auction

Iran's Ahmadinejad Auctioning Off his 1977 Peugeot

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Charity

Looking to get your hands on a presidential ride? Well this might seem like a stretch from the Cadillac which Barack Obama rides around in, but it is presidential nonetheless. A 1977 Peugeot 504, it belongs to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – or to his wife, if you want to get technical about it – but it's about to go up for auction.

The vehicle played a key role in the Persian leader's campaign for the presidency, in which he pledged to create more housing for low-income families in Iran. To that end, he's putting the car up for auction, proceeds benefiting the country's Mehr housing project. Given the notoriety of its owner, this particular example is expected to bring in more than the average '70s Peugeot.

Gallery: Peugeot 504

Source

Tags: 1977 peugeot 504, Ahmadinejad, auction, charity, charity auction, iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, mehr, persia, peugeot, peugeot 504

Joe DiMaggio's Longines Watch Up For Auction

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

The December 8th Antiquorum auction in New York city is impressive because it is the first time I can recall where there are no Patek Philippe watches available! Amazing. One of the pieces up for bids is this small 14k pink gold wrist watch that belonged to (and was worn by) historic New York Yankees baseball player Joe DiMaggio. Estimated to have been made in the 1940s, the rectangular wrist watch has a gold and steel strap, and a dial with diamond hour markers. Further, classic Longines watches are also experiencing increased interest from some collectors. The auction also happens to include a pocket watch that was given to DiMaggio in the 1970s. Auction estimates for the Longines wrist watch are between $5,000 - $7,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: auction, dimaggio, Joe DiMaggio, longines, watch

Kirk Gibson's Artifacts Bring in $1.19 Million at Auction

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Charity, Sports

Kirk Gibson's Artifacts Bring in $1.9 Million at Auction

AP reported that a father-son sports collectors team from Santa Barbara bought the bat that Kirk Gibson used for his historic home run in the 1988 World Series for $575,912.40 on November 14 in SCP Auctions' October/November auction, and also took home the four other Gibson artifacts on sale. The bid for Gibson's bat is the second-highest amount paid for a game-used bat, behind only Babe Ruth's signed bat used for the first home run at Yankee Stadium, which SCP sold in 2004 for $1.265 million.

Chad and Doug Dreier of the Dreier Group paid $1.19 million for the five items, which included Gibson's home run bat, his game-worn Los Angeles Dodgers jersey ($303,277.20), batting helmet ($153,388.80), NL Most Valuable Player Award ($110,293.20), and World Series trophy ($45,578.40). Proceeds from the sale of the World Series trophy and MVP award will benefit the Kirk Gibson Foundation to continue Gibson's support of Michigan State University athletic programs and to help fund his partial scholarship programs at Clarkston (Michigan) H.S. and Waterford (Michigan) H.S., in honor of his parents, who were educators at those schools.

Other items that found new homes at the auction are a 1934 Babe Ruth professional-model bat used by Ruth to hit career home run No. 702 ($137,865.60), a Ty Cobb H&B side-written professional model game-used bat ($75,330), and a 1953 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees game-worn, autographed road jersey ($62,256).

Gallery: Kirk Gibson's Artifacts Bring in $1.19 Million at Auction

Tags: auction, baseball, bat, charity, Dodgers, Kirk Gibson, Los Angeles Dodgers, sports

Pink Diamond Sells for $46 million, Setting a World Auction Record

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

Sotheby's sells 24.78 carat pink diamond for $46 million, setting a world record

Sotheby's Geneva set a world auction record for any diamond and any jewel today when it sold an exceptionally rare and magnificent Fancy Intense Pink Emerald-cut Diamond. Weighing in at 24.78 Carats, the ring sold for for $46,158,674, well above the pre-sale estimate of $27 million to $38 million.

Four bidders competed for the gem, which is considered to be one of the most important and beautiful stones ever to come up for auction. The stone came to the market from a private collection, and has not appeared on the open market since it was purchased some 60 years ago from Mr. Harry Winston (who's namesake company won the Luxist Awards' Readers Choice Award for best jewelry line).

The diamond was bought by Patti Wong, Sotheby's Chairman in Asia, bidding on behalf of Laurence Graff, the British billionaire jeweler to the stars (and a Luxist Awards nominee for best jewelry line). Shortly after the sale, Laurence Graff named the diamond "The Graff Pink" and made the following statement: "It is the most fabulous diamond I've seen in the history of my career and I'm delighted to have bought it."

