Hammer Time: Out-Of-The-Box Bidding Opportunities
While the summer auction season is wrapping up, there are still some important, far-flung, out-of-the-box bidding opportunities on the horizon, especially in the collectible timepiece, vintage car, and unexpected art arenas.
Jackson Hole Art Auction: Masterworks of the American West
Collectors of the art of the American West have at least one prominent fashion designer with the initials RL in their midst. And the popularity of so-called “cowboy art” has continued to grow into an elevated and very desirable genre. This annual Wyoming auction is forging a great name for itself, not only for its exacting curation, but also because it typically posts a 95 percent sell-through and boasted over $9 million in sales last year. Again, specific lots and details were not available at press time, but with the auction’s focus on artists like John James Audubon, Maynard Dixon, and Frederic Remington, you’re sure to pick up a winner, pardner. jacksonholeartauction.com
Jackson Hole, WY, USA: Sept. 16 and 17
Where to Stay: Balance out the bucking broncos and six-shooters with a stay at the serene Amangani mountain resort.
JACKSON HOLE ART IMAGE CREDITS:
- G. Harvey The Sidewalk Café (oil on canvas) 36 x 48 in. Estimate: $100,000-150,000
- Friedrich Wilhelm Kuhnert A Stern Glance (oil on canvas) 17 1/2 x 22 1/4 in. Estimate: $20,000–$30,000
- John Clymer When Evening Comes (oil on canvas) 24 x 48 in. Estimate: $150,000-250,000
- Bob Kuhn A Walk On The Tundra – Grizzly Bears and Ptarmigans (acrylic on board) 20 x 30 in. Estimate: $100,000-150,000
- Bonhams Auction at the Audrain Concours
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A trip to the Audrain Concours in Newport, Rhode Island is a great idea, even if you’re not planning to flap your paddle at a vintage classic from the associated Bonhams Auction during the event. Again, lots and specifics were still being assembled as we went to press. In the meantime, you can slake your vintage motoring thirst with these highlights from recent Bonhams motor vehicle auctions: A 1936 Brough Superior 990CC SS100 motorcycle went for over $288,000 at a spring motorbike event, and at a recent car auction in Goodwood, UK, a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 coupe went for nearly $620,000. bonhams.com
Newport, RI, USA: Bidding opens Sept. 30
Where to Stay: The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection, is a stunning boutique luxury hotel with a rooftop bar that’s become the place to be seen in Newport.
Sotheby’s Paris Fine Watches
The summer’s timepiece auction season was one for the record books, and this watch auction in Paris promises to continue that rarefied vibe with anticipated lots from Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Cartier, and Breguet. While lots were still being assembled and specific information was unavailable at press time, Sotheby’s scored a big win at its auction in Geneva over the summer, selling off an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, owned by the watch’s iconic designer Gerald Genta, for a whopping $2.1 million. While that level of gravitas may be hard to match, the Paris auction should deliver a similar level of hotness and timepiece desirability. sothebys.com
Paris, France: Bidding opens Sept. 15, 10:00 CET
Where to Stay: The stately Four Seasons Hotel Georges V is a quick trip around the rotary on the Champs Elysees from the auction house.
