By Valerie Strauss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 11, 2007

The auctioneer slammed the gavel, and away went the antique Tiffany silver set -- all 288 pieces in the Chrysanthemum pattern, complete with a berry spoon, ice cream forks (yes, forks for ice cream), a tomato server and a sugar sifter. The crowd applauded the price of $32,500 and the destination of the proceeds, the Washington Teachers' Union.

That was the start of the sale yesterday of former union president Barbara Bullock's silver, furs, handbags and other items worth about $800,000 -- loot purchased with money she was convicted of stealing from teachers she was supposed to be leading.

Yesterday, while Bullock sat in a West Virginia prison serving her 6 1/2 -year term, her former possessions went on the auction block at Sloans & Kenyon Auctioneers and Appraisers in Chevy Chase. Scores of people showed up to gawk and to buy. "I'm looking for a jacket," said Clarence Gary of Hyattsville, who had his eye on one of two fur jackets for men. He was outbid both times.

"I'm after a handbag," said his wife, Linda Gary, "the brown classic Chanel."

"I'm here for the furs," said Barbara Nichols of the District. And she got one: Lot No. 916, the lady's sheared mink full-length coat. Estimated in the catalog at $1,000 to $1,500, Nichols paid $4,800 after a fierce bidding war. A self-proclaimed expert in the lobby had told her that the coat was worth as much as $14,000 and that it had never been worn. There wasn't a single crease in the silk lining.

"I'm so happy," Nichols said as her neighbors hugged her after the purchase.

It was not a typical Sloans & Kenyon auction, according to regulars, who said that the crowd was at least three times larger than usual. The auction house had been besieged with phone calls for days asking about the Bullock merchandise, said Marcia Morgan, a customer care specialist who said she would more accurately be described as "the person who is going nuts from all the calls."

Some novices were unaware that the price the auctioneer sells an item for is not the final price. In fact, an 18 percent buyer's fee is tacked on to every purchase $100,000 or less, as are taxes and other fees.

The auction began about 10:15 a.m. Many were disappointed that Bullock's items -- among more than 650 on auction yesterday -- did not come up first. Still, they waited through rugs, Louis XVI-style furniture, scrimshaw-decorated smoking accessories and carved meerschaum pipes (in the whimsical shapes of skeletons, a tiger, a bulldog and Abraham Lincoln).

About 2 p.m., a cart of Bullock's furs was brought in, and the crowd began to giggle and buzz.

"Look at that one!" said one woman.

"No, look at that one!" her friend said.

"They are so big. She must be really large." (Bullock is at least 6 feet tall.)

"She had such good taste," one woman said.

"Well, it wasn't really good taste to steal all of this, but she does know her handbags," said someone near her.

Union Controller Derrick Palmer smiled as the auction began, seeing dollar signs ringing up in the union's register. Not all the items were for sale at this auction, and it was unclear exactly how much money was made. Union officials are hoping to recoup up to $3 million of the $4.5 million that Bullock was convicted of stealing.

"I can't wait to deposit it all," Palmer said as he gazed at 19th-century Tiffany silver in an oak Tiffany box designed with a special compartment for each piece. In January 2004, Bullock was sentenced to nine years in jail and three years in a halfway house for stealing from the union in an elaborate scheme that lasted for more than a decade. But this past January, Bullock won a 2 1/2 -year reduction in her nine-year sentence because she cooperated with authorities in the investigation of two other defendants, and she has mentored women in jail. She has less than three years remaining in her term.

Also up for sale were works by Andy Warhol and strands of hair from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. A Tsuguhara Foujita painting was priced between $100,000 and $150,000. But there was nary a word about these items as the crowd waited for Bullock's items. There were 13 furs and 37 handbags up for auction from a variety of designers: Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Escada, Dolce & Gabbana, Judith Leiber and Kieselstein-Cord. Bullock was a fan of Chanel purses: There were 11 in various colors and designs.

The Chanel bags were the most popular among many women, but not to Gilan Corn of Bethesda, who came to bid on a painting.

"I had no idea about this. What's going on?" she asked.