Auctions

Waikoloa Beach Resort Residence, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 8th 2011 at 1:01PM

Today's home is another Hawaii estate being sold through Concierge Auctions. This home is a custom Hawaiian Island residence with 150 feet of secluded beach front in the exclusive Waikoloa Beach Resort at 69-1065 Kolea Kai Circle. The sale will take place on March 21. The home was originally listed for $11.5 million but there is no minimum bid required. The sale is being conducted in cooperation with listing agent Daryl Flem, RB of Century 21 All Islands.

The home sits on a 34,000-square-foot ocean front lot and the estate grants gated access to 150 feet of secluded Pacific Ocean beach front. The home itself offers 5,759 square feet under roof with many rooms combining the best of indoor and outdoor life. There are four bedrooms and four full and one half bathrooms. Outside a covered lanai, poolside cabana, extensive landscape lighting and tiki torches deliver the best that life in Hawaii has to offer.

Nearby amenities of the 1,350-acre Waikoloa Beach Resort include a Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course and a links-style course designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, preserved cultural sites, world-class hotels such as the Hilton Waikoloa Village and the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, and the famed Kings Shops and Queens Marketplace.

The property is available daily for preview between 1 and 4 p.m. For more information visit www.HawaiiLuxuryAuction.com or call 800-211-1785.

Gallery: Waikoloa Beach Resort Residence

Tags: concierge auctions, estate of the day, hawaii real estate

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Rare Ferraris, Bentleys, Astons & More at Gooding's Amelia Island Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 7th 2011 at 2:02PM

Ferraris, Bentleys, Astons and More at Gooding's Amelia Island Sale

Back in December my colleague Noah Joseph previewed some of the notable early consignments at Gooding & Company's Amelia Island sale. Now with the auction date of March 11 looming we have details on starring lots added in the interim. Recent additions to the stunning lineup include an extraordinary "barn find" 1955 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback with coachwork by H.J. Mulliner; a highly-original and unrestored 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV; and a 1962 AC Cobra. They join other incredible offerings including a 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Prototype, a 1963 Lotus 23B and a 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso (above).

"A true connoisseur's car, the Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback has a place in the world's finest collections," says David Gooding, President and founder. "This recently-discovered, two-owner R-Type is the ultimate collector's Bentley for its role in luxury motoring history and sophisticated performance specification." Gooding have not released estimates for the Bentley or Miura, but expect the bidding to be fierce. Meanwhile the Aston Martin's estimate is $425,000 - $475,000; the AC Cobra $450,000 - $550,000; the Lotus $175,000 - $225,000; and the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso $600,000 - $750,000.

Gallery: Gooding & Co. Amelia Island 2011

1955 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback

Tags: AC Cobra, Amelia Island, Aston Martin, Aston Martin DB4, Bentley, car auction, classic cars, collector cars, Ferrari, Ferrari 250 GT, Gooding Company, Gooding and Co., Gooding and Company, Lamborghini, Lamborghini Miura, Lotus, luxury cars

The "Astor-Aubéry de Frawenberg" Hours Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 6th 2011 at 6:02PM

The "Astor-Aubéry de Frawenberg" Hours, a beautiful Book of Hours dating back to the 1500s goes up for auction at the Heritage Rare Books Auction on April 7. A Book of Hours is a medieval devotional book. These illuminated manuscripts are often illustrated and decorated with gold detail and are incredibly ornate and beautiful, many are in museums and libarary collections.

It is believed that this one was made for a nobleman of Toul, in eastern France, circa 1500-1520. It is bound in red velvet and was later encased in seventeenth-century decorated silver gilt covers with royal arms designed for the manuscript, and intricate designs of birds, vases, sphinxes and more. Inside the manuscript contain 19 large miniatures, four full-page miniatures, and 28 small miniatures with pure gold details by by the Parisian workshops of Jean Pichore and Jean Poyet.

The book was possibly crafted for someone in the Aubéry de Frawenberg family and the beautiful binding was added to the manuscript later. Sometime before 1884, American ambassador to Rome and the wealthiest man in America at the time, Viscount William Waldorf Astor bought it for the what was then a huge amount, £420. The manuscript is believed to be connected with Toul, a town in Eastern France because the calendar names of two Toul feasts are featured in gold and the Cathedral of Toul is in the background. of one of the miniatures. It is estimated to sell for at least $325,000.

Gallery: The "Astor-Aubéry de Frawenberg" Hours

Tags: astor, book of hours, illuminated manuscripts, rare books, william waldorf astor

Most Expensive Marilyn Monroe-Related Items

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 6th 2011 at 3:01PM

Certain celebrities have a legacy that extends long beyond their all-too-brief life walk on this earth. Marilyn Monroe's short life, incandescent beauty and connection to other iconic historical figures including the Kennedy brothers, has kept her in the public eye for decades.

