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HOLIDAY GIFTS AT WILLIAM DOYLE

(with 3 photos)

NEW YORK CITY -- William Doyle Galleries' annual holiday gifts sale on

December 1 attracted private collectors and dealers from across the country

with crystal, porcelain, silver and other decorative pieces, as well as

antique toys, military miniatures, and other collectibles.

Several items growing in popularity sold far above their estimates. A two-cent

arcade football game, with mechanical players outfitted in red and white

crocheted team sweaters, was purchased for $3,450. Two fully furnished

dollhouses, a three-story Victorian dollhouse which included a three-piece

suite of horn furniture and a brown tufted Chesterfield sofa among its

decorations, and a three-story colonial house, furnished with several unusual

signed pieces of furniture, brought $2,645 and $2,300 respectively.

A tin locomotive and tender in excellent condition, saw competitive bidding

and commanded $1,380.

Items from Walt Disney Productions commanded high prices. Two original

drawings on celluloid were offered: "The Huntsman," used in making the film

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was purchased for $1,092, while "The Ugly

Duckling," depicting the duckling stepping out of an egg, had competitive

bidding and sold for $1,035.

The sale also featured a Victorian and Edwardian silver and desktop items from

a private collection. Fierce competition for many of these pieces achieved

sales above their estimate. A Victorian silver regatta prize awarded to

Trinity College crew, Cambridge, circa 1860, was purchased for $977; three

examples of Royal Copenhagen porcelain figures, each depicting a child with

flowers and wearing regional dress, commanded $1,840; and a Danish sterling

silver paper knife tripled its high estimate at $1,035.

Specialist Anne Igelbrink of the furniture and decorations, department

commented, "The strong prices achieved for the Victorian and Edwardian items

indicate a growing desire to unusual property that serves to compliment the

more traditional objects."

Several items from Tiffany & Co. included a sterling silver and copper overlay

picture frame, circa 1907-38, which sold for $2,070, and an oval sterling

silver and cut glass tray, with a pierced scrolling foliate border, which

brought $1,265. Interest in these pieces was likely due to their condition and

early date of manufacture.

Steuben glass pieces offered included a glass and gilt-metal figure depicting

a gilt-metal worm curved around the stem of a blown glass apple, complete with

a fitted presentation case, which achieved a price high above its estimate at

$1,840, and a glass and sterling paper knife, which sold for $1,150.

William Doyle Galleries will hold its next auction of collectibles in April.

An auction of wedding gifts will also be held in April.

For information, 212/427-2730.