Alternative Investments

Discerning investors train sights on post-1945 art

2009-07-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

ZURICH (Reuters) - Investors battered by a credit crisis could look beyond equities and bonds in their quest for returns: those with a keen eye are beginning to see bargains in contemporary art.

Prices of works by artists born after 1945 have fallen nearly a third since a late-2007 peak, according to widely used market data compiler Artprice, and analysts say this could be a great time to get in.

http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSTRE56U1HA20090731

Interest grows in collecting antique farm toys

2009-07-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

By Terry Kovel

Now that vegetable gardens are in the news — there’s one at the White House and cities are encouraging residents to plant them on vacant lots — collectors are looking at farm-related toys with more interest.

Toy manufacturers made cast-iron farm toys in the early 1900s, lithographed tin toys by the 1930s and, after World War II, aluminum and plastic toys.

You can usually date a toy tractor by the material it’s made of and by the design of the tractor. Most were made as models of full-size machines. Other details, including how the wheels and tires are made, how it’s painted and what the drivers are wearing, also help.

Wine: First Growth Indices since June 2008

2009-07-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

The graph below charts the performance of the five first growths since June 08.

It clearly demonstrates the effect the credit crunch had on prices at the tail end of last year and, interestingly, shows which vintages were more resilient to the feared price decreases. A general observation might be that the laws of demand and supply came to the fore- thus the marked difference in the performance of 1982 vs 2005.

However, those now wanting to take advantage of the current conditions could do worse than to reconsider the 2005 and 1996 vintages. A switch perhaps out the 1982s?

http://liv-ex.typepad.com/livex_fine_wine_market_bl/2009/07/first-growth-indices-since-june-2008.html

Snatching Big Names, Aesthetics Aside

2009-07-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

By SOUREN MELIKIAN

LONDON — The surprising success of the contemporary art sales at Sotheby’s on June 25 and at Christie’s on Tuesday has again confirmed that the art market operates as if the buyers had never heard of the recession. Interestingly, it also puts its performance in a new perspective.

As long as the continuing rush to buy art at auction concerned the legacy of the past, this could be accounted for by the collectors’ obsessive fear of missing opportunities that may not recur — the dwindling of supplies is now becoming too painfully obvious to be denied.

But with contemporary art, this explanation does not hold water. The works of artists who died years ago (and should not be called “contemporary,” strictly speaking) remains relatively abundant and living artists continue to paint, sculpt or devise contraptions that sometimes defy definition.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/arts/04iht-melik4.html?ref=arts

A horse? A triple-gallop investment!

2009-06-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

by Katya PELLEGRINO

The passage of each metre sets your heart racing, the minutes stretch on like hours and then comes the euphoria of seeing the jacket,bearing your own colours, boldly cross the finish line… Indeed, being the owner of a horse is packed with emotions, and it also potentially offers you fairly decent tax deductions, so why not take the jump this year and invest in a horse!

The acquisition of a race horse: a wise investment

At a time when the financial sector is experiencing an unprecedented crisis and the Madoff affair has greatly tarnished the image of banks, it is high time to consider other kinds of investments, more "humane" and stimulating ones. So, the good news is, and this goes along with the new democratization trend, owning a race horse is no longer the privilege of a closed circle of racetrack elites, but the door to ownership has recently opened up offering a variety of possibilities. My horse, our horse, our horses...: for a few thousand Euros, it is now possible to satisfy our passion for races and to generate good and steady profits. Just to give you an idea, in 2008, some 4,600 owners shared around170 million Euros in profits. That should surely whet your appetite...

http://www.luxe-magazine.com/45-3702-A_horse_A_triple_gallop_investment

Surprises and Perils of a French Sale

2009-05-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

By SOUREN MELIKIAN

PARIS — This could only happen in France, a land of passionate collectors gloating in the privacy of their homes over treasures accumulated for love and kept out of sight for decades. In contrast to Britain, bled dry of its fabulous private collections by its powerful auction houses for the last 50 years, artistic rarities still come out of the woodwork, as they did on Wednesday at a Drouot sale organized by the Piasa group.

The medieval sculpture collected by Charles Mayer, a physician who, in later life, changed his name to Charles Maillant and died in 1993, illustrated the French capacity to come up with artistic surprises. Interestingly, it also highlighted the perils awaiting those who eagerly pick up the fragments of vanished monuments of the past.

The auction, conducted by Henri-Pierre Teissedre, included pieces that have not come under the hammer for decades. They bore witness to the mad destruction of some of the greatest monuments of ecclesiastical architecture during the 19th century. While the destructive fits of mob rage following the 1789 Revolution were short-lived, the materialism and artistic illiteracy of the “orderly” regimes that succeeded it caused far greater damage. As a result, thousands of architectural and sculptural fragments were let loose on the market. Many decades later, the provenance problems they raise can be thorny.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/arts/30iht-melik30.html?ref=arts

Beijing hosts China's first fine French wine auction

2009-05-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, May 29, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- MRGX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- From famous chateaux ranging from Lafite to Margaux and Mouton, wine lovers had a chance to bid for top French wine in Beijing on Friday at the first wine auction yet on the Chinese mainland.

Around 1,000 bottles of fine wine from France's renowned Bordeaux area were on auction with a starting price of several hundred to several thousand U.S. dollars, about one third of the market price in China, the Beijing Poly International Auction Co., Ltd. said.

Ma Zhefei, a Poly staffer in charge of the auction, said that about 94 percent of the wines were sold and over 90 percent of the buyers said they would drink the wines themselves, not for investment.

The wines were sold at about 70 percent of the market price in China, Ma said. With high wine import taxes, rich Chinese mainland wine lovers sometimes make the purchases in Hong Kong, where the taxes are lower.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2350925/

Unique French Edition Of Erotic Classic Up For Sale

2009-05-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

Susan Adams

A one-of-a-kind Fanny Hill book drips with provocative hand-painted watercolors.

Update

The book sold for $5,490, including commissions, to a private buyer bidding over the telephone.

An item in Bloomsbury Auctions' upcoming June 23 books and manuscripts sale in New York looks innocent enough. Estimated at $4,000-$6,000 and printed in Paris in 1887, it comes encased in a discreet cardboard box covered in handmade marbled paper in subtle tones of mauve, tan and pale blue. A bit too innocent, even.

Pull out the volume inside and you get a hint of the titillating content within. The brown leather cover is embossed in gold, with what is known as a "priapic" design: The four corners of the front cover each display a penis and scrotum with wings attached, encircled by a golden oval encased in a delicate, labial--or is it floral?--decoration.

Mémoirs de Fanny Hill, a French edition of the landmark erotic novel, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by English novelist John Cleland, first published in 1749. Fanny, of course, is the famously risqué story of an orphaned 15-year-old country girl and her adventures as a London working girl.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/28/erotic-book-auction-lifestyle-collecting-erotic-book.html?partner=forbeslife_newsletter

How to collect big rewards from the memorabilia market

2009-05-22T05:38:00.000-07:00

By Sarah Freeman

Jamie Breese grew up around antiques. His family was in the collectables business and it wasn't long before he was running his own market stall.

Since those early days he has become an expert on everything from historical letters to football programmes. Now, with the recession turning us into a nation of bargain hunters, a browse round a car boot sale or second-hand shop may unearth a treasure worth investing in.

Autographs: Prices have increased over the year, but the market is prone to supply and demand, fashions and the unexpected. An autograph on a scrap of paper or in an album is worth less than one on a handwritten letter or photograph. A signature in ink is better than pencil and a personal inscription to a fan with a signature is usually worth less than a clear signature on its own.

Best buys: Bruce Lee £9,500. Winston Churchill £6,500. The Beatles: £24,500 for signed photograph.

Pottery: Not so long ago car boot sales were full of Denby pottery, but now it is creeping back into fashion. The company opened its doors in 1809 when a seam of clay was discovered in the Denby area. It is the animal pieces from the 1940s which are most popular, and it is still possible to pick items up very cheaply.

Best buys: Giraffe from 1940s: £60, Luxor dinner service sold for £313 on eBay in November last year.

Letters: The market is buoyant for this type of collectable. Important historical figures always fetch a premium, as do the best-known literary figures. Letters from royalty are also keenly sought after.

Best buys: A signed letter from Captain James Cook sold for £33,600 a couple of years ago; a letter from Charles Dickens to a colleague signed simply C. D, went on sale for £2,950 towards the end of last year.

Comics: Classic British comics have found a great niche and, while values are usually far less than for US gems, they're easier to find. Usually its the first appearance of a character which creates the most interest, but collectors also look out for a character's final appearance. Girls' comics, such as Bunty, are not particularly sought after, as the majority of collectors are male.

Best buys: The Beezer first issue from 1956: £500 plus; The Beano first issue: £12,000.

Dolls' Houses: The best examples are works of art in their own right, they tell historians exactly how we used to live and can sell for thousands of pounds. The more mass-produced ones remain accessible price-wise and if kept well, may prove to increase in value. Original condition is a key factor and in general the furniture is worth more than the houses.

Best buys: Set of tin plate furniture by Rock and Graner: £1,000.

Books: Modern first-edition books, dating from 1900s, have become extremely collectable over the last decade or so. Initial print runs for unknown authors tend to be low, so to identify a true first edition look for a single date on the title page. If it is followed by the words "second impression" or "republished in" then it's no good. The presence of a dust jacket is very important.

Best buys: Casino Royale by Ian Flemming with dust jacket: £25,000; Brighton Rock by Graham Greene with dust jacket: £11,000.

Football: This is one of the few areas where modern items can fetch as much as vintage memorabilia and the game is so ingrained in our national culture, it is difficult to see a time when values might tumble. As a general rule mass-produced items such as sticker-albums don't have a market value, even if complete, and it's much better to look for club lapel badges or unusual match programmes.

Best buys: Souvenir book from the 1966 World Cup: £250; Signed David Beckham photograph: £200.

Films: The big money is in the screen idols of Hollywood's first 50 years, such as Audrey Hepburn, Laurel and Hardy and Marilyn Monroe. Equally large amounts lie in the exceptionally rare models, props and costumes from major films. Oscars and actors' scripts are considered the Holy Grail of film memorabilia.

Best buys: Original Terminator poster from 1984: £250; Flag from Indian Jones and the Last Crusade: £800.

Newspapers: The most popular editions are usually worth the least, as more people keep them for posterity. Many collectors go for a certain subject and, curiously, murders are popular. The one thing to beware off is facsimile editions of papers which are often produced to celebrate a certain anniversary.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/features/How-to-collect-big-rewards.5293904.jp

Few Works Up at Auction

2009-05-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

By Katy Donoghue

For the first News Analysis column, I’d like to further develop an idea from Lily’s Art Market column, posted earlier today. After this week’s New York Post War and Contemporary sales at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips de Pury, plenty of trends are being spotted and proposed in this weeks news. Spun through all these post-auction and post-art boom articles is a common thread worth looking at: the goods are gone.

We started with Impressionist and Modern art sales last week, which did pretty well, but the lots were small. “The only real threat hanging over the art market became evident as seldom before in this week’s sales of Impressionist and Modern art in New York. It is the drying up of art supplies, and that has little to do with the recession,” wrote Souren Melikian in The New York Times. Melikian went on to say that everything is either locked up in a museum or spread across the globe – it’s all been bought. That may be true, but in the Post War and Contemporary sales it has everything to do with the recession.

