Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 18, 1990                   TAG: 9003182520
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY HALLMAN RICHMOND NEWS LEADER
DATELINE: RICHMOND (AP)                                 LENGTH: Medium

'REAL' SANTA ABOUT TO LOSE HIS SEAT

Negotiations are under way to find a new home for Richmond's "real" Santa - the one whose lap held Miller & Rhoads' Christmas-shopping kids before the recent demise of that department store chain - but his chair may be sold out from under him.

Santa's chair, the ornate piece of furniture that was a Christmas fixture at Miller & Rhoads' downtown store for at least the past 10 years, is one of the "nostalgic" items slated to be auctioned as part of the liquidation of the company's assets, according to a document filed with U.S. bankruptcy court.

Also to be auctioned, according to the request from Miller & Rhoads Inc., are the ornate Victorian clock that was a shoppers' landmark on the store's first floor, the chairs from the Tea Room restaurant and three bronze plaques, including at least one honoring a member of one of the chain's founding families.

A source close to the Jolly Old Elf said that a plan to relocate Miller & Rhoads' Santa program could be announced in the next few weeks. The source said the hope is to move the program intact, including the chair, and that there may be efforts to purchase the chair before the planned auction.

But according to the plan submitted for bankruptcy court approval, Miller & Rhoads would hire an Atlanta firm, Bland Enterprises Inc., to handle the sale of the fixtures, contents and memorabilia remaining in the downtown store.

Most of the items would be purchased by Bland for $130,000 and sold in a tag sale. Miller & Rhoads would get an additional 60 percent of sales proceeds of more than $200,000.

For the "nostalgic items" to be auctioned, Bland would charge a fee of 15 percent of the net sales.

Miller & Rhoads President John E. Stokely said that if the court approves the request at a March 27 hearing, the sale probably will be held in April. He said more items may be added to the list of things to be auctioned.

group of former employees is starting a campaign to raise money to buy the clock for the museum.

Yet to be settled is the fate of the downtown store building. Stokely said there have been no offers to buy the building.

Miller & Rhoads filed for protection from creditors under bankruptcy reorganization rules last July. In November, the company abandoned attempts to keep operations going and filed a liquidation plan. The company's 15 stores have all been sold or closed.