Kohler offered a ballpark number on what the contracts might fetch at auction.

Within months, Carole's house had been completely cleared out and sold for £355,000 - a low price, the neighbours thought, considering other houses in the street were fetching up to half a million.

While the items were expected to fetch more than £1,000, the auction was opened with a starting bid of £6,000.

When ground cinnamon is prepared, some producers may add lead compounds intentionally to enhance the weight or color of the product and, thus, fetch a higher sale price.

An oil painting of a Māori elder has fetched a record price at an auction on Tuesday, making it the most valuable artwork of its kind in New Zealand history.