We assumed that when the economy crashed, auction houses would be flooded with consignments. Reasons ranging from collector’s putting up works to increase cash flow as their investments sunk to hedge fund collector-newbies who flooded the contemporary art market during the boom who now want out since their funds went bust. Arne Glimcher of Pace Wildenstein in the Daily Beast this week remembers a similar prediction, “For one thing, everyone expected an avalanche of art to come to market—especially from the collections of hedge-fund guys and real-estate moguls whose fortunes dissolved even more rapidly than they were made. We anticipated auction catalogs stacked liked skyscrapers, but we were wrong.”

We sure were. The number of lots at the PWC sales was much lower than in previous years. The only sign of the recession seemed to be the recalibrated high estimates. So where has all the art gone? Why is no one selling? One reason fewer works are up at auction is that auction houses can’t afford to put up everything offered to them. If the works isn’t of a high enough quality to be guaranteed to sell, the auction house can’t afford to gamble – there aren’t enough gullible buyers. So collectors are holding on to those high value works.

When a collector does have some work that he or she would like to sell they are now looking at another option – selling private over publicly. Two weeks ago, the New York Times published a story on just that. Said Carol Vogel, “For many sellers, the driving factor is fear. Fear that their friends will discover they need money. Fear that if a Picasso or Warhol, Monet or Modigliani does not sell at auction, it will be considered yesterday’s goods. If they do not have to, fewer collectors are putting their holdings up for auction at Sotheby’s and Christie’s, where prices and profits have plummeted. But executives at both houses say business in their private-sale departments has more than doubled in recent months.”

http://www.whitewallmag.com/2009/05/18/why-so-few-works-are-up-at-auction/

De Beers presents diamonds as safe-haven investments

2009-05-16T05:27:00.000-07:00

By MarketWatch
Last Update: 1:12 PM ET May 16, 2009

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- South African diamond-mining giant De Beers, a unit of Anglo American PLC (AAUK), has launched a campaign to lure investors, presenting diamonds as an alternative to gold as a safe-haven investment, according to weekend media reports.

The Financial Times reported Saturday on the company's plan for the campaign, citing company sources, analysts and investors.

According to the report, analysts said, however, that diamonds are less attractive due to the close nature of the market.

Stephen Lussier, De Beers' executive director for corporate affairs, also told the Financial Times that the group had been approached by sovereign wealth funds and wealthy individuals in the past two months, but that talks are still in early stages.

http://www.marketwatch.com/m/Story/6d92924c-265c-4c64-b033-6be84a329639

Optimistic Buyers Push Up Sales of Contemporary Art

2009-05-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

By SOUREN MELIKIAN

Published: May 15, 2009

An uncanny optimism is driving the art market. Consider the happy mood that came forth this week at the New York contemporary art sales. These went like a dream, which in this high-risk area that filled some professionals with misgivings is remarkable.

Sotheby’s

“Baroque Egg with Bow (Turquoise/Magenta),” by Jeff Koons, sold for $5.45 million at Sotheby's this week. More Photos »

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/16/arts/16iht-melik16.html?ref=arts

On Tuesday, Sotheby’s sold 39 lots for $47 million, leaving only nine works unsold and posting an 81 percent success rate. Amazingly, three world auction records had been set by the time the session switched to the eighth lot. Was it their importance? Hard to tell — no one has yet defined quality and importance criteria in plain English concerning politically correct contemporary art as acknowledged at auction and in leading galleries.

New Guitar Collecting Magazine Launching

2009-05-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

Guitar Aficionado magazine and GuitarAficionado.com from Future U.S., the publishers of Guitar World, is a new upscale men’s, niche lifestyle publication for music enthusiasts who collect, play and invest in new and vintage guitars.

According to Guitar Aficionado, readers know that guitars are among some of the best-performing, tangible asset investments available today. Traditionally, the value of collectible guitars has increased exponentially over the last 10 to 20 years.

An online brochure is available here

http://guitarcollecting.co.uk/2009/05/14/new-guitar-collecting-magazine-launching/

Blue Diamond Auctioned for Record $9.49 Million

2009-05-13T03:56:00.000-07:00

by Edahn Golan

The fancy vivid blue, internally flawless, 7.03 carat diamond was auctioned at Sotheby’s was sold Tuesday for $9,488,754, or $1,349,752 per carat - a record per carat price for an auctioned diamond. The exceptionally rare cushion-shaped diamond was cut from a 26.58 carat rough discovered in 2008 at Petra’s Cullinan mine in South Africa.

The diamond was the centerpiece item at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva Tuesday evening.

According to Petra’s CEO Johan Dippenaar, the price reflects how incredibly rare and collectable such a diamond is to the connoisseur. “The renowned Cullinan mine continues to captivate the world with spectacular diamonds, building on its legacy as the source of some of the world’s most famous gems.”

http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullNews.asp?id=32343

Diego Rivera Self-Portrait Worth $1 Million?

2009-05-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

by Susan Adams

Christie's hopes this little-seen painting of the renowned muralist will entice a deep-pocketed buyer.

Click here to enlarge

Update
The painting sold May 28 for $1 million, including commissions.

At a time when the air has been let out of the price bubble in many categories of the art market,auction house Christie's believes a rarely seen self-portrait by famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) will entice a bidder to pay more than $1 million. The piece is up for auction May 28 in New York, a highlight of three days of Latin American sales at Christie's and Sotheby's.

Rivera artworks have sold for as much as $10 million, points out longtime New York-based Latin American dealer Mary-Anne Martin. But collectors usually prefer the artist's colorful depictions of flower vendors and street markets. The self-portrait shows a different side of the artist--as does the story behind it.

New York art sales hold their own

2009-05-11T03:51:00.000-07:00

After a tricky start, there were few casualties at last week's major spring auctions of Impressionist and modern art at Sotheby's and Christie's in New York.

By Colin Gleadell
Published: 11 May 2009

Extravagant: Tamara de Lempicka's portrait of Marjorie Ferry fetched a record $4.9 million at Sotheby's

Last week's spring Impressionist and Modern art sales in New York were always going to be interesting – not for blockbuster masterpieces, but to see who and what would be selling in this depressed economic climate, and who would be buying at what price.

Those looking for hardship sales found two Madoff victims, both selling Picassos, but with different results. At Sotheby's, William Achenbaum, who runs the Gansevoort Hotel Group, offered a portrait of Picasso's daughter, Maya, but it floundered with an over-optimistic estimate of $16 million to $24 million and did not sell. At Christie's, Jerome Fisher, co-founder of footwear company Nine West Group, was selling a late Picasso (1968) of a musketeer with a pipe, which became the biggest seller of the week, going for $14.6 million (£9.8 million).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/artsales/5309329/New-York-art-sales-hold-their-own.html

A Scarcity of Goods Hovers Over Art Market

2009-05-08T03:49:00.000-07:00

By SOUREN MELIKIAN, May 8, 2009

Some auction house executives must secretly wish their problem was the recession. But it is not. The only real threat hanging over the art market became evident as seldom before in this week’s sales of Impressionist and Modern art in New York. It is the drying up of art supplies, and that has little to do with the recession. The goods simply aren’t there anymore. Mostly locked up in museums or scattered worldwide, they surface in bits and pieces at ever more widely spaced intervals.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/arts/09iht-melik9.html

Hammering out an investment: Interview of Malcolm Barber, CEO Bonhams

2009-05-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

CEO and group managing director of international auction house Bonhams, Malcolm Barber, speaks to Business Spectator's Isabelle Oderberg from New York to explain:

More..

Worth watching: Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale, New York

2009-05-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

Join Sotheby's experts Simon Shaw and Emmanuel Di-Donna as they discuss important works by Giacometti, Picasso, Mondrian, Lempicka, Monet and Pissarro to be offered in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 5 May.

View the video online

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Bidders Clamor for Dwindling Art

2009-05-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

SOUREN MELIKIAN

Published: April 17, 2009

LONDON — In the art market as in war, the worst danger is often unexpected. Professionals dreaded the decline of demand in the current recessionary gloom and it did not happen. The market is as bullish as ever. It is the drying up of supplies that is threatening to cause havoc.

Enlarge This Image

Christie's

A rare Song vase from the 10th or 11th century A.D. sold for $194,500 in New York.

The latest sales of Asian and Middle Eastern art demonstrated that the problem now affects all areas of the market. Buyers pounce on art — when there is something to pounce on.

On March 18 and 19, the New York auctions of Chinese art at Christie’s ended in resounding triumph. Part of the vast collections built up by Arthur M. Sackler were among the offerings. The finest works had been donated to the museum, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, founded in Washington by the late collector. What remained in family hands was a mixed assortment of some extremely fine pieces and a large contingent of middle-of-the-road works covering the whole range of Chinese art, from Shang bronzes of the 12th century B.C. to Qing porcelain of the 19th century.

Miraculously, bidders wanted nearly all of the above, spending $10.87 million on 198 of the 199 lots in a historic session unique in Chinese art market annals for this 99.5 percent success rate.

More...

Wine estate property tipped as good investment

2009-05-05T03:44:00.000-07:00

uying property on a working vineyard estate is an attractive way toinvest in French property, it has been stated.

In a feature on such overseas purchases, the Daily Mail noted that many properties of this kind come with perks, such as a supply of the finished product and a chance to participate in the wine-making process.

The paper noted an example of this in the Languedoc region, with properties starting at £185,050.

Spokesman for the estate's owners Domaine & Demeure, Karl O' Hanlon, said there were advantages to property buyers in renting out such homes, noting that those who do so in high season can enjoy yields of between four and 4.5 per cent.

The Alsace region is another part of France that is well known for its viniculture.

Its chamber of commerce will be presenting a selection of the region's produce in the London Wine Fair later this month.

http://www.propertyshowrooms.com/france/property/news/wine-estate-property-tipped-good-investment_172640.html

Downturn hits art investment funds

2009-05-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

Plans to inject at least $200m into the market have been shelved

By Melanie Gerlis
Posted online: 8.4.09 | From Issue 201 (April 2009)

Peter Doig, Iron Hill, 1991. Fine Art Fund claimed a 107% profit when it sold for £1.3m in 2006

LONDON. Several art funds launched during 2008—including one that Charles Saatchi was advising—have failed to secure the required cash from investors, The Art Newspaper has learned.

Jay Leno Predicts Future Collectable and Classic Cars

2009-05-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

The reason is simple: I’ve always bought cars I really want to own. If you buy a car that you like, and it loses its value, at least you still like it. Besides, even if the car’s value does go down a little, it will come back up at some point down the road.

About 10 years ago, I had the chance to buy a McLaren F1. A new one was almost a million dollars. This was a secondhand car with less than 2500 miles, and it was $800,000. I thought, it’s crazy to spend that much money on a car. So I talked it over with my wife. And she said, “You’ve worked hard. If you want to get it, get it.” And I thought, ohhh ... kaaay! So I bought it.

Last year, a McLaren F1 sold at auction for $4.1 million! I now realize this is the greatest investment I’ve ever made. In less than 10 years, I more than quintupled my money. Best of all, I have a car I really enjoy. But there are plenty of modern cars you can buy at real-world prices that are fun to own.

People ask me if they should buy a new car and tuck it away as an investment. I think it’s ridiculous to buy something and just squirrel it away. The fuel will eventually go bad, all the moving parts will still have to be lubricated, and you still have to insure it. Cars should be driven. If you let a car sit, you’ll eventually have to flush the fuel system, replace the electronics and more. Buying any car and putting it into storage for years gets you nothing. It’s a bad idea. You won’t be buying something you like—you’re just trying to make money.

There are plenty of guys who bought the original Dodge Viper as an investment. When that car first came out in 1992, it produced 400 hp, an incredible level of power for that time. People thought, “That’s it. They’ll never make a car more powerful. I’ll buy one and stick it in my garage.” Now, every day people call me: “Hey, I’ve got a ’92 Viper with 800 miles.” Sorry, I’m not interested. “Three hundred miles?” Nope. You didn’t buy it to own it.

