The Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society has some extra funds this Christmas season, thanks to the staff at Royal City Jewellers and the competitive bidders in their 2011 Tie Day auction.
The month-long auction closed Nov. 26 and the store is in the process of collecting the last of the winning bids and sending out ties.
"We didn't do bad. We got just over $6,800, including ties and donations," said Maryanne Wise, office manager at Royal City Jewellers.
This year's hottest item was a tie signed by the cast of Supernatural, a teen thriller sometimes filmed in New Westminster. That tie went for $520.
Sure to stoke a sibling rivalry, the Vancouver Canuck's Henrik-and Daniel Sedin-autographed ties went for $260 and $256, respectively. Both ties, as well as an oil painting of the twins, went to the same person.
Jan Arden, who contributes an autographed and illustrated tie every year, continued to be among the most popular celebrities tie donors, with her tie going for $255.
Don Cherry, meanwhile, came in at $201.
Surprising for Wise, Matt Damon's autographed tie only fetched $60.
"You would have thought he would have been bigger, wouldn't you? The bidders didn't think so," she said.
Royal City Jewellers has raised about $200,000 for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society in the 15 years it has run the Tie Day auction, according to owner Michael Isman.
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