Category Archives: TV, Film & Sporting Memorabilia

RM Sotheby’s Nigel Mansell’s legacy collection auction

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In Britain we have a long association with motor racing, dating back over 120 years. Since those early days, memorabilia connected with motorsport has been a popular area for collectors. Motor racing collectables combine the glamour of the automobile with the excitement of high-octane sport. Today, Formula One memorabilia is perhaps the most desirable field in automobilia collecting.

When RM Sotheby’s announced they would be selling the archive of legendary racing driver Nigel Mansell, collectors were prepared for prices to ‘hurtle’ away.

Nigel Mansell began his career as a Formula One driver in 1980 and continued to race in F1 until 1995. During this period, Mansell won over 30 Grand Prix races and was the 1992 Formula One World Champion. These achievements made him the most successful British racing driver (a record only broken by Sir Lewis Hamilton).

Mansell’s skill as a racing driver went beyond Formula One. Immediately after his 1992 Formula One World Title win, he moved to CART IndyCar for their 1993 the season. Remarkably he won his debut IndyCar World Series. Therefore in 1993 he held both the Formula One World Title and the IndyCar World Series – Mansell is the only driver to have held both titles at the same time.

Nigel Mansell’s extensive collection had previously been on display as part of his museum in Jersey, which closed in 2019.

The collection included over 320 pieces capturing Mansell’s entire career. The sale was held during the early part of October as a week-long online auction, with all lots being offered without reserve.

Prior to the auction RM Sotheby’s had focused publicity on the trophies, racing suits and racing helmets. These pieces, which are the closest associated with racing are typically the most desirable.

Demand was high throughout the sale. The highest prices of the sale were indeed achieved for racing helmets. Lot 142 the 1985 Canon Williams-Honda European Grand Prix racing helmet being the most expensive lot. The European Grand Prix was held at the British racing circuit Brands Hatch in October 1985. The action-packed race saw Nigel Mansell winning his first Grand Prix, beating Ayrton Senna in second place by a margin of over 21 seconds. The important racing helmet which is clearly visible in images for the race sold for £68,400.

The second highest price was achieved by Lot 200 the 1992 Canon Williams-Renault Arai Formula One helmet. This example was worn by Nigel Mansell during his record-breaking World Title winning season for Williams, it reached £61,200. 1992

Like the helmet, pieces connected to the 1992 Formula One title were expectedly the most valuable.

The sale included several significant trophies earned during this F1 World Title winning season for Williams.

The 1992 San Marino Grand Prix 1st place trophy was the most expensive of the collection. The trophy marked Mansell’s fifth win of that competition, making him the first driver to win the first five races of a season. The Automobile Club Bologna trophy was engraved with the names of other former prominent winners including Jim Clark, Niki Lauder, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna. The impressive and large gilt trophy sold for £28,800.

One of the most coveted of the trophies was in fact for a second-place finish. Lot 212 was the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix 2nd place trophy. The race is known as a classic of the sport, with Mansell starting the race from pole position, battling for first place against the eventual race winner Ayrton Senna. This lot eventually sold for £24,000. Nigel Mansell’s pole position trophy from the same event, was also on offer and achieved £16,800.

One of Nigel Mansell’s most remarkable achievements of the 1992 season was the British Grand Prix. Held at Silverstone in July, it was here that he became the most successful British racing driver. Mansell started the race from pole position, going on to win every lap, set the fastest lap and break the track record!

Lot 386 was the trophy awarded for this fantastic first-place finish – bidding was strong, with the virtual gavel falling at £26,400. Lot 223 was a piece commemorating the race – an unusual time-chart captioned “The Ultimate Lap”. To quote Mansell himself “On the last but one lap we smashed the track record”. This piece had been signed and dedicate to Mansell by Williams Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, Paddy Lowe. The final price here was £8,400. While lot 208 the baseball cap worn by Nigel Mansell on the winner’s podium sold for £6,800.

Similarly, the highest price racing suits of the sale were those worn during Nigel Mansell’s 1992 winning season. Lot 199 and 222 were two such examples. Lot 199 was the more complete of the outfits including suit, gloves, and boots. This lot achieved £21,600 whilst lot 222 which included a suit alone sold for £19,200.

Ferrari memorabilia is a strong collecting field within its own right. Therefore, those pieces relating to Mansell’s 1989-1990 seasons driving for Ferrari were of interest. Notably, Mansell was the last racing driver to be selected by Enzo Ferrari himself.

Racing helmets were again the top lots here. Lots 174 and 182 were Scuderia Ferrari helmets worn during the 1989 racing season. They fetched £43,200 and £46,800 respectively. Lot 350 was a trophy awarded to Nigel Mansell by Ferrari. The sculptural trophy was in the form of their iconic prancing horse logo. This award fetched £28,800. A vintage red leather Ferrari briefcase was a stylish addition (lot 103) reaching £3,720. Mansell had a difficult 1990 season with the team and chose to retire afterwards. It was after his return with Williams in 1991 that he achieved his greatest success.

