...and the winner is!

Maggie Martin/The Times

Going...Going...Gone!

Sold to bidder 656 — Paul L. Schuetze!

Yep, that’s hubby Paul showing off a wood sculpture of two birds he bought at the President and Mrs. Gerald Ford Charity Auction, Beaver Creek, Colo. ( He also got three Henry Mancini Records for $10. I picked up several things in the "Small Treasures Tag Sale" at the end of the day when they allowed you to make an offer they couldn’t refuse because they needed to move things. That was fun!)

We read about the auction while vacationing for two weeks in Colorado. (Cool Colorado. It was 60 degrees when we drove out of the Rockies near Breckenridge early Friday morning.)

The fund raiser was held at the Beaver Creek Village Hall. Proceeds went to three charities in the area selected by Betty Ford.

When we arrived, we ran into Shreveporter Melissa Simon, who was also a successful bidder on a metal bird sculpture.

All of us bid on an assortment of other items, but others from around the country outbid us.

It was amazing what went for under $100 and what soared in price.

A sampling: Limited Edition Lithograph, "Chicken in a Basket," signed and numbered, $60. (One thing we wanted but arrived too late to bid on it.); Limoges breakfast set, $100; Chippendale style camel back sofa, $100; sterling silver vase, $550; Russian lacquerware tray, $500; antique music stand, $2,500; pair of walnut nightstands, $150; pair of antique glass decanters, $90; antique double handled copper pot, $320; and antique iron doll’s sled, $150.