Tags: 24.78+carat+pink+diamond, 24.78caratpinkdiamond, 46+million+pink+diamond, 46millionpinkdiamond, auction, awards-main, diamonds, Harry Winston, jewelry, laurence graff, luxist-awards, pink diamond, pink+diamond+46+million, pink+diamond+auction, pinkdiamond46million, pinkdiamondauction, sothebys, world-record

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Sotheby's Wine Auction Achieves Record Results

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

Jamie Ritchie, auctioneer, presiding over a Sotheby's wine auction.

Sotheby's auction of fine and rare wines including the 2000 Collection on behalf of Bordeaux Winebank on November 13, was a huge success, signaling that the 2000 vintage is living up to its expectations.

Sotheby's sold all but two of the lots for a grand total of $5.4 million, well over the pre-sale estimate of $3.2 million to $4.6 million (estimates do not include the buyer's premium). Bordeaux Winebank's "2000" Collection set six wine auction records.

According to Sotheby's, there was also strong demand for wine from a number of other collections with strong prices for all of the First Growths as well as Burgandy, resulting in 64% of the sold lots achieving prices over the high estimate.

Online bidders were particularly active, with 15% of the lots sold to collectors bidding over the Internet. Nearly half of the lots offered received online bids and 55 people logged onto bid live online, which was the highest ever level of online participation in a Sotheby's Wine auction.

"We were delighted by the success of the sale---the highest value various owner wine sale ever held at Sotheby's New York," says Sotheby's Jamie Ritchie (above), Head of Wine, North America and a Luxist Awards Expert Panelist.

Gallery: Sotheby's Bordeaux Winebank 2000 Collection Auction

Tags: auction, awards-main, bordeaux wine, Bordeaux Winebank, chateau lafite, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, chateau mouton rothschild, Chateau Petrus, Henning Thoresen, luxist-awards, Petrus, Sothebys, wine

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Winston Churchill's Daimler Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

If Winston Churchill's dentures go for £40,000, how much is his car worth? We'll find out on Dec. 4 when the UK's Historics at Brooklands auctions off this gorgeous 1939 Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupé that the great statesmen used on several occasions before and after the Great War. The auction house has conservatively estimated it at £200,000 – £250,000, or about $325,000 – $400,000, but it could well fetch much more. One of only eight built and the only known surviving example, it comes with numerous photographs of Churchill perched on the rear seat. Finished in smashing silver over black coachwork with a contrasting three-position cabriolet hood in a rich chocolate, it has a luxurious dark green leather interior and wooden dashboard. It also features a full set of Jaeger LeCoultre instruments.

Gallery: Winston Churchill's Daimler

Tags: auction, celebrity cars, classic cars, Daimler, Historics at Brooklands, Jaeger LeCoultre, UK, Winston Churchill

Sotheby's to Auction Bordeaux Winebank's "2000" Collection

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

Sotheby's will offer an important selection of the 2000 vintage from Bordeaux Winebank, the company set up by Norwegian businessman Henning Thoresen that specializes in offering Bordeaux with the "Five Star Provenance" system. The sale celebrates the 10th anniversary of the great 2000 vintage.

A selection from the Bordeaux Winebank collection will make up a substantial part of the Finest and Rarest Wines sale on November 13th in New York with 128 lots expected to sell for between $890,500 to $1.3 million in total (not including the buyer's premium).

The auction, which will feature such wines as Chateau Lafite, Chateau Latour, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Margaux, is expected to be one of the highest-value various-owner wine sales ever held at Sotheby's New York. The auction will take place at Sotheby's location at 1334 York Avenue at East 72nd Street in Manhattan. Sotheby's Jamie Ritchie, Head of Wine, North America (and a Luxist Awards Expert Panelist), will serve as the lead auctioneer tomorrow in New York (see photo above).