More...

Showing faith in the toy market at $90,000

2009-05-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

20 April 2009

This rare Märklin toy, the so-called Fidelitas clown caravan, proved the highlight of the sale of Part I of the Donald Kaufman collection conducted 'without reserve' by Bertoia Auctions of Vineland, New Jersey on March 19-21.

Made by pre-War Germany’s premier toy manufacturer around 1909, the 3ft 2in (96cm) long Fidelitas features seated clowns with a variety of props – a hoop, a bouquet of flowers, and the curious sign that gives the toy its name.

Kaufman, aged 78, has been collecting toys for 50 years, although many of his higher profile acquisitions were made following the sale of his stake in the family business Kay-Bee Toys in 1981. His Märklin clown caravan had been bought at Bertoia a decade ago for $30,000.

It has some replaced elements – including a leg, a hand and the sign carried by the figure at the rear of the train – but ranks among less than ten complete examples known (the individual carriages were also sold separately by Märklin and survive in greater numbers).

Estimated at $30,000-40,000, it sold to a European collector at $90,000 (£66,200) plus 15 per cent buyer’s premium.

One blogger described the Kaufman collection – which could provide Bertoia with as many as five sales – as “a procession of toys worthy of a ticker-tape parade”. With many strong prices posted for early German, French and American ‘connoisseur’ toys, Part I brought a total of $4.2m (£3.1m).

By Roland Arkell

http://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/7116.aspx

An American icon in Derbyshire

2009-05-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

THERE was high drama at the Mackworth Hotel, Derbyshire on April 15 when a creamware teapot and cover carrying a telling political message sold for £69,000.
read more >>

Chinese Art: Tricks Of The Trade

2009-05-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

Gady Epstein, 04.10.09, 12:06 AM EDT

The manipulation of the contemporary art market has lessons in it for investors in all sectors of the Chinese economy.

Read All Beijing Dispatch Stories

BEIJING -- China has endured multiple market collapses in the last year, but perhaps none can teach us more about the perils of investing in China than the bust in the contemporary art market. The escalation in prices was so lightning fast that almost everyone knew it was crazy, that it couldn't last. By a year ago, both signature and lesser-known works were selling for 10 times higher than two or three years earlier, which was another 10 times higher than two or three years before that.

Since the failure of Lehman Brothers ( LEHMQ - news -people ), prices and sell-through rates have plunged dramatically, and the supply of premium pieces to Sotheby's (BID - news - people ) and Christie's has dried up because sellers know the buyers won't be there. The hot money is gone.

Many saw this collapse coming. They should have seen the same thing coming in Chinese real estate and stocks (See "Shanghaied"), because each market exhibited the classic features of a speculative bubble: hype, scams and insider dealing, all preying on investors' hopes that they could buy high and sell higher.

In the contemporary art market, asForbes detailed a year ago, China's pay-for-play culture was a perfect match for the self-dealing ethos of the art world. Top Chinese artists were mass-producing paintings in almost assembly-line fashion, selling them directly out of their studios in unknown quantities for up to hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece. Auction houses were working with lesser-known artists, galleries and dealers to bid up their works and set a good public price for private sales.

Artists routinely paid critics for praise and museums for exhibitions to build up their brands. Want to get prime show space at a top national museum? Artistic merit is nice, but money talks. Want the cover of an art magazine, or a lengthy article inside? That is all for sale--though now presumably at a deep discount.

The game is up, but for those who got in early enough and got out, the money's been made. "That whole Chinese collector cartel, it was kind of like a big Ponzi scheme," says Philip Tinari, an art critic and curator in Beijing. People kept recruiting new buyers to pour more money into the market, driving up prices. "It was quite clear what it was."

Similar thinking applied in other markets. The winners were whoever was in on the deal earliest. In Chinese stocks, mutual fund managers made a killing by tipping off private investors to their next buys.

More brazenly, market operators used numerous ghost accounts to manipulate the fates of some small companies. These operators are called zhuangjia, or dealers, like in a casino, which is what the Chinese stock market is often called. Such things are worth remembering when you see the Chinese markets rally and you consider investing in a China-themed index fund.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/10/china-art-sothebys-markets-emerging-beijing-dispatch.html?partner=alerts

Opportunity knocks at European fine art fair

2009-03-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Baker, Chronicle Art Critic

Sunday, March 29, 2009

As in years past, some of the most desirable artworks and antiques available for purchase anywhere, in a dozen categories, graced the European Fine Art Fair, the grandest event of its kind in the world.

IMAGES

Yet on the day of press and private previews, everyone was thinking about money.

Many dealers, particularly newcomers, had gambled heavily to participate in the fair. Prospective buyers hoped that a teetering global economy might up their bargaining power (and in some cases it did). Even nonplayers there to report on the fair or content merely to look and be overawed by it took avid note of price lists.

Would the stressed world economy cause dealers to withhold their best offerings until times improve? Or would they go all out in the hope that high-end buyers would see unprecedented opportunities?

The latter

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/27/PKBC16JOHP.DTL

Attention, Millionaires: Rare Cat Needs Home

2009-03-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

By CAROL VOGEL

Published: March 26, 2009

Just how much of an appetite there is to buy art these days is anyone’s guess. But with the important New York sales less than two months away, experts at Sotheby’s and Christie’s are scrambling to get the kind of property that they perceive the market wants.

Enlarge This Image

Sotheby’s

One of the eight bronze cats cast by Alberto Giacometti in 1951 is expected to be auctioned by Sotheby’s on May 5.

It comes as little surprise, then, that after the high prices achieved for sculpture recently — at auctions in London in February and in New York in November — one of the prized works being sold at Sotheby’s in New York this spring is a sculpture of a cat that Alberto Giacometti made in 1951 and cast in an edition of eight.

A rare object for an artist best known for his depictions of the human figure, the bronze cat has a long neck and tail and is posed as if stalking prey.

A Giacometti cat sculpture hasn’t been on the block in more than 30 years. The last one sold for $130,000 at Sotheby’s in New York in 1975. But, curiously, a second cat from the same edition is also rumored to be for sale privately in New York.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/arts/design/27voge.html?ref=design

Why Orientalist Art Is Hot

2009-03-31T07:19:00.001-07:00

Devon Pendleton, 03.25.09, 06:00 PM EDT
Forbes Magazine dated April 13, 2009

''An Egyptian Pottery Seller Near Giza,'' by Elisabet Jerichau-Baumann (1876).

Orientalism was once derided as a racist and eroticized style of art. Now its biggest fans are collectors from the Middle East.

The lush, Orientalist oil by Danish painter Elisabet Jerichau-Baumann (1819--81) shows an Egyptian pottery seller lounging lasciviously on a straw mat, arms opened provocatively, eyes hooded, luscious lips full and red. The top of the young woman's body is barely clothed by a gauzy black fabric that emphasizes the allure of her curved breasts. You won't find the painting on the walls of a European or U.S. museum or gallery. It's hanging in a private collection in Egypt.

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0413/062-oriental-art-embracing-the-past.html?partner=forbeslife_newsletter

The Hidden Strength Of Japanese Art

2009-03-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

Susan Adams, 03.13.09, 06:10 PM EDT

The 1990 correction gave birth to a market based on value.

In Pictures: The Hidden Strength Of Japanese Art

As the tanking economy batters art prices, collectors should think about exploring categories that let the air out of their bubbles long before the stock market blew up. Consider Japanese art.

From the end of World War II until the early 1990s, Western and Asian collectors drove demand for screens, hanging scrolls, prints and ceramics made between the fifth and the 19th centuries.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/13/japanese-art-market-lifestyle-collecting-japanese-art.html

TEFAF study values global art market at £40bn

2009-03-05T04:13:00.001-08:00

23 February 2009

THE global art market grew by 11 per cent to £40.1bn over the last year, according to the survey just published by The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF). The report, prepared by leading art economist Dr Clare McAndrew, is the latest in a series of major studies commissioned by TEFAF that act as a focus for the launch of their annual Maastricht fair – the world’s top such event.

Entitled Globalisation and the art market, the 182-page study focuses on emerging markets such as Russia, India and China.

The statistics it uses track the market up until the end of September and so the study does not refect the the downward shift in the market since October.

Nonetheless, its publication remains an important event because, in a global market where it is notoriously difficult to pin down hard statistics, these TEFAF studies are widely known to provide the raw data by which governments and businesses assess the international art market.

http://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/7059.aspx

A refreshing lucidity returns to art market

2009-03-05T02:34:00.001-08:00

By Souren Melikian

Published: February 6, 2009

LONDON: A new art market clearly emerged this week as Sotheby's and Christie's conducted successful sales of Impressionist and Modern art which between them netted nearly £126 million, or about $184 million.

While it is as vigorous as ever when the occasion warrants it, a welcome lucidity prevails. The amateurs of yore, willing to throw their money at art at prices suggested to them by "experts" are gone. When overestimated mediocrities appear, they drop dead. But the most modest goods still find takers at the right price, which is a sound indication of a bullish market.

Sotheby's was the first to test the waters on Tuesday with a sale that looked very thin. Yet it quickly became clear that the yearning for art has not been dampened by the ever deepening financial crisis.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/06/arts/melik7.1-423772.php

China Gets Tough With Christie's

2009-02-27T07:57:00.001-08:00

Gady Epstein, 02.27.09, 05:30 AM EST

Beijing takes offense at the sale of what it regards as pillaged antiquities from the late Yves Saint Laurent and may blame the auctioneer.

Christie's just scored a haul of tens of millions of dollars in commissions on last week’s jaw-dropping Yves Saint Laurentauction in Paris. Now the art auction house will find out whether it was worth the trouble.

By proceeding with the sale, for $36 million, of two bronze animal fountainheads that China considers stolen treasure, the London-based auction house managed to upset the Chinese government and spark a wave of nationalist sentiment from China's tempermental netizens. Now China says it will keep an extremely close eye on Christie's, with tougher inspections of any relics going in or out of the mainland that have documentation from Christie's.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/27/christies-china-tibet-markets_0227_art_sale.html?partner=alerts

Downturn Bangs Up Sotheby's

2009-02-26T22:49:00.001-08:00

Carl Gutierrez, 02.26.09, 10:16 PM EST

Auction house's sales fell more than 50% during the fourth quarter.

Sotheby's

02/26/2009 4:00PM ET

$6.77
-$0.35
-4.92%

1 day
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Advanced

BATS Real-Time Market Data by Xignite

Sotheby's was doing well until Lehman Brothers went under, and took the art world--and the auction house's fourth quarter--with it.

“The global economic crisis which erupted in the autumn of 2008 had a major impact on our business in the fourth quarter,” said Bill Ruprecht, chief executive of Sotheby’s (nyse: BID - news - people ).

According to Ruprecht, during the first three quarters of the year, the company's aggregate auction sales were at record levels. After October, though, all its auctions around the world experienced declines.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/26/sothebys-auction-retail-markets-equity_art_31.html?partner=alerts

The Rise of South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan Art Collecting

2009-02-23T02:22:00.000-08:00

After World War II, international conflicts and tensions in countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, and India drew nationwide attention to Asia. Against this background, American dealers’ and collectors’ interests in the arts of South and Southeast Asia and the Himalayas increased. Another strong force in this change was that by the 1960s and 70s, top-quality Chinese and Japanese works were increasingly expensive and difficult to acquire. Political changes also led to the exposure of rarely before seen works of art, such as those from Nepal, which had existed in a state of self-imposed isolation until 1950.

