guernseys

Guernsey's Auction Fails To Sell Liberty's Nose, Diana's Jewels

Filed under: Auctions

News from last night's auction at Guernsey's in New York City is not good. According to reports, a lot of the memorabilia did not sell. The auction was a bit of a mixed bag boasting everything from Superman's cape to a cast of the Statue of Liberty's nose and may have attracted more of the curious than the ready-to-bid. The nose was expected to bring in between $150,000 and $200,000. A set of jewels worn by Princess Diana were listed with an estimate of $1.5 to $2.5 million but did not reach their reserve price. The AFP quotes Arlan Ettinger, president of the auction house as saying that the reserve prices for some items were very high.

What did sell was a statue used in the movie "The Maltese Falcon." It went for $305,000 dollars to billionaire Stewart Rahr who was at the auction with Leonardo DiCaprio. Two prop tablets from the movie "The Ten Commandments" carried by actor Charlton Heston during his portrayal of Moses went for $18,000.

Tags: guernseys, princess diana, superman

Own a Piece of the Statue of Liberty

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

You can buy anything these days, especially in New York City. To wit, Guernsey's auction house said a copper chunk of nose crafted to fit the Statue of Liberty's face during her 1980s restoration will be auctioned on September 24 at the Park Avenue Armory. The two-foot-long section was one of four created to replace the Statue of Liberty's nose, and it's the only one that likely ever will be sold. Of the other three, one currently adorns the statue, one was destroyed, and another is in a private collection.

Other iconic items up for auction that day include a motorcycle from President John F. Kennedy's Dallas motorcade, James Dean's sunglasses, the last home run ball from the original Yankee Stadium, Barbra Streisand's first test record and a photo negative from Marilyn Monroe's nude calendar shoot.

Tags: auction, auctions, guernseys, guernseys auction house, icon, icons, New York, New York City, NYC, Statue of Liberty

Must-Haves from the Tavern on the Green Auction

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Sadly, iconic New York restaurant Tavern on the Green has shut its doors for good. The owners filed for bankruptcy and next week auction house Guernsey's will be selling the Central Park restaurant's glitzy contents to the highest bidder (including the entrance tent, above) during a three-day auction.

This Wednesday potential bidders began previewing the goods and will continue to every day from now until Tuesday, from noon until 8 p.m. The auction begins Wednesday, Jan. 13 although some items can be bid on early online.

With more than 25,000 auction items - the front-entrance sign and Baccarat-crystal chandeliers alike - and values anywhere from $100 to $1.2 million, bidders are likely to need a little guidance. That's why we consulted New York antiques appraiser Helaine Fendelman to see what items are worth bidding on and what's just kitsch.

A long-time New Yorker, Fendelman calls dining at Tavern a "quintessential New York experience." But she says, memorabilia from the restaurant will only hold its value if the restaurant's name continues to be recognizable.

Brand-name items are safe bets, she says. "A Waterford chandelier will retain its value and it will have the added cache of being from Tavern on the Green."

As for Tavern memorabilia, Fendelman advises picking "the iconic items that are identified with the restaurant" and always get a letter of authenticity from the auction house. She also says to beware of items that are common. If there are too many of a certain item, like the place settings, for example, they won't be worth anything. Also stay away from items that have been reproduced often. "Collectors shy away from things that have been imitated over and over again."

See the slide show below for 25 must-have picks. Then see and bid on the full list of auction items here.

Gallery: Tavern on the Green Auction Items