(EMAILWIRE.COM, April 24, 2006 ) DENVER, PA. – In addition to being one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors, Leonardo DiCaprio also heads a foundation that supports environmental-protection efforts in ecologically sensitive regions of the world. Over the weekend of March 30-31 and April 1 at Morphy Auctions in Lancaster County, Pa., the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (www.leonardodicaprio.org) became the beneficiary of a $110,000 donation from the sale of DiCaprio’s personal collection of vintage toys.

The stardust factor obviously came into play as bidders paid premium prices to own toys with special tags identifying them as having come from the DiCaprio collection. Immediately after the sale, Dan Morphy, chief operating officer of Morphy Auctions, contacted DiCaprio’s personal assistant with the news that the toys had brought more than triple their presale estimates. DiCaprio, who was on a movie set in Africa as the auction was going on, was notified of the total and, through his assistant, conveyed his thanks and expressed that he was “very pleased” with the results.

The three-day auction, which grossed $2.8 million, contained several other high-profile consignments, including the blue-chip American antique toys of well-known collector and dealer Bob Brady. The Brady grouping featured a number of rare 19th century mechanical banks, including two that chalked up individual selling prices in excess of $100,000.

Morphy Auctions, now owned by Diamond International Galleries Inc., of Baltimore, was founded 2½ years ago by two like-minded collectors, Dan Morphy and Tom Sage Jr. The company achieved almost immediate success, and is one of the fastest growing auction companies in America.

Contact: Tel. (717) 335-3435 www.morphyauctions.com
# # #

Contact Information:

Catherine Watson
Tel:
Email us


This is a press release. Press release distribution and press release services by EmailWire.Com: http://www.emailwire.com/us-press-release-distribution.php.