During 1993 to 1994 he moved away from Formula One. Mansell signed with Newman/ Haas to drive in the CART IndyCar World series. As mentioned previously, he was immediately very successful, winning his first ever IndyCar race! He went on to win the World Series, winning five races out of sixteen. Helmets, suits, and trophies were again the most valuable lots, with four of the helmets achieving over £25,000 each. One of the more curious lots was lot 250 a podium wreath decorated with beer cans given as part of the 1993 IndyCar Miller Genuine Draft 200 race. This lot sold for £3,000.

Now to some of the more unusual lots. Lot 106 was a personalised number plate ‘5 NM’. The plate made reference to Nigel Mansell’s initials and his association with red number 5 during his career. Red Number 5 was the name given to his winning Williams Formula 1 racing car. The number plate offered with a presale estimate of £30,000 – 60,000 and sold for £50,400.

On a similar theme was lot 205 a petrol pump designed with Nigel Mansell livery and the red number 5, commemorating his 1992 World Title win. This decorative piece of automabilia sold for £15,600.

Champagne is a drink closely associated with motorsport and several bottles were available. The highest price for a bottle was lot 198, an unopened magnum of Moet & Chandon given to the 1991 British Grand Prix ‘Driver of the Day’. The label was signed in silver ink by several celebrities apparently including Sean Connery. This impressive bottle fetched £3,240.

Also of note were two letters from Prime Minister John Major offered together as lot 202. The typed letters congratulate Nigel Mansell on his wins in Formula One and IndyCar. They were each signed and inscribed ‘Dear Nigel’ and on Downing Street headed paper. The pair eventually achieved £6,900.

The successful auction achieved total selling price of over £2 million.

Formula One collectors will now be looking ahead to the RM Sotheby’s auction scheduled for early November. This sale will include the collection of the late racing driver and two-time World Champion Graham Hill.

Sir Roger Moore

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The Personal Collection – Auction Review

For the art world, autumn brings a new season of exciting and ‘must view’ auctions. Last week Bonhams, London held one of the most electrifying – ‘Sir Roger Moore – The Personal Collection’.

Sir Roger Moore (1927 – 2017), was one of the most recognisable and treasured actors of his generation. He was widely adored by fans for his appearances as James Bond, as well as Simon Templar in The Saint and Lord Brett Sinclair in The Persuaders! to name a few.

The James Bond film ‘Octopussy’ (1983) starring Sir Roger Moore captures a fictional auction, with competitive bidding in a crowded saleroom (on that occasion for a “Faberge egg”). This scene could almost have been replicated on the sale day at Bonhams busy New Bond Street galleries.

The ‘white glove’ sale included over 220 lots, which took over nine hours to sell. The collection, which was being offered on behalf of the late star’s family, unsurprisingly garnered widespread presale interest from the media, enthusiasts, and collectors alike.

Much of the sale focused on Sir Roger Moore’s acting career, with scripts, awards and costumes all going under the hammer. Many lots related directly to James Bond, which is one of the strongest areas in film memorabilia collecting. Fittingly, this year marks 50 years since the actor’s first appearance in the role. Sir Roger was enormously influential as a taste maker in gentlemen’s fashion. Therefore, clothing, accessories and timepieces were some of the lots ‘to watch’. Antiques and art from the stars collection indicated his taste as a collector.

Early in the auction, various desk accessories, pens and stationery were offered produced by the likes of Montblanc, Cartier, and Gucci. Lot 3 was one such lot, an ‘RM’ monogrammed Gucci address and notebook – despite the original pages having been replaced with facsimiles (and the numbers having been removed) it offered a glimpse into Sir Roger’s showbusiness circle, including details for figures such as Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Kirk Douglas, HRH Princess Margaret, Paul McCartney, and Sidney Poitier. Estimated at £1,000 – 1,500 it achieved £6,400 (inc BP). Perhaps more surprising was the price achieved for Lot 6 a Morocco leather monogrammed stationery rack. The lot which included Sir Roger Moore letterheaded notepaper was estimated at £80 – 120. The final total sales price was £8,960 ( inc BP).

Sir Roger was an avid backgammon player and as James Bond notably competed on screen against villain Kamal Khan in a key scene of the movie Octopussy. The market for backgammon is currently particularly strong – the buzz during the viewing indicated the two lots of cased backgammon sets (Lot 10 and Lot 11) would far exceed their estimates.

Lot 10 was a personalised set embossed with the actor’s name. The footnote for the lot credited this example as having been used on the set of James Bond by Sir Roger to play against producer ‘Cubby’ Broccoli. The pre-sale estimate of £300 – 500 indicated the value of the set rather than the interesting provenance, it eventually sold for £15,360 (inc. B.P). The second of the sets Lot 11 was a more modest travelling willow basket example, estimated at £100 – 150, despite the estimate it fetched £10,880 (inc. BP).

In the world of James Bond poster collecting, examples printed in Australia are amongst the most affordable. However, for those included in such a collection this trend, would be tested. Four of the Lots (36, 42, 64 and 164) were Australian daybill posters for the films The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For You Eyes Only and A View To A Kill. Having each been signed by Sir Roger, they were offered with the same estimate of £500 – 700 each, a combined total presale low estimate of £2,000. Their eventual combined total was £46,720 inc BP. Having achieved individually £8,960; £10,240; £14,080 and £13,440 inc BP.

