DOES ANYONE KNOW IF RDN ARE POSSIBLY BEING TAKEN OVER BY WATERFORD'S, PRICE IS SLOWLY MOVING UP AND IN LATE SEPTEMBER DIRECTORS WERE BUYING IN WITH BIG AMOUNTS???????????????

and this....

DOULTON GETS A LOT FROM HISTORIC SALE

STEPHEN HOUGHTON

12:00 - 06 October 2004

Royal Doulton has collected around 600,000 from the sale of more historic wares from its prized museum collection. London auction house Bonhams confirmed the firm's disposal of more than 100 rare Minton wares made 602,315 after commission.

The Etruria-based company had been expected to make at least 320,000.

Top lot was an 1880 Pate-sur-Pate vase, which fetched 47,800 - almost six times its upper estimate of 8,000.

The sale again sparked criticism of the company's management for disposing of historic works of art, although the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery bought three pieces for its collection.

Friends Of The Museum treasurer Geoffrey Snow calculated the company would receive around 540,000 after all the auctioneers' expenses and VAT were taken into account.

Mr Snow said: "Once more we've seen all these items go out of Stoke-on-Trent into collectors' hands, just to pay for about three week's losses.

"The company is losing 40,000 a day. If it could have avoided losing that money for three weeks, it could have afforded to keep them in this area."

The Hanley-based museum paid 5,500 for a Minton Majolica heron walking stick stand, 3,600 for a Minton plaque, and 620 for a Pate-sur-Pate vase.

An online catalogue of items drawn up by Bonhams showed 118 lots were to go under the hammer.

The minimum estimated total value of the wares was 318,150, with a maximum of 448,120.

Only two items remained unsold - a Majolica wall plaque, estimated at up to 1,000, and three storage jars, estimated at up to 150. However, many wares raised more than expected, including a very rare "Round Robin" teapot, which sold for 20,315 compared to an estimate of between 3,000 and 5,000.

Bonhams confirmed a second Masterpieces of Minton auction is to take place later this month.

A spokesman said: "This sale went exceptionally well. The sale room was full, and there must have been 70 people there which was quite a lot for such a sale."

She added the auction house expected a similar reaction from buyers at the second sale, due to the wares being the last of Royal Doulton's museum collection.

stephen.houghton@thesentinel.co.uk

money into the pot (pardon the pun!) and bid rumours....cant be bad.....

ah ha! Bit of Spring/Winter cleaning/clearout before an event - possibly? 40k per day - bloody hell!

aye 40k a day supposedly...stated by the upset museum man who is sad to to see the pots go....bitter methinks....

pH 1 at least. Never mind, he is living in the past whilst we are spending are future gains. (I know who is having more fun - inaddition to the sleepless nights). Come on RDN, capitulate and put us all in the Casino in Monte!

hi mate...creeping up again I see...

charts still looking positive......

Don't get too excited Dynamicsoul, we have been waiting for a long time for this. Rewards soon. Fingers xed.

xxed they are...

I have a good feeling this is going to make a high soon...

xxxed!

:)

and again...big moves still to come?

Here it is!

BID News

out at 11p today for a pretty packet..

regards

cant believe some are holding on advfn...for another penny if the possible deal goes through...lol...and if it doesnt?..

come on..lets not be greedy!

Lol

thought this would happen when i started this original thread everyone!!!

Hope there are some out there making a bit of cash at the moment!!!