John D. Rockefeller 3rd’s (JDR 3rd) interests in collecting and promoting the art and culture of this region differed from those of other collectors. During the early 1950s through early 1960s, JDR 3rd was also involved in helping to solve Asia’s profound problems related to population growth and agricultural development. Much of his focus on South Asia grew out of his awareness that the governments of the region were at risk of being replaced by communist rule. In forming their collection of art from South and Southeast Asia and the Himalayas, the Rockefellers used the same criteria they had used for East Asian art: the works had to be of the highest possible quality, but should also serve as catalysts for increasing understanding and cooperation between the United States and Asia.

http://www.asiasociety.org/asianjourneys/rise-of-south-asian-southeast-asian-and-himalayan-art-collecting/

Wen C. Fong: Collecting and Teaching Asian Art

2009-02-23T02:18:00.000-08:00

Wen C. Fong, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University and Curator Emeritus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illuminated how Sherman E. Lee (1918-2008)—as a director, scholar, curator, and advisor—helped to shape the field of collecting and teaching Asian art in twentieth-century America. In his collecting and advising practices, Lee was acclaimed for his emphasis on quality, uniqueness, and hierarchy.

His idea of seeking masterpieces left a deep impression on John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society's founder, who worked with Lee from 1963 to 1978 to build one of the most highly regarded private collections of Asian art in the United Sates. Lee's influence was evident in Rockefeller's brief visit to an art exhibition at Princeton University in the late 1960s, when he said to Wen Fong, "Show me the masterpieces."

http://www.asiasociety.org/resources/090218_wen_fong.html?=weeklydigest

World record Islamic sale is cancelled

2009-02-23T01:36:00.001-08:00

Doubts over age and authenticity of £9.2m “Kaaba key” forces Sotheby’s u-turn

Lucian Harris | 21.2.09 |

LONDON. An iron key purportedly made in the 12th century for the door of the Holy Kaaba in Mecca—which became the most expensive Islamic work of art ever sold at auction when it made £9.2m at Sotheby’s Arts of the Islamic World sale in London on 9 April 2008—was returned to its original owner and its sale cancelled after a group of museum experts who examined it expressed doubts over its age and authenticity. Despite delivering their report less than two months after the auction, Sotheby’s have not made the findings public nor the subsequent annulment of this record sale.

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=16951

Best 19th Century Oriental Rugs Show Same Strength as Other Top Traditional Art and Antiques

2009-02-18T00:16:00.000-08:00

“Collectible rugs with deep artistic merit are selling strongly,” said Winitz, who founded Claremont (www.claremontrug.com) in 1980. “Not unexpectedly, savvy buyers continue to recognize the unique opportunity that arises whenever rugs of rare magnitude become available.”

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090217006096&newsLang=en

Investors 'turn to coins' as recession bites

2009-02-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

Investors are increasingly turning to ancient and collectible coins as a "safe haven" amid continuing economic uncertainty and market turmoil, reports say.

According to the BBC, the heightened interest in gold, silver and copper coins is evidenced by the bustling crowds at events such as the monthly Midland Coin Fair in Birmingham.

Finding the right coin here could make "all the difference" to investors' finances - and in some cases, the returns can be significant.

"Just over four years ago I put £30,000 into gold sovereigns, it is now worth £250,000," one investor told the site.

With interest rates at a record low of one per cent, many younger people are also looking at coin collecting as an alternative to the returns offered by a traditional savings account, it added.

However, Mike Veissid, a 35-year veteran of the business and the organiser of the Midland Coin Fair, said those looking to make a killing should proceed with caution.

He noted that while collectibles are often seen as a "safe haven" during tough times, they tend to be over-valued and suffer sharp corrections when conditions recover.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/pricesnews/investnews/article.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic&WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished?Article,PresentationUnpublished?Article?ArticleID=19031036

Are coin fairs the new investment clubs?

2009-02-16T23:11:00.000-08:00

By Carolyn Rice
Business reporter, BBC News

A rich variety of coins and notes were on show at the Midland Coin Fair

Coins have always been popular among collectors but as purse strings are tightening and people worry about their financial future, investing in the right kind of coin could make all the difference.

In a bustling exhibition hall on a cold February morning Andrea and Mark Leigh, from Reading, are hoping to find something that will improve their financial standing.

Poring over the thousands of coins on display, ranging from hundreds of years BC to to the most recent Royal Mint editions, Andrea explains what she is looking for.

"We are collecting gold and silver coins at the moment, for investment purposes because of the current economic problems," she says.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7878606.stm

Financial downturn hits art world

2009-02-16T17:37:00.003-08:00

The BBC's Danny Wood reports from ARCO Madrid, one of Europe's biggest art fairs, to see how the economy is changing the international art market.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7892221.stm

Banks’ latest writedown woe – their art

2009-02-13T23:52:00.001-08:00

Ever since the Italian Renaissance in the 15th century when the wealthy Medicifamily started to build an art collection in Florence that grew into one of the greatest art galleries on earth, there has been a symbiotic relationship between artists and financiers.

And modern banking is no exception. But as investment banks grapple with billions of dollars in losses and struggle to value complex assets on their balance sheets, they are facing growing pressure from shareholders and the taxpayers who have bailed them out to justify their often sprawling art collections, worth, in many cases, hundreds of millions of dollars.

Stacey Gershon, a New York-based art adviser and former senior curator of the JP Morgan Chase art collection, said corporate art has a perception problem. “It just does not jibe with the new lean-and-mean attitude on the street,” she said.

Charles Thomson, co-founder of the art movement known as Stuckism, believes it will not be long before clients and staff start to question the point of hanging a small fortune on the wall. Thomson said: “If banks have been and are being bailed out by the Government, it seems superfluous and insensitive to hoard art collections worth millions.

http://www.wealth-bulletin.com/portfolio/content/1053282792/

Don't 'Invest' In Art

2009-02-12T02:33:00.000-08:00

by Paul Johnson, Forbes Magazine

If you want to buy, buy for love.

In times like these, when wealthy people are at a loss as to where to safely put their money, persuasive voices are often raised: Invest in art. That's dangerous advice--and I know a little about the subject. My father was an artist and the headmaster of an art school. I was practically born in a studio and heard art discussed throughout my childhood. I have drawn and painted since the age of 3. Much of my life I've spent visiting art collections the world over, buying drawings and paintings and writing about art. But I think investing in art to make money is a fool's game. The art market--now enormous and global--is crowded with smooth-talking con men (and women) who make Wall Street fraudsters look like amateurs. Art values are determined by unpredictable trends that are rarely linked to quality. And who's the arbiter of quality anyway?

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0202/017.html

The new reality—the state of the art market in 2009 is not easy to predict

2009-02-12T02:31:00.000-08:00

The general economy and also the art economy is clearly headed for some choppy waters…” This is what mega-dealer Larry Gagosian told his staff in a tough-talking, if ungrammatical, memo published last November in Flash Art, as the global financial meltdown continued to panic investors, the US recession was officially confirmed and unemployment figures for the country soared by 533,000 in that month alone.

Elsewhere in this issue, we look at the effect the credit crunch is having on the art world as the new year begins. In the art market, there have been a few early victims of the crisis, including the 18 employees sacked by PaceWildenstein in New York, and the 17 “fabricators” of pill cabinets, butterfly paintings and pickled animals axed by Damien Hirst. “I want to make sure that we are the best swimmers on the block. The luxury of carrying under-performing employees is now a thing of the past,” warned Mr Gagosian, in a similar vein, in the same memo to his staff.

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=16777

An Interview with Greg Rohan and Todd Imhof

2009-02-12T02:20:00.000-08:00

At the conclusion of the $58 million official FUN Auction (which many numismatists believe sets the tone for the coming year), Heritage President Greg Rohan and Vice President Todd Imhof sit down and share their insights on the current state of the rare coin market.

http://coins.ha.com/common/video.php?src=Rohan-011209&type=funcom-tem011209

The art market: Middle East in the frame

2009-02-02T05:24:00.001-08:00

By Georgina Adam

January 31 2009

Contemporary art from the Middle East is all over London at the moment.Last week Tate held a two-day symposium on the subject, bringing together curators, artists, academics and dealers in the field. The Saatchi Gallery opened its new show on Friday, featuring artists from Lebanon, Iran, Palestine, Iraq and Tunisia, among others [see Jackie Wullschlager’s review ]. In parallel, Phillips de Pury, which funds free public entry to the Saatchi Gallery and has a space on the top floor, is showing 21 modern Arab and Iranian paintings. Curated by the firm’s Middle East director, Lulu Al-Sabah, the show spans almost 100 years, from a 1911 river scene by the Iraqi Abdul Al Rassam to an energetic 1997 abstract by the Lebanese Hussein Madi. “The choice is my own taste,” says Al-Sabah, who lives between Kuwait and Dubai. Prices range from $22,000 to $180,000, and the show continues until May 6.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/fcf55fee-ee5a-11dd-b791-0000779fd2ac.html

Hard Times Hit Auction Houses

2009-02-02T05:20:00.000-08:00

Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Christie’s and Sotheby’s are cutting costs in response to the art market's changing fortunes.

By CAROL VOGEL

Published: January 30, 2009

A sighting of François Pinault at Christie’s London offices one recent wintry morning set off an avalanche of rumors. Mr. Pinault, the luxury goods magnate who bought the auction house a decade ago, is usually spotted there only when a major evening auction is under way or when there is a viewing of contemporary art, his collecting passion.But there were no auctions or contemporary art to see that day. Employees began whispering that Mr. Pinault was there to discuss an impending sale of Christie’s to a private-equity firm.

“It’s not true,” said Edward Dolman, its chief executive, sitting in his New York office one afternoon last week. “Pinault has no intention of selling Christie’s.”

The fervid speculation reflects wide curiosity about how Christie’s and its archrival, Sotheby’s, are coping now that the years of stratospheric prices and high living are over.

Mr. Pinault, who presides over an empire that includes Gucci, Converse Sneakers and Château Latour — brands that undoubtedly will be affected by the global economic crisis — is said to be in better shape than many. He recently negotiated a deal with French banks for two-year relief on his credit, experts on the auction business said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/arts/design/31auct.html?_r=1&ref=design

Old Masters' paintings soar at Christie's sale

2009-01-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

By Souren Melikian
Published: January 29, 2009
International Herald Tribune
NEW YORK: The Old Master paintings market is as vigorous as ever. Such is the essential message that came across as Christie's conducted the first auction of the season that included some truly major pictures.
The strength of the market was epitomized on Wednesday by the stupendous performance of a sketch in oil on paper (laid down on canvas) by the 16th-century Italian master from Urbino, Federico Barocci. "Head of Saint John the Evangelist," a study done for an altarpiece depicting the entombment of Christ, was hitherto unrecorded and was estimated by Christie's to be worth $400,000 to $600,000, plus the complex sale charge in excess of 12 percent. At the end of a bidding contest that lasted nearly five tense minutes, the sketch cost its winner, the international connoisseur dealer Luca Baroni, $1,762,500.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/29/arts/melik30.1-418401.php

Antique dealers hang on hope in recession

2009-01-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

BY WILLIAM SHERMAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, January 25th 2009, 3:26 AM

Handschuh/News

This German armor from 1555 is on sale at the Winter Antiques Show on the East Side.

For sale, this week only:

An A.D. 100 Roman torso of Hercules: $1.2 million; Abraham Lincoln's letter chastising a Civil War general: $675,000; an American chest of drawers, circa 1785: $495,000.

