$3,000), while a rare, Italian made Ingap wind-up toy of Pinocchio on a high-wheel trike raced past its $600-$900 estimate to finish at $4,900.

Oozing nostalgic charm, a circa-1949 Shelby boy's blue and yellow bicycle with Donald Duck's three-dimensional head perched below the handlebars was probably unused old store stock, judging by its near-perfect condition. It surpassed expectations to apply the brakes at $6,900.

Another depiction of Disney's wacky duck, Donald, playing a xylophone for his flirty friend Donna Duck, was seen in the boxed, circa-1937 Fisher-Price pull toy. An extremely rare, near-mint example, it sold within estimate for $5,750.

The collecting momentum for antique marbles showed no signs of cooling, as a 2 7/16-inch cobalt blue and white onionskin Lutz described as "the rarest of the rare, and the only one known," commanded top dollar at $8,050.

Yet another specialty category that held up well was vintage Halloween memorabilia. Topping the group was an 11½-inch German composition witch holding a wooden broom and jack-o-lantern. It ended its bidding run at $5,750 (estimate $2,000-$3,000).

View fully illustrated prices realized for this sale online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. - Pook & Pook, Inc. began its fall catalogue auction schedule with a 2-day sale on Oct. 2-3 featuring items from estates, private collections and educational institutions. The 822-lot sale totaled $1,568,882 (inclusive of 17 percent buyer's premium).

Six educational institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Woodmere Art Museum, the Washington County Maryland Historical Society and others offered deaccessioned items for sale. Some of the highlights from these organizations include a Delaware Valley Queen Anne walnut armchair, circa 1755, for $8,775; a portrait of Custer by Lloyd Branson for $1,287; a Pennsylvania Chippendale slant-front desk for $6,435; a rare Pennsylvania Windsor bench with an old black-painted surface for $9,360; a set of eight Victorian mahogany dining chairs for $16,380; and several tall-case clocks - two of them selling for $7,020 and $9,945, respectively.

The Friday night session began with over 40 room-size Oriental carpets and throw rugs. The first lot, a Heriz with a brick-red field and ivory border, brought $15,210. A large Agra with a floral pattern did well at $5,382; while a Persian carpet with mother and child design went for $10,530.

Next to be sold were items from the estate of Walter Bott Loucks Jr. of York, Pennsylvania. A rare New Brunswick, N.J., Chippendale walnut linen press with the label of Matthew Edgerton Jr. soared to $44,460. An exceptional circa-1795 Philadelphia Federal satinwood veneered mahogany games table was purchased by a collector for $76,050. A pair of oil on canvas over-mantel landscapes by James Ross brought $11,700.

Primarily from the estate of Myrtle Quier of Reading, Pa., came pieces of fine jewelry. A 6-carat marquise-cut diamond and platinum ring did well over double the high estimate at $32,760; a pink sapphire and diamond ring made $4,212; and diamond and platinum bracelet brought $25,740.

Ninety lots of weaponry concluded the Friday evening sale, with highlights including a Civil War Confederate saber by the Nashville Plow Works for $5,616; a pair of English flintlock dueling pistols stamped Sutherland for $11,700; an L.C. Smith Crown Grade double-barrel shotgun for $4,914; and a Parker Brothers 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun with Damascus barrels, $7,020.

There was plenty of interest in the numerous tall-case clocks that were offered throughout the sale. The first two lots on Saturday morning were a York, Pa., clock by Jacob Spangler and a Philadelphia Chippendale walnut clock by George Miller of Germantown (Philadelphia) bringing $15,210 and $18,720 respectively. A New Jersey Federal highly figured mahogany clock by Joakim Hill did very well at $12,870, as did a Massachusetts Federal clock at $5,148. A Chester County, Pennsylvania clock by Abraham Corl fetched $7,605.

Also offered throughout the sale were many lots of historical blue Staffordshire porcelain, many with American scenes. A Boston State House creamer fared well at $1,521; a platter with Pennsylvania Hospital made $2,223; an Erie Canal pitcher went for $1,170; and a Winter View of Pittsfield, Massachusetts brought $2,808. Other ceramics included spatterware, mochaware and Gaudy Dutch. A mocha bowl with earthworm decoration earned $3,510, while a pepper pot took in $1,755.

With all phone lines occupied, a pair of circa 1716-1717 Georgian silver candlesticks with the touch of Paul DeLamerie achieved $28,080. A Philadelphia silver coffee pot by Joseph and Nathaniel Richardson brought $17,550; and a Boston silver tankard, circa 1710 bearing the touch of John Coney, soared to $15,210. A Tiffany & Co. flatware service with an estimate of $2,000-$4,000 attained $7,605.

An interesting array of early 20th-century jack-o-lanterns and candy containers, just in time for the Halloween festivities, crossed the block on Saturday, ranging in price from $350 to $1,755.