Thus it's fitting that perhaps the most expensive piece connected to Marilyn Monroe is her name. Rights to use her name traded hands last year for a sum said to be around $30 million. Marilyn's name remains a viable brand that still has appeal for both male and female consumers even now, decades after her death. She remains one of the top earning dead celebrities and is perhaps the top female one, captivating millions who weren't even alive when she was (see a video biography about Monroe below).

Tags: marilyn monroe, marilyn monroe auction

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Rare Fibonacci Manuscript Goes Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 6th 2011 at 8:01AM

A rare manuscript offered by Bonhams in their June 22, 2011 auction of Fine Books and Manuscripts is one of the cornerstones of modern mathematic thinking. Up for sale is a lot featuring a rare 15th century manuscript that includes key pieces of the ground breaking mathematical work, Liber Abaci or Book of Calculation by Fibonacci. Fibonacci is credited with bringing the Hindu-Arabic numeral system to the western world. and lends his name to the Fibonacci Sequence where each successive number is the sum of the two preceding numbers.

Within the text of the Liber Abaci, Fibonacci explains the benefits of Arabic numerals and the symbol for zero by applying them to the practical world of book-keeping, weights and measures, and trade. By appealing to tradesmen and academics he eventually convinced the public to adapt the system paving the way for modern mathematical equations, sequences used in computer programming and financial markets. The manuscript on offer contains the complete text of the section of Liber Abaci known as Flos or "The Flower," which is the most advanced sections of Liber Abaci, dealing with calculus, and geometrical and algebraic methods for solving quadratic equations. The book first appeared in 1202, in manuscript form, and only 12 copies of the manuscript from the 13th through the 15th centuries have been traced in European libraries, many of them in the Vatican.

Tags: fibonacci, FibonacciSequence, matheo, rare books

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Five Of The Most Expensive Michael Jackson Pieces

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 5th 2011 at 11:01AM

It could definitely be argued that the most expensive item associated with Michael Jackson hasn't sold yet. Plenty of items tied to his career and his life remain off the market as his family continues to sort out the complicated legacy the singer left behind. In the end, it may turn out that the California real estate associated with him including Neverland Ranch or the home he was renting at the time of his death could be the most expensive Michael Jackson collectibles (depending of course on how you stretch that term).

Jackson's role in the collectible world is a complicated one. There are hundreds of Michael Jackson collectibles on the market at any given moment. Items associated with him and his career have value but also to be considered are the pieces that he inspired. Jackson was a muse for some of the world's top selling artists. In my research on the many associated Michael Jackson collectibles on the market I found that the most valuable pieces are mostly the works he inspired. This isn't a comprehensive list but it gives a look at some of the most expensive pieces associated with Jackson.

Tags: jeff koons, kehinde wiley, michael jackson

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Henry Royce's Last Rolls-Royce Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 4th 2011 at 9:01AM

A 1929 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Phantom II Weymann Sports Saloon, reputedly the last model that the marque's co-founder Henry Royce designed himself, is one of the highlights of the Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia sale at Bonhams in Oxford, UK on March 5th. The rare vehicle is expected to fetch up to $325,000. The now legendary Phantom II chassis provided a platform for some of the truly outstanding designs of its day, and was highly favored by prominent coachbuilders. The example offered by Bonhams carries Weymann-type sports saloon coachwork by the famed firm of H J Mulliner. It's presented in perfect condition having undergone a complete restoration and is perfectly capable of high speed road trips and classic car rallies. Or you could just sit and look at it all day.

Tags: 1920s, antique cars, auctions, Bonhams, British cars, classic cars, classic Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce Phantom II, UK

Richard Nixon's Gold-Inlaid Browning Shotgun at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 4th 2011 at 8:01AM

In addition to Ernest Hemingway's safari hunting rifle that we wrote about on Wednesday, a rare gold-inlaid Browning 12-gauge automatic shotgun that was presented to president Richard Nixon in 1970 will be offered at James D. Julia Auctioneers' Important Firearms sale in Fairfield, Maine on March 14. The gun, estimated at $50,000 – $75,000, is also historically significant in that it was the two millionth Browning shotgun made. At one time destined for the Smithsonian, Nixon returned the gun to Browning Arms where it resided in their archives until it was given to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Gallery: Richard Nixon's Browning Shotgun

Tags: American presidents, Browning, browning+guns, browningguns, celebrity, Ernest Hemingway, firearm, gold, gun, hunting, James D. Julia, Maine, politics, presidents, Richard Nixon, rifle, shooting, shotgun

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Rare Purple-Pink Diamond Up For Sale At Christie's

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 3rd 2011 at 8:02PM

Sales for pink diamonds have been rising and rising over the past few years. The larger rare stones aren't just beautiful to look at, they are considered money in the bank for investors. The market gets another test next month when Christie's brings a 10.09 Fancy Vivid purplish-pink diamond up for sale as part of its Magnificent Jewels sale in New York April 12. JCK Online reports that the diamond is estimated at $12 million to $15 million. The record for pink diamonds belongs to a 24.78 carat stone which sold for $46 million at Sotheby's last year.