The James Bond franchise provided many modern-day collectors with their first glimpse into the world of luxury watches. Therefore, some of the most sought pieces in the collection were James Bond related watches. The highest price of the entire auction was achieved by Lot 92 a cased presentation set of twenty 007 watches produced by Swatch. Manufactured in 2002 to celebrate the James Bond film anniversary these sets typically fetch at auction between £4,000 – 6,000. This example however had been personally dedicated to Mr. Roger Moore. It had been estimated at £10,000 – 15,000 and sold for £76,660 (inc. BP).

Omega is a brand with a strong connection with James Bond. Lot 158 was an Omega Seamaster bracelet watch, produced in 2012 as a Limited Edition to celebrate ’50 Years of 007’. The clasp bore the inscription ‘To Roger love from Michael and Barbara’, which although not mentioned in the catalogue, may have indicated that the piece was a gift from Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Sold with the accompany box, card and instructions it achieved £57,550 (inc BP, estimate £20,000 – 30,000). The following item Lot 159 was also an Omega wristwatch this time a Speedmaster Automatic MK40 triple calendar chronograph, inscribed ‘Roger Moore’ and dated November 1996. It was offered with presentation box and original warranty – despite an estimate of £5,000 – 7,000 it sold for a total of £61,360.

Sir Roger Moore was known particularly for his impeccable sartorial choices. For the style aficionados the auction included many of his suits, jackets, ties, and cufflinks. Highlights from the sale had even been previewed on Saville Row, with Gieves & Hawkes. Sir Roger had a close association with the designer and tailor Doug Hayward and several pieces designed by him went under the hammer. Foremost amongst them was Lot 170, a double-breasted dinner suit made for Sir Roger’s role in A View To A Kill and worn at the Royal premiere of the film in 1985. The fully labelled costume, the ultimate in James Bond style, sold within estimate at £25,600 (estimate £20,000 – 30,000). To compliment this outfit Lot 178 estimated at £400 – 600 was two black silk bow ties, including one by Turnbull & Asser. They sold for £6,144 (inc BP).

Lot 80 was a collection of twelve ties including five designed by Hayward, with others by Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. The collection sold for a little over a thousand pounds each, with a selling price of £12,160 (estimate £400 – 600).

Roger Moore was well-known for his association with skiing, emphasised by his stunning downhill scenes featured in the James Bond films. However, many of these snowbound acrobatics were performed by a stunt double. According to an interview given by his son Geoffrey Moore prior to the auction, Roger Moore’s film contract did not allow him to ski. In fact, Sir Roger apparently did not take up skiing until preparing for filming of A View To A Kill in 1985. Afterwards Sir Roger was passionate about the sport.

One of the most desirable pieces in the auction was Lot 166 a white ski suit by Bogner purchased for, and identical to that, worn by Sir Roger in the pre-title sequence of A View To A Kill. Such instantly recognisable film costume is rare on the open market. It was sold within the estimate of £15,000 – 25,000, with the total sales price £28,160.

Towards the latter portion of the sale six lots of personally owned skis were included. The top Lot here was 219 a pair of Kästle skis bearing Roger Moore’s printed signature, offered together with a pair of Interport poles. Against an estimate of £800 – 1,200 they sold for £4,864 (inc. BP).

Amongst the awards the ‘star’ lot was saved until last. Lot 224 being the presentation plaque given to Sir Roger Moore to commemorate the placement of his Star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. His ‘Star’ was unveiled three days prior to his 80th birthday on the 11th of October 2007. The commemorative piece was estimated at £10,000 – 15,000 and was offered almost 9.5 hours after the sale had commenced at almost 10:30pm. The final lot was eventually sold to a room bidder for a hammer price of £19,000 (£24,430 inc BP).

The final sale total reached just over £1.1 million against a pre-sale high estimate of around £415,000.

‘Freddie Mercury: A world of his own’ auction

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Over the last few days auctioneers Sotheby’s held what could be described as “the sale of the century” – the collection of the late British rock music icon Freddie Mercury.

Rarely has auction captured the public imagination so powerfully. Sotheby’s dedicated their entire New Bond Street galleries to a month-long preview of the sale, aptly titled ‘Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own’.

The demand has been unprecedented. Almost 150,000 people of all ages and nationalities visited the saleroom to attend the preview, often patiently queuing for over two hours. For many the viewing appeared to be a pilgrimage to pay tribute to Freddie and his career, for others a chance to see a blockbuster event at the intersection of art and celebrity. Freddie’s influence goes far beyond the boundaries of music, he has become a cultural cornerstone, style idol, and one of the definitive figures in British music history.

Freddie left his entire collection (as well as his home Garden Lodge) to his dear friend Mary Austin. Mary has carefully preserved these pieces since Freddie’s untimely death in 1991.

Mary has described having taken the “difficult decision” to sell the collection this year. Due to Freddie’s appreciation for Sotheby’s, the company was chosen as the sale venue. Freddie famously said (as quoted in the book accompanying the sale) “The one thing I would really miss if I left Britain would be Sotheby’s”. Those who knew him speak of Freddie continuing to visit Sotheby’s until a few days prior to his tragic passing.

