Behind each house’s record totals are trophy collections, surging luxury categories, a growing online bidder base and gains concentrated at the top of the market. CHRISTIE’S LTD 2026 Just before the art world sailed off for its summer break, the two biggest auction houses posted record half-year results, with Christie’s leading at $4.5 billion in … Read more
Cars like the 1967 Chevrolet Corvette have transcended nostalgia and become true investment metal. Photo by Barrett Jackson via Getty Images The United States did not invent the automobile, but it did cultivate a deep cultural love for cars. Ever since Henry Ford rolled out his assembly lines, before Route 66 was even a glint … Read more
The Goodspeed-Sang-Streeter copy is one of only ten surviving Exeter prints and one of only 120 surviving contemporary prints of the Declaration of Independence. Courtesy Goldin Auctions On the night of July 4, 1776, a Philadelphia printer named John Dunlap was handed a draft of what was arguably the most important document in American history … Read more
The Napa Valley Barrel Auction is a community-focused weekend in wine country. Courtesy Sandoval/Moment Pictures It’s unusual to see men in sharp pants and shiny shoes and women in colorful dresses and sun hats walking on the side of Highway 29 in St. Helena. Most Napa Valley visitors rent cars or book tour buses to … Read more
Christie’s May 20 evening sales achieved a combined total of $162,698,350. Photo: Alan Padilla There is very little room for error left among the major auction houses: increasingly, every consignment and sale must be executed with perfection, so that, at worst, a lot will go underestimated but still sell, particularly in the main evening sales … Read more
Willem de Kooning Milk maid (1984) will be LGD Hammer’s first work (estimate: $10-15 million). LGD hammer Recent auctions have made clear that market dynamics are primarily concentrated at the top, where sustained global demand for masterpieces is finally colliding with new supply as the long-awaited intergenerational transfer of wealth begins. At the same time, … Read more
While its high estimate is $2.4 million, this watch could reach a much higher price. Courtesy Phillips The Patek Philippe Reference 1518 holds a specific and important place in watchmaking history as the first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch ever. The atelier introduced it in 1941, in the midst of World War II and … Read more
Bonhams is offering selected items from Diane Keaton’s eclectic collection across four sales in June. Photography by Ruven Afanador. Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton will be remembered for her charisma in a series of iconic roles, from her collaborations with Woody Allen to her career-defining role in The Godfather trilogy and her most spontaneous performance … Read more
Heritage’s $7.6 million “Trading Card Games and Manga Signature®” auction result reinforced the market momentum for collectibles from the Pokémon franchise. Courtesy Heritage Auctions / HA.com Nineties nostalgia has created an entirely new market for anime- or fantasy-inspired trading cards, as well as for action figures, manga and vintage consoles and electronics, largely driven by … Read more
Only two examples in yellow gold from Patek Philippe Ref. The number 2523 with a South American cloisonné enamel is known to exist. Courtesy Phillips There are hours, and then there are Watches. 1953 Patek Philippe Ref. The 2523 Heures Universelles belongs firmly to the second category, and is so rare that its appearance at … Read more