DALLAS – Anyone doubting the legitimacy of vintage movie posters as an art form might change their opinion after consulting LiveAuctioneers.com’s archive of prices realized from past sales. Movie posters are true Americana, with an appeal to all ages and an affordability that runs from less than $100 to nearly half a million dollars.

Consistently, it is horror movie posters that have earned the most money at auction, like the Frankenstein one-sheet that made $207,000, inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium. It was Heritage Auction Galleries’ turn to take the spotlight on Nov. 12-13 as the only known Style B one-sheet movie poster for the 1934 Universal classic The Black Cat rang the register at $334,600 (inclusive of 19.5% buyer's premium).

The Black Cat was the first collaboration between Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, and many would argue their best.

“The graphically spectacular red, black and white stone lithograph Black Cat movie poster is that rare collectible that transcends its genre,” said Grey Smith, director of Vintage Movie Posters at Heritage. “Yes, it’s a gorgeous movie poster, but it also carries great appeal as a piece of art, as a piece of pop culture and as an important piece of cinematic history. There’s no other movie poster like it in the world, as far as we know, and it’s worth every cent paid for it.”

The poster came to Heritage from renowned collector Todd Feiertag, whose collection also supplied the copy of The Mummy, which sold for $453,500 in 1997 at a different auction house. The $334,600 price paid for the poster ties it for fourth place overall on the all-time list of top-selling movie posters, together with a Style D one-sheet for The Bride of Frankenstein, sold at Heritage Auctions in November 2007.

“As ever, classic horror is the top in the world of vintage movie poster collecting,” said Smith. “It was a thrill to auction this poster, and we can't wait to see what turns up next.”

Search for movie posters in upcoming sales at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. - Low reserves and reasonable estimates for top property brought Sollo Rago’s Modern Auction of Oct. 24-25 to a total of just over $3,000,000. (All prices include 22% buyer’s premium.) When the final lot hammered, Sollo Rago was 73% sold.

The economy didn’t keep top designers and tastemakers away from the sale, either. Bidders included Vincente Wolf, Peter Marino, Susan Gutfreund, well-known names from Hollywood and the international art scene, as well as leading dealers from the U.S. and abroad.

The most expensive buy of the day was lot 26, a Wharton Esherick buffet with a sculpted walnut top set upon a curved solid walnut base. The buffet, with seven drawers and a two-door cabinet, sold at the midpoint of its $280,000-$380,000 estimate with a winning bid of $335,500.

Other stand-outs among the furniture in October included lot 23a, a gilt hand chair by Pedro Friedeberg, which sold for $19,520 against an estimate of $3,000-5,000; lot 336, a polished Prism bench by John Lewis which sold for $$32,940 against an estimate of $12,000-18,000; lot 401A, a nine-drawer dresser by Tommi Parzinger, which sold for $28,060 against an estimate of $12,000-18,000; and lot 801, a set of four chairs by Jean Prouve, which sold for $26,840 against an estimate of $10,000-12,000.

The sale featured a fine assortment of decorative arts. Pots by Claude Conover did extremely well, selling for as much as $18,300, far above estimates. A Jun Kaneko vessel, lot 443, did very well, too, selling for $12,810 against its estimate of $4,000-6,000. Lot 624, a Gambone shouldered vase sold high at $5,490 against its estimate of $2,000-4,000. Dan Dailey’s work also sold well, most notably, lot 399a, a sculptural glass vessel for $19,520 against an estimate of $8,000-12,000.

Some of the heaviest bidding of the weekend was for four Alexander Calder tapestries, including lot 53, “Turquoise” which sold for $10,980 against an estimate of $4,000-6,000.

Of the lighting lots, three stand-out: lot 94, a Donald Deskey floor lamp, which sold for $15,860 against an estimate of $3,000-5,000; lot 644, a Venini polyhedron glass chandelier which sold for $$10,980 against an estimate of $3,000-4,000; and lot 901, a desk lamp by Tynell, which sold for $8,540 against an estimate of $3,500-5,500.

The most unusual lot of the sale belonged to Phillip Lloyd Powell and was, in fact, a heavily carved 12-foot door from one of his New Hope, Pa., homes. Entered as lot 342, it sold to a museum collecting Powell's work, for $54,900.

As of this sale, John Sollo is taking a less active role day-to-day and will continue as a consulting partner specializing in Modern design. David Rago and Suzanne Perrault will head a re-organized department of 20th Century Decorative Arts and Furnishings, holding two sales in January, April and October 2010, inclusive of all the major design movements of the 20th century.

