Forbes.com rolls its eyes at the Photography sales pointing to the lackluster price action brought on by the recession and the prevalence of familiar images and names like Mapplethorpe, Avedon, Penn and Newton:

“There’s almost nothing that’s exciting or that I haven’t seen before,” laments longtime dealer Howard Greenberg.

Curiously, they devote the rest of the story to a 1940s-era Christmas card collage by Herbert Bayer being sold at Bloomsbury this week:

“This Christmas card may not be a major piece,” notes New York dealer Tom Gitterman, “but Bayer is a major artist. He’s one of those artists that moved between photography and other parts of the art world.” [ . . . ]

But, notes New York dealer Rick Wester, the price on the Bayer is in the range that’s attracting the most buyers at the moment. “It’s a very powerful little object,” he observes of the holiday card. “It signifies hope, which is timely, but also timeless.”

Christmas Card Stands Out at Photo Auctions (Forbes.com)