Collectibles

The value of movie memorabilia is invariably linked to the importance of the film it comes from. This makes the upcoming auction of the space suit used in Kubrick's masterpiece potentially one of the science fiction auctions of the year.

Kurt Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E guitar, famously played in Nirvana’s historic 1993 “MTV Unplugged" performance, has smashed the world record price for a guitar at auction, selling for US$6,000,010 at a Julien’s auction in Hollywood today.

Three bottles of whisky that had once sold for a world record price appeared at a Sotheby’s auction last Thursday, none of them near the current record, but all demonstrating that rare whisky is one of the most rewarding investments currently available.

Half a dozen guitars from Kurt Cobain, Prince and Bill Wyman will sell over the next few months, with two or three capable of cracking the million dollar barrier, most notably Cobain’s MTV Unplugged Martin D-18 and Prince’s Purple Rain guitar.

The only remaining bottle of the world’s oldest cognac goes to auction next week, and will almost certainly set a new record. The 258-year-old Gautier cognac was distilled during the reign of Louis XV, almost three decades before the French Revolution.

No-one does materials technology quite like Mother Nature. Combine an infinite mix of substances with tectonic pressures, volcanic heat and endless patience and it is little wonder that we cannot yet match the beauty of natural science.

Michael Jordan’s autographed game-worn 1985 Nike Air Jordan 1s sold at auction yesterday for $672,000 ($560,000 plus 20 percent buyers premium) to set a new world auction record for any footwear.

Despite the financial turmoil associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the sports memorabilia marketplace is hotter than ever, with two of the most expensive baseball bats in history selling in the last few weeks for near-record prices.

It isn’t hard to see why artefacts of landmark cultural events are continually gaining value at auction, but it is becoming clear that the imagery of baby boomers' youth is increasingly morphing into investment quality art.

As we forecast in our recent extensive feature covering the 2019 science and technology auction year, science fiction memorabilia is getting hotter. This was validated with the $512,000 sale of the original comic strip artwork for Flash Gordon #1.

Each January the eyes of the automotive auction world turn to Scottsdale in Arizona. This year, by our reckoning, 40 cars have the potential to sell for a million dollars. Here's a look at the contenders.

"Alligator," Jerry Garcia's guitar of choice from early 1971 until late 1973, will auction at Bonhams in Los Angeles in December, closing a year that has seen four guitars sell for more than a million apiece.