The items are among more than $300 million worth of rare art, jewelry and antiquities for sale at the 55th annual Winter Antiques Show - the year's first acid test of the state of the highest-end economy.

Running now through Feb. 1 at the Park Ave. and 67th St. Armory, the sale is a barometer of how the superwealthy are faring in the meltdown - and whether they're willing to buy big as usual.

"I have some clients who have suffered from Madoff," said fine jewelry dealer Peter Schaffer, referring to the $50 billion lost to financier Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme.

Schaffer is one of 75 dealers with booths at the show, which features a stunning variety of thousands of items including American folk art, Oriental carpets, early photographs, even a 1555 suit of German armor for $100,000.

http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/01/24/2009-01-24_antique_dealers_hang_on_hope_in_recessio.html

When Sports Collectibles Become Collateral

2009-01-14T02:23:00.000-08:00

What buyers and sellers need to know about sports memorabilia involved in an economy-induced fire sale.

By BETH DECARBO

A seller lists his collection containing more than 20,000 items of sports memorabilia amassed over 21 years in a recent posting on online auction site eBay. The price: $7,499 -- or best offer. Atop the description is this:

"I NEED TO SELL!!! I need to sell this asap. This is an amazing set!! You can even re-list this; if you have the time to wait, you can sell this for 2Xs the amount. JUST MAKE AN OFFER!! I hate to say it, but I am desperate."

View Full Image

R.C. Stevens Construction Co.

To settle a debt, a Florida construction company seized the contents of three sports memorabilia stores. The collectibles have been sitting in a shipping container since 1993.

Desperate times, indeed. This seller's particular story is unknown -- the plea could be a legitimate sob story or a sales job. Still, many Americans today are facing the consequences of job losses, unpaid bills and home foreclosures. In a bid to stay solvent, some are looking to their sports collectibles to help settle their debts.

"The average American, when in financial straits, will look at any item to turn it into dollars," says David Cook, a lawyer who specializes in debt collections. His San Francisco-based firm is representing Fred Goldman in his effort to collect more than $33.5 million awarded in a civil judgment against former Buffalo Bills star O.J. Simpson.

Still, Mr. Cook and others who specialize in personal finance and debt collection say sellers face several hurdles trying to raise money from old baseball cards and other sports memorabilia that may sit in the attic.

"First, consumer confidence is down," he says, "so potential buyers may be reluctant to use disposable income to buy that Mickey Mantle card." He adds, "With a lot of these items -- cards, jerseys, footballs, baseballs, uniforms -- it's difficult to know if they're real. Often, these items have no provenance or the provenance is opaque."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123179989997075015.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Toy Collector Magazine for January 2009 is now available

2009-01-08T02:20:00.000-08:00

Toy Collector Magazine for January 2009 is now available for instant reading or high-quality PDF download. Click here to read the magazine instantly in Flash format, or click here to download a high-quality PDF for your archive.

Collectable Guitars pt 9

2009-01-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

The Fender Performer

Fender’s Katana was a flop, selling barely any units in its 1986 one-year, lifespan, even when a cheaper and more basic Squier brand version was launched. Another model was also launched to be made exclusively in Fender’s new Japanese factory, which also departed from Fender’s traditions- the Performer. This guitar resembled a Fender Stratocaster mixed with a BC Rich guitar, with a small, angular body and pointed horns.

The unusual body and headstock shapes have been rumored to have originated in the shape of the scrap wood leftover from making Japanese Stratocasters. The body is small with a deep double cutaway. The tuning machines are found on the upper edge of the triangular headstock. The fretboard is two octaves and features a locking nut and jumbo frets. The bridge is a floating System I tremolo. Both bass and guitar are built to the highest level of quality and detailing. For example, the controls have inset rubber grips, the tuning heads have fully enclosed gears and the jack sockets are an enclosed, not ’skeleton’, type, in contrast to many other Fender products with more ‘economy’ hardware.

The Performer boasted two angled custom humbucking pickups with a coil-split function and a Floyd Rose-style locking tremolo. The guitar features a volume knob, a tone knob, a pickup selector switch (neck/both/bridge) and, most importantly, a coil tap switch which disables one coil of each humbucker, resulting in a guitar with two single-coil pickups. This is perhaps the guitar’s most famous and useful feature, as it can produce heavy, fat humbucker sounds as well as crisp, sharp, Strat-like tones.

Both were discontinued in 1986 and haven’t been made since. These two guitars are a little-mentioned and underrated point in Fender’s history.

http://guitarcollecting.co.uk/2009/01/06/collectable-guitars-pt-9/

Kijang Emas: Malaysia's own gold bullion coins

2009-01-04T23:37:00.000-08:00

The Malaysian Kijang Emas is the official bullion gold coin of Malaysia and is minted by the Royal Mint of Malaysia. It was first issued in 17 July 2001^[1]. Malaysia is the 12th country in the world to issue its own gold bullion coin^[2].

The Kijang Emas has a gold purity of .9999 millesimal fineness. The coins come in denominations of RM200, RM100 and RM50 which are nominal face values, and weighs 1 oz, ½ oz and ¼ oz respectively. RM is the notation for the Malaysian ringgit.

The purchase and resale price of Kijang Emas is determined by the prevailing international gold market price^[3].

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kijang_Emas

You can find a list of the world's mints here.

Buyer Beware: France seeks antique car purchased by Seattle man

2009-01-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 1, 2009

PHOTO GALLERY

thumbnails | gallery

SEATTLE (AP) - The U.S. government wants to seize Charles Morse's car, because the French government considers it a national treasure.

The Seattle car collector says he would be willing to turn the car over, but he wants to be reimbursed the $927,518 he paid for the one-of-a-kind 1919 Turcat-Mery touring car.

"It's a one-off automobile with a wonderful history to it. It was built for the Duc de Montpensier, an heir to the French throne," Morse said.

The Duc de Montpensier was a descendant of the Orleans branch of the Bourbon family, which reigned in France from 1589 to 1848 and owned the French castle of Randan in Puy-de-dome.

http://www.sunjournal.com/story/297743-3/National/France_seeks_antique_car_purchased_by_Seattle_man/

Bordeaux at top of wine list for expert investors

2009-01-01T05:29:00.000-08:00

Wine experts may disagree on most things, but one thing they all appear to agree on is that Bordeaux remains the best option when looking for a fine wine investment.

Anthony Hanson, senior consultant with Christie’s Wine Department, said Bordeaux over the years had proved to be fairly safe and dependable for anyone looking for an alternative place to put their money.

“However, I would put in a word for Burgundy because they have dry whites as well as wonderful reds,” he said.

Buying at auction or from a reputable merchant is just one way of starting your wine collection.

It is also advisable to go for wines rated by top critics and to ensure they are insured at replacement value and are stored in the best possible conditions. A bonded warehouse in or close to the country of origin will offer secure storage tax-free.

Greg De’eb, general manager of Crown Wine Cellars in Hong Kong, said he had seen a huge increase in collectors shipping back to Hong Kong since the former British colony abolished wine tax in the last budget last February.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worldbiz/archives/2009/01/01/2003432568

Artworks of Yves Saint Laurent and Bergé to be sold

2008-12-30T18:58:00.000-08:00

Yves Saint Laurent in his drawing room with a couture model in 1995; with Léger's "The Black Profile" behind him and a Jean Dunand vase to his left (Jean-Marie Perier)

By Suzy Menkes

Published: December 15, 2008

PARIS: Pierre Bergé sits four square on a leopard print sofa - a Picasso to his right and a Léger above his head - with the same pugnacious look as the bulldog, Moujik, who is sniffing round the late Yves Saint Laurent's apartment.

"Fashion has no connection with art - the entire idea of discourse between art and fashion has been invented," says Bergé, who spent 50 years with Saint Laurent acquiring fine art and supporting high fashion.

"I never thought that fashion was an art - not at all, but I think it requires an artist to do fashion," says Bergé. He might have added that it takes two artistic souls to juxtapose works of art, creating a home where each object seems to be in conversation with the other.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/16/style/fysl.php?WT.mc_id=stylealert

Rare Reads of the Green

2008-12-25T01:12:00.000-08:00

For obsessive collectors, nothing beats a classic golf book; new buyers, beware of falling prices

By JEFFREY A. TRACHTENBERG

The next best thing to playing golf is reading about it, and in regions of the country where the shadows are lengthening and the air is cooling, the favorite armchair is beckoning.

"Golf is a sport with a great body of literature," says William Shinker, publisher of Pearson's Gotham Books imprint and an avid golfer. "There's an aphorism in our business that is absolutely true: the smaller the ball, the better the books sell."

Many believe the best-selling golf novel of all time is "Golf in the Kingdom," by Michael Murphy, a co-founder of the feel-good Esalen Institute in Big Sur. The best-selling nonfiction book may well have been Ben Hogan's classic "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf," written with Herbert Warren Wind and published in 1957. "The only exception was the years when 'Harvey Penick's Little Red Book' was selling well," suggests Mr. Shinker. Mr. Penick's book was first published in hardcover in 1992.

But for collectors of golf books -- and they are legion -- these are far from the most valuable volumes. A signed edition of the 1972 edition of "Golf in the Kingdom" is for sale online at $500, while a signed first of Mr. Penick's book is priced at $750. Neither are rarities.

Harder to find are the likes of these: a handful of late-19th-century titles whose small print runs have made them scarce, and therefore desirable. In 1895, a year after five golf clubs banded together to form what became the U.S. Golf Association, James Lee penned "Golf in America: A Practical Manual," which he hoped would teach players the fundamentals of the game and broaden its appeal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122912006421502653.html

UAE demand for antique jewellery growing, says expert

2008-12-23T18:28:00.001-08:00

UAE women are increasingly seeking out rare antique jewellery, according to one of the Gulf's leading dealers in precious stones, thanks to Hollywood celebrities who are demonstrating a distinct preference for the old over the new.

Fashion-forward celebrities including Nicole Richie, Ashley Simpson, and Victoria Beckham have been adding a unique sparkle to their wardrobes with one-off pieces of antique and vintage jewellery.

And with the red carpet coming to Dubai this month, thanks to the fifth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival, style-conscious women in the region are also investing in vintage pieces and keeping up-to-date with the latest fashion must-haves.

'Beautiful jewellery is the perfect way to accessorise any outfit, and many trend-setting celebrities have shown that wearing out-of-the-ordinary pieces is a great way to stand out from the crowd.'
said Anna Haughton, co-organiser of 'Art Antiques Design Dubai'.

http://www.ameinfo.com/178329.html

America's Most Expensive License Plates

2008-12-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

Zack O'Malley Greenburg

Don't throw away that old tag. It might be worth thousands of dollars.

In Pictures: America's Most Expensive License Plates

The deal went down in a Wendy's parking lot in Biddeford, Maine, nearly eight years ago. Huddled between a Subaru station wagon and a 1961 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, two men made a seemingly lopsided exchange: One left with $40,000, the other with an old license plate.

It wasn't just any piece of metal, but a 1921 Alaska plate. One of only four known to exist, it is the holy grail of a little-known hobby: license plate collecting. These vintage plates aren't street-legal, though some states allow them to be used on classic cars of corresponding years. But the rarest ones are nearly priceless to thousands of license plate collectors around the country. Tim Stentiford, editor of PLATES magazine, estimates that the 1921 Alaska tag is worth $60,000 today.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/17/plates-license-collection-forbeslife-cx_zog_1218plates.html?partner=forbeslife_newsletter

Can Erotica Save the Art Market?

