Collecting
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The technology and science history auction year drew to a close last week with major auctions in London and New York by Christies and Sotheby's. Both auctions contained some important and spectacular specimens of mankind's most important discoveries.
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The first round of globally-important automobile auctions takes place in Scottsdale in January. This year the highlight of the Scottsdale sales will be a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser Offener Tourenwagen used for several years as the parade car of Adolf Hitler.
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A cask of 1987 Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky fetched HK$2,928,00 ($375,064) at a Spinks auction in Hong Kong on October 4, setting a new record for a whisky cask at auction and raising the previous record of $251,864 by a staggering 50 percent.
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The prices fetched at auction are a useful guide to the perceived societal value of significant historical objects, and the sale of an Apollo Guidance Computer DSKY (DiSplay&KeYboard) for $93,750 this week could not be more illustrative of contrasting views.
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The world's most expensive earrings sold in Geneva last night when the "Apollo and Artemis Diamonds" went to the same buyer for a total of $56,290,627. The blue Apollo was the more expensive of the non-matching pair, (Artemis is pink) which were sold as separate lots.
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The earliest known map of Australia sold for £248,750 (US$321,819) at a Sotheby's auction in London this week. Dubbed Australia's birth certificate, the map was the first to name Australia as Nova Hollandia (New Holland) and the first to name Novo Zeelandia (New Zealand).
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One of the most instantly recognisable hot-rods of all time is to be auctioned by RM-Sothebys in Santa Monica on June 25. Though the design is located somewhere near the intersection of art and automobiles, it is likely to be shunned by both camps on the auction block.
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A significant work in the history of science changed hands last week when the dedication copy of Galileo Galilei's last great work, "Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche" was sold in Paris for €727,919 (US$791,190), putting it among the 50 Most Valuable Scientific Documents of all-time.
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More cars went to auction in Scottsdale this year than ever before, with 2,900 cars sold and a sell-through rate of 83.2 percent. What did change though was the average sale price which declined from $115,640 in 2015 to $89,600 this year, indicating that quality cars are a very finite commodity.
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Collector cars are normally associated with marques such as Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, but Volkswagen's Kombi van has appreciated in value so quickly that many owners may not know their car could soon be worth more than their home.
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Authenticity, rarity and provenance are all key variables in the value equation at collectible car auctions and celebrity cars represent one of the few sub-sets which can provide all three. Another fine crop of the star cars will go to auction this week. Here's our guide to what's available.
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The Scottsdale collector car auctions begin the year with six international auctions within the space of seven days. Here's a look at the viewing times and the poster cars chosen by the auction houses as their banner carriers.
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