Since Gary Watson joined the Mossgreen team last year, stamps and postal history items have played an increasingly important role in the company’s auction setup.

The former Prestige Philately owner has brought enormous experience and expertise to bear in this field as Mossgreen seeks to become Australia’s most versatile and premier art, decorative arts, sporting memorabilia and collectables auction house.

Three (including one large) paintings by Australian artist the late Ray Crooke will feature in Christian McCann’s first auction for 2016 from noon February 21 at 426 Burnley Street, Richmond.

One of Australia’s leading landscape artists, famous particularly for his serene views of Islander people and ocean landscapes based on the art of Paul Gauguin, Crooke died in December last year aged 93.

Although not usually recognised for his portraits, he won the 1969 Archibald Prize with a painting of novelist George Johnston.

A Rojo walnut desk, Tessa lounge suite and Chesterfield lounges should appeal to auction goers on the hunt for furniture at E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming weekly sale from 9.30am Tuesday February 16 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond.

These are the major features of a sale heavy with furniture including retro teak, Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and 1920s furniture.

These include teak dining room suites, tall Victorian mahogany bookcases, Georgian bureaus and period Chippendale carver chairs.

Auctioneer Steve Graham’s sale from 6.30pm Monday February 15 at 64 Urquhart Street, Woodend is one that dealers, resellers, stallholders, collectors and homemakers should not miss.

The 340-lot auction features a large quantity of value packed box lots along with period furniture, art china glassware and old trunks.

An unreserved clean up sale, there is a large range of collectables, kitchenalia, sewing and knitting and books.