2008-12-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

by Walter Robinson

Girls, girls, girls. Can erotica save the art market? The answer would seem to be “yes” based on the results of the three–session sale at Christie’s New York of the Constantiner Collection of photographs, Dec. 16–17, 2008. Assembled by New York art patrons Leon and Michaela Constantiner, the collection focuses on glamour, and includes photographs of high fashion models, often in states of undress, as well as a large selection of images of Marilyn Monroe and an assortment of erotic fashion shots by Helmut Newton. Other photographers in the collection include Richard Avedon, Guy Bourdin, Irving Penn and Herb Ritts.

The sale of more than 300 lots was expected to achieve $7.5 million–$11 million. It sold for $7.7 million, at the low end of the estimate but a smashing success nevertheless, considering the jittery state of the art market. The total is the highest ever for a single–owner sale of photos at Christie’s.

In all, 281 of 318 lots found buyers, or 88 percent –– a sell–through rate that compares favorably to that of recent auctions of 20th–century design (78 percent sold at Christie’s New York), Asian contemporary art (56 percent sold atChristie’s Hong Kong) and Old Masters (61.5 percent atSotheby’ London).

“The superb results,” according to Christie’s photo expertPhilippe Garner, “demonstrate the potential of works bought with true passion and considerable connoisseurship to perform magnificently even in the present uncertain economic climate.” Here, presumably, “passion” does not mean the erotic kind. Or does it?

Garner went on to note that Helmut Newton has now been accorded a “central position” in 20th–century photography, and that “Marilyn Monroe’s magical appeal has proven to be truly timeless.” The more than 100 Marilyn pictures in the collection carried a total presale estimate of about $800,000–$1,100,000; their sold total was over $800,000. Selections from the Constantiner Collection of photographs of Marilyn Monroe had recently toured museums, appearing at theBrooklyn Museum in 2004–05.

Newton is now a top art–market player, if there was any doubt before. The top lot was a mural–sized pair of prints of his Naked and Dressed, Paris (1981), an emblematic diptych showing four pneumatic fashion models, clothed in one shot and naked in the other, save for Newton’s signature high–heeled pumps. It sold for $662,500, just above the presale high estimate of $600,000, to an anonymous European buyer. The price is a new auction record for Newton.

Three other Newton “Big Nudes” made the top ten, including the estimable Henrietta (1980), which sold for $482,500 (est. $400,000-$600,000). Born and raised in the southern U.S., the model is Henrietta Allais, who is half French and part Cherokee. Newton's “Big Nudes” were actually inspired by full–length photos of the members of the Bader–Meinhof gang –– clothed, of course –– which Newton saw in press photographs of the offices of the German police who were tracking down the terrorist group.

The top price for a photograph of Marilyn Monroe was $56,250 (est. $25,000-$35,000), paid for a print from a 1980 edition of 25 of a 1957 photograph of the actress, looking both glamorous and remarkably vulnerable, by Richard Avedon.

A high price was also paid for Avedon’s sexy 1992 image ofStephanie Seymour in a see–through body suit, provocatively lifting up the hem to show her geometrically trimmed pubic hair. It sold for $182,500 (est. $120,000–$180,000). Christie’s listed the anonymous buyer as a European, so presumably the photo didn’t go to her husband, art collector (and Art in America magazine owner) Peter Brant.

Though erotica brought many of the top prices, in truth the Constantiners owned non–sexual glamour photographs as well as classic images of New York City. Irving Penn’s famous 1950 Black and White Vogue Cover sold for $194,500 (est. $200,000-$300,000), Hiroshi Sugimoto’s blurry gray photo of the Guggenheim Museum (1997) sold for $110,500 (est. $150,000–$200,000) and Karl Struss’ platinum print of the Empire State Building from 1910–12, seen through a slanting grid of cables, sold for $80,500 (est. $80,000–$120,000).

Prices given here include the auction house premium of 25 percent of the first $50,000, 20 percent of any amount up to $1 million, and 12 percent on anything above that.

WALTER ROBINSON is editor of artnet Magazine.

2008-12-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

The December Coin Galleries auction, the immensely popular mail and internet bid sale held four times a year by the foreign department of Stack’s, is online for your bidding pleasure. Over 3,000 lots await your perusal, and span every category from ancient, medieval, and world coins, to medals, tokens, orders and decorations, and toU.S. coins and currency. Even some mineral specimens are included!

www.stacks.com

Hong Kong sales series brings serious rethink over Chinese art

2008-12-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

The Chinese ceramics and works of art market is undergoing a price readjustment after a decade of unfettered growth, a trend highlighted at the latest Asian sales series staged at Christie's Hong Kong.

In the weeks leading up to Christie’s 16-sale series from November 29 to December 3, ceramic and works of art specialists contacted vendors to make last-minute adjustments to estimates and reserves in light of the deteriorating financial climate.

The series still attracted all the major players and – although the overall take-up was only 56 per cent – there were some very strong prices realised for the top end in the five ceramics and works of art auctions.

The five sales produced the lion’s share of the highlights and contributed HK$296.5m (£25.8m) to Christie’s series’ premium-inclusive tally of HK$1.13bn (£98.4m). The series also included auctions of classical, modern and contemporary Asian painting, jewellery, wine and watches.

Selling rates by lot ranged from 94 per cent for the opening wine auction to 46 per cent for Chinese 20th century art.

The HK$1.13bn total fell short of Christie’s HK$1.75bn pre-sale estimate and represented less than one half of the firm’s record-breaking HK$2.4bn Asian extravaganza takings last December. However, it was in line with Sotheby’s HK$1.1bn Asian series tally in October.

Collections with old provenances such as the 11-lot Vint assemblage of jades in the 143-lot mixed vendor sale on December 3 exceeded expectations and attracted serious competition from Western and Asian buyers.

All bar one lot sold, with an 11in (28cm) high, imperial Qianlong (1736-95) dragon jar and cover headlining at HK$22m (£1.92m). A similar vase without its cover had fetched HK$3.5m (then £236,485) in the same rooms this May.

The series’ most expensive entry was an imperial Qianlong famille rose butterfly vase with a graviata pink ground from the Ping Y Tai Foundation.

The 18in (46cm) high imperial ceramic tour de force had previously been in the celebrated collection of Alfred Morrison before being purchased by London dealer Marchant & Son in 1971 at Christie’s for 1700 guineas or US$4310. Here, the estimate was reduced to HK$40m (£3.5m). It sold to an Asian buyer at HK$47m (£4.1m).

Christie’s buyer’s premium is 25/20/12 per cent.

Bonhams Hong Kong also staged a five-sale Asian series from December 2 to 4, comprising Chinese ceramic and works of art, jewellery, wine, watches and clocks. The series bagged HK$47.65m (£4.15m) and was headlined by a pair of imperial Qianlong cloisonné and gilt bronze censers and covers removed from Beijing’s Summer Palace in 1860 and old to a mainland Chinese buyer at HK$4m (£348,430).

By Kate Hunt

http://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/6988.aspx

Art That Beats The S&P

2008-12-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

Jianping Mei and Michael Moses, 12.03.08, 04:00 PM EST

Which artist brings the best return?

After five years of above-average growth, the art market has retreated.

Prices sank at Sotheby's and Christie's in November--in the case of contemporary art, to 2006 levels or below. A few works brought record highs, but these were far outnumbered by others that sold below their low estimate or failed to sell at all. Christie's offered "Study for Self-Portrait" by Francis Bacon for a low estimate of $40 million.

It was a Bacon no one brought home.

In Depth: Art That Beats The S&P

Over the long term, however, art as an investment has performed quite well. We know this from data we collect for our several Mei Moses Art Indexes, which track the market's performance back to 1957. Our complete analysis is available to subscribers at www.artasanasset.com. Henceforth, portions of it will also be available quarterly on Forbes.com.

http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/collecting/2008/12/03/art-index-collecting-forbeslife-cx_af_1203index.html

$3.5 Million of Hollywood Memorabilia Sold at Profiles in History Auction

2008-12-12T18:40:00.001-08:00

Luke Skywalker' Lighsaber Sells for $240,000

Calabasas, CA, December 11, 2008 - Mark Hamill's hero "Luke Skywalker" lightsaber from Star Wars and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, bought for $240,000, topped all items at Profiles in History's 33rd Hollywood auction, held December 11th, 2008. In all, bidders paid $3.5 Million for 500+ items offered by Profiles in History, the world's leading company in the sale of Hollywood memorabilia. Other auction highlights include:

· $120,000 Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi original "C-3PO" droid helmet worn by Anthony Daniels
· $96,000 Second Draft Original Handwritten Manuscript of You Only Live Twice Signed ByRoald Dahl
· $96,000 Full-Sized Animatronic "Joe" From Mighty Joe Young
· $90,000 Signature "Wolverine" black leather battlesuit from X-Men
· $84,000 First British Edition of You Only Live Twice Inscribed By Ian Fleming To The Real James Bond
· $78,000 Original 82-inch diameter hero "United Planets Cruiser C-57D" flying saucer filming miniature from Forbidden Planet
· $72,000 Custom-built "1937 Mercedes" German staff car from Raiders of the Lost Ark
· $72,000 Marlon Brando complete signature "Jor-El" costume from Superman: The Movie
· $66,000 Original screen-used "Santa Jack" stop-motion puppet, dog "Zero" puppet, skeleton Reindeer puppet and Jack's prop trashcan with presents from A Nightmare Before Christmas
· $39,000 Jim Carrey complete signature "Riddler" costume from Batman Forever
· $39,000 Original Harry Potter Art By Thomas Taylor For The Back Cover of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone
· $21,600 Greta Garbo portrait by Clarence Sinclair Bull from Inspiration
· $19,200 Screen-Used Animatronic "Gizmo" Puppet from Gremlins 2: The New Batch

http://www.hofmag.com/content/view/1316/190/

Why African-American Art Is So Hot

2008-12-11T00:18:00.000-08:00

Susan Adams, 12.03.08, 07:30 PM EST

Work by these artists is controversial and sizzling. Robert Johnson explains why.

In Pictures:

Black Masters

Where To See African-American Art

Robert Johnson

Hanging in Robert Johnson's den is an oil from the 1930s by an African-American artist named Palmer Hayden. The painting depicts a black American businessman getting his shoes shined.

The subject is nattily dressed in suit and spats, a little like Johnson himself, who is sporting a crisply pressed blue shirt and a shiny yellow tie.

"That painting represents pride and dignity," says Johnson. "I identify personally with this work."

Johnson may be known for the low-budget comedy routines and booty-shaking music videos that drove the success of BET, the cable channel he founded that turned him into America's first black billionaire in 2001.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/03/collecting-guide-art-forbeslife-cx_sa_1203collectorsguide.html?partner=alerts

Antiques new way to beat slump

2008-12-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

BY DECLAN HARTE

The antiques market is bucking the global downturn, according to north-east traders and collectors.

Sales have doubled and customer numbers are rising at Aberdeen Antique Centre, which stocks items from some 40 north-east dealers.

Bosses say people now view trading in antiques as a way of benefiting from the economic slump, by snapping up items of interest they hope will increase in value.

Kate Matthews, manager of the centre in South College Street, said: “People like to put their money where they can see it, rather than in stocks and shares.

“By the end of August this year, the centre had already made more money than it did in all of last year.”

Graham Lumsden, a partner in Aberdeen-based John Milne Auctioneers, said sales of Victorian furniture were rising and the genuine article was often much cheaper than the reproduction antique furniture found in stores.

He said: “I would say that now is a very good time to buy antiques, especially when certain items, such as pianos, are not selling. You get more than an investment: you get something nice to look at.”