The variety was plentiful throughout the sale. An exceptional pair of carved and painted female nudes, circa 1875, sold for $22,230; and a vibrantly painted carousel giraffe attributed to Looff brought $23,400. An unusual zebra carousel figure, circa 1900 and retaining an old surface, won approval at $8,775. There was much interest centered around a large Pennsylvania carved and painted "trick box" depicting two couples in erotic embraces. After highly competitive bidding, the lot sold for $8,190.

Other sought-after small items included a German porcelain dresser box for $6,435; an American Indian burl bowl with cut-out handles for $9,360; a Berks County, Pa., trinket box attributed to Heinrich Bucher, which went for $5,616; a Prior Hamblen School oil-on-board folk portrait of a young girl, which hammered $7,020; and a portrait of a young boy holding a kite, which also made $7020.

Another popular specialty item was an unusual hand-crafted copper weathervane of a Baldwin American-type locomotive. This 20th-century piece brought $8,190.

Other prominent furniture pieces included a Pennsylvania Chippendale walnut secretary desk and bookcase, circa 1765, selling for $12,870; a fine Lehigh County, Pa., painted dower chest with hearts and philphlot decoration, achieving $22,230. An Italian burr veneer serpentine chest of drawers soared to $11,115; and a Chester County, Pa., cherry candlestand sold for $11,115.

All phone lines were taken as an Old Hickory five-piece rustic patio set crossed the block. Made in Martinsville, Ind., the set included a settee, two armchairs, a rocker and a circular table. It brought over double the high estimate at $8,190.

To contact Pook & Pook, call 610-269-4040. Visit them online at www.pookandpook.com. To view fully illustrated catalogs with prices realized for Pook & Pook's past sales, including their Oct. 2-3 event, visit LiveAuctioneers.com.

# # #

DALLAS (AP) - A Texas man's collection of bovine-theme art and collectibles has sold for more than $500,000 in an Oct. 14 auction conducted by Dallas Auction Gallery.

After about half a century of collecting, former Neiman Marcus fashion executive Derrill Osborn decided to part with his collection. The auction featured about 350 items.

Dallas Auction Gallery spokeswoman Lauren Shuford Laughry said Thursday that among the auctions highlights was a Donna Cook oil painting depicting 5,000 cattle, titled Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive, which sold for $10,755. Also, she said, a collection of more than 300 vintage toy cows and other farm animals sold for $5,975.

Seventy-year-old Osborn grew up on a New Mexico ranch and then went on to a 40-year fashion career with the legendary Dallas-based department store before retiring in 2002.

LiveAuctioneers provided the Internet live bidding for the sale. View the fully illustrated catalog with prices realized at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

___

On the Net:

Dallas Auction Gallery: www.dallasauctiongallery.com

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-ES-10-15-09 1840EDT

NEW YORK - A square, 32.01-carat emerald-cut diamond that billionaire philanthropist Leonore Annenberg bought for her 90th birthday sold for $7.7 million at auction on Wednesday.

About the size of a walnut, the flawless, colorless diamond sits on a ring designed by Manhattan jeweler David Webb. It is flanked by two pear-shaped diamonds, one of them 1.61 carats and the other 1.51 carats.

The ring was offered for sale by Annenberg's estate. Christie's auction house did not identify the buyer, who bid by phone.

Annenberg died in March at the age of 91. She served as U.S. chief of protocol during President Ronald Reagan's first term - a position that carried the rank of ambassador. Her husband, Walter Annenberg, a billionaire publisher and ambassador to Britain under President Richard Nixon, died in 2002.

The big diamond "combines the best of the four C's: top color, perfect clarity, ideal cut and excellent weight," said Francois Curiel, international head of Christie's jewels.

With the "impeccable provenance of the Annenberg name, you have one of the finest gems to appear on the market for many years," he said.

Annenberg purchased the ring for herself to mark her 90th birthday, Christie's said. It was delivered by armed guards to her Rancho Mirage, Calif., home from the Beverly Hills jeweler's store, it said. She was thrilled whenever someone came by to admire it, the auction house said.

The ring's pre-sale estimate was $3 million to $5 million. The previous auction record for a 30-carat square cut flawless, colorless diamond was $3.1 million, set at Christie's in Geneva in May.

The record for any diamond or jewel at auction is $24.3 million for the 17th century cushion-shaped grayish-blue 35.56 carat Wittelsbach Diamond. It was sold at Christie's in December 2008, topping the previous record of $16.5 million for a 100-carat diamond sold in 1995 in Geneva.

In May, a rare 7.03-carat blue diamond sold at Sotheby's for $9.5 million - the highest price ever for a gem of its kind.
Walter and Leonore Annenberg donated $4.2 billion to cultural, educational and medical institutions through the Annenberg Foundation. In 2002, their collection of French Impressionist art was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where Leonore Annenberg was a member of the acquisitions committee.

