Three or More...A Perspective on Antiques, Collecting and Pop Culture

And the Oscar Goes To....

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to win an Oscar?
Or just to own one and place it on the mantle for all the world to see.

The Academy doesn't make it easy for the non acting world to acquire one of these beauties.
Not that there aren't plenty given out each year to actors, directors, producers etc - but the Academy decided some time ago that any Oscar given out from 1950 - present would have to be
sold back to the Academy for $1.00 (yes, that is not a typo) should the owner decide they no
longer wanted it.

It's like winning a trophy in high school for running on the track team only to have to give it back
when you graduate.

Alas, a few pre-1950 Oscars turn up on the market. This November, one will be up for grabs at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas. It is Anne Revere's 1945 Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
It is estimated to bring $150,000 or more.

Over the years we've seen these sell anywhere from $100,000 = $1.5 million, depending on the nominee.

If that doesn't wet your appetite for scarce celebrity memorabilia, they also have up for bid a Miles Davis signed trumpet, Greta Garbo's DMW application and a John F Kennedy signed morning edition of The Dallas Morning News, from Nov 22, 1963, the day he was assasinated.

To learn more about this wonderful sale, visit
www.ha.com

Sale date: Nov 6-7th

What's Halloween Without A Little Vampire?

I'm not talking about the pending "Twilight: New Moon" movie (Opening in theaters this November 20th...

(I would have loved to been on board for the merchandising of this series!)

I'm talking about collecting, upcoming auctions, and an authentic piece of vampire history you can acquire this Halloween.

Stevens Auction Company in Aberdeen, Miss is hosting another wonderful antique furniture and decorative arts sale, but with a special item, available to bidders, lurking among the civil war firearms and Confederate Currency...

An authentic Vampire killing kit.

And just what IS a vampire killing kit you ask (you know you did!) - it includes the following:

A Rosewood case with mother of pearl cross inlay, pistol, silver bullets in a coffin case, silver occult dagger and Holy Water vials.

To place your bids, or to attend the sale, please visit their website for more information:
www.stevensauction.com

The Beatles back for an encore?

Just yesterday I heard from a friend that Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney are getting back together.

But with the rest of the Beatles dead, are they really still The Beatles?  Can they still perform their original hits for their fans and the fans still like it?

With that said, it would seem like the perfect time to begin selling Beatles memoribilia.

Christie's recently sold a Sgt. Pepper poster, circa 1967, signed by all four of the band members for $52,500.

With that With that said, would you buy a new CD from Paul and Ringo? Pay to attend a concert? Post your feedback here! Reyne

Barbra Streisand Auctions Personal Items for Charity

Memories....like the corners of her mind.

Babs is at it again! In past years she has cleaned out her closets, selling fine works of art, furniture, and decorative arts to fund new collecting passions. This time she is doing it for charity!

(read more about past sales at Christie's: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art-market--funny-girl-with-serious-tastes-barbra-streisands-passion-for-art-nouveau-and-deco-began-when-she-was-only-16-her-impressive-collection-is-on-sale-this-week-geraldine-norman-reports-1396758.html)

This October, Streisand is auctioning over 400 of her baubles with proceeds going to her own foundation which will divide monies between a few beneficiaries.

Have you always wanted to dress like Streisand? Now you can bid on costumes from Funny Lady, The Way We Were, and Meet the Fockers.

Other pieces of furniture, including a baby grand piano will also be up for grabs.

The sale will take place October 17-18th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The beneficiaries are City Year, which provides resources to youths in local neighborhoods; and Cedar Sinai Women's Heart Health Center.

Preview the upcoming sale here:

http://www.juliensauctions.com/auctions/Streisand/catalog/catalogsale1.html

Keno Twins + Vintage Jaguar = Cha Ching

I had to blog about an upcoming sale that has a consignment by my friends Leslie & Leigh Keno.
You know, the hot, blonde boys from Antiques Roadshow. Yeah, them. You drool over them each Monday night at 8pm.

Now, you have the opportunity to own something very personal to them.
Their family's 1938 Jaguar Ss 100 Roadster.

That's right, they not only touched it, but sat in it, took their picture in front of it, etc....

This August, the family Jag is on the auction block at RM's Sports & Classics.

 

The car has been in the family since the twins were 12 years old. The car has been shown, raced at events, and it even was a chick magnet in college.

