Art Collection of Napoleon’s Best Friend Makes $4.4 million in Paris Auction

A collection recalling the life and career of Marshal Berthier, Prince of Neuchatel & Valangin, Prince of Wagram (1753-1815), and one of Napoleon’s closest companions, went to auction at Sotheby’s Paris, where it totaled €3.2 million ($4.4 million). The 339 lots sold 79.4 percent by lot and 79.2 percent by value, Art Daily reports.
http://news.artnet.com/in-brief/art-collection-of-napoleons-best-friend-makes-4-4-million-in-paris-auction-14001

What's It Worth? Challenge Searches for WorthPoint's Most Successful User

Beginning today, WorthPoint will host its first ever Facebook video contest, looking for the WorthPoint user who has found the most worth out of WorthPoint's valuation tools. Contestants will share their experience in a short, creative video on WorthPoint's contest page.
 http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1897199#ixzz30x8swgzh

Prototype for Packard revival project heads to auction

Despite a 20-plus-year pursuit, Roy Gullickson has yet to realize his multi-million-dollar dream of putting the Packard name back into production. From that pursuit, however, he did end up with a roadworthy Packard revival prototype, perhaps the last car ever built to bear that name, which he will send off to auction this summer. http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/05/06/prototype-for-packard-revival-project-heads-to-auction/#sthash.JTOD0vsw.dpuf

Monet, other art from big collectors lead auctions

NEW YORK — Works from the estates of heiress Huguette Clark, Edgar Bronfman and other major collectors are among the highlights leading the spring art auctions in New York City, including a Monet painting that has been out of the public eye for decades.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/monet-other-art-from-big-collectors-lead-auctions/2014/05/06/47336aea-d4e4-11e3-8f7d-7786660fff7c_story.html

The Auction Before the Auction Has Already Yielded $680m This Season

Call it the Piketty effect. The top of the Contemporary art market is crowded with buyers trading a very small number of works. Some of those buyers seem to be using art as a store of value. (Or, in the case of David Ganek who continues to unload works at the very top of the market, some of those are taking advantage of surge in prices to regain value lost in other arenas.) Carol Vogel does a very good job in the New York Times of outlining this Piketty effect where the growing wealth of the wealthiest is increasingly finding its way toward art that’s being used as a new kind of asset:
http://www.artmarketmonitor.com/2014/05/05/the-auction-before-the-auction-has-already-yielded-680m-this-season/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-auction-before-the-auction-has-already-yielded-680m-this-season

Historic Tier carousel on the auction block

A generation of children once rode the leaping horses at the Skyline Amusement Park in Tioga Center.After the park closed in the 1980s, the horses went on a brief journey to Massachusetts. By the 1990s, they were stabled in Wendell Garrison’s Nichols barn, their gear disassembled and stored as they awaited a new herd of children to entertain.

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20140505/NEWS01/305050036/Historic-Tier-carousel-auction-block?nclick_check=1

Auction sale of large whisky collection

One of the world's largest private collections of Macallan single malt whisky will go under the hammer in a special auction in Glasgow next week.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/auction-sale-of-large-whisky-collection.24147974

Extraordinary Private Collection of Watches by Patek Philippe

Sotheby’s New York auction of Important Watches will  feature a groundbreaking group of five pieces commissioned in titanium. The collection is led by the Ref 5001T Sky Moon Tourbillon (picture above), a previously undocumented reference and the only known example of Patek Philippe’s coveted Sky Moon Tourbillon in titanium (est. $1/1.5 million*), as well as the legendary 1923 Officier, the first split-seconds chronograph wristwatch produced by the firm (est. $800,000/1.2 million).
http://en.worldtempus.com/article/industry-news/auction-extraordinary-private-collection-watches-patek-philippe-1564276

London Wine Merchant Disputes Counterfeit Lawsuit, but Châteaus Cast Doubt on Its Claims

The London-based wine dealer being sued for $25 million by an Atlanta collector for allegedly selling 15 bottles of counterfeit rare old Bordeaux has fired back, issuing a statement defending the provenance of the wines. But some of the Bordeaux sources cited in the statement disputed the conclusions in interviews with Wine Spectator. And none would verify that the bottles in question are real.
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/London-Wine-Merchant-Disputes-Counterfeit-Lawsuit_49939

