DENVER, Pa. - Ask any collector of Halloween, Christmas or other seasonal antiques and they'll tell you that every day has the potential of being a holiday, whether the calendar says so or not. On September 11th, Morphy Auctions will offer collectors 890 reasons to celebrate in a fantastic Holiday Auction featuring rarities from several renowned specialty collections. Internet live bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The first 42 lots in the sale are from a wonderful collection of Halloween candy containers and lanterns assembled over the last 20 years by Connie and Jay Lowe of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The rare, early German-made items in this collection are of superior quality and are completely fresh to the market.

"Having the opportunity to acquire pieces from a collection as fine as Jay and Connie's does not come along very often," said Morphy's CEO, Dan Morphy. "There are so many highlights, it's hard to predict which ones will do best on auction day."

CHICAGO – A Chicago-area woman is passing down some of her space-age legacy, as never-before-seen art and Buck Rogers rarities go on the block in a half-million dollar “Big Buck” auction. On Saturday, Aug. 28, at Susanin’s Auctions fans and collectors from around the world are expected to compete for a chance to own a part of science fiction history. LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The original Buck Rogers was put into suspended animation and revived 500 years later, giving 1930s newspaper readers a startling glimpse of the future. Since then, he has become a pop culture icon, showing up every few decades in TV and movie incarnations to inspire new generations of science fiction fans. This auction, said Lorraine Dille, granddaughter of one of the Buck Rogers creators, will launch some of the earliest Buck Rogers material into the 21st century.

The collection that will be up for auction includes some 400 pieces of Buck Rogers memorabilia, most from the 1930s through 1950s, representing what Dille calls, “Classic Buck.” It was Dille’s grandfather, Chicago-based newspaper syndicate owner John F. Dille, who had the idea of bringing to life the nation’s first science fiction comic strip. In 1929, he hired writer and Philadelphia newspaper columnist Philip Francis Nowlan and Michigan illustrator Richard "Dick" Calkins to create a strip based on a piece Nolan had written for Amazing Stories Magazine. In it, a pilot named Anthony Rogers falls into a state of suspended animation and awakens in a colorful, space-raveling future. It was Dille who suggested a snappier first name for the character. The resulting comic strip, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, was an instant hit, appearing globally in more than 400 newspapers and inspiring space-age imitators like Flash Gordon.

 VINELAND, N.J. - If there were a World Cup for antique toys, the name engraved on the trophy quite likely would be that of K-B Toys co-founder and toy collector extraordinaire Donald Kaufman. The late Mr. Kaufman's incomparable array of antique and vintage toys - a blue-ribbon panoply of pre- and postwar production - has fascinated and seduced hobbyists the world over since Bertoia Auctions' 2008 announcement that the collection was to be sold.

 With three Kaufman auctions from the ongoing series now completed and the $9.3 million subtotal confirmed as the highest amount ever achieved at auction by a single-owner antique toy collection, it's time for collectors to assume a "now or never" mindset, said Bertoia Auctions' owner Jeanne Bertoia.

"It's hard to believe that so much of the collection has been sold, but we're now in the midst of planning part four of the collection, which will be auctioned on September 24th and 25th," Jeanne said. "The two-day session will represent the last of the European autos from Don's collection - this is it - but I think everyone is going to be very pleased to see that the quality of the European autos in part four is just as strong as in the previous sessions. We planned it that way." Jeanne noted that in spring of 2011 there will be a final, one-day sale to conclude the auction of the Kaufman toys, but that particular session will not include European toy vehicles.

TIMONIUM, Md. -  The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, the comic collector's Bible since 1970, celebrated the release of its landmark 40th annual edition with its debut at Comic-Con International: San Diego and in comic shops nationwide on Wednesday, July 21, 2010.

The Guide's founder, author and publisher Robert M. Overstreet was a special guest at Comic-Con and was the focus of several signings and a panel discussion, Gemstone Publishing said. Overstreet also participated in a fundraiser for The Hero Initiative, the 501(c)(3) charity that raises money for medical and other urgent expenses of veteran comic book creators in need.

