5 Auctions Not to Miss on New Year’s Day

Many auction houses consider their New Year’s Day sales to be their best and most exciting events of the entire year. It’s not unusual for auctioneers to set aside special pieces from collections and estates throughout the year just so they can showcase them in their Jan. 1 sales. Savvy collectors know this and eagerly await the chance to bid and buy on New Year’s Day.

But with so much choice available, how can you possibly pick just one New Year’s auction to bid in? The answer is, you don’t have to! All of the top sales are as close as your computer, and you can bid absentee or live as those auctions are taking place.

Here are five auctions not to miss on New Year’s Day, 2017:

Stephenson’s Auctioneers

A longtime favorite with Philadelphians, Stephenson’s New Year’s Day Auction has a lineup this year that includes heavy antique silver, paintings and furniture from posh “Main Line” estates, plus a collection of art glass paperweights, a Newlyn Arts & Crafts fire screen, and a Pennsylvania folk art treasure: a circa-1900 John Reber carved and painted rooster.

Pair of large and ornate 1894 Carrington & Co., London, sterling silver sauce boats, est. $8,000-$12,000
Pair of large and ornate 1894 Carrington & Co., London, sterling silver sauce boats, est. $8,000-$12,000

 

Nadeau’s Auction Gallery

This distinguished Connecticut auction house will offer 150 lots of glittering, high-end diamonds and jewelry, including 13 Rolex watches, several Cartier timepieces, and an 18K gold Patek Philippe minute repeater chronometer in a closed-face case. Also, there are 250 lots of fine art, prints and maps, some coming from the Credit Suisse corporate collection.

Patek Philippe minute repeater chronometer, 18K gold with closed-face case, two stopwatch hands, est. $15,000-$20,000
Patek Philippe minute repeater chronometer, 18K gold with closed-face case, two stopwatch hands, est. $15,000-$20,000

 

Don Presley Auction Co.

Known for his consistent ability to source high-quality antiques and art from Beverly Hills and Newport Beach residences, California auctioneer Don Presley says his New Year’s 2017 sale contains his best selection ever. There’s a mindboggling array of fine Continental glass and porcelain; leaded-glass lamps, silver, clocks, and extremely valuable jewel-encrusted daggers.

Three important old daggers, two of gold and one of silver. Saudi dagger at left is adorned with diamonds; Moroccan dagger at right features rubies and emeralds. Dagger shown in the middle is around 200 years old and has a silver-weight value of around $125,000. All three were inherited from the late prime minister of Iran during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Group estimate: $200,000-$225,000
Three important old daggers, two of gold and one of silver. Saudi dagger at left is adorned with diamonds; Moroccan dagger at right features rubies and emeralds. Dagger shown in the middle is around 200 years old and has a silver-weight value of around $125,000. All three were inherited from the late prime minister of Iran during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Group estimate: $200,000-$225,000

 

Kaminski Auctions

Synonymous with quality estate items, Boston’s Kaminski Auctions will bring variety to their New Year’s Day auction, with highlights that include an array of chairs by Pedro Friedeberg, Frank Gehry, Breuer Wassily, and Eero Saarinen; plus a Douglass Crockwell Saturday Evening Post oil painting, a dramatic Theodora Weber seascape, and a collection of 35 vintage Florida Highwaymen paintings.

Pedro Friedeberg (Mexican, b. 1937-) sculptural hand chair, est. $7,500-$12,500
Pedro Friedeberg (Mexican, b. 1937-) sculptural hand chair, est. $7,500-$12,500

 

Jasper52

This online-only auction features an appealing 120-lot selection of fine prints spanning the 17th through 20th centuries. From a signed drypoint portrait by John Abbott McNeill Whistler to original hand-colored Audubon lithographs of American birds, including the beloved Baltimore oriole, this auction showcases a broad variety of artistic styles and print techniques.

Original limited edition John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Princeton print of Baltimore orioles (505/1500), framed, est. $1,300-$1,700
Original limited edition John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Princeton print of Baltimore orioles (505/1500), framed, est. $1,300-$1,700

 

View the full Auction Calendar to bid in all New Year’s Day auctions on LiveAuctioneers.

4 Most Popular Types of Political Memorabilia

2016’s contentious political campaigns and the candidates’ saturation TV ads will soon be history, but collectors will see to it that the memorabilia left behind lives to see another day. Presidential campaign mementos – the signs, banners, buttons, hats and other ephemera produced to publicize candidates and fire up voters – rank among the few things besides rocks and bottles that collectors can pick up for free. In fact, there are diehard collectors who, like Deadheads, go from city to city following campaigners and collecting free memorabilia printed or manufactured specifically for a particular region.

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Celebrating Roy Lichtenstein – Pop Art Godfather

One of the most innovative and influential artists of the latter 20th century, Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997) put the “Bif!,” “Bam!,” and “Pow!” into pop art. His larger-than-life paintings of people in melodramatic situations were inspired by comic strips and newspaper ads, and Lichtenstein made sure they were presented just that way – with a screened effect that resembled an enlarged newspaper page.