 

In 1998, this hot ride was in the 1,000 mile Louis Vuitton China Run.

 

If you are in search of a great investment quality weekend car, you might look long and hard at this one. Ya never know, perhaps the boys will take you for a spin if you are the winning bidder!
VVrrrrroooommmmmm

Pricey Childhood Memories

It's not cheap to bring a piece of nostalgia back into your life these days.

If your mom threw out your old comic books, make sure to share this blog with her...

Everyone loves Spiderman. You read the comics, watched the cartoon, or saw the movie. Face it, at some point in time your probably daydreamed about shooting some webbing out the window of your bedroom and swinging off to places unknown.

Heritage Auction Galleries has a near mint copy of the Amazing Spider-Man up for bid. The actual sale is August 14-15th, but they are accepting absentee bids now. The current bid (just in case you were considering it) is $53,000.

Another highlight in the sale (and one of my favorites) is an original work by Charles Schulz. You know, the creator behind the Peanuts comic strip. They have a few of these showing some of the most recognized scenes from the comic. For example, you can bid on a scene of Lucy pulling the football away before Charlie Brown kicks it. I might have to follow this lot. Two weeks before Mr. Schulz died, I sold a pen drawing by him of Snoopy on his doghouse. Where was my crystal ball then???

They also have additional comic art lots by the following artists:

Jim Steranko - Strange Tales artwork
Prince Valiant
Mandrake The Magician
Tarzan
Flash Gordon

To check out the entire sale (or even place a bid!) go to:
www.ha.com/7009

Happy Hunting!

 

Superman Soars!

A little over a week ago I blogged about an upcoming sale in Australia that was offering one of the original Superman costumes worn by Christopher Reeves.

The sale was May 24th - and apparently Superman collectibles are popular abroad as well as in the United States.  The costumes final hammer price was $27,000 (including buyers premium) to an Australian buyer.  He was competing against 3 American phone bidders, and one from Dubai (perhaps another American on vacation?)

The pre-sale estimate was $11-15K US.  It will be interesting to see how many more like items will come up for sale by years end with auction houses achieving prices like these.

So much for a recession...

Superman Fly's Again...or Does He?

I recently read a Google news report about a Superman costume up for bid at Bonhams and Goodman. However, this Bonhams is in Australia.

I couldn't help but ponder what the consignor could have been thinking by not sending the costume to an auction house in the US.  I would think the draw would be considerably stronger.

The costume is estimated to sell for $11,400 - $15,200 US.  It goes on the block May 24th.

The outfit is sans the boots or the red cape (what's left?!?!) and was designed for flying sequences. It has reinforced slits in the sides of the costume where wires were attached for the flying scenes.

This particular costume was worn in Superman III. 

Complete costumes have been known to sell in excess of $100,000.  I guess we'll have to wait and see if the Aussies love Superman like we do!

Hey buddy, can you spare some change?

The next time you are asked if you have any spare change, take a moment to look over those coins in your pocket before giving them away!

Recently, a 1804 Adams-Carter silver dollar, one of 15 known to exist, sold for 2.3 million dollars.  It was auctioned at the Central States Numismatic Society's 70th annual convention at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati.

The "lucky" buyer was a coin dealer from New Jersey.

An interesting fact, the coin was not actually produced in 1804. The silver dollars were never circulated and the date refers to the year after the U.S. Mint stopped making that particular coin.  They were given to heads of foreign heads of state such as the King of Siam, and the Sulta of Muscat.

 

Gentlemen....grab a tissue!

For years I've heard sob stories from guys about the rare baseball cards that you left behind at moms house that were given away in a garage sale; or how your comic books were given to Goodwill.

I've been to your moms garage sales over the years and bought up those shoeboxes filled with sports cards.  

I was also a big comic book enthusiast back in the day. (Silver Surfer was the man!)  Recently I caught a press release for a rarity that turned up in an online auction:

 "Action Comics"  issue #1  (the introduction of Superman, circa 1938)  in good condition which fetched $317,200.  Only 100 of these are known to exist.

The happy buyer? John Dolmayan, drummer for the rock band "System of a Down".  It was not for his own collection, however.  Dolmayan is also a dealer of rare comic books.

He was not the only happy camper at the auction.  The consignor bought it at a resale shop for...sit down....  35 cents.

Feel free to print this blog to send to your mother...just delete my name!