Tags: christies, diamonds, pink diamond

Archie Comic Book Sets New World Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 2nd 2011 at 9:02PM

He's no Superman or Batman but Archie Andrews, the lead character of the Archie comic books, proved he can hold his own on the auction floor. At Heritage Auctions' Feb. 24-25 Signature Vintage Comics & Comics Art Auction a CGC-certified 8.5 copy of Archie Comics #1 brought a world record price of $167,300 (including 19.5% Buyer's Premium). It's a record for Archie but is also the highest price ever paid for a non-superhero comic book. It sold to a West Coast collector who has been collecting Archie comic books for decades and was looking for a copy of Archie Comics #1 in top condition.

"Archie may have a ways to go to catch the likes of Superman and Batman, his Golden Age counterparts," said Lon Allen, Managing Director of Comics at Heritage, "but you can bet that collectors sat up and took notice when this comic brought that price. This amount exceeds the priciest of Spidey and Hulk comic books we've sold, which brought in excess of $125,000 each."

There's more in store for Archie Comics. Jon Goldwater, CEO of Archie Comics, recently gave an interview about the future of the brand saying he wants to make Archie and the gang a reflection of what's going on with kids today in high school. The comic introduced a gay character, an interracial romance and other changes. Perhaps most interesting is the fact that Archie Comics is also working with the legendary Stan Lee, co-creator of most of Marvel's superheroes, on a secret project. Keeping the brand in the public eye is also good for the value of the earlier comic books.

The Heritage auction reached a total of $4,270,483, with more than 2,375 bidders vying for 1,262 lots. More of the original artwork of Scrooge McDuck, done by his creator, Carl Barks,was also up for sale. Barks' Business as Usual, 1976, a painting of Uncle Scrooge in his massive money bin went for $179,250 and other Bark's paintings including also sold well.

Other items that sold well included R. Crumb's original art for the two-page story, "Kitchen Kut-Outs," from Zap Comics #1 which went for $47,800. The five original production proof pages from Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of "The Bat-Man" in 1939, found in 1975, in an old steamer trunk destined for the landfill brought $69,011 altogether, with the proof for Page 3 – the first time we see "The Bat-Man" – bringing the most at $19,120.

Tags: archie comics, batman, comic book, comic book collecting, comic books, heritage auctions

Ernest Hemingway's African Safari Rifle Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 2nd 2011 at 2:02PM

A remarkable double-barreled elephant gun made by London's Westley Richards in 1913 that belonged to Ernest Hemingway and was used by the famed author on safari in Africa is being offered for auction on March 14. The impressive .577-caliber Nitro Express, the starring lot at James D. Julia Auctioneers' Important Firearms sale in Fairfield, Maine, comes with the original case and accessories and is expected to fetch between $150,000 – $200,000. The 16-pound rifle, engraved with rhinos and tigers and designed to bag the biggest game, has its own chapter in the new book Hemingway's Guns: The Sporting Arms of Ernest Hemingway.

Gallery: Ernest Hemingway's Safari Gun

Tags: Africa, auction, author, celebrity, celebrity auction, celebrity guns, Ernest Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway Africa, Ernest Hemingway guns, Ernest Hemingway safari, ernest+hemingway+guns, ernest+hemingway+on+safari, ernesthemingwayguns, ernesthemingwayonsafari, firearms, gun, gunsmith, Hemingway, Hemingway gun, Hemingway safari, Hemingway shotgun, hemingway+rifle, hemingwayrifle, hunting, Key West, Maine, rifle, Royal Warrant, safari, shooting, shotgun, sporting, sporting style, UK, Westley Richards, writer

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Ahmadinejad's Old Peugeot Sells For $2.5 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 2nd 2011 at 9:01AM

Earlier this year we questioned whether or not a 1977 Peugeot 504 belonging to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could sell for a million dollars. It turns out the answer is yes, and then some. The AFP is reporting that the 34-year-old car worth only several thousand dollars has sold for a whopping 25 billion rials (around $2.5 million) in an auction to raise money for housing for low-income families in Iran. The winning bidder was an anonymous company. The AFP quotes the mystery buyer's lawyer Mahmoud Esari who said that his client bought the car because of a "personal interest in President Ahmadinejad and his spirit of anti-arrogance and anti-Zionism." During his candidacy several years ago Ahmadinejad often appeared in the car to show that he was a man of the people.

