Certainly the standing-room-only salesroom looked as jammed as it had in the mid-1980's, and there were moments of fierce bidding.

After two months of fierce bidding, Doubleday & Company, the book publisher, won controlling interest in the team for $21 million.

Ms. Bethel said she expected fierce bidding from collectors and institutions.

After fierce bidding in the sales room and on the telephone, it sold for $9.6 million to an unidentified private European collector.

Christie's said more than 1,100 clients had taken part in "fierce" bidding.

The sales went straight from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. because of fierce bidding in the room and on the phone.

Because of budget restraints and fierce bidding from developers, the state has been unable to act quickly enough to purchase and protect these lands.

After fierce bidding, the work sold to an unidentified telephone bidder for $508,500, more than double its high estimate of $250,000.

When the fierce bidding ended a few months ago, the winner was C. Itoh, the big Japanese trading house.

There can be fierce bidding and rising prices for drugs that are close to reaching market, raising the risks for drug companies.