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Patek Philippe Pilot Watch Goes For $1.7 Million At Christie's Auction
Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions
Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.
Via WatchTime.
rare
Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.
Via WatchTime.
First Ferrari to be Exhibited at Desert Concours
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events
On March 1st, less than a month from now, the very first Ferrari ever built will be on display at the Inaugural Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance in Palm Springs. Chassis Number 01C hasn't made a public appearance in 20 years, and this appearance will be made even more special by that fact that the car has a unique history in the area -- it recorded its first ever western U.S. race win in Palm Springs back in 1951.
Many other rare cars will be appearing at the historic O'Donnell Golf club that day, and tickets are just $20 for regular admission or a limited number of VIP tickets will be available for $150.
The World of Rare Comic Books: Amazing Spider-Man #1
Filed under: Auctions
In the world of superheroes, Superman may be have the most other-worldly power, but it's Spider-Man who twinges the heart-strings. Perhaps it's his familiarity -- weren't you, too, that nerd in high school? -- or perhaps it's his tragedy, what with his unknowing part in his uncle's death. Either way, two of the most expensive comic books ever sold at auction are issues of Amazing Fantasy 15, the series in which Spider-Man was first introduced in 1962. One of the rarest comic books still in existence in near-perfect condition is an issue of "Amazing Spider-Man #1," rare not only because of its singularity but also because of its quality. The comic book sold for only 12 cents per copy when it was published in March 1963, and is now worth over $40,000 -- not an exceedingly high price for comic books (the most valuable, first appearance of Superman in "Action Comics 1," is said to be worth $350,000) -- but extremely rare in such pristine condition.
In 2002, a comic book shop in Manhattan was broken into, and a particularly rare copy of "Amazing Spider-Man #1" was stolen, by a "gentlemanly" robber holding a duffel bag containing a rifle and handcuffs. He tied up the store owner while he picked the desired issues -- certainly a scene right out of the pages of his contraband. If only Spider-Man was real ...
The World of Rare Books: The Gutenberg Bible, First and Most Valuable
There are countless rare books in the world, but by most expert's standards the rarest of them all is the Gutenberg Bible. It was the first book ever printed back in 1456, and although several hundred copies were originally printed finding a complete first edition would net you $25-$35 million. In today's market single pages alone go for $25,000 each, and several years ago just 1 volume (it's a 2 volume set) sold for $5.5 million.
Besides the Gutenberg Bible other rare books include the first edition of Shakespeare's collected works from 1623 (worth $6 million), a collection of Leonardo da Vinci's manuscripts (potentially worth as much as $100 million), and of course any first edition copy of the Declaration of Independence (worth $8 million). Edgar Allen Poe's work also makes in onto the "rarest books" list with his first published poem ("Tamerlane") being rare and difficult to find due to a byline of simply "By A Bostonian." It's worth as much as $200,000 to the right buyer.
The World of Rare Coins: The Prized Double Eagle
It's everybody's dream to suddenly find a rare coin floating around in their pocket or purse and be an instant millionaire, and although that's always possible (not all the rare coins in the world are accounted for) it's pretty unlikely. Coin collecting is big business, both as a hobby and as a way to turn a profit. As a general rule the more rare a coin is the more it's worth, so what's the rarest coin ever? It's a debatable subject as not all experts always agree, but if the Double Eagle isn't at the top of that list it's sure near it. Back in 2002 the only Double Eagle coin left to be in private hands (or so everybody thought) sold for $7.9 million dollars. Other rare coins include the Double Eagles smaller cousin the Quarter Eagle, and then the Brasher Doubloon, and the Eagle. More for fun then there's always the world's biggest coin, valued at $2 million+ (it's weights over 220 pounds and is the size of a pizza -- that would be a fun delivery!).
Good luck searching those pockets!
The World of Rare Cats and Dogs: Meet the Ashera and the Lundehund
Filed under: Pets
If you're an animal lover you probably have at least one cat or dog, if not several. And whether you're into mixed breeds from the local animal shelter or purebreds worthy of showing, pretty much all pet owners think their little baby is the most beautiful and unique of all. And although that may be true (I've got 3 unique sweeties of my own) there is something to be said for which kinds of cats and dogs really are the most unique, or in this case, the most rare. When it comes to rare breeds different experts have different opinions, but regardless who you ask certain names keep popping up. The rarest cat breeds seem to be the Sokoke, the Egyptian Mau, and the Ashera. Of those the Ashera is the most expensive($20,000+), the Sokoke the most exotic (from the wilds of Africa), and the Egyptian Mau has the coolest history (lived with the Egyptians).
As for dog breeds, the one that keeps popping up on all the 'rare' lists is the Lundehund, or Norwegian Puffin Dog. Bred originally by the Vikings to hunt Puffins its most unique characteristic is its incredible flexibility in the joints. Other rare breeds include Otterhounds (about 350 in the US) and Stabyhounds (about 100 in the US).
