Almost every recent hit film has been auctioned, and the prices have often reflected intense bidding.

Most people seemed stunned but delighted with the intense bidding on the Johns and everything else.

The satisfaction that came from knowing it had been a successful day more than made up for the tension that came from all the intense bidding.

Beth Gates-Warren, who heads Sotheby's photography sales in New York, explained why these works had commanded such intense bidding.

The vase was sold to William Chak, a Hong Kong art dealer, after several minutes of intense bidding.

"There was a lot of very intense bidding."

Initial estimates suggested the portfolio would attract around $2bn (£1.24bn) but the four days of intense bidding saw the total rise sharply.

But now, with so much money chasing so few deals, properties that have established brand names and virtually guaranteed income often inspire intense bidding.

The necklace went for $2,000 after intense bidding, mostly from buyers on the Internet (www.dawsons.org).

He said these contracts would be designed to increase plant profits, and would likely become the object of intense bidding among factories.