She was also a trustee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and served on the Trustee's Council of The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Her husband established the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania and at the University of Southern California.

On the Net: http://www.christies.com

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

"This sale really had something for everybody," said Richard D. Hatch of the auction, which featured more than 1,400 lots and grossed more than $250,000. A little over 200 people packed Hatch's showroom facility, while 340 bidders registered online, via LiveAuctioneers.com. Absentee and phone bidding participation was also strong, but Hatch expressed some disappointment over generally flat prices.

"Attendance was strong," he pointed out, "but prices for mid-level antiques, furniture and collectible items remains low. The way I see it, if you loved the piece when it was selling at $500, then you should still be loving it when it drops to $250. A lot of items are selling for half what they brought a couple of years ago. Now is the time to start a collection or add to a collection, or decorate your home."

Hatch also noticed a trend with regard to online bidding. "With eBay no longer participating with eBay Live, online bidding sign-up numbers have dropped by about 70 percent. But those that sign up through LiveAuctioneers.com, which we use and like, seem to be more serious buyers. Of the 340 online bidders in this recent sale, 121 were successful. Twenty-one percent of all lots were sold online."

Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices quoted are hammer, exclusive of either the 10 percent in-house or 15 percent Internet and live telephone bidding buyer's premium.

Fine art was in abundance. An original oil painting by noted British artist William E. Harris (1856-1929) crossed the block at $1,300, while a pencil-signed lithograph by American pop art icon Leroy Nieman was a virtual steal at just $200. Also, a bronze statue of a dog by 19th-century French artist Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) topped out at $600 - another good buy, considering the artist, said Hatch.

Furniture generally brought bargain prices. A period Chippendale slant-front desk sold for $800; a period Chippendale mirror, $350; a set of eight original Hitchcock chairs, $700; a North Carolina pine cupboard, $800; a circa 1915 back bar from a local barber shop, $600; and a mid-century dining room set by Heywood Wakefield sold for the bargain price of just $450.

The gallery was loaded with fine china and glassware. A 67-piece set of Bavarian china sold for just $100; a 54-piece set of Lenox china in the Autumn pattern, $750; a large collection of Victorian art glass syrup pitchers, $50-$450 each; and an unusual 19th-century Meissen covered biscuit box, $800. Also, one lot of two nice old violins brought $3,100.

A 94-piece set of Chantilly sterling silver flatware by Gorham brought $1,750; a 60-piece set of King Edward by Gorham, $850; a 79-piece set of Rose by Stieff, $1,500; an 81-piece set of Burgundy by Reed & Barton, $2,750; a 63-piece set of Buttercup by Gorham, $1,000; and a 63-piece set of Strasbourg by Gorham, $1,600.

Jewelry cases were also loaded to the brim. A Cartier men's Santos wristwatch, appraised at $6,750, went for just $1,100. A Cartier diamond dress clip was snapped up for $500; a stunning star ruby and diamond pendant, $2,000; and a dazzling Art Deco diamond bar pin, $2,750. Also, an original silver gelatin print photo of a nude Marilyn Monroe, taken by Lawrence Schiller, made $600.

Richard D. Hatch & Associates is celebrating 30 years in the auction business. Hatch sees a steady flow of diverse and quality items come through his gallery. "The real challenge in today's market," he said, "is to find buyers to absorb all the merchandise at prices that are fair to the buyers and sellers alike. Much of it comes from past customers, reminding us that we are all temporary caretakers."

Hatch is constantly marketing his auctions in new and fresh ways to help attract new bidders (through appraisal fairs, lectures, courses, etc.). In this way he strives to help boost interest in the field. "We must do all we can to educate people and promote an industry that has slowed down drastically," he said. "The joy of collecting is still there. With prices down, we must attract a new group of buyers."

To contact Richard D. Hatch & Associates phone 828-696-3440 or e-mail them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - A monumental mahogany front and back bar made around 1893 by Brunswick, Balke & Collender Co. - the desirable Los Angeles model and with an original matching liquor cabinet - soared to $302,500 at Showtime Auction Services' sale of the living estate of Ron Wallace. Antiques amassed over many years by Wallace - a dedicated collector and former president of UPS - were offered in a high-profile Oct. 2-4  auction conducted at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds.

The front and back bar suite was one of the top earners of about 1,700 lots that changed hands in a sale that grossed around $2.2 million. "It was our best auction ever in terms of average dollar amount per lot," said Showtime's Mike Eckles. "It was a very successful sale with several records set."

One of those records was the one set by the Brunswick front and back bar - 24 feet in wide and 11 feet tall, with hand-carved, life-size nude supports between beveled mirrors, each weighing 140 pounds and standing 5 feet 4 inches tall. The matching liquor cabinet had adjustable shelves and a zinc-like base. "We've only seen two of these bars in 25 years, and only one with a matching original liquor cabinet," Eckles said.