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TIMONIUM, Md. – Record prices were achieved at RSL Auction’s 477-lot Bountiful Harvest sale held Oct. 17, 2009 in the Baltimore suburb of Timonium, Maryland. The multiple-consignor offering anchored by top-tier pieces from long-held collections ended up being the company’s most successful auction to date, according to Ray Haradin, who owns RSL Auction in partnership with brothers Steven and Leon Weiss. The sale total, inclusive of 17.5% buyer’s premium, exceeded one million dollars.

“Prices were very strong, and there were a number of world auction records set,” said Haradin, “but what amazed us most was the number of executives from the financial sector who were bidding in the sale, mostly by phone and absentee. They were very competitive and accounted for the bulk of the sales.”

The record books were rewritten from the very first lot of the sale – a boxed circa-1915 Hubley cast-iron Royal Circus Calliope that reached $22,325. Following closely behind, another toy from the Royal Circus series, a Tiger Cage pulled by plumed horses, mint and accompanied by its original box, earned $12,925. A circa-1890 Kyser & Rex cast-iron circus wagon with revolving bear and kangaroo figures also proved to be a crowd-pleaser, finishing at $8,812.50.

Cast-iron mechanical banks comprised the top tier, pricewise, with the vast majority selling within estimate. A Shepard Hardware Picture Gallery bank (ex Bob Brady collection) rose to $52,875; as did a circa-1905 Kenton Hardware Mama Katzenjammer bank regarded as one of the best extant examples. Other top sellers among the mechanical banks included one of only five or six known original examples of the circa-1910 North Pole bank, $42,125; a rare Panorama bank of cast iron, wood and lithographed paper, $25,850; and a boxed, near-mint, circa-1892 Artillery bank (Union soldier version), $9,400. All three were made by J. & E. Stevens of Cromwell, Connecticut.

Bidding ran hot on an extremely scarce multicolored Uncle Sam bust bank attributed to the Ives, Blakeslee company. One of only two known examples of the polychrome-painted version, the cast-iron novelty sports a humorous action. When a coin is dropped into Uncle Sam’s hat, his goatee jiggles as the coin is accepted. Estimated at $7,000-$9,000, it did its patriotic duty for the economy by garnering $17,625.

A very rare circa-1895 cast-iron and lead mechanical bank depicting the 16th-century Graz Clock Tower in Schlossberg, Austria, one of five known and featuring a “disappearing drawer” feature, was offered with provenance that included the collection of veteran bank collector John Haley. It made $8,225 against an estimate of $4,500-$6,500. Always a favorite with mechanical bank fans, a circa-1871 J. & E. Stevens cast-iron and tin Horse Race bank crossed the finish line within estimate at $19,975.

Haradin said there was intense interest in the still banks made of spelter, a thin zinc alloy that allows fine detailing in the mold, resulting in a realistic quality to the finished product. “German spelter banks are among the few still banks that attract cross-over attention from mechanical bank collectors,” Haradin said. “They like the detail and color.”

Leading the spelter banks was a Grandpa Cat with long-stemmed pipe. Possibly a unique example, the colorful 7-inch bank smoked past its $3,000-$5,000 to finish its bidding run at $8,812.

Still banks of other materials found favor with bidders, as well. A large A.C. Williams Camel bank with appealing, bright colors on its saddle raced past its $900-$1,200 estimate to settle at $1,880; while a politically important circa-1908 J.M. Harper brass “Smiling Jim/Peaceful Bill” bank representing the Taft-Sherman Act realized $3,760.

In the clockwork American toys category, a dated (1900) Ives Harvard Football Kicker, ex Louis Hertz collection and possibly the only one in existence, scored $5,580. A painted tin classic measuring 15 inches in length, Althof Bergmann’s circa-1880 horse-drawn gig with driver trotted off into the sunset at $9,400.

Sixty-one lots sold online through LiveAuctioneers, accounting for 12.8% of the sale. The top Internet lot was a circa-1890 J. & W. Stevens Clown on Globe mechanical bank with tan base. It sold for $2,794.50.

“What this sale told me is that there’s still a premium being paid for condition and rarity – especially rarity,” said Haradin. “We saw that with the competition over the Graz Tower bank and rare-variation Uncle Sam. Banks like this are not on the wish lists of all that many people, but seasoned collectors like to fill in the slots of their collections with things they don’t already have. Obviously these two banks fit that order for quite a few people.”

On May 22, 2010, RSL Auction Co. will host its Quality Sale at Richard Opfer’s gallery in Timonium, Md., with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. The auction will feature 200-250 lots of select toys and banks. Additional information will be available online at www.rslauctions.com. Contact Ray Haradin at 412-343-8733, Leon Weiss at 917-991-7352, and Steven Weiss at 212-729-0011.

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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.

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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.

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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