Eons ago birds ruled the earth, and the “Elephant Bird” really did exist in Madagascar. Weighing a half-ton and standing 10-feet tall, the flightless birds were hunted to extinction 300-years ago, but a few eggs remain. One will be sold at Christie’s extinct artifacts auction next week in London. It’s 3-feet around and a foot tall. Photo compares it to a chicken egg. High estimate is $25,000.Also offered at the sale will be a pair of wooly mammoth tusks. The sale will be held in London, May 22, under the heading of “Interiors: Style and Spirit,” suggesting stylish prospects for mammoth tusks or an elephant bird egg in the right interior.
Which Came First, Elephant Bird Or The Egg?
May 14, 2012
James Bond Barn Find: $90K ‘Thunderball’ Watch
May 22, 2013The latest dramatic barn find involves a Breitling Top Time, the very watch Sean Connery wore in “Thunderball.” Several years ago a collector snapped it up at a yard sale for less than $40. Suspecting a higher value, the anonymous buyer took it to an expert for evaluation. The savvy collector wasn’t wrong: when the watch appears at a Christie’s auction next month in London, it’s expected to sell for as much as $90,000.
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“Harry Legacy” Sells For $26.m
May 17, 2013Money has been flooding into the rapidly rising diamond market in recent months, as collectors seek remunerative parking spots for their investment dollars. The latest example is the $26.7m that jeweler Harry Winston paid this week at a Christie’s auction in Geneva for a flawless 101.73-carat “colorless” diamond. The price was a new high for a diamond of this type, exceeding the last auction price record by more than $10m.
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Bizarre Topless Photo of Jolie, $45,500
May 16, 2013A bizarre topless photo of Angelina Jolie called “Horseplay” sold at Christie’s London auction last night for $45,500. The “Wild Side of Photography” sale was scheduled well before Jolie’s double mastectomy announcement. Taken when she was 25, the photo also prominently displays a “Billy Bob” tattoo, referring to former husband Thornton who has since been removed from her shoulder and her life.
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Rising Value of Unrestored Cars
By Malcolm Welford, Vintage Car Specialist