Another record was established by a set of circa-1902 saloon doors, also made by Brunswick, Balke & Collender Co., at $77,000. The solid mahogany swinging saloon doors, 96 inches wide by 78 inches tall, were originally from a saloon in Milwaukee and had applied carvings at the top. They were refinished 25 years ago and had a great patina, with beveled glass incorporated in all the panels.

A larger-than-life figure, Ron Wallace resides in a spectacular, 44,000-square-foot home in suburban Atlanta, where his collections of vintage firearms, advertising, gambling, saloon, brothel and country store items were kept. But the auction also featured a treasure trove of over 1,000 rare and vintage toys, plus barber shop, soda fountain and advertising collectibles, and other items.

About 350 bidders attended the auction in person, while another 100 people bid by phone and 125 others submitted absentee bids. Online bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com, with more than 150 people registered to bid online. "The bidders in attendance had a great time and really enjoyed room-hopping at the Weber's Inn in Ann Arbor," Eckles said. "We didn't see much evidence of a recession. People came to spend money."

Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices quoted include a 10 percent buyer's premium:

A rare Gold Medal Oil two-sided porcelain sign, made by Veribrite Signs (Chicago), 30 inches in diameter and one of only three known to exist, realized $44,000; a Rock Island System Railroad reverse glass and mother of pearl inlaid sign, one of only a few known and in excellent condition, went for $33,000; and a rare Ashbury Bar, Jackson Lager reverse glass corner sign (circa 1910) hit $24,150.

A later replica Rolls-Royce version of a Moxiemobile car, made in the 1930s and used in parades to promote the soft drink Moxie, topped out at $21,850; a straight razor display case with 18 assorted celluloid handle straight razors, with brass price tags, climbed to $16,500; and a La Preferencia Cigar reverse glass sign in original frame (Tuchfarber Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, 1909) also went for $16,500.

A Consumers Brewing Company label under glass display mug, 10 inches tall, with handle, achieved $15,400 despite some minor flaws; an Early Hazard or Big Six table, with wheel, chip rack, hazard horn and disc (marked Evans, Chicago, Ill.), with claw feet, made $15,400; and extremely rare gambling ring guns, six-shot, with original bullets and case, in excellent condition, commanded $14,300.

An American National pedal car of a Hudson (Toledo, Ohio, 1932), with original paint and minor scratches, 48 inches long, sped off for $11,000; an extremely rare double roulette table by B.C. Willis Co. (Detroit, Mich.), with William Ellis early layouts, one of only three known, brought $11,000; and an Ivory Poker Buck (circa 1880), with a front that reads "You Deal," changed hands for $10,350.

A hand-carved Ivory Playing Card Press from the 1880s, with an unusual screw mechanism and the only example known, possibly a gift to a gambling industry executive, rose to $9,350; a prostitute's garter (circa 1890s), with fancy beaded trim and reading "Oh Stop!," 7 inches, breezed to $8,800; and an Oliver Chilled Plow Wood Sand sign (circa late 1880s), in excellent original condition, realized $7,700.

A Daisy Air Rifles paper banner titled "The Happy Daisy Boy ," with metal bands top and bottom, 14 inches by 21 inches, hit the mark for $7,150; a late 1800s trade sign for Eagle Halls Light Divine Optometrist with great visual appeal, 54 inches by 30 inches, fetched $6,600; and a Lucky Strike three-dimensional die-cut quad-fold store window cardboard display with four athletes brought $6,325.

Rounding out the top lots: a cast-iron cigar advertising clock for Katy Flyer Cigars in the shape of a train engine, possibly a one-of-a-kind and an exceptional example of tobacciana, made by Golden Novelty Mfg. Co. (Chicago, Ill.) crossed the finish line at $5,775; and a Will & Finck Faro Case Keeper in a cherry wood frame, with hand-carved boxwood cards, pips and ivory beads, garnered $5,463.

Showtime Auction Services already has four exciting sales lined up for 2010, starting with a catalog auction that ends Jan. 15. A wonderful selection of country store, advertising and miscellaneous items will be offered in the absentee, phone and Internet only auction.

Then, on Apr. 9-11, a live auction will be held at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor (catalogs ready March 1).

A summer catalog auction (absentee, phone and Internet bidding only) will end July 9, then the year will conclude with Showtime's live Fall Auction Oct. 1-3, also in Ann Arbor. Like the Apr. 9-11 sale, the fall 2010 event will feature a nice selection of gambling, coin-op, country store, advertising and miscellaneous items. Absentee, phone and Internet bids through LiveAuctioneers.com will also be accepted.

Showtime Auction Services is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, call Mike Eckles at 951-453-2415 or e-mail m This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Visit the company online at www.showtimeauctions.com.