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Exceptional pieces of antique furniture play by quite different rules to the more standard items when it comes to price performance.

The toy ripped open from plastic and cardboard may bring joy to a child – but it is the simple packaging that makes the big money when that child becomes a collector with an eye on pounds, not play value.

Strong sales of Modern and Contemporary art plus the Félix Marcilhac decorative arts collection helped propel Sotheby’s to the highest auction total in France in 2014, with sales figures of €213m.

Specialist fine art insurance brokers Anthony Wakefield & Co. are to offer cover for auctions cancelled or abandoned due to technical failure.

The owner of leading south Florida auction house Elite Decorative Arts has pleaded guilty to wildlife trafficking and agreed to a fine of $1.5m.

A series of three events aimed at collectors and art enthusiasts in the run up to TEFAF Maastricht (March 13-22) launches next week in London to promote the fair.

This version of John Constable’s (1776-1837) celebrated painting ‘Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’ sold for $4.5m (£3.1m) at Sotheby’s Old Master sale in New York yesterday. It was an oil sketch with quite a backstory.

Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions are to conduct monthly collectors’ sales in collaboration with website The Auction Room – the first taking place on February 4-5.

Masterpiece London 2015 have signed Bond Street dealership Richard Green – a significant boost to this year’s event.

The buyer of £25.5m worth of artworks left on a train in Italy faces a legal claim from the heir of the man from whom they were stolen in 1970.

Sotheby's have announced a new buyer’s premium structure in New York. Effective from February 1, the rates will apply as follows:

The heavy volume of snow on the East Coast of America has led to the cancelling and rescheduling of auctions.

The tribunal that will decide if British showground fairs must charge 20% VAT on pitch rentals will go ahead on February 10-12.

A fine quality mahogany commode with a blue-chip provenance proved the star lot at Lawrences’ latest furniture auction in Crewkerne.

Heritage Auctions of Dallas and New York have reported their best year ever in 2014, with sales topping $969m.

Leading Lyon & Turnbull’s latest furniture and works of art sale in Edinburgh was this fine George II mahogany breakfront bookcase c.1755 in the manner of Vile and Cobb.

David and Lee Ann Lester have cancelled their American International Fine Art Fair in Palm Beach, Florida at the last moment, citing changing market forces.

What has been billed as the most significant sale of French 17th and 18th century paintings for 20 years was announced earlier this month.

Christie’s expect the influence of Asian buyers to be at the forefront of growth in the coming year as they report £5.1bn/$8.4bn total sales for the company in 2014.

Sotheby’s, who have yet to publish full results for 2014, have announced headline figures for auction sales (up 18% at £3.7bn/$6bn), their highest ever total.