Gallery: Sotheby's Bordeaux Winebank 2000 Collection Auction

Tags: auction, awards-main, Bordeaux, Bordeaux 2000, Bordeaux Winebank, chateau lafite, chateau margaux, chateau mouton rothschild, Jamie Ritchie, luxist-awards, Sothebys, wine

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Wine 'Superlot' Sells For $320,000

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

One bidder at Skinner's recent wine sale on November 2 basically bought a wine cellar's worth of wine in one swoop of the auction paddle. The Bordeaux wine 'superlot' was comprised of 50 cases of wine including 10 cases of Chateau Haut Brion 1995-2004; 10 cases Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1995-2004; 10 cases of Chateau Latour 1995-2004; 10 cases of Chateau Margaux 1995-2004 and 10 cases of Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1995-2004. The first growth Bordeaux are basically the blue chip stocks of the wine world making this an easy investment for someone interested in filling a wine cellar very quickly with some of the most famous brands. The estimate for the lot was $200,000-300,000. It sold for $320,000.

[via Paul Fraser Collectibles]

Tags: auction, bordeaux, bordeaux wine, chateau haut-brion, chateau lafite, chateau latour, chateau margaux, chateau mouton rothschild, superlot, wine

Reggie Jackson's $1 Million Ferrari & More at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Sports

A rare 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder (above) formerly owned by both baseball great Reggie Jackson and famed daredevil Evel Knieval is expected to fetch up to $1 million at RM Auctions' annual Automobiles of Arizona sale in Phoenix on January 20 – 21. The car is one of a number of stunning Ferraris on offer in the stunning auction taking place at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa (previewed by my colleague Noah Joseph), including a gorgeous 1966 Ferrari Superfast Series I, estimated at $900,000 – $1 million; a fully-restored 1950 Ferrari 166 Inter Berlinetta, est. $400,000 – $600,000; a well-known 1995 Ferrari F50 Show Car, est. $600,000 – $800,000, the very first F50 built; and a stunning jet black 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC. Other classic European thoroughbreds set to cross the block include a 1921 Rolls-Royce 40/50HP Silver Ghost Phaeton, est. $350,000 – $475,000; a 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Newmarket Sport Phaeton, est. $300,000 – $450,000; and a 1958 Aston Martin DB2 Mark III, est. $200,000 – $250,000.

Gallery: RM Auctions' Arizona Ferraris

Tags: Arizona, Aston Martin, auction, baseball, celebrity, celebrity cars, classic cars, Ferrari, Reggie Jackson, RM Auctions, Rolls-Royce, sports

Avedon Nude of Stephanie Seymour Expected to Fetch $210,000

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

A racy nude portrait of supermodel Stephanie Seymour (detail above) taken by the late, great Richard Avedon in 1992 is expected to fetch up to $210,000 at Sotheby's' Photographies sale in Paris on November 19. Part of a private European collection, the image will bolster the strength of the photography market if it achieves its price. Though most of the lots date from the early 1900s, the stunning sale also includes an Albert Watson portrait of Naomi Campbell from 1989 and a David LaChapelle portait of Andy Warhol from 1987 taken shortly before the artist's death, both estimated at up to $21,000; and a Herb Ritts portrait of Madonna from 1986, expected to fetch up to $10,000. Notable works by Irving Penn, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and more round out the offerings.

Tags: Albert Watson, Andy Warhol, auction, David LaChapelle, Irving Penn, Madonna, Naomi Campbell, nude, Paris, Phtography, Richard Avedon, Sothebys, Stephanie Seymour, supermodel

James Bond's Gun Up for Auction at Christie's

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A Walther pistol wielded by Sean Connery as James Bond in the photo shoot used for the main image in the poster and advertising campaign for 1963's From Russia With Love (above) is expected to fetch up to $32,000 at Christie's' Popular Culture: Film and Entertainment sale in London on Nov. 25. The iconic image of Connery holding the gun was later used in advertising and promotional material for every Bond film up until 1967's You Only Live Twice and remains a major pop culture paragon.

Tags: 007, auction, Christies, George Lazenby, gun, James Bond, London, movies, pistol, pop culture, Sean Connery

Continue reading “James Bond's Gun Up for Auction at Christie's”

McQueen Motos & Memorabilia in Bonhams California Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

An impressive collection of Steve McQueen memorabilia including two classic Harley Davidson sidecars used in his famed 1963 flick The Great Escape (above) are being offered for sale Bonhams & Butterfields' Classic California Auction on November 13th at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The items come from the collection of McQueen's good friend, racer, stuntman and Triumph dealer Bud Ekins. The Harley sidecars date from 1936 and were used in the movie set during World War II, in which Ekins, acting as McQueen's stunt double, made the famous motorcycle jump over the wire fence.