The sale offered a genuinely unique insight into the private life of the star. The auction of over 1,400 lots was held over six separate sale days. The sessions were arranged to reflect both Freddie’s public career and private collection. Freddie was an avid collector with a keen eye, the different sale days aimed to reveal this. Freddie’s love of Japan, his devotion to his cats, flamboyant wardrobe, appreciation for antiques, dedication to his craft of song writing and success as a member of Queen were all apparent.

The work of instantly recognisable artists and manufacturers were included throughout: Cartier, Tiffany, Lalique, Faberge, Dali, Picasso, Miro to name but a few. Those pieces closely associated with Queen and Freddie Mercury’s career as a singer and songwriter generated some of the strongest prices.

Bidding was fierce during every day and across all areas of the sale – with buyers from across the globe clamouring to own a piece of the Freddie “magic”. Almost all the pre-sale estimates were far exceeded and on some occasions by over a hundred-fold!

I will now take the opportunity to give an overview of each sale day and its highlights.

Day One: The Evening Sale

The Evening Sale was a microcosm of the collection – some fifty-nine lots including major highlights in art, design, jewellery, lyrics, instruments, and stage costume. The atmosphere unlike a typical Sotheby’s evening sale – the packed saleroom crowd seemed there to celebrate Freddie’s life.

The auction started as it meant to go on – Lot 1, the door to Freddie Mercury’s home the Garden Lodge took almost 25 minutes to sell. The green painted door was a London landmark – the exterior entrance to Freddie’s private residence. Now more like a piece of contemporary art having been heavily graffitied by visiting fans. The reverse in contrast was cleanly painted in jade green. The pre-sale estimate of £15,000 – 25,000 was quickly surpassed. The hammer eventually fell at £325,000 (including buyer’s premium £412,750).

Several important pieces reflecting Freddie’s appreciation of Art Nouveau were offered. One of the most striking was the Tiffany Studios seven-light Lily table lamp. Designed circa 1910, it showcased the skill of Louis Comfort Tiffany in producing beautiful products using relatively new technology. The piece was offered with a pre-sale estimate of £8,000 – 12,000 – the final sale price including buyers premium £60,960.

Another Art Nouveau piece of note was lot 6, a gold and jewel mounted agate vesta case created by Faberge. The vesta had been purchased by Freddie from an auction held at Sotheby’s Geneva in May 1991. It sold for a total of £95,250 (including BP, estimate £6,000 – 8,000).

Freddie’s appreciation for Japanese art and design is well known and Sotheby’s dedicated an entire day to this element of the collection. The key piece of Japanese art within the Evening Sale was a woodblock print ‘Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohasi Bridge and Atake’ by Utagawa Hiroshige. The catalogue detailed how Freddie and Mary Austin had sourced the woodblock during a visit to Japan in the 1970s. The estimate of £30,000 – 50,000 indicated the importance of the work, it sold for a total of £292,100 (inc BP).

Jewellery from Freddie’s personal collection generated some of the strongest bidding of the evening. The German silver snake bangle, notably worn by Freddie in the Bohemian Rhapsody music video (as well as numerous other appearances in the 1970s) was estimated at £7,000 – 9,000. Arguably one of the most iconic lots offered in the sale, the hammer eventually fell at £500,000 (£698,500 inc. BP). Another piece of note was Lot 32 an onyx and diamond ring by Cartier. The jewel, reputedly a gift from Elton John to his close friend Freddie, was sold with an estimate of £4,000 – 6,000. The total selling price (inc BP) was £273,050 with 100% of the hammer price being donated to the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Many of Freddie’s biggest fans and most passionate collectors awaited the lots closely associated with his craft as a song writer. Lot 42 was the extremely important signed eight-page manuscript lyrics for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Queen’s most ground-breaking and recognisable song is now a standard of popular music. The manuscript offers a deep insight into Freddie’s process in writing it. The importance of the work was indicated by the pre-sale estimate of £800,000 – 1,200,000. The total selling price was £1,379,000. Lot 44 Freddie’s Yamaha grand piano had been acquired by the star in 1975. The treasured instrument was used to composed many of Queen’s most famous songs and entertain guests at his home. With an estimate of £2m – 3m, prior to the auction Sotheby’s announced it would be offered without reserve. It eventually sold for slightly below the low estimate at £1,742,000.

Lot 57 was perhaps the most recognisable of the stage costumes available. Freddie’s crown and cloak worn on the ‘Magic’ tour during June – August 1986. The outfit had featured in much of the advertising and publicity for the auction. This regalia fit for a king achieved £635,000 (inc. BP – est. £60,000 – 80,000).

The final evening sale total was over £12 million.

Day Two: ‘On Stage’

The second day of the auction concentrated on Freddie Mercury’s professional career as a performer and musician. Costumes, awards (including Gold Discs), rare vinyl and lyrics were all on offer. This area of the sale had been a clear draw with fans during the sale viewing.