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/976324?UserKey=

Look! Up in the sky! Superman at 70

2008-12-08T23:35:00.001-08:00

BY J. C. VAUGHN

Neither bird nor plane, Superman was created 70 years ago by two talented students

In the spring of 1938, things were about the change. The flames of World War II were already being fanned in Europe and China when two young partners, a writer and an artist from Ohio, unleashed their new creation onto the public stage. In a few short months this character would indelibly alter the terrain of American – and eventually the world’s – popular culture. Within a few years, he would alter the world, eventually becoming one of – if the not the – best-known character on earth, or anywhere else in the solar system.

Cleveland high school students Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were the writer and artist, respectively, who created the character they called “Superman.” They had used characters of the same name before, in short stories and in a 1933 comic-strip proposal. In 1938, after that proposal had languished among others at More Fun Comics – published by National Allied Publications, the primary precursor of DC Comics – editor Vin Sullivan selected it to use as the cover feature for National's Action Comics #1 (June 1938). The following year, Siegel & Shuster launched the syndicated Superman comic strip.

The American comic book business was hardly new when the two young men introduced their strange visitor from another planet. It was in some form almost 100 years, ranging from The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck, a 40-page sequential story published in the early 1840s, to the familiar comic strip reprint books popular from the late 1800s until the start of the Great Depression. Bringing Up Father, for example, sold millions of copies in the 1920s.

Comics frequently sold for 50 cents each, a price that distinguished them as definitely not aimed at the children of the day. Economic realities, though, quickly dealt a heavy blow to this sector of publishing, and the search was soon in high gear for cheaper formats. Two were hit upon. The comic book as we would recognize it today, and the Big Little Book, were born in the early 1930s. Both still featured reprint material, but the price had dropped to 10 cents and the market had changed to children.

Click here to read the complete story in the December 2008 issue

Local Investors Flocking to Gold Coins

2008-12-03T23:58:00.000-08:00

(Springfield, MO) -- Coin collecting is more than a hobby these days. Some buyers are working to track down coins to bolster their savings, but dealers say there's a shortage.

Those collectors look at a stack of coins like this and see an entire life savings sitting in front of them. Gold and silver coins are a real, liquid asset in a credit crisis.

But anyone pinning their hopes on these coins has one problem: very few people are willing to sell.

"That price is good until I hang up the phone because gold is going up and it's going down," Craig Warren tells a customer.

This is a phone call the owner of Springfield Rare Coins doesn't get very often these days.

"Maybe one phone call a day," he says.

It's a woman willing to sell two gold coins, and Warren sees dollar signs.

What makes these coins so valuable isn't their rarity -- it's the gold they're made of.

http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=90731

Luxe Brands Count on Collectors

2008-12-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

PARIS — As economies nosedive and stock markets crumble, major watch brands are hoping their most expensive collectable pieces will help cushion the financial blow.

Executives are counting on the top end to drive business, as the truly rich prove less affected by recession than middle-class buyers. The same is not expected for the $3,000 to $5,000 segment, which executives expect to suffer the most. Already signs of that segment’s ill health have started to accumulate.

By Robert Murphy - Posted MONDAY DECEMBER 01, 2008 - WWD JEWELRY & WATCHES ISSUE 12/01/2008

Vinyl makes a collectable comeback

2008-11-29T18:08:00.000-08:00

Toby Walne, Financial Mail

23 November 2008

Who said that records were finished? If you have a pile of old LPs gathering dust in the loft, you could be in the money. The most collectable records fetch thousands of pounds.

Jean-Paul Cuesta-Vayon, 42, who runs the Vinyl Junkies shop in Soho, central London, says: 'You can't beat records - they are not just more tactile with far better art work than CDs, they also boast far superior sound quality.

When CDs and then MP3 music formats came along they offered more convenience and seemed an exciting alternative. But as time has gone by many music lovers have come back to the more lasting appeal of vinyl.'

Pick of the pops: The Beatles are one of the record collector's most prized assets

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/investing/article.html?in_article_id=458269&in_page_id=166&in_a_source=

Automobiles d'Exception à Rétromobile

2008-11-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

Bonhams just announced its 2e "Automobiles d'Exception à Retromobile" auction at Retromobile, Paris.

This follows the huge success of Bonhams' first auction at Retromobile 2008, where the sale total reached just short of €10,000,00 - 40% higher than any previous sale at Retromobile.

Retromobile is Europe's most prestigious classic car show and attracts over 120,000 visitors from around the World every year. It provides a magnificent back drop for classic car auction.

The ex-Earl Howe, Dr. Harold Carr
1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante
Chassis no. 57502

Impressionist & Modern Art and Contemporary Art Put to the Test

2008-11-28T06:24:00.001-08:00

The November sales of Impressionist and Modern Art and Contemporary Art presented a major test of the market since the beginning of the worldwide financial crisis. The New York sales differ from the other auctions held within the new financial climate in both scale and scope. The combined result for the two weeks of sales at Sotheby's and Christie's was $775,747,825.

There are two ways to interpret that very substantial number. From the perspective of the press—who have grown accustomed during the art boom to seeing ever higher sale values and a constant stream of works that sell for prices in excess of the high pre-sale estimates—the sale totals were evidence of a collapse in the art market. Numerous stories worked through this theme.

Collectors and dealers, as well as art managers and auction house experts, all viewed the below estimate results as encouraging, much to the surprise of the journalists. Why the disparity in these two views?

http://www.sothebys.com/liveauctions/amr/la_prevmarket_impsCntp_1108.html

Vinfolio launches new Wine Investment Service

2008-11-26T18:47:00.000-08:00

With investors looking for alternatives to stocks and bonds given the daily roller coaster being experienced in public markets, Vinfolio now offers a new investment option via its Wine Investment Service (see yesterday's press release).

Many wine collectors have often been "accidental" wine investors by purchasing more than they plan to drink to finance their consumption. Vinfolio's new service is aimed at investors, whether wine knowledgeable or not, whose first priority is making money. Even better, all of the necessary components (expert advice, fine wine selection, professional storage, and multiple selling options) are all provided under one roof.

http://www.vinfolio.com/services-collection-building.jsp

Defying gravity: exploring alternative investments

2008-11-25T22:40:00.001-08:00

ames Dunn | November 26, 2008

Article from: The Australian

AUSTRALIAN and global share markets are down more than 40 per cent to four-year lows.

"The move to alternatives among institutional investors has been very strong for a number of years," says Tim Unger.

And property prices are beginning their correction, so shell-shocked investors are interested in alternative places to invest: preferably, somewhere that doesn't get caught up in an across-the-board asset crash.

An asset class that provides alternative investments, or "alternatives" for short, has been around for a long time and is used by some canny people to diversify their risk and returns.

Ideally, these investors are looking for returns that are uncorrelated, or showing as low a correlation as possible, with the stock markets.

The term "alternative investments" include the following:

* Hedge and absolute-return funds: managed funds that can invest across many different markets with maximum flexibility, so they can make money regardless of what the share and bond markets are doing.

* Managed futures trading strategies.

* Private equity: capital invested in a private company that is not listed on the stock market. (Also known as "venture capital", which is really a private-equity investment made at a very early stage.) Although private equity is a more volatile asset class on its own than listed equity, it can lower the overall portfolio risk of a diversified portfolio, by virtue of its low correlation to other asset classes.

* Infrastructure: large fixed assets in areas such as electric power and gas generation and distribution facilities, water and sewerage systems, roads, railways, ports and airports, and telecommunications installations. Because infrastructure assets are often "patronage" assets (used by virtually everyone) and last a long time, they are considered a source of long-term, non-volatile cash flows with relatively low risk and high barriers to entry.

* Commodities: precious and base metals, oil and energy, and soft (agricultural) commodities.

* Agribusiness: forestry, farming or horticultural businesses. Usually invested in through a specialist manager.

* Art, and other collectible items such as coins and wine. And there are always other categories being added.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24686246-5001942,00.html

Auctions are active

2008-11-24T05:50:00.000-08:00

A few articles have claimed that auctions are not doing all that well but they are certainly alive. Sothebys has 43 auctions coming-up in December and is finishing 45 in November (Christie's has 65 and 24 in the same months.) I'm not even counting the numerous specialised auction houses who promote collectable of all kinds.

Check the excellent Auction Central News for more auctions around the world:

Sotheby's two sets of Asia Week sales were overshadowed by the worldwide financial crisis.

2008-11-21T00:54:00.000-08:00

Asia Week New York/Hong Kong September - October 2008

Sotheby's two sets of Asia Week sales—in New York in mid-September and Hong Kong in early October—were overshadowed by the worldwide financial crisis. The longer term trends in the market for Asian artworks are impossible to predict at this point because the sale results cannot be separated from the fact that the auctions—especially the sales in Hong Kong—were held during moments of acute stress and uncertainty.

So much has happened since the beginning of the crisis, it is worth recapping the timeline. Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy on September 15th, 2008. The filing set off a chain of events that provoked the United States government to fashion what would become a huge financial bailout plan and prompt coordinated global action by the world's leading central banks. But the failure of the Congress to pass the government's bailout plan expeditiously caused the world's credit markets to freeze which, in turn, caused stock markets to fall to dramatic lows in the US on October 10th.

Antique dealers fear buyers will vanish in economic slump

2008-11-21T00:48:00.000-08:00

Dealers fear buyers will vanish in slump

Linda Shrieves | Sentinel Staff Writer

November 14, 2008

Jack Tuttle had a nice gig going at his antiques shop in Lake Mary -- until the stock market began plunging in September.

"Everything was going fairly well, and then, all of a sudden, it stopped," said Tuttle, who has spent 30 years in the antiques business. "People have money, but they're just not letting go of it."

As luxury items, antiques are a barometer for the consumer's mood. When times are good, buyers snap up collectibles. When times are bad, wallets snap shut.

Lots of wallets are staying closed these days.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/thrifty/orl-mantiques1408nov14,0,1885974.story

Viktor Schreckengost's Jazz Bowl - Estimate: $80,000 - $100,000

2008-11-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

What is widely considered the single most identifiable icon of Art Deco, Viktor Schreckengost's Jazz Bowl, will also be the most talked about piece of ceramic at the Heritage auction when the emerald green glazed "Poor Man's Bowl," from the landmark Schreckengost 1931 series for Cowan goes on the block. The Jazz Bowl was produced in a time when America was being crushed under the Great Depression and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, along with The New Yorker, issued a challenge to America to come up with a symbol that transcended the times. What emerged was Schreckengost's Jazz Bowl series, inspired by a trip to Manhattan and the energy of the Harlem Jazz scene. It was an instant hit and has remained Deco's most recognizable piece of design.

"We are very excited to inaugurate this auction division at Heritage," said Pegg. "The Fine and Decorative Arts department continues to grow rapidly and adding this category was a logical next step for Heritage. I am gratified that our first auction is so strong."

http://fineart.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=5014&Lot_No=73089&type=artnews-tem111908

Enjoy your hobby, but don't give up the day job

2008-11-19T16:44:00.001-08:00

By Staff Writer Ruth Jackson Nov 14, 2008

No two Penny Blacks are the same, which increases their value

As stockmarkets plunge and property prices crash, some people are turning to alternative investments to make their fortune – or at least preserve their wealth. But can you really fund your retirement with stamps, books and wine? For the vast majority, the answer is no. People often underestimate the correlation between alternative investments and the stockmarket. "Buyers of alternative investments, especially those at the top-end, are more often than not spending City bonuses," says David Prosser in The Independent. As a result, relevant indices show that most alternative investments are starting to slump along with other asset classes.

http://www.moneyweek.com/investments/enjoy-your-hobby-but-dont-give-up-the-day-job-14084.aspx

Why alternative investments are no investments at all

2008-11-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

By MoneyWeek Editor-in-chief Merryn Somerset WebbNov 18, 2008
...
The point is that all investment comes with massive risk, and non-financial investment comes with even more than most. The value of a bottle of wine, a chest of drawers or a piece of art is dependent on nothing but supply and demand. So it is as dependent on economic factors as any other investment. Worse, these investments are also dependent on taste in a way that financial investments (bonds, equities and so on) are not. That makes them even more risky than financial investments – and therefore something that for most of us should fall under the heading of 'hobby' rather than 'investment'.
http://www.moneyweek.com/investments/why-alternative-investments-are-no-investments-at-all-14093.aspx

Wine prices go into the red

2008-11-17T16:34:00.000-08:00

By Will Smale
Business reporter, BBC News

Even the richest seem to spending less on wine as the downturn bites

It is enough to make the super rich cough into their carefully cellared claret - prices of some of the world's most revered wines are falling sharply.