Tags: Ahmadinejad, iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, peugeot

Rare Expensive Chinese Vase Surrounded By Controversy

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 2nd 2011 at 12:01AM

Last year one of the most expensive things sold at auction was an 18th century Chinese porcelain vase which was sold for £43 million ($69.3 million) at Bainbridge's Auctions (£51.6 million after the buyers premium). The vase was only estimated to sell for £1.2 million at the small auction house but fierce bidding among Chinese would-be buyers drove up the price. The vase sold to a Chinese bidder who turned up to bid on behalf of an undisclosed buyer. But now the story continues with a new article from the Telegraph that says that buyer has a case of cold feet. Some say that the Chinese bidder, described as a wealthy industrialist had lost out on a similar auction and may have leaped before he looked. Or he could still be gathering money to pay for the vase.

Tags: chinese, chinese porcelain, most expensive, most expensive vase, qianlong

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Garnet Hill Lodge, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 1st 2011 at 1:01PM

The latest auction from Concierge Auctions isn't a home, it's a whole resort. The real estate auction company has scheduled the sale of the Garnet Hill Lodge in the Adirondack Mountains. The Garnet Hill Lodge was originally listed for $2.5 million but the property, located at 39 Garnet Hill Road in North River, New York, will sell to the highest bidder regardless of price. The sale is being conducted in cooperation with listing agent Shane Newell of Select Sotheby's International Realty.

"Garnet Hill is a hidden gem - tucked away in the unspoiled wilderness in one of the least populated counties in the nation," Newell stated. "But make no mistake, these are the most realistic, determined sellers in upstate New York. Buyers searching for an operating mountain resort business or for a corporate or family retreat should not miss this opportunity."

The resort has views of the Thirteenth Lake with nearly 16,000 square feet of functional space on 268 acres. The buildings include a main lodge and two additional cabins. The large gathering room in the main lodge includes a reception desk and dining room with plenty of seating and natural light. Two additional lounges, a TV room and a four-season dining porch offer more private conversation areas and a grand stone fireplace is a natural gathering spot. There are 16 upstairs suites, nine of which have balconies. The current owners operate a ski center from the lodge but it could be a bed-and-breakfast or a private family estate.

Two additional cabins, Birches and the Tea House, could serve as guest houses. The Birches has five suites and a large gathering room with full kitchen and dining tables. The Tea House, a smaller sister cabin, contains four guest bedrooms with convenient en-suite bathrooms, each featuring Jacuzzi bathtubs. Both are just a short ski or hike from the main lodge.

The property will be available for preview daily from 1 to 4 pm through March 14. Bidders will be able to participate in the March 15 auction in person or via phone or Internet. A 2.5% commission is offered to the buyer's broker. See Auction Terms and Conditions for full details. For more information call 877-214-3785 or visit GarnetHillAuction.com.

Gallery: Garnet Hill Lodge

Tags: adirondacks, concierge auctions, estate of the day, new york real estate, real estate auction

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Russian Spacesuits Go Up For Sale As Part of Bonhams Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Feb 28th 2011 at 10:02AM

A tissue dispenser might not be worth much but a tissue dispenser that was flown into orbit to the moon, now that will cost you. That tissue dispenser, estimated at $6,000 to $8,000 is one of the pieces to be sold in the Space History Sale taking place at Bonhams, New York on May 5th.

The sale will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Alan Shepard's historic mission on Freedom 7 as the first American in Space and items from the Forbes collection and from the estate of James E. Webb, a NASA administrator in the 1960s will be auctioned off. Bonhams has released a few highlights of the sale including a Russian spacesuit, Sokol K, worn by cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, Commander of the Soyuz 19 Spacecraft, during the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project on July 15-19, 1975. It is estimated at $100,000-150,000. A Russian spacesuit, Sokol KV-2, used by cosmonaut Gennadi Strekalov on the Soyuz TM 10, from August 1 to December 10, 1990, during a mission to the Mir space station is estimated at $60,000-80,000. An Apollo 14 Maurer Camera, from the personal collection of Edgar Mitchell, the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 14 and the sixth person to walk on the Moon used to film movies through the Lunar Module Pilot's window during the approach and landing of the Lunar Module is estimated at $60,000-80,000.

Bonhams has held two other Space History Sales. The first in July 2009 which is the highest-grossing American space history auction ever, and the second in April 2010 including the Neil Armstrong "One small step for a man" inscription which made $152,000. An Apollo 11 lunar module flown star chart sold for $218,000 in the 2009 sale and a Apollo 15 lunar module hand controller went for $206,000.

Tags: bonhams, cosmonaut, neil armstrong, russian space suit, space suit

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