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Authenticity is Everything
Sotheby's auction 18 April 2023
Sotheby's kindly made a banner for this auction pop-up on my PC screen this morning.
Rock & Roll | Books & Manuscripts | Sotheby's (sothebys.com)
To say there is some great material would be a massive understatement. I haven't looked at much in detail but I've not seen any obvious forgeries yet.
I mentioned this type of Sotheby's auction in Lewis' recent and very popular Hendrix "Axis Bold As Love thread". These auctions seem to aimed at High Net Worth individuals who don't have the time or energy to plough through a lot of mediocre material to find gems/bargains. Very often (at least in the movie poster auctions) the prices go way above "market rates".
A few questions:
1. Where do you think all this fantastic material comes from? I assume a few major dealers have provided most of it.
2. What are your favourite three items (irrespective of estimated value)?
3. Do you see any lots that may not be real?
I'll give my own answers to 2. and 3. once I've had a chance to look at the lots properly.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lewis on
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Annoyingly i got absolutely no response from Sotheby's one way or another. Their loss :)
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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva on
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I guess the latest consignment date for this auction was long gone before you contacted them and the next auction of this type won't happen for quite a while.
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Permalink Reply by Stepeanut on
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There is no simple answer to where this stuff comes from. Dealers, or more accurately speculators, certainly. Some will have bought items at previous auctions and can afford to sit on them for a few years in the hope that their investment will reap a long term profit. There are a lot of wealthy individuals who like to play that game as an alternative to the stock market. Some items will have come from music industry insiders, looking to monetise their assets in their old age. Other items still will have come from private collectors who feel the time is right to pass the torch to someone new.
Without going into too much detail, I have owned, and in certain cases still own, items that would not look out of place at one of the major auction house sales. There may come a time when I choose to sell. Or I might just let my partner deal with it all after I die. I’d even consider donating some of the more important items to a museum, such as the V&A. But I’m not at that stage in life just yet.
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I don't want to be too morbid but you never know when the grim reaper might call. If you have items that are culturally significant it is never too early to make arrangements to ensure that they are conserved properly and made available to scholars and (hopefully) the public when you're gone.
I am "only" 60 but I have already made such arrangements for some of my photography collection. I think autographs are much trickier things to find a museum home for. Some might be very valuable indeed but it is hard to argue that many are "culturally significant", at least those from the popular entertainment world.
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Aha! I know this is an autograph forum, but you are assuming that I’m talking about signed items here. I’m not. Whilst I do have some very desirable autographs, I consider myself to be a music memorabilia collector first and foremost, with a focus on vintage concert memorabilia. The items I value the most in terms of being culturally significant are not signed at all.
My partner is not uneducated when it comes to music memorabilia. She might not be up to speed with current prices, but she knows the important stuff from the more everyday items. And I have a small circle of trusted friends for her to ask, if the unthinkable should happen.
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Permalink Reply by BallroomDays67 on
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Favorite three items:
1. Lot 29 - George Harrison signed and studio used guitar.
2. Lot 46 - Jimi Hendrix “Straight Ahead” handwritten lyrics
3. Lot 36 - Bob Dylan “All Along the Watchtower” handwritten lyrics
Items that may not be real:
Lot 16 - Beatles Indianapolis’64 concert poster (commemorative)
Lot 19 - Beatles signed butcher cover proof
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Permalink Reply by Bruce Juice on
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Sotheby's has raised their commission to 27% total after hammer price. Ouch!
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If you buy things at UK auction houses using bidding portals like "thesaleroom" you can easily pay 30%+ commission/fees. It can make a BIG difference to your final bill. The cost of shipping using external shippers can also be substantial. Last but not least, there's the 10% - 25% sales tax/fees if you live outside the UK.
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In choosing my favourite three items I have only considered artists who I already have in my collection. My three would be:
Lot 12: Lennon - In His Own Write
Lot 42: Hendrix - Signed single
Lot 66: AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
I still haven't noticed any clearly dubious items. Like Ballroom, I would be cautious about Lot 19, the Beatles signed butcher cover proof...a little provenance would be nice. I'm also a little skeptical about the Marley lot (88) but I know it has been around a while and seems to be accepted as OK.
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The signed copy of Blonde on Blonde has been discussed in a separate thread. Many of us, myself included, think it’s a fake.
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On the whole a very "soft" set of results with many unsold lots. I wonder why?
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