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VINELAND, N.J. â Hours before Bertoia Auctionsâ president and auctioneer Michael Bertoia announced the first lot at the companyâs Oct. 11 sale of the Tony Annese collection, there were strong indications that an exceptional day of selling lay ahead. With a standing-room-only crowd, phone lines block-booked for the entire session, and two Internet platforms bustling with bidders, it was clear that antique toy collectors worldwide were ready to play. As a result of the unrelenting competition, the 650-lot sale ran two hours longer than anticipated, and its final tally was nearly $1.8 million. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.