Lot 240 a military style jacket created for Freddie and worn at his 39th birthday party in September 1985 (and again worn later the same year at the finale of Fashion Aid) garnered much advanced bidding online. Against an estimate of £12,000 – 16,000 the final total selling price was £457,200.

Gold Discs Sales Awards are always in high demand with collectors, especially when the recipient is the composor. Freddie’s disc collection was a major feature of the auction viewing layout and all sold well. The RIAA Gold Disc presented to Freddie for sales of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ sold for £114,300 (est £4,000 – 6,000).

Lot 110 was one of the most important lots in Queen’s iconography – a collection of Freddie’s pen and ink designs for the band’s logo. The group of drawings included the final version of the iconic insignia. The lot achieved £190,500 (est £8,000 – 12,000).

The total realised for the second day was over £9.4m

Day Three: ‘At Home’

The third day of the sale was comprised of over 250 lots. ‘At Home’ offered the clearest indicated as to Freddie’s interior design style and passion as a collector. The auction resulted in a World Record price for the work of artist Rudi Patterson (British-Jamaican, 1933-2013). Whilst German porcelain, French glass, Chinoiserie inspired objects and furniture, works by Erte, and Icart all featured in number.

Lot 501 was probably one of the most surprising. A 20th century Chinese armchair carved with a dragon motif was estimated at an affordable £300 – 500. The piece was one of Freddie’s first acquisitions – it eventually sold for an astonishing £44,450.

One of the most stylish musical instruments offered during the six days was lot 524 Freddie’s grand piano (and matching stool) by John Broadwood & Sons. The piano in elegant Chinoiserie case was manufactured circa 1934 and purchased by Freddie during the 1970s. Considering the price realised for Yamaha piano sold during the Evening Sale, the estimate of £40,000 – 60,000 for the Broadwood appeared rather modest. Bidders agreed and the final sale total here was £444,500.

Within the Lalique collection, lot 571 the stunning blue Perruches vase, was a highpoint. Designed in 1919 it sold for £34,290 (est £4,000 – 6,000).

The humble auction catalogue was also highly prized. Lot 665 being one such example -the collection of annotated Sotheby’s, Christies and Bonhams 1991 sale catalogues (with invoices) sold for £12,700 (estimate £200 – 300).

Several items of furniture designed by Robin Moore Ede, who worked closely Freddie on the interior of Garden Lodge, were highly desirable. Indicative of Freddie Mercury as host, lot 650 Freddie’s D-shaped bar sold for £120,650 (est. £6,000 – 9,000).

Finally for feline fans lot 642, a silver model of a cat by Sarah Jones, dated 1987 had a pre-sale estimate of just £100 – 150. The lot sold for £21,590.

The eventual total for the third day was just over £5.3 million.

Day Four: ‘In Love with Japan’

The fourth day focused entirely on Freddie’s Japanese collection. His love affair with the Japan began in 1975 and continued throughout his life. The sale of 200 lots, included 37 lots of woodblock prints, 56 lots of kimonos, as well as decorative ceramics, silver, lacquer work and cloisonne.

Within the woodblocks Lot 1029 Ito Shinsui’s ‘Woman Wearing an Undersash’ reflected both Freddie’s love of kimono and Japanese prints. The beautiful scene sold for £38,100 (est. £1,000 – 1,500).

Several decorative boxes were included, part of the collection of traditional crafts or kôgei that Freddie treasured. The highest priced piece here was for lot 1056, a Taisho period document box by Wajim Keizuka selling for £76,200 (the estimate £4,000 – 6,000).

Lot 1063 an Ando style vase was one of the most desirable pieces of cloisonne. Decorated with koi carp and produced during the Meiji / Taisho period it was estimated at £1,500 – 2,000 but eventually sold for £57,100.

Freddie wore kimono at home and on stage and they served as presents for friends. The leading kimono in the collection (lot 1162) had been displayed prominently in the galleries. This decorative garment was offered at £1,200 – 1,800 with the final sales price reaching £27,940.

The Japanese collection final total was over £2.6 million.

Day Five & Six: Crazy Little Things 1 & 2

Potentially the most affordable lots of the sale were the offered during two online auctions titled ‘Crazy Little Things’. Bidding was available for over a month allowing interested spectators to see prices creep higher and higher.

Almost 700 lots were sold during these two auctions. Several items were estimated at levels almost unheard of for Sotheby’s since the 1980s. However, Freddie fever had now taken hold and bidding was not for the faint hearted.

Part 1 contained additional property from Freddie’s home. Cats featured heavily. Lot 1502 was described humorously as ‘a motley group of feline ornaments’. The clowder included twenty-nine in total and appeared to have been amassed by Freddie over several years.

They had been estimated at £300 – 500, a low estimate of a little over £10 each. The collection sold for £30,480! Similarly, lot 1513 a dish in the form of a cat was estimated at a meagre £40 – 60. Manufactured by Americn company N.S. Gustin the online bidding ended at £12,065 (inc. BP).

Lot 1782 Freddie’s 1982 BT red plastic rotary phone my well have been a world record price. Against an estimate of £1,000 – 2,000 it achieved £8,890.