The latest indication that the global economic slowdown is hitting the spending power of even the most wealthy, certain fine wine prices have declined by a quarter since the summer.

Yet before some of us think of sniffing out a potential bargain, the cost can remain hefty. And by hefty, think the price of a brand new small car.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7725589.stm

REITS, private equity, others show increased interest in wine industry

2008-11-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

TERMS TIGHTER, BUT MORE DOLLARS AVAILABLE FROM VARIETY OF SOURCES
Monday, November 17, 2008
BY JEFF QUACKENBUSH
BUSINESS JOURNAL STAFF REPORTER
ST. HELENA – Real estate investment trusts, private-equity groups, hedge funds, mezzanine lenders and minority-investment firms are among the funding options that have been coming or returning to the wine business in the past few years.

A 3-year-old REIT focused on the wine industry has been making significant investments this year. VinREIT, a subsidiary of publicly traded Entertainment Properties Trust of Kansas City, Mo., provided $116.5 million in June to acquire four wineries and 565 acres of vineyards as part of Healdsburg-based Ascentia Wine Estates’ $209 million-plus deal with Constellation Brands. Ascentia now has long-term net leases with VinREIT for the properties.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20081117/BUSINESSJOURNAL/811160221?Title=REITS__private_equity__others_show_increased_interest_in_wine_industry

Antique furniture’s declining value

2008-11-15T07:52:00.001-08:00

By Antony Thorncroft

Published: November 15 2008 01:02 | Last updated: November 15 2008 01:02

On Thursday, in its King Street rooms, Christie’s will be disposing of the stock of two of London’s leading dealers in antique furniture. Hotspur, founded in 1924, and Jeremy, in business since 1946, are calling it a day.

George III mahogany chairs, c1756

The official reason for such a dramatic upheaval in the antiques world is that the current owners, sons of the founding fathers and close neighbours in Lowndes Street, Belgravia, are pushing 70 and have no obvious successors. But it is difficult to ignore the fact that both dealers are giving up after almost a decade of declining fortunes for dealers in traditional English furniture. It is blatantly out of fashion. There has been a decisive change in popular taste, with a younger generation reacting against the clutter of their parents’ homes and seeking a simpler, lighter look.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/16ded8f2-b1db-11dd-b97a-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1

Contemporary art market defies financial turmoil

2008-11-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

By Souren Melikian Published: November 13, 2008

NEW YORK: The art market continued to defy the logic of economics on Wednesday as Christie's conducted its evening sale of contemporary art. Against the backdrop of a deepening crisis, with the Dow Jones losing 413 points in one day, the auction house posted sales totaling $113.62 million.

Raw figures do not convey the atmosphere of enthusiastic bidding that prevailed during the first hour.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/14/arts/melik14.php

Sotheby's 'happy' with art sale

2008-11-12T18:30:00.001-08:00

Klein's 1960 work features natural sponges applied to the canvas

An auction of contemporary art in New York has taken an under-estimate haul of $125m (£82m) amid a halting market.

Yves Klein's Archisponge was top lot at the Sotheby's sale, fetching $21.36m (£14m) - almost $5m below estimate.

But the sale - which had been expected to raise at least $200m (£131.1m) - did set records for work by John Currin, Philip Guston, and Richard Serra.

Tobias Meyer, head of contemporary art at Sotheby's, said they were "very happy" with the outcome.

In total, 68% of the 63 lots on offer found buyers.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/7724665.stm

Investments of the Top 1%

2008-11-12T01:09:00.000-08:00

The most popular investments of the wealthy are real estate, equities and cash (Tulip). Over 75% of the top 1%’s wealth is allocated in these three investment categories, with an average of almost 40% allocated just to property. Surprisingly, although Germany has so far missed out on the global property boom, wealthy Germans have the highest proportion of investors to allocate most of their liquid assets to real estate. However, two thirds of Germany’s UHNWIs (liquid assets over £700k) are either entrepreneurs (40%) or senior business people (26%) and aware of other property markets. They have therefore been investing in property to get high rental yields now, and capital gains in the future.

http://www.ledburyresearch.com/newsletter/october2008_2.asp

Top 5 Wines for Investment via Vanquish Wine

2008-11-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

Posted Nov 10th 2008 3:01PM by Laura Malesich

As Wall Street continues to disappoint you may find yourself seeking alternative money-making strategies as opposed to stocks and bonds. While wine is obviously fine for enjoyment it can also act as a unique investment option. It's important to note that putting your money on fine wine does not incur a capital gains tax since it is considered a 'wasting asset' only expected to last fifty years. Your best bet is a first growth from the Bordeaux region and Vanquish Wine, a bespoke wine service for private clients, suggests these top five:

Chateau Petrus
Chateau Margaux
Chateau Latour
Chateau Mouton Rothschild
Chateau Lafite

http://www.luxist.com/2008/11/10/top-5-wines-for-investment-via-vanquish-wine/

Top Gun: world record for any single firearm sold at auction

2008-11-11T00:10:00.000-08:00

Nina P. West, Artfact.com 10.31.08, 7:45 PM ET

Click to enlarge

What:

Historic Colt pistol
Known as the 'Colt Walker'
Made in 1847

Where:

Militaria Auction
James D. Julia, Inc.
Oct. 7, 2008

How Much:

Pre-Auction Estimate: $500,000-$1,000,000
Final Selling Price: $920,000

A global economic meltdown and a $300,000 starting bid weren't enough to keep an anonymous bidder in Maine from hitting his or her target--an antique Colt Walker pistol. The $920,000 winning bid set a world record for any single firearm sold at auction.

The .44-caliber revolver was made for use by the Texas Rangers during the Mexican-American War in the mid-19th century and is one of the most exciting discoveries in the field of military collectibles in many years.

"Yee-ha!" whooped the seller, John McBride, waving his cowboy hat in the air as the auctioneer announced the winning bid on Oct. 7 at James Julia Auctions in Fairfield, Maine. The previous record for a Colt pistol was $480,000.

http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/collecting/2008/10/31/collecting-auctions-art-forbeslife-cx_nw_1031colt.html

Investors look for alternatives in troubled marketplace

2008-11-11T00:09:00.000-08:00

FRED LANGEN, Canwest News Service

Published: Thursday, November 06

People stash their money in the oddest places, especially when stock markets are in such a mess.

Once upon a time, I was walking down Jermyn St. in London with a friend. We were producing a TV item together and he needed some cash.

Instead of going to a bank machine he walked into Berry Brothers, a posh London wine merchant. He sold a few cases of wine he'd put aside and walked out with a fistful of British pounds.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=558ec7a4-8fda-4796-aa0e-be2e3bfdca21

Unusual investments

2008-11-09T17:33:00.001-08:00

Unusual investments

“I drop about 10 to 20 bucks a week on assorted baseball cards, comic books or whatever big-budget movie action figures are in stores.”—Ryan McNeil

Collector Ryan McNeil with his prized action figures

By Charles W. Bryant

While things haven’t gotten so bad that our next president is promising a chicken in every pot, America’s economic situation is definitely not great. No one knows what will happen in the long term, but we’ve already seen a massive government intervention in the form of a $700 billion bailout, and the stock market has been on a roller-coaster ride, with record gains one day followed by historic drops the next.

http://www.sundaypaper.com/More/Archives/tabid/98/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3276/Unusual-investments.aspx

The Liv-ex 100 Fine Wine Index is falling

2008-11-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.liv-ex.com/pages/static_page.jsp?pageId=100

Bottom falls out of the art market as Manet and Rothko fail to sell

2008-11-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

Auctioneers feel the chill as sluggish sales and lower prices signal end of a boom

By Arifa Akbar, Arts Correspondent
Friday, 7 November 2008

Fillette sur un Banc, by Edouard Manet, which failed to sell at Christie's on Wednesday

For so long, the booming art market had appeared impervious to the dipping fortunes of the global economy. But experts now fear the bubble may finally have burst after museum quality paintings by Mark Rothko and Edouard Manet failed to sell at auction. Major sales by Sotheby's and Christie's in New York achieved totals that were millions of dollars below even their lowest estimated prices this week.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/bottom-falls-out-of-the-art-market-as-manet-and-rothko-fail-to-sell-998220.html

Don’t Mistake Enthusiasm For Value In Obama “Collectibles”

2008-11-08T06:44:00.001-08:00

WRITTEN BY NOAH FLEISHER

FRIDAY, 07 NOVEMBER 2008

I wrote about this last week, and earlier this week, before the election of Barack Obama to the office of 44th President of the United States - but did the world-at-large listen to me? No! Thus, on Tuesday, and throughout this week there has been vast speculation across the spectrum of media about the “value” of Obama-, and subsequently, Sarah Palin-related election material. The immediate rush was on newspapers across the nation with banner headlines declaring the outcome of the election. These were historic mementos and quickly bought up by people across our nation.

http://www.stylecenturymagazine.com/

The profitable pleasure of wine

2008-11-05T22:08:00.000-08:00

The pleasure of wine has never been in question. And its health benefit are even becoming mainstream (in moderation of course : ) But wine as an investment is a tricky business as, after all, we buy wine to experience it, not to resell it.

In recent years, however, we've found that investing in wine, either directly or through funds, can be profitable, though risky. Just like any investments, the more you know, the better off you are. The added advantage with wine is that you can taste your investment, or literarily, throw it down the drain.

Check the Wine Spectator wine collecting & auctions site to expand your knowledge.

Track market trends for 4,300 artists

2008-11-05T17:25:00.000-08:00

If you are serious about investing in an artist, whether you like his art or just appreciate the return, you must check artnet's Market Performance Reports. It will allow you to compare sales data and estimate market demand, and more importantly, liquidity (there is no market if you can't resell what you've bought.)

https://www.artnet.com/SERVICES/Step1addservices.aspx?tid=pr

Heritage Auction Galleries - November Auctions

2008-11-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

2008 November Signature Fine Silver Auction #5012 to be held in Dallas, TX on November 6-7

2008 November Signature Russian Fine & Decorative Art Auction Auction #5013
November 14, 2008
Browse | Search

2008 November Signature Fine Art Auction Auction #5002
November 20, 2008
Browse | Search

2008 November Signature Vintage Movie Poster Auction #695 Ends: November 7-8, 2008 View Lots		2008 November Vintage Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction #830 Ends: November 13-15, 2008 View Lots
2008 November The John Lattimer Collection of Lincolniana Grand Format Auction #6014 Ends: November 20, 2008 View Lots		2008 November Signature Civil War Auction #6015 Ends: November 20-21, 2008 View Lots
2008 December Jewelry & Timepieces Signature Auction #687 Ends: December 8-10, 2008 View Lots