Iran negotiates with the Christiˈs to organize auction at Kish Island

Tehran, May 5, IRNA – Iran held negotiation with the Christiˈs fine arts auction house to organize business office at Kish Island for Iranian artworks, Minister of Culture and the Islamic Guidence Ali Jannati said on Monday.

http://theiranproject.com/blog/2014/05/05/iran-negotiates-with-the-christi%CB%88s-to-organize-auction-at-kish-island/

Rockwell painting of Red Sox being shown at Fenway

BOSTON — A Norman Rockwell painting of Boston Red Sox players is being shown at Fenway Park on Monday before it is taken to New York City to be auctioned.
http://online.wsj.com/article/APb92b9088458b43a8909a0c89ac7e206f.html

Romanee-Conti ’88 Leads Christie’s Wine Sale With Petrus

A case of Romanee Conti 1988 Domaine de la Romanee Conti from Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits region sold for 105,750 pounds ($178,500) at a Christie’s International Plc London sale as collectors continued to seek historic vintages.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-04/romanee-conti-88-leads-christie-s-wine-sale-with-petrus.html

LAWMAKER WANTS DEFINITION OF ANTIQUE FIREARMS EXPANDED

The definition of "antique firearms," which can be sold without going through a federally licensed firearms dealer, would be expanded, under legislation offered by Rep. Bill Cassidy.
http://politix.topix.com/news/11882-lawmaker-wants-definition-of-antique-firearms-expanded

DFS Group celebrates the sale of rare and exclusive The Macallan collectible from Masters of Wines and Spirits 2013

SINGAPORE. DFS Group has announced that a rare and exclusive collectible from its third annual Masters of Wines and Spirits Collection, 1949 Fine & Rare – The Macallan Masters of Photography: Annie Leibovitz Edition in Linley Cabinet, has been sold to a wine and spirits connoisseur. 
http://www.moodiereport.com/document.php?c_id=31&doc_id=39363

'Holy Grail' of stamps to fetch $20 MILLION at auction - despite costing just one CENT when it was issued in 1856

Frequently described as 'the most valuable stamp in the world', the British Guiana 1c Magenta, pictured, will be auctioned in New York on 17 June. It is the only surviving example of the 'emergency' stamps range launched by the colony's postmaster in 1856, and was discovered by a schoolboy in Demerara in 1873
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2620558/Holy-Grail-stamps-fetch-20-MILLION-auction-despite-costing-just-one-CENT-issued-1856.html#ixzz30rZesKk1

Keith Richards' 1972 Ferrari Dino 246GT rolling to auction

You can’t always get what you want, but if you have several hundred thousand dollars lying around, you might be able to pick up Keith Richards’ Ferrari. 

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-autos-keith-richards-ferrari-dino-auction-20140505,0,2856771.story#ixzz30rZRgmDc

Birmingham auction house sells Diana's last letter for £2,400

A Birmingham auction house has sold Princess Diana’s last ever letter for £2,400. The note, to a humanitarian campaigner, was bought by a private buyer at Fellows Auctioneers this week.

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-auction-house-sells-dianas-7066250

Rush for Deals Before Top Art Goes to Auction

In many ways this year’s spring auctions, which begin on Tuesday, follow a familiar pattern: hefty catalogs, more and more art to sell, the promise of multimillion dollar prices for blue-chip names.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/05/arts/rush-for-deals-before-top-art-goes-to-auction.html?_r=0

Romanee Conti 1988 Case Fetches $178,500 at London Wine Sale

A case of Romanee Conti 1988 Domaine de la Romanee Conti from Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits region sold for 105,750 pounds ($178,500) at a Christie’s International Plc London sale as collectors continued to seek historic vintages.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-05-04/romanee-conti-1988-case-fetches-gbp105-750-at-london-wine-sale

Harry Potter first editions to be sold at auction

A RARE complete set of first edition Harry Potter books is expected to fetch up to £12,000 at auction this week. The set includes all seven of J K Rowling’s iconic adventures featuring the boy wizard.

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/harry-potter-first-editions-to-be-sold-at-auction-1-3398425