A simple 31-inch Christmas tree with 25 branches, 12 berries and 6 small candle holders sold for £3,411 (more than $4,000) at auction on Friday. Billed as the “humblest Christmas tree in the world,” it exceeded the estimated price of £60 to £80 (roughly $76 to $102), according to Hansons Auctioneers, which attributes the high sum to the “magic of Christmas.” “It would have been bought for pennies originally, but it’s sold for thousands,” says Charles Hanson, owner of the auction house, in a statement. “That’s astonishing. I think it’s down to the power of nostalgia.” The tree originally belonged to Dorothy Grant, ... (full story)