The World of Rare Signatures and Autographs: William Shakespeare
Think "autograph" and images of crowds of screaming fans mobbing celebrities comes to mind, or maybe a more organized event with people lining up in droves and the celebrity sitting behind a table. Either way the end result is the same: a lot of signatures leaving with a lot of satisfied fans. And that's great for all those people who now have a souvenir to cherish, but not so much for collectors. In order for a signature to be worth a lot in terms of money it has to be fairly rare.
He may have done a lot of writing, but with only 6 of them in existence William Shakespeare's signature is one of the rarest of all and is valued somewhere around $3 million dollars. And as far as present-day celebrities go it's a harder call to make, but this past year Will Ferrell topped the list of worst celebrity signers (which would, in theory, make his John Hancock just a little more rare).
Lucky Couple Finds Rare Purple Pearl in Dinner
Filed under: Jewelry
A couple of years ago, I reported on a story about a man who bought a purple pearl brooch at a sale thinking it was costume jewelry and found himself with a piece worth around $250,000. A Florida man recently found another rare purple pearl this week and all he had to do was order a steamed clams. George Brock and his wife, Leslie found the pearl while eating at Dave's Last Resort & Raw Bar. Their pearl isn't quite as big the one in the brooch but it could be worth thousands. The couple will have it appraised and then decide if they will sell it.William Shakespeare's Signature Worth $3 Million
Filed under: Celebrity Shopping
Celebrities spend a lot of time signing autographs, but besides personal value the ones that really end up being worth lots of cold hard cash are the rarest ones. In today's day and age it's hard to get through a single day sometimes without signing for a credit card purchase or something else, but hundreds of years ago things were different. Even for somebody who spent most of his time with a quill in his hand.
For all the writing William Shakespeare did he apparently didn't sign his name very often. Today there are only six of the playwright's known authenticated signatures in existence, which helps make his John Hancock one of the most valuable in the world. One can be found on a conveyance for a house in London, one on a legal deposition, one on his mortgage documents, and three in his will. And any one of those is worth $3 million, seriously.
How a Coin Worth $1.9 Million Travels Cross-Country
People buy and sell expensive things all the time, but here's an interesting story of how a dime worth $1.9 million dollars traveled across the country from its old home in San Jose to its new home in New York City. Who knew it was as simple as a guy in flip flops carrying it there in his pocket? Well I'm sure that guy, John Feigenbaum, would say it was anything but simple. He dressed in flip flops so he wouldn't attract undue attention, tried to fly coach (but got upgraded to first class anyway), and didn't sleep a wink on a red-eye flight for fear of losing the precious cargo somehow.
The 1894-S dime is one of nine known to have survived from only 24 minted in San Francisco that year. Of course the new owner, who is choosing to remain anonymous, has no intentions of doing anything with the dime other than keeping it stashed away in his vault as an investment for the future -- after spending a few minutes admiring it, of course.
One-of-a-Kind 1962 Ferrari Going Up for Auction
Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos
In the world of expensive cars, there are always a few that stand above the rest. It's a subjective issue, to be sure, but if you're into Ferraris with a history then the upcoming "Leggenda e Passione" auction in Italy is somewhere you're going to want to be.
One of the Ferraris with the best history is going up on the block -- the one-of-a-kind 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM Testa Rossa. The one and only Testa Rossa with a 4L engine, the last Testa Rossa ever built, and (as if that weren't enough already) it's the car that won at Le Mans in 1962 driven by Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien.
The auction is on May 20th and will include a number of other historic Ferrari's, although valued at up to $10 million the Testa Rossa is by far the biggest attraction.
What Not To Do With A $140M Painting
There is a reason why so much artwork - particularly older, valuable pieces - is displayed behind glass cases or out of the public's reach: the art is easily damaged and galleries and museums don't want to take unnecessary chances with their investments. When you are a private collector, those safeguards aren't always maintained. This isn't a problem when personal collections are small, but it is when you own a $140 million dollar painting, such as Picasso's La Reve, owned by Steve Wynn. Wynn, after selling the painting for just under that price, accidentally punched a hole in the canvas with a careless elbow.
Apparently, the painting can be restored and Wynn is taking this as a sign that the painting should not be sold, but when you're dealing with something so valuable in the first place, even private collectors might consider an extra precaution or two.
[Thanks, Mike!]
Contrabss Saxophone
Though the wording of the ad itself is a little strange in the beginning, there is no denying that the Contrabass Saxophone that it lists is a unique find for a musician or a collector. The sax was custom built in 2001 - before the instruments entered a very limited, but regular, production - and has been used professionally since. The Contrabass is the lowest playing real saxophone in the world, handcrafted in Italy by Orsi, and there are so few that it is rare that one comes on the market at all. It is 6'4" tall and weighs about 45-lbs. Two cases are included, a "lightweight" traveling case and a very sturdy shipping case that is about the size of a refrigerator (with wheels). Price: $22,500. Be sure to check out the music clips on the sale site to hear what it sounds like.
[via growabrain]
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