TIDMONIUM, MD. — Richard Opfer’s Annual Egg Nog Auction set the table for holiday sales on December 15 with more than 400 lots of fine silver, jewelry, fine arts and decorative arts. A six-piece sterling silver coffee service from Kirk & Son outshined its $4/6,000 estimate at $10,455, including buyer’s premium, leading the sale with other examples of sterling and gold flatware and service ware that were prominent in the top lots.

NEW YORK CITY — On Thursday, December 15, Sotheby’s offered “The Halpern Judaica Collection: Tradition and Treasure, Part I,” 138 lots from the collection of the late Judaica collector, Abraham Halpern. Noted for its breadth and depth, the jewel of Halpern’s collection was the textiles, many of of the lots were rare survivors of which few if any other examples are known.

DANIA BEACH, FLA. — Known primarily for its auctions of estate, designer and antique jewelry and luxury timepieces, Kodner brought French furniture and decoration across the block for its December 15 sale.

NEW YORK CITY — It was the penultimate illustration in Madeline’s Christmas versus Charles Addams’ quirky “Rock Climbers” cartoon in the ring at Swann Auction Galleries’ sale of illustration art on December 15. The bout ended with both pieces landing at $37,500, including buyer’s premium. Ludwig Bemelmans’ (1898-1962) “Miss Clavel again quite well…,” 1956, from Madeline’s Christmas was first published as a special insert in the 1956 Christmas edition of McCall’s Magazine and then in its first hardcover bound edition in 1985.

DALLAS — An American flag that flew on two of the most significant space missions of all time soared to $300,000 to lead Heritage Auctions’ Space Exploration Signature sale to $2,254,958 on December 15 and 16. The out-of-this-world result for the Apollo 11 and Gemini 10-flown largest size American flag, signed and certified by Michael Collins, directly from his personal collection, was six times its estimate.

WILLISTON, VT. — Changing with the times, Merrill’s December 16 sale featured video games, pinball machines, midcentury furniture and more Twentieth Century material. The sale also included the items that the company traditionally has been known for: paintings, jewelry, gold coins and currency, studio pottery and glass, silver and more.

MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – European décor and design were the focus of a Bonhams Skinner online auction that ran from November 21 to December 1. Sculptures ruled the roost, with three Massachusetts consignments commanding high prices. An Antonio Rossetti white marble statue of a veiled cupid, “Amore Segreto,” was signed and dated “A. E. Rossetti […] / Roma 1878,” and stood atop a marble pedestal. The 36-inch-high statue on a 43-inch pedestal finished at $14,025.

DALLAS – Collectors, connoisseurs and curators of political and historical objects found much to admire and pursue when Heritage Auctions conducted a few sales the week after Thanksgiving. Texana was first on deck on November 30, a boutique sale of less than 100 lots of maps, documents and books all connected with the history of the Lone Star State, an auction that roped in $355,500.

DENVILLE, N.J. – The first annual Christmas Antiques & Design Market, organized by D. Turi Antique Shows and co-sponsored by the Denville Historical Society & Museum, hosted 45 dealers at Morris Catholic High School on December 3 and 4.