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5 things you didn’t know about Pablo Picasso’s early career

By Anonymous - Photo (C) RMN-Grand Palais, Public Domain
By Anonymous – Photo (C) RMN-Grand Palais, Public Domain

The art world celebrates the birthday of Pablo Picasso today, October 25. The Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker and ceramicist is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century.

Exceptionally prolific throughout his life, Picasso (1881-1973) achieved universal renown and an immense fortune from his revolutionary artistic accomplishments.

Forty-three years after his death, Picasso’s paintings still sell for record prices. His Les femmes d’Alger (Version 0), a colorful depiction of women of Algiers, sold at Christie’s on May 11, 2015 for $179.4 million. It remains the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction.

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Tekserve collection 74% sold through LiveAuctioneers; fans bid farewell to NYC institution

Yesterday, New York City bid adieu to the iconic Tekserve store as Roland Auctions NY dispersed the institution’s extensive and eclectic inventory to bidders internationally. With a wide range of inventory, the auction total exceeded expectations and doubled estimates. From a melted Macintosh to neon Apple signs to a vast Macintosh Museum collection, the auction attracted a wide range of bidders in person and online through LiveAuctioneers. In fact, an astonishing 74% of the collectible electronics ended up selling via LiveAuctioneers’ global bidding platform.

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Artist Builds a Wall — Without a Penny From Mexico, Hemingway Home Gets Its Antlers Back, and More Fresh News

Image from the interior of the Floridita bar, in Havana, Cuba. Statue of Ernest Hemingway by Cuban artist José Villa Soberón. Photo: Frederic Schmalzbauer, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
Statue of Ernest Hemingway by Cuban artist José Villa Soberón inside the Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba.
Photo: Frederic Schmalzbauer, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

 

News and updates from around the arts and auction community:

  • Elk antlers that gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson took from the Idaho home of his hero Ernest Hemingway have been returned, along with an explanation. [Read more from AP]
  • Building on a timely topic, artist Louis Hock created his work titled a wall so visitors to the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego could “experience a familiar space that is now visually and physically divided.” The exhibition runs through Sept. 27. [Read more from MCASD]
  • Coffee, tea or chocolate? Detroit Institute of Arts will be serving up all three in an upcoming exhibition titled Bitter|Sweet, which explores how the popularity of hot drinks from faraway lands led to the demand in Europe for new vessels, like coffee and tea pots, storage canisters, etc. [Read more from Detroit Institute of Arts]
  • Could you picture yourself behind the wheel of a World War II tank? Then make tracks to a museum in Normandy, France, which is closing its doors and selling off its entire collection. [Read more from France24]

For more news and updates, follow LiveAuctioneers on Twitter + Facebook.

Aug. 28 Antiquarian & Historical Books Auction by Jasper52 boasts eclectic selection

Jasper52’s August 28th online-only rare books auction boasts an eclectic selection of fascinating books, autographs, and documents, from the 16th to the 20th centuries. Among the many subject areas to entice collectors at all levels are: American history, nautical history, World War II, literature, popular science, transportation, animal husbandry, art, and early printed books and autographs from England and the Continent.

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National Aviation Day: Top Aviation Memorabilia at Auction

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As August 19th is National Aviation Day, it is an opportune time to search for fascinating aviation memorabilia. Tracking down vintage and contemporary aviation items on LiveAuctioneers is an exploration unlike any other. So buckle up and prepare for takeoff as we explore the friendly auction skies.
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P51D “Mustang” and an F/A-22 “Raptor” in a heritage flight by aviation artist Ray Waddey
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Marx Tin Wind Up Looping Plane Airplane
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Marx Tin Wind Up Looping Plane Airplane

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Marx Tin Wind Up Looping Plane Airplane
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Jet O Plane – 1930’s Planes in Box

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Marx Tin Wind Up Looping Plane Airplane
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Rare American Bi-Plane Mascot, 1918

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Marx Tin Wind Up Looping Plane Airplane
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Charles Lindbergh With Spirit of St. Louis Photo

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Marx Tin Wind Up Looping Plane Airplane
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Coca-Cola Fighting Planes Signs

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Marx Tin Wind Up Looping Plane Airplane
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World War II-era navy blue wool U.S. Navy uniform jacket with gold bullion Naval Aviator’s wings

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Marx Tin Wind Up Looping Plane Airplane
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Air France Travel Poster – Brazil/Bresil

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Tekserve Auction: Best Finds and Reactions

After almost 30 years on West 23rd Street, New York City’s beloved Tekserve is closing its retail store. And on Tuesday, August 23rd, Roland Auctions NY will disperse the Tekserve Collection with a nearly 500-lot auction. With such a cherished New York City landmark closing it’s doors, and with the unique memorabilia and collection that the retail establishment possessed, it’s no wonder that the Internet is freaking out. Below is a round-up of some of the best highlights thus far:

 

 

 

 

 


 

We’ll keep updated this list with more #TekserveReactions. And of course, to own a piece of your own Tekserve history, view the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live on LiveAuctioneers.