Freddie’s decorative shower door, emblazoned with his initials was sold as lot 1794. The striking bathroom accessory reached £12,700 (est. £500 – 700).

Part 2 focussed on Freddie as a performer, with most of the lots being awards, ephemera and clothing.

Again, awards relating to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ were amongst the most esteemed. Lot 2039 the British BPI Award for sales of over 500,000 copies sold for £152,400 (est. £3,000 – 5,000).

Freddie’s aviator sunglasses had been offered with a guide of £2,000 – 3,000. However, such a recognisable piece would always be prized. The selling price here was £40,040.

Finally, to (possibly) the most talked about lot of the auction – the penultimate item in the sale lot 2348 Freddie Mercury’s silver Tiffany & Co. moustache comb. A replica or Freddie’s famous moustache had hung above the entrance way to Sotheby’s London headquarters for over a month – a symbol of the star. With an estimate of only £400 – 600 the virtual hammer fell at £152,400.

The combined total for ‘Crazy Little Things’ was over £10.3million bringing the total for the entire event (including buyer’s premium) to just under £40 million.

Rachel Doerr spoke with Mike Moran, English musician, songwriter, composer and record producer, following the auction who said ‘Wonderful but strange experience to see many of these treasures somewhere other than beautiful Garden Lodge. Spotted a couple of presents I’d given Freddie as Christmas and birthday presents plus some of my scribbled music and lyrics for the Barcelona lots which went for a bit over £157,500.(wish I’d kept a couple!)’- Mike Moran Sept 15, 2023

Mike Moran studied at the Royal College of Music in London prior to becoming a session musician and a composer and arranger. Moran has worked with many musicians, including Ozzy Osbourne, George Harrison and various members of Queen. He was co-producer, arranger, keyboards performer and co-author of all the tracks on the album Barcelona, the classical crossover collaboration between Freddie Mercury and opera singer Montserrat Caballé, released in 1988.

Posters, Film Ephemera and Comics

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For those of you that have read my previous article on collectible comics you may ask the question, why combine an article on posters, film ephemera and include comics as well?

Well, the simple answer is that comics now are just as much a part of film ephemera as posters, as one can see when Marvel release a new film from their vast range of available titles, the value of the comic that it is based on soars through the roof!

Look at titles such as Captain America – in April of 2022 the first of the series in a CGC graded 9.4 condition sold for $3.1 million, which even five years ago would have been unthinkable.

What is key to a comic book though, as well as a good title is of course the condition. If there are any marks, stains, tiny rips or even folds, it can wipe tens of thousands of dollars from the books value. Even since my last article on comic books, this has become even more paramount to achieving the ultra-high prices we have seen in the past few years. The way that collectors are now amassing their collections is that it has to be the very best, and if something better comes along – then they need to own it. This has fuelled the market in the last few years with some comics coming out of the woodwork, along with some well known examples.

The film poster market is something that anyone can get excited about – if you have a favourite film, it is very likely that they promoted it with a campaign of posters and as such, it is just as likely that you can source one in 2023. There are a few guidelines for poster that generally include only buying originals and for films that have attained either classic or cult status. So when looking to purchase be sure of authenticity and origin – for example posters in different languages can prove to be worth a lot less money than the native tongue, as seen in items from James Bond films. But in rarer forms, it can be worth even more, seen in the illustrated example of Casablanca from 1942. The film poster market is a tightrope so advice should always be sought out.

Film ephemera has again rocketed, with specific auction houses now specialising on huge sales from major Hollywood studios and collectors. That means you can buy anything from Harrison Ford’s infamous fedora hat (if you have the $300,000 that it recently achieved) to a helmet from a Stormtrooper, from the iconic Star Wars film series.

What has recently come to my attention after looking at quite a few collections over the last few years is actually…Pokemon cards.

This global phenomenon started back in 1996, when Pokemon was released as a trading card game, Pokemon – actually an abbreviated phrase meaning “Pocket monsters”. It quickly became a massive success with over 50 billion cards in circulation, which is a monumental figure. In recent years due to major celebrity endorsement, these items have sold on the secondary market for figures that could never have ever been imagined, as some of the rarest cards trading for over $1,000,000. With mythical collections being kept quiet and never discussed, it’s certainly going to be one of the hobbies and collectible items that stays with us for a long time.

So, should you wish to either buy up some old memories, or maybe invest in some new ones, the market for comic books, film ephemera and even Pokemon cards are clearly satisfying on many levels within the industry!

Licence To Spend, The True Cost of Being Bond

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Finally, this month will see the release of the much anticipated ‘No Time to Die’ – the 25th film in the James Bond series, despite a very long wait since the original release date the world is waiting to see just what Bond can offer in Daniel Craig’s last outing as 007.

It is a phenomenon that in 2021, a character such as Bond can still pull the crowds, but it’s the franchise that always wins and whatever is associated with Bond generally brings in the royalties as well. With a supposed birthday of the 11th of November 1920, he is certainly looking good for his age…

How though, has Bond changed over the years? In 1962 when ‘Dr. No’ was released, it’s doubtful that anyone could have seen just what effect the Scottish/Swiss secret agent (who was named after an expert on American birds, and one of Ian Fleming’s favourite authors) would have on films, products and computer games to name but a few.