The Harleys were disguised as German motorcycles and the sidecars were made to appear as Steib sidecars in the film. Later they were repainted for use in Badge of Courage, Steven Spielberg's 1941 and numerous other war films, and are estimated to fetch $6,000 – $8,000. Also included in the sale are a five page handwritten letter from McQueen to Ekins, estimated at $1,000 – $1,500; and assorted McQueen related memorabilia, including press clippings, four books, rare photographs and two copies of Life magazine, estimated at only $300 – $400; plus several vintage Triumphs, Harleys and more from Ekins' amazing collection. Check out the gallery for pix.

Gallery: Steve McQueen at Bonhams & Butterfields

[via JamesList]

Tags: auction, Bonhams, California, celebrity, Harley Davidson, Los Angeles, motorcycle, movies, Steve McQueen, Triumph

$2.5 Million Patek Philippe Stars in Christie's Megabucks Watches Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

An exceptionally rare and highly important rose gold Patek Philippe timepiece made in 1953 (above) is expected to fetch up to $2.5 million at Christie's Important Watches sale in Geneva on November 15. The two crown world time wristwatch with 24 hour indication and blue enamel dial, Ref. 2523 is one of three pink gold Pateks in the sale, all of which are expected to top out at over $1 million, an extremely rare occurrence in a single sale. The other two are a perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with moon phases, Ref. 2499, manufactured in 1957, estimated at up to $1.25 million; and a perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with phases of the moon, Ref. 1518, manufactured in 1948, estimated at up to $1.03 million. 388 lots in total will be offered in two sessions during the historic sale and are expected to realize a combined total estimated in excess of $13 million.

Gallery: Christie's Important Watches 11/10

Chopard?s L.U.C Louis-Ulysse - The Tribute

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: auction, Christies, chronograph, Geneva, gold, horology, Patek Philippe, pink gold, timepieces, watches, wristwatch

Everest Explorer Sir Edmund Hillary's Rolex Collection Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Sports, Men's Style

Antiquorum's sale of Important Vintage and Modern Timepieces to be held Nov. 13 – 14 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva will include the personal collection of Rolex watches of the legendary 20th century explorer Sir Edmund Hillary, credited with being the first climber to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in 1953. These exceptional timepieces have been consigned for sale by Lady Hillary and all had special significance for Sir Edmund. The earliest model in the collection is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, ref. 6084, dating from 1953 (above) which was presented to Sir Edmund by Rolex Bosecks of Calcutta, India after his descent from Everest.

It was then worn by him during the Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1955-1958 – the first overland crossing of Antarctica and the first expedition to reach the South Pole since Scott in 1912 – and as such it has immense historic significance. The watch, with a caseback engraved "Sir E. Hillary", is conservatively estimated to fetch up to about $20,000. Also part of the collection is a gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date, ref. 15238, purchased by the explorer on the 50th Anniversary of the day he reached the summit of Everest, estimated at about $10,000; as well as a 1972 Rolex Explorer I and a 1973 Explorer II also owned by the great adventurer.

Gallery: Sir Edmund Hillary's Rolex Collection

Tags: Antiquorum, auction, explorer, Geneva, India, Mt. Everest, Rolex, Rolex Explorer, Sir Edmund Hillary, Timepieces, watches

$50 Million Warhol Stars in Christie's Contemporary Art Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

A rare early Andy Warhol painting expected to fetch up to $50 million, the first picture by Warhol ever to be shown in a museum, headlines Christie's incredible Contemporary Art sale in New York on Nov. 10. The artist's Big Campbell's Soup Can with Can Opener (Vegetable), dated 1962 (above), is one of several multimillion-dollar Warhols on offer in the eye-popping sale. The next most expensive artwork is Roy Lichtenstein's Ohhh...Alright..., dated 1964, expected to fetch in the region of $40 million and one of a number of Lichtensteins on offer, again with several carrying multimillion-dollar estimates. Both seminal paintings "literally changed the course of art history," Christie's notes. In third place price-wise is Gerhard Richter's 1982 oil on canvas Zwei Kerzen, estimated at $12 million – $16 million, followed by Jeff Koons' steel sculpture Balloon Flower (Blue), 1995 - 2000, also estimated at $12 million – $16 million. Following that in the $9 million – $15 million range are two works by Mark Rothko, Untitled (Black on Gray) and No 18 (Brown and Black on Plum). Oligarchs and oil sheikhs, prepare your paddles.

Gallery: Christie's Contemporary Art 11/10