$1.35 Million+ Heritage Entertainment Auction Results! Heritage Auction Galleries posted wonderful results in their latest Music & Entertainment Auction, held April 14 & 15 in Dallas, Texas. The auction realized $1,358,648 for 1,476 lots,
News-Antique.com - Apr 16,2007 - DALLAS, TEXAS: Although the much-publicized Anna Nichole Smith diaries failed to fetch their minimum bids of $25,000 each, Heritage Auction Galleries posted wonderful results in their latest Music & Entertainment Auction, held April 14 & 15 in Dallas, Texas. The auction realized $1,358,648 for 1,476 lots, with after-auction sales still ongoing and expected to push the final total to even higher levels.
“I’m not surprised that the Smith diaries failed to sell,” said Doug Norwine, Director of Music & Entertainment Auctions for Heritage. “Several days before the auction, we received a letter from Lin Wood, attorney for Howard K. Stern, the executor of Smith’s estate. He claimed that the diaries were stolen, and asked that we pull them from the auction and return them. After consulting with the consignor, we decided to proceed with the auction as planned in the absence of a court order to the contrary. In the interests of total transparency, one of Heritage’s core values, we did, however, post Wood’s letter and all relevant information on our website, so that all interested parties would be totally informed about the status of the material before the auction. As a result of the controversy, both parties that had placed bids on the diaries contacted us and withdrew them, and no further bids were received.”
“Even without the diaries,” Norwine continued, “the auction was an incredible success, drawing exceptional results from a wide range of collectible areas. In fact, once the After Auction and Final Session end, I think we will come very close to breaking our own entertainment auction record of $1.53 million that we set almost exactly a year ago. It was no surprise to see the guitar that Elvis played in both Follow That Dream (1962) and Kid Galahad (1962) fetch an impressive price of $77,675. That wasn’t the only classic instrument to bring strong prices, as Harry James’s trumpet sold for $19,120, and Eric Clapton’s guitar realized $38,240 in an after-auction sale.”
“From the Hollywood side of the auction, the big winner was the last passport ever issued to animation icon Walt Disney,” said Norwine, “that realized $28,680, while a production book from Pinocchio (1940), signed by Disney, brought $17,925, as did an archive of Marilyn Monroe photographs, sold with all applicable copyrights. Marilyn’s personal phonebook, a tantalizing glimpse into the personal life of this legendary starlet, also fetched a significant price, selling for $11,950.”
“One of the fiercest bidding wars I witnessed all weekend was over a true piece of Hollywood history,” Norwine said. “Topping out at $15,535, after a spirited battle between two highly motivated bidders, Mark Hamill’s signed Star Wars contract now has a new home.”
“A ‘super’ result was obtained for Christopher Reeves’s Superman III costume,” said Norwine, “which brought $14,340.” Personally, I’m very pleased with the results of the sale of Lisa Simpson’s saxophone, which sold for $10,157.” (Norwine is also a sought-after studio musician, and can be heard on early episodes of The Simpsons TV show as well as
