Auction News Network

Rusty Mini Outsells Keith Richards’ 1950 Pontiac

You’d think that a rusty 1959 Mini would sell for less—a lot less– than a classic 1950 Pontiac convertible once owned by Keith Richards. As it happens, you’d be wrong. Earlier today at a Bonhams auction at the RAF Museum in Hendon, England, the oldest surviving original example of a Austin Mini De Luxe Saloon in non-running “barn find” condition sold for $65,382, eclipsing the $61,604 paid for a dark blue Pontiac Chieftan Silver Streak in which Richards tooled about in the south of France.

Once Again, Patek Phillipe Scores Record Price

Antiquorum thought they might get $800,000 for a rare platinum Patek Phillipe at its auction this week in New York, but following spirited bidding an American buyer paddled down $902,500, the highest price ever paid for a single dial Patek Philippe Ref. 3974. Several other Patek Phillipes at the sale also achieved record prices.

Prince Charles’ Aston Martin To Sell

Prince Charles has a well-documented fondness for Aston Martins. The company reciprocated by loaning him a new hunter green 1994 6.3-litre Aston Martin Virage Volante, which he drove until around 2008. Since that time, it’s been on display at the company’s headquarters in Great Britain, but now Bonhams is selling it. At an auction at Aston Martin’s Newport Pagnell factory in England, it’s expected to fetch $81,000-$110,000.

Update: A 1991 DB4GT Sanction II Coupe sold for $1.94m, a new record for a DB4 Zagato. Other top sellers were a 1961 DB2 Vantage Convertible, which brought $968,500, and 1963 DB5, which fetched $773,500. Prince Charles’ Virage Volante sold for $192,000, well above its $79,000-$110,000 estimate.

Collection of Hermes Bags At Bonhams

Few items in fashion can rival the enduring appeal of the Hermes bag, in its various iconic styles, for which women routinely wait months or years. Another route to acquiring one is in the sale Bonhams will offer next month in London of a private collection of 64 Hermes bags, known for their exotic skins. Featured items include a black patent crocodile Birkin bag, 2003 (est. $12,900-$19,400), and a fuchsia ostrich Kelly bag(est. $6,500-$9,700).

Ted Williams’ Huge Baseball Collection For Sale

Turns out the great Ted Williams, who collected awards by the bushel, was also a fanatic collector of baseball memorabilia including a program for the first World Series ever played, (1903), and a baseball signed by Babe Ruth, the only autograph Williams ever requested. His collection will be sold at an auction staged at Fenway Park. The catalog alone runs 300-pages.

Update: Some 800 items sold at the auction, led by Williams’ MVP plaque, which realized $299,000. A ball that Babe Ruth autographed for Williams fetched $195,000.

Titanic Band Leader’s Letter At Auction

The Titanic centenary has come and gone, but the auctions linger on. One of the largest is an online sale at RR Auction, in which 180 items will be offered. The lot attracting the highest bids is a letter written by the ship’s bandleader, Wallace Hartley, who earned his place in legend for playing on as the ship went down. With 28 bids so far and two days until the April 26^th close of the auction, the tally for the letter stands at $79,524.

Lincoln Opera Glass Up For Resale

The opera glasses Lincoln had in his hands the night he was assassinated are coming back to auction at the end of the month after they failed to sell last year when offered with an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. At one time Malcolm Forbes, Sr., owned them. The current owner was not disclosed by auctioneer Nate D. Sanders handling the sale in Los Angeles.

Raymond Loewy’s Avanti In Monaco

In mid-century, few industrial designers could rival the portfolio of Raymond Loewy, who was responsible for such iconic creations as the Coca-Cola bottle, the Gray Hound Bus, and the stylish Avanti coupe. Loewy’s own Avanti II coupe, which he purchased in 1972 and had shipped back to Paris, is one of the highlights at Bonhams “Grandes Marques” sale in Monaco on May 11^th, when it’s expected to sell for $46,000-$65,700.

Cezanne “Card Player” Leads Christie’s Sale

All the big guns will be represented at Christie’s Impressionist & Modern art sale on May 1^st, which kicks off their spring series of art auctions in New York. Works by Monet, Matisse, Picasso, and Giacometti are each expected to sell for as much as $12m. The top estimated lot, however, is Cezanne’s “Joueur de cartes (card player), a watercolor that may realize $20m.

Tyrannosaurus Skeleton May Realize $1m

Around 80 million years ago, the Tyrannosaurus bataar roamed what is now Central Asia. Smaller than the North American T. Rex, it still stood eight feet tall.  The 24-foot skeleton that Heritage will be offering next month in New York as part of its Natural History auction is 75% complete and reported to be in “museum-quality” condition. It’s expected to bring almost $1m at the May 20th sale..

Judson Ball Native American Collection At Bonhams

Over several decades Judson C. Ball and his wife assembled a distinguished collection of Native American art, concentrating on three areas: kachina dolls, Southwest baskets and weavings, and New Mexican religious art. Bonhams will offer the collection in New York on May 14^th, when the featured item will be a red and blue Navajo double saddle/child’s blanket estimated at $50,000-$70,000.

First Olympic Marathon Cup Sets Record

In 1896, more than 100,000 Greek spectators were on hand in Athens to cheer as farmer Spyros Louis won the first Olympic marathon. This week, 116 years later, there was cause for another round of cheering as the silver cup he was awarded sold at a Christie’s auction in London for a record $868,000. That was over three times the high estimate, and more than double the previous record for an item of Olympics memorabilia.

High-End Real Estate Auction Roundup

A home site on the legendary Pebble Beach golf course, a professional equestrian facility in Ocala, Florida, and a lakefront estate in Texas are just a few of the properties heading to the auction block in coming weeks. Read more in our regular high-end real estate auction roundup.

An Orrery & Other Curious Devices At London Sale

An orrery, as mavens of vintage scientific instruments may know, is a mechanical model of the solar system. W & S Jones produced the George III example that Christie’s will be offering on April 25th. The intricate 1794 device has a a disc showing phases of the moon, mounted on a complex multi-wheeled mechanism, with a secondary ring graduated with the signs of the Zodiac. Christie’s anticipates a price of $47,580-$79,300.

Christie’s Brokers $14.4m Sale of St. Cuthbert Gospel

The oldest surviving European book that’s intact isn’t very large. In fact, the St. Cuthbert Gospel is almost small enough to fit in one’s palm. It’s price, however, is another thing. Yesterday it was announced that the British Library, in a deal brokered by Christie’s, has purchased the 7^th century manuscript from the Society of Jesus for $14.4m.