Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The New York Times' move to a glitzy office tower is good news for some unlikely profiteers, including Toronto antiques dealer Kent Martin.

Martin's Five O Seven Antiques was one of three bidders for a 25-foot mahogany conference table from the Times' executive boardroom that was auctioned on Aug. 4 at Manhattan's no-frills Tepper Galleries. The piece was estimated to sell for as much as $7,000. Martin bid $4,800 over the phone, and the table was his.

After a wax and polish, he'll be offering the table, once graced by Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela and other luminaries who visited the Times, for about $30,000.

This pales beside Tishman Speyer Properties LP's $350 million profit from buying and selling the Times' old 43rd Street building. Yet for Martin, the table already ranks as one of his most storied deals.

``It was something that I basically figured we wouldn't stand a chance bidding for,'' Martin said. ``Lo and behold, it was one of those fluky things.''

``Every world leader in the last 50 years has eaten on this table,'' Tepper co-owner Max Drazen said. Still, his expectations for the table were modest.

``They are one of the hardest things to sell,'' he said at the auction. Companies prefer new conference tables, and demand for dining tables seating 26 is limited.

New Headquarters

After 94 years in its dusty building on 43rd, the Times has moved to a sleek new tower on Eighth Avenue designed by Renzo Piano and decorated with modern furnishings. It's selling relics of the old days, including traditional dark wood furniture.

The best of the castoffs will appear this fall in Christie's International's monthly House Sales in New York, a category for less-expensive items. Toby Usnik, a Christie's spokesman, confirmed the sale, though he declined to discuss estimates or specific items.

The sale is expected to include furniture, fixtures, art and china from the Times. Signage from the facade and mailboxes also are among items likely to be on the block.

Christie's got first pick of items for auction, with harder-to-sell pieces -- like the 25-foot table -- consigned to Tepper, which will include them in bimonthly sales for the next few months.

Tepper's Aug. 4 sale was attended by bargain-hunting dealers and collectors, including a man with a mullet haircut and blue T-shirt who bid but failed to win a wooden rhinoceros - - a non-Times item.

Times objects included two sets of china monogrammed ``NYT'' in gold, which fetched $1,000 and $500, and a mahogany breakfront that sold for $1,800.

Some auspicious souvenirs went homeless. A Georgian-style oval dining table from the publisher's private dining room, according to Tepper, drew bids far below the $800 low estimate and didn't sell.

A pair of crystal awards also were underappreciated. Given to the Times by the Anti-Defamation League and the Katz Media Group, they were estimated to sell for as much as $300. The pair made $24.

(Lindsay Pollock writes on the art market for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are her own.)

To contact the writer of this story: Lindsay Pollock in New York at lindsaypollock@yahoo.com.

Last Updated: August 21, 2007 00:03 EDT