After a handwritten Edgar Allen Poe poem sold for a surprising $300,000 at his July auction, Marion Antiques owner Frank McNamee said he expected the Thanksgiving sale to be good, but less sensational.

McNamee and David Flynn, who co-run Marion Antique Auctions, held their annual post-turkey auction on Saturday at the Marion VFW.

This time around, another work of literature drew some interest: A first edition of “The Scarlet Letter.”

“Some people think it’s not the first edition,” said Flynn, who noted that there might have been several different versions of first editions.

Acquired from an estate in Milton, the Nathaniel Hawthorne classic showed signs of wear but was a decent specimen that would attract attention, said Flynn.

Auctions around Thanksgiving are a tradition, he said, and the almost 800 people signed up to bid online as well as many registered to bid by phone, shows that Marion Antiques Auction has a following.

“Even though we’re here at the VFW, we’re really covering a worldwide audience,” said McNamee.

In addition to Hawthorne, the auction featured a number of pieces from Mattapoisett historian Seth Mendell, including a Swedish neoclassical tea caddy from the early 19^th century.

“In that time period tea was a valued commodity that was considered very expensive and very precious,” said McNamee. “They created these objects to lock it up.”

Another interesting piece was an elaborately hand illustrated journal by Scottish artist, writer and whaler Charles Ewart created when he confined by an illness at age 70.

The book includes more than 90 watercolors that illustrate Ewarts voyage including traveling around Cape Horn, the ship stuck in ice and the wildlife spotted along the way.

All in all, the auction drew in a full crowd on Saturday, said McNamee.

"The sale as a whole was a resounding success," he said.

A beach scene painted by William Trost Richards took the highest bid of the day with $35,650, thousands more than estimated. McNamee said a New York City art gallery purchased the painting.

"It will be spiffed up a bit, cleaned and probably reoffered at some point," said McNamee.

Silver also did very well at the auction, and furniture sold for a reasonable price.

"The good thing about the auction is that it was very diversified. There were things for almost every level," he said.

Last but not least, "The Scarlet Letter" edition sold for $1,035, slightly above the estimated price.

McNamee and Flynn are already gearing up for their next sale in July.

"We’re anticipating offering two very important local Southeastern Massachusetts estates at that time," McNamee said.