Auction News Network

No Votes, Just Cash: 15 Oscars For Sale

Fifteen Oscars will be up for grabs and not a red carpet in sight when Nate D. Sanders Auctions brings the statuettes to market two days after the Award ceremony this Sunday. Wags might advise–if you can’t win one, buy one, but it could be pricey. In 1999 Michael Jackson paid $1.5m for the “Gone With The Wind” best picture trophy.

$524,000 For Marlene Dietrich’s Rolls

Although the top seller at Bonhams vintage automobile auction in Scottsdale, Arizona was a $667,000 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet, much of the attention at the event went to another car, a 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1, once owned by Marlene Dietrich. It sped to $524,000, well above its $300,000-$400,000 estimate.

Taylor’s Jewelry Rockets Past Estimates

Last night at Christie’s it didn’t take long for the sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry to blast through its $30m estimate. An immense, 50.6ct dog-chewed pearl known as “La Peregrina” that Taylor’s fifth (and sixth) husband Richard Burton gave her fetched $11.8m alone, which was almost four times its high estimate. That formed the pattern for the evening, which brought in a total of $115.9m, the highest total ever for a private jewelry auction.

Marilyn’s First Photo Shoot

She was still a fresh-faced Norma Jean Dougherty in these images. The platinum hair, the name, the stardom and tragedy were all still ahead of her. This weekend an archive of the photographs—and negatives– from Marilyn Monroe’s first photo shoot in 1946 sold at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills for $352,000.

Raymond Chandler’s 1st Novel & A Letter From George

George Washington and Raymond Chandler aren’t names you’ll often see associated. What brings them together on December 8^th is Sotheby’s sale of books and manuscripts in New York, which includes items from both. The Washington offering is a signed autograph letter to the U.S. House of Representatives dated 9 May 1789. It’s estimated at $300,000-$500,000. From Chandler there’s a double presentation copy of his first novel “The Big Sleep,” which the author inscribed to his wife, Cissy. It’s expected to sell for $80,000-$120,000.

Bonhams To Sell Orson Welles Archive

“Citizen Kane” may be considered Orson Welles’ greatest film, but it wasn’t his favorite. That was “Chimes at Midnight,” released as “Falstaff” in the US, a lesser known 1965 effort that was beset with problems. Until a restored version was shown in the UK earlier this year, it hadn’t been seen in decades. Tomorrow, Bonhams will sell an archive of material related to the film, including 23 of Welles’ wash and watercolor drawings for the movie, along with his production notes.  They’re expected to fetch $62,000-$94,000.

Audrey Hepburn’s “Roman Holiday” Dress To Sell

Who can forget the impression of winsome elegance that Audrey Hepburn made in “Roman Holiday?” It made her an instant star—she won an Oscar in 1954—and of course a fashion icon for the ages. Now the Edith Head-designed dress she wore in the movie’s last scene will be sold at a London auction, where it’s estimated to bring $63,000-$95,000.

UPDATE: Hepburn’s dress sold above estimates for $109,836, and Elizabeth Tayor’s Balenciaga gown brought $40,791. The dress worn by Amy Winehouse realized $56,387, well above the $32,000 high estimate.

Marilyn Monroe & Madonna Score In China

A green velour dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in the 1954 film, “River of No Return” has sold for $516,600 at a Julien’s auction in Macao. Playing a gambler’s wife, Monroe wore the revealing dress while she sang, “I’m Gonna File My Claim” in the movie. Another big hit at the China sale this past weekend was Madonna’s Jean Paul Gautier bustier from her 1987 “Who’s that Girl” tour. It swelled past its $6,000-8,000 estimate to claim $72,000.

$936,438 For Richard Gere Guitar Collection

The vintage guitar and amplifier collection of “Pretty Woman” star Richard Gere has made a pretty penny. Today it sold at Christie’s in New York for $936,438, close to the $1m that had been expected. Top seller was a 1960 Gibson Les Paul that brought in $98,500, exceeding its $90,000 high estimate. Only 4 percent of the 107 lots failed to sell.

John Wayne Auction Lassoes $5.45m

By the time this weekend’s auction of John Wayne’s memorabilia was over, Heritage had rounded up $5.45m. The highest price was the $179,250 paid for the woolen cap that Wayne wore in “The Green Berets.” Other big sellers were his Golden Globe from the 1969 film “True Grit”( $143,400), a cowboy hat he wore in three westerns ($119,500), and his holster and gun belt from “El Dorado”($77,675).

James Dean Letters At Christie’s

For two years, Barbara Glenn was actor James Dean’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. They corresponded through the period of his early success, writing about their volatile relationship as well as his blossoming career, and emotional ups and downs. Never before offered for sale, the handwritten letters will be sold at Christie’s on November 23 as part of their Popular Culture auction in London.

Bonhams To Sell Actor John Forsythe’s Estate

For much of last 50 years, the late actor John Forsythe seemed ubiquitous, starring in three long-running television series (“Batchelor Father,” “Charlie’s Angels,” and “Dynasty”) as well as a variety of other television and film projects. Bonhams & Butterfields will sell his estate in late September, which includes such items as his mahogany Steinway Baby Grand piano.

Baseball Kissed By Marilyn, Signed by Joe

Back in 2006, a baseball signed by both Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio sold for a record $191,000. The one that Heritage is offering on August 4^th has a couple of other things going for it: it’s signed by the 1952 New York Yankee team, and it still bears the lipstick imprint of Monroe’s kiss. Will it beat the earlier record? Like any pitch, “There’s no telling where this thing could go,” said Heritage’s Mark Jordan.

Marilyn’s Blue Movie–Or Not

Did she or didn’t she? Only two copies of a pornographic short in which Marilyn Monore allegedly appears are known to exist. One of them was sold for $1.2m to a private collector in 2001. The other will be the highlight of the first Buenos Aires Film Collecting Fair on August 6^th and 7^th, when it’s estimated to sell for at least $500,000.

Steve McQueen’s Surfboard In Honolulu Auction

Now that that summer’s here and the beaches are beckoning, it’s almost time for the 6^th Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction in Honolulu. Mint condition, historic surfboards are big draw and none of them will be attracting more attention than what organizer Randy Rarick calls the “ultimate warehouse find.” That would be Steve McQueen’s pristine 1963 ‘speed’ board shaped by Pat Curren and rescued from the actor’s airplane hangar in Santa Paula, California.