CANAAN, N.Y. – A lot of 20 decorator-bound early books containing early printings from the 1700s and 1800s were lofted to $130,000, including buyer’s premium, at a multi-estate sale conducted by Ralph Fontaine’s Heritage Auctions on July 18. As with all of the lots featured in Fontaine’s unreserved sale, the group started out with a $25-$1,000 estimate. It wasn’t long, however, before the action heated up and 28 competing bids took the books to their final price. In the end, a dealer bidding in the gallery was an underbidder and another dealer bidding on the phone prevailed. The books were from the Barthlof estate in southern Berkshire County, Mass., according to Ralph Fontaine. “They were descendants of Alexander Hamilton. We sold the military items a few auctions ago. The books were in great shape, having been locked up in the mansion for some time. It was like opening a time capsule.” For more information, 413-441-7641 or www.fontaineheritage.com.