VINELAND, NJ.- What’s an auctioneer’s first clue that a sale is going to be a barnburner? “Running out of catalogues,” answered Bertoia Auctions associate Rich Bertoia, referring, in particular, to the company’s Nov. 13-15 Holiday Surprises event, which grossed $1,867,000.

“It was the diversity and quality of the goods that caused the rush on catalogs. With every passing week in the run-up to the sale, more and more catalogs were leaving the gallery. I knew we would run out, which is very unusual for us because we always make sure we publish a bumper supply. So that no one would be disappointed, in the two weeks prior to the auction, if someone called about a particular category in the sale, we would mail them a color copy of the catalog section that interested them,” Bertoia said.

Inside the thick, full-color catalog with a cheery Santa-in-sleigh toy on the cover were 2,240 lots of premium-quality toys, trains, banks, dolls, bears, games, doorstops and holiday antiques. And there were scores of buyers for each and every one of the categories.

“Everything was in demand, but European hand-painted tin was exceptionally strong,” Bertoia observed. “I would say one-fourth of it was shipped back to Europe and three-fourths went to American buyers.

Lot 73, a Fernand Martin “Parisian Woman” clockwork toy in elegant attire, looked ready for a stroll down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees. The scarce French toy was acquired for $8,260.

The top lot of the sale was Lot 297A, a 30-inch-long Marklin “Olga” battleship, which sailed across the Atlantic to a European bidder for $29,500 (all prices quoted inclusive of buyer’s premium).

Although diminutive, the penny toys that crossed the auction block required many pennies, indeed, to be purchased during the opening session. A German Meier lithographed tin Father Christmas penny toy more than fulfilled expectations at $5,015.

Cast iron performed extremely well. Lot 750, a circa-1929 Arcade “White” delivery panel van with advertising for “Peerless Cleaning & Dyeing” sped past its $10,000-$12,000 estimate to settle at $21,240. Lot 860, a Hubley cast-iron Santa in sleigh pulled by two reindeer and measuring 16½ inches long dashed away for $8,260.

Leading the Christmas antiques was Lot 2172, a large and impressive key-wind nodding Santa with composition body, fur beard and hair, and fur-trimmed coat. Against an estimate of $4,000-$6,000, the holiday gift-giver delivered a winning bid of $11,210. Not far behind in the price stakes, Lot 2170, a wonderful Santa in loofah sleigh pulled by a proud, glass-eyed reindeer realized $8,850, well surpassing its $4,000-$7,000 estimate. “These are prices we had not seen in the marketplace for years,” Bertoia commented.

The interest level was tremendous. The three-day event attracted a sizable crowd to the gallery plus hundreds of absentee and phone bidders, and 2,800 online participants through LiveAuctioneers. “People are very comfortable bidding with us. Our reputation and track record for accurate cataloging really seal a ‘rest assured’ online process. It truly has become an integral part of auctions today,” said Bertoia Auctions’ owner, Jeanne Bertoia.

Because their buyers are located in all corners of the world, the work continues for Bertoia’s staff well after an auction has taken place.

“We’re very particular about how our auction goods are packed and shipped, so we do it all ourselves,” Jeanne said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it when we receive nice letters and calls from buyers telling us how happy they are with their purchases. We love it when people say, ‘We love what you sell.’”