This year's edition of the Guide includes new market insights, features and data, along with the most comprehensive listing of comics available. Perfect for both new collectors and seasoned enthusiasts, the Guide includes new entries in the Overstreet Hall of Fame, a comprehensive article on price variants, a look at how comic books are actually produced, a revised look at the history of the modern comic book, a remembrance of a pioneering retailer, a look at the first three million-dollar comic books, and much more.

TIMONIUM, Md. - Interest was keener than ever, and the bidding action was relentless in RSL Auction's sale of antique toys and banks held May 22nd at Richard Opfer's suburban Baltimore gallery. "We started at noon and finished at 20 till three - it was about two hours and 40 minutes of very serious bidding," said RSL co-owner Ray Haradin. Internet live bidding was provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

In all, the auction took in $1.8 million (all prices quoted include 21.5% buyer's  premium). "They came to buy; they didn't want to sit there with an auctioneer trying to milk a few extra dollars out of them," said Haradin. "When Rick [Opfer] is at the podium, you put your hand up or you don't get the toy."

The featured attraction of the 360-lot sale was the Richard C. Stevens collection, a 24-year assemblage of cast-iron mechanical banks boasting superb conditions and with provenance reflecting several of the most prestigious collections of the past half-century.

DENVER, Pa. - Worldwide competition for a high-end collection of antique toys resulted in a million-dollar gross at Morphy's on July 16-17 as the central Pennsylvania auction house presented the 28-year collection of retired California architect Michael O'Hearn. Internet live bidding was provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

"Interest in the O'Hearn collection, and in all of the toy consignments for that matter, was fierce," said auction house owner Dan Morphy. "The gallery was busy all day with in-house bidders, and we had the largest number of Internet bidders in Morphy's history." The final tally for the 1,354-lot sale was $1,050,000. All prices quoted are inclusive of 15% buyer's premium.

A futuristic postwar Japanese friction racer known as the Atom Jet, measuring an impressive 25½ inches long, commanded a strong price due to its originality and excellent condition. Against an estimate of $4,000-$8,000 the bizarre, dorsal-finned vehicle finished in a mint green color sped across the finish line at $15,500.

DENVER, Pa. - Dan Morphy Auctions' popular new series of Discovery Auctions continues with a Tuesday, July 27, 2010 event starting at 10 a.m. Eastern Time and featuring 605 assorted lots. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide the Internet live bidding for the sale.

The inventory encompasses many categories of antique and vintage items and includes the category for which Morphy's is so well known: toys. Bidders can choose from 50 pressed steel toys (including Buddy 'L'), 20 mechanical and still banks; 20 trains and 100 other toys of various types.

Additionally, a beautiful selection of jewelry will be offered, highlighted by more than 200 pieces of colorful, early Bakelite in novelty shapes, and 50 pieces of Native-American jewelry featuring turquoise, coral and onyx in sterling silver settings.

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The creators of the original teddy bear, Steiff, announced today that there will a grand opening celebration of the first Steiff Gallery in America on Aug. 5 at Simon's Atrium Mall in Chestnut Hill (Boston), Massachusetts. 

"It is our goal to make this store a wonderful destination and introduce Steiff to a whole new generation," says Jim Pitocco, President of Steiff North America.

To celebrate the opening, nine priceless treasures from the Steiff Museum and Archives in Germany will be on display from Aug. 5-19 only. Included in the display will be the first modern teddy bear ever made - the famous "Richard Steiff" bear. This is the first time this teddy will have ever been shown in the United States.

PITTSBURGH - Ray Haradin's Old Toy Soldier Auctions operates in a world of miniature antiques, but prices on top lots were strictly big league in the company's May 1 auction featuring the collections of John Graham (part III), brothers Bill and Don Thompson, and other consignors.

"At $229,000 with 99 percent of the lots sold, it was, by far, our best sale to date," said Haradin. "I was thrilled with the result."

The 645-lot auction inventory featured an extraordinary toy soldier collection that was established in the 1940s by two brothers from Chicago, Don and (the late) Bill Thompson. When their family moved to California in 1947, the boys' carefully wrapped and boxed toys made the journey as well, but they would remain in quiet storage until 2009, when they were unwrapped and assessed for auction purposes.