After breaking for Christmas, auction houses have started to open their doors to 2018. Following a record-breaking 2017, thanks to artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Jean-Michel Basquiat, they will be hoping for another big year.
While its too soon to say what the New Year will bring, the announcement of Christie’s Rockefeller auction offers plenty of promise. If pre-auction estimates prove correct, the sale could raise more than $1bn for charity following the death of banking mogul David Rockefeller last year.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The Rockefeller auction will likely dominate the auction headlines when the collection goes under the hammer in Spring.
However, if you don’t want to wait to get your hands on a rare works by Picasso, Monet and the likes, here are a few items set for auction this week:
Shanxi skyscraper
Guide price: $84.2m
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataOnline auction marketplaces are a great place to look if you’re looking for low-quality tat, second-hand items and 500ft skyscrapers, so it seems. This 39-storey tower’s current owner has listed it on China’s biggest e-commerce website, Taobao. The unfinished building was designed to be a hotel, but depleted funds forced construction to stop ahead of completion. It definitely needs some work, but if you’re in need of 76,000 square metres of floor space, get your bid in before the 2 January deadline.
18k emerald & diamond necklace
Guide price: $30,000-$50,000
Didn’t get the statement piece that you were hoping for this Christmas? Console yourself with this 18k white gold necklace, complete with 84 brilliantly cut diamonds and 14 green emeralds. The bright, bold piece will go under the hammer at Ahlers and Ogletree’s New Year’s Signature Estates Auction in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, 6 January.
John Lennon’s leather motorcycle jacket
Guide price: $40,000-$50,000
This rare leather jacket, taken from the collection of Joe Franklin, was once worn by music icon John Lennon. The former Beatle presented the American radio host with this 1960s Perecto jacket after he agreed to let Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono make an appearance on his talk show. A must-have for diehard Beatles fans, the jacket will be sold at Saco River Auction’s Fantastic Celebrity and Sport Memorabilia sale in Maine on Wednesday, 3 January.
Roy Lichtenstein – Brushstroke of Canvas
Guide price: $36,000-$41,500
After a record-breaking 2017, Great Dane Auctions will get art sales back underway on Thursday, 4 January at their January Contemporary & Modern Fine Art sale in Pennsylvania. Among the masterpieces on offer is this Roy Lichtenstein lithograph. It might not be an original. However, hand signed by the artist and one of just 40 limited edition prints, this eye-catching Lichtenstein piece is still extremely rare.
Ming dynasty fish jar
Guide price: $49,000-$59,000
It won’t come close to the $37.7m record set by a Ming dynasty bowl last year. However, this underwater-inspired ceramic is still expected to sell for an incredible amount of money this week. Lemani Gallery will sell this rare jar, which dates from 1522-1566, as part of their New Year Estates and Collection Sale in New York on Saturday, 6 January.
Babe Ruth baseball bat
Guide price: $30,000-$40,000
Paying $40,000 for a lump of wood may sound ridiculous to those that know little about baseball. However, passionate sports fans will recognise the historic significance of this battered bat. Ordered by legendary baseballer Babe Ruth in 1920, experts have confirmed that the MLB icon used this bat in-game. Saco River Auction will be auctioning it off at their Fantastic Celebrity and Sport Memorabilia sale in Maine on Wednesday, 3 January.
Salvador Dali’s Pour Madamme Juta Griffith
Guide price: $17,000-$23,500
This rare piece of art is not to be mistaken for a scribble on a piece of paper. It might not look like much, but this is actually an original work by one of the world’s most renowned artists. The ink sketch by Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali will go up for sale at Great Dane Auctions’ January Contemporary & Modern Fine Art sale in Pennsylvania on Thursday, 4 January.
1954 Elvis Presley concert poster
Guide price: $15,000-$20,000
This extremely rare poster was used to promoted music icon Elvis Presley before he hit the big time. In fact, the auction organisers believe this to be from the King of Rock and Roll’s very first performance as a solo artist. Detailing the first of 16 shows at Memphis’ Eagles Nest club, this performance set Elvis along the path to stardom. The poster will go under the hammer at The Auction at Graceland’s January 6 sale in Memphis on Saturday.