Now, what a lot of people don’t realise is that Bond’s car was a Bentley – according to Ian Fleming – the Aston Martin came with the films, but the DB5 is now possibly the most recognisable movie car on the planet, possibly more recognisable than some of the lesser-known Bond actors (sorry, Timothy). Strangely, the most expensive example of this legend is a Bond car, but not as one might imagine. The promotional car for ‘Goldfinger’ (1964) sold a couple of years ago for close to £5,000,000 and was in remarkable condition as Mr Connery had never driven it in anger during production. To put it in context a standard DB5, minus ejector seat and oil slick jets, can be purchased for under a million.

For those with a lesser budget, my choice would always be the Alfa Romeo GTV6 driven by Roger Moore in Octopussy – obviously this was a prop car as when I owned one of these, saving the world from nuclear destruction would not have been on my agenda – just getting it to start was considered a success.

Bond’s watches are another example of how one man (and maybe a great marketing department) can change the course of a product. So, what was the first ever Bond watch on screen? It was the instantly forgettable Gruen Precision 510 (Connery’s personal watch, and worn in many other Bond outings)… but nobody cares about that and so we always talk about the Rolex Submariner 6538.

Again, the source of the watch was reputably Connery, although it has been hinted that it may have belong to production staff… with the passing of Connery, I suppose we will never get the full lowdown… what is true however is the escalating value of the 6538 along with most other vintage Rolex sports models. If you want to` be a part of the ‘Big Crown’ Rolex club, be ready to hand over close to £100,000 for a good one these days.

There are of course, again many other options for classic Bond watches, with Seiko, Breitling and most recently Omega, whom have pretty much rejuvenated a brand tanks to Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig wearing some timepieces that do far, far more than tell the time.

When we look at the clothes that Bond sports, there has always been that sartorial elegance with Bond, with Daniel Craig wearing a symphony of Tom Ford attire, with accoutrements by Sunspel, Orlebar Brown and many others but, for me nothing beats Roger Moore in the Safari Suit though, capturing a moment when being a secret agent required a pair of flared trousers, and preferably with a silk cravat.

So, over the years – many things have changed with Bond from watches, to cars, and clothing manufacturers. Hopefully, ‘No Time to Die’ will be as good as we have come to expect from 007, as nobody does it better…

‘Guitars – Rock ‘n’ Roll Never Dies!

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An early Rickenbacker Frying Pan

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A late 1950s Les Paul

It happens every year, and it’s the ultimate guilty pleasure.

The Eurovision Song Contest this year was hotly anticipated in the wake of last year’s cancellation of the annual parade of the great (and not so great) in European pop, and it certainly didn’t fail to get the viewers talking. Our entry suffered a rather incredible snub from the public of an entire continent which was possibly an achievement in itself. However, the obvious and clear winner on the night was in fact a rock band hailing from… Rome, Italy.

Maneskin, with their entry ‘Zitti e buoni’ stole the hearts of Europe and despite the political voting from the vast majority of the judging panels, took their overwhelming score from the public vote. Now, what made this win special was the band’s clear love of the rock image, which over the decades has defined itself as: lots of guitars, not a lot of shirts.

During their acceptance speech their lead singer Damiano David declared that “Rock and Roll Never Dies” and that comment could never be truer than now. The eternal icon of Rock has to be the electric guitar. It has made heroes, millionaires, and icons, so why are old guitars making incredible prices across the globe?

The electric guitar started out in the 1930s as a way for jazz musicians and some country acts to amplify their sound when performing to an audience and this was the case for the next couple of decades. Rickenbacker, (more about them later), developed a pick-up for a slide guitar made by National, and this was dubbed the ‘Frying Pan’ due to its culinary outline.

The 1950s were really the start of the solid body electric. Leo Fender brought out the ‘Broadcaster’, whilst Gibson, who were already well known for their big-box jazz guitars, brought out the ‘Les Paul’, which was designed by Les Paul, alongside Ted McCarty, who was probably one of the most important people in the music industry that you have never heard of. His innovations at Gibson during this period really can’t be overlooked.

During this golden era of guitars, more models would evolve such as the Stratocaster – which possibly, alongside the Les Paul, is the most recognisable instrument of all time. The Gibson 335 – undoubtedly the most versatile guitar one can play – and lots of other models like the SG, Explorer, Jaguar, Jazzmaster and two of my personal favourites – the Gretsch 6120, and the Rickenbacker 360/12. Fast forward to 2021 and what are the most popular guitar models right now? Well, it’s exactly the same as it was in the 50s, 60s, 70s (not the 80s – blame hair metal) and 90s. They got it right first time.

