This blog has moved

This blog has temporarily moved to a new URL. Please visit us at www.auctiontalkradio.blogspot.com. Look for many new updates, stories and podcasts coming soon at our new address AND even more to come at our main address.

From the Asteroid Belt to the Auction Block!

Auction house to sell two meteorites found in Texas

From The Associated Press:

Two pieces of a meteor that blazed across the Texas sky earlier this month are going from the asteroid belt to the auction block.

Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries announced Thursday it is putting two meteorites up for auction, including an 8-ounce specimen that it says could fetch up to $15,000.

Auction house spokesman David Herskowitz says meteorites were discovered in the town of West, about 70 miles south of Dallas, by an Arizona meteorite hunter whose trip was partially financed by an anonymous collector.

People across Texas reported seeing a fireball Feb. 15. The Federal Aviation Administration initially suggested it could have been debris from colliding satellites but later said it probably was a natural phenomenon.

The auction date is May 17.

(AP Photo/Heritage Auction Galleries, Darryl Pitt)

Today's the Day eBay Debuts Paymate in the U.S.

Aussie service is now one of its approved, integrated payment providers

From an official press release via PRWEB:

Paymate, a full-service provider of Internet payment solutions, announced today that its new online payment service is available in the United States and that Paymate has been selected by eBay.com as one of its approved, integrated payment providers.

With eBay.com making Paymate available as an approved payment service, U.S.-based eBay sellers and buyers can now use Paymate during the checkout process starting today.

A full-service online payment platform, the Paymate service is designed to simplify the online payment experience by eliminating cumbersome, slow registration processes and streamlining the transaction with direct payments to sellers' bank accounts.

Dilip Rao, Managing Director for Sydney, Australia-based Paymate stated, "We have been working with eBay since late last year and are very pleased with the level of support and resources they have provided to enable us to go live today in the U.S. Our integration into eBay Checkout is a recognition of our global credentials as a safe and secure payment provider, making it easy for sellers and buyers to select Paymate as their preferred payment option."

He added, "Paymate's proven risk management capabilities will protect buyers and sellers conducting global commerce, and our highly rated client service will win us new fans in the US."

Paymate has earned high marks for customer satisfaction among Australian online shoppers and within the local eBay community by making the payment process significantly easier, faster and more reliable. As examples, sellers are paid faster as payments go directly into their bank accounts; buyers on eBay.com can easily Checkout to purchase items via a simple but secure online credit card authorization that does not require them to register with Paymate; and buyers' financial details are held securely by Paymate and not shared with sellers.

Paymate customer and eBay.com PowerSeller Frank Timms, added, "We've been using Paymate since they started here about eight years ago, and they've consistently been very cooperative and reliable, and we've found their payment services extremely easy to use. On the very rare occasion that there's been an issue with a payment or a customer, they go out of their way to sort it out as quickly as possible. They astutely resolve any issues and rapidly notify the sellers and buyers. Everyone acknowledges and greatly appreciates their level of professionalism and personal service."

Paymate will initially offer a credit card payment service that U.S. sellers can use to accept US dollar payments via Visa, MasterCard and Discover on eBay Checkout as well as other merchant websites. Paymate's risk assessment systems will help sellers avoid fraud while buyers will be fully protected against unauthorized payments and non-delivery of goods.

eBay Triumphs in German Suit Over Fake Rolex Sales

Ruling finds the auctioneer did enough to prevent such fraud

From Bloomberg:

eBay Inc., the world's largest online auctioneer, won a German court ruling in a case brought by Rolex Group over sales of counterfeit watches on eBay's Web site.

The decision on Feb. 24 in Dusseldorf found that Rolex couldn't show that any similar counterfeit goods were offered on eBay after the company had been alerted to the sales, Ulrich Egger, spokesman for the court, said in a phone interview today.

"eBay now uses a filter program to detect offerings that blatantly violate trademark rights," Egger said. "eBay doesn't have to review each item before it gets posted on its site, because that would jeopardize the whole business model."

eBay faces a hearing next month in London on similar claims by L'Oreal SA, the world's largest cosmetics maker. eBay has had mixed success in cases over counterfeits, winning last year against Tiffany & Co. in New York and L’Oreal in Brussels. It lost to LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA and Hermes International in France.

Rolex sued eBay in 2001 over counterfeits. The original ruling in Dusseldorf for EBay was overturned in part in 2007 by the Federal Court of Justice, Germany's highest tribunal in civil matters. The high court said while EBay couldn't be held liable for damages, it had to monitor its site to prevent fakes from being sold once it had become aware of the problem.

The case was sent back to Dusseldorf to review how eBay was alerted about the fakes and whether it took sufficient action. The judges ruled again for eBay.

Anette Haertling, a spokeswoman for Rolex in Frankfurt, declined to comment.

Price of Original Superman Comic Expected to go Up, Up and Away!

Rare edition will start at just $1 at auction

From The Minneapolis Star Tribune:

A rare copy of the Action comic book that launched Superman as the first superhero is coming up for auction.

Comic book expert Stephen Fishler says bidding for the comic book