This leads us into why vintage guitars command so much money. While a modern USA Stratocaster can be bought for under £1000 why does a guitar that looks exactly the same from 1958 cost maybe 40 times as much? Well, whilst my learned friend David Dallas would rightly comment that some artists produce better paintings during certain parts of their career – it’s the same with guitars. The early ones were made with far better components; the pick- ups were wound by hand and the amount they produced in a year was probably lower than gets produced in a day in 2021. The other big factor that simply can’t be accounted for is “feel” …. hardly a technical term, but I was very fortunate enough to once play a 1958 Les Paul Standard, which is now a £500,000 guitar and there are simply no words to describe how different the weight, fingerboard, sound or just overall ‘feel’ are. That’s why musicians and collectors are happy to pay the big money for these items.
So, alongside Rock and Roll, the electric guitar is certainly a survivor and has outlasted the formats it was designed to be played on many times, and no doubt, when downloads are old technology, the guitar will still be at the forefront making the music.

A mid 1950s Fender Stratocaster

Film Posters

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With the Sotheby’s James Bond Poster sale on 5th of November this year, and a huge collection going under the hammer on the same day at Prop Store the market for movie posters has never been stronger, but is it the artwork, the iconic characters, or in fact the memories surrounding the time of their release that fans are buying into?

Dr No movie poster

Dr No movie poster, 1962

One of the highlights at the Sotheby’s sale is of course the original Bond film; “Dr No”- it’s 1962 production created one of the most valuable and recognisable franchises of all time and is still referred to as one of the best of the films ever released – the much delayed latest offering may give it a run for its money, but it’s doubtful. With a top estimate of £25,000 the UK issued poster outshines its American counterpart not only in value, but in style – these posters were designed to bring attention to the masses and of course the ever suave Connery holding a smoking pistol surrounded by scantily clad young ladies certainly did just that.

Away from the Bond sale, Prop Store has some iconic moments in film history all through the sale – “Jaws” from 1975 must be one of the most recognised film posters of all time, with the lone swimmer in the targets of the elusive shark ready to pounce, it instantly brings the legendary theme by John Williams to mind and probably helped to terrify a generation of beach swimmers for years to come, surprisingly with a low estimate of only a few hundred pounds, it seems good value to me.

Jaws movie poster

Jaws movie poster, 1975

So why has the humble poster become so valuable? The truth is that it’s simplicity and infinitely researched creation is designed to appeal to so many people that having the images of a promotional studio item is very appealing – one could argue (and many probably will) that an original film poster could be as important a piece of art socially as many of the wonderful pieces of top tier art that we see every year, just less exclusive.

So what poster would I have on my walls? Well, unfortunately for my wallet – Prop Store happens to have an original poster from “Raiders of The Lost Ark” the first in the fantastic trio of 1980s adventure classics (note purposeful non inclusion of the 2008 effort) and with a lead character so important to the era, one forgets that Indiana Jones wasn’t even part of the title for the first film.

Raiders of the Lost Ark Movie Poster

Raiders of the Lost Ark movie poster

An antiquity searching, Nazi killing, mid 20th century archaeologist with a battle cry of “It belongs in a museum!” Seems an unlikely hero, but for a young history obsessed schoolboy in Gloucestershire “Indie” quickly became my idol, and whilst my searches have never quite matched his, I would like to think there is still time….

How many 00’s in a pair of 007’s cufflinks?

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When embarking on a valuation, a valuer never knows what they will see and sometimes it’s the little, seemingly lower value items at the bottom of the jewellery box that are the most surprising.
I was asked to do a valuation for a large quantity of jewellery and watches. After appraising all the diamond and gem set pieces and the significant collection of watches, there was just an assortment of silver cufflinks remaining. I decided to value them in groups, starting with the designer ones: Tiffany & Co, Tom Ford, Cartier. I imagined they would be £200- £300 a pair. However this was not the case.

Later, when I started to do my research I discovered that Tom Ford do not sell silver cufflinks. The pair in question were oval in outline with a mother of pearl panel and the engraved initials ‘JB’. Apparently Tom Ford had specially manufactured four pairs of these cufflinks for the James Bond movie Spectre. One of these pairs had been sold at the Christies Spectre auction in 2016 for £74,500!

Needless to say I nearly fell off my chair! I re-contacted the client and asked for some information about the provenance of these cufflinks. Had they been purchased at auction? The response was ‘no they were a gift from Barbara Broccoli’.

In the article it mentioned that EON Productions had the two other pairs of cufflinks stored in their archives, so I decided to contact them. They were incredibly helpful and replied to my email almost immediately. They confirmed that Tom Ford had produced the cufflinks for the movie at a cost of £300 per pair. They had two pairs in their archives insured for the value of £3000 each. One pair had been gifted to a friend by the producers and one pair had been sold at auction for £74,500.

So what is the value of these cufflinks – £300, £3000 or £74,500? If the client decided to sell them at auction it could be argued that they would command £74,000 again, maybe even more. Movie memorabilia is highly desirable and sought after, especially when it comes to James Bond.

I explained my findings to the client and it was decided that an Agreed Value should be placed on these cufflinks, a value that the client and insurance company were comfortable with, that would be paid out if anything should happen to the cufflinks.

It was such a fascinating valuation. It really highlighted the fact that many clients have been gifted items of jewellery and they have absolutely no idea of their value, let alone have them listed for insurance purposes. When was the last time you had the contents of your jewellery box professionally reviewed? Diamonds may be forever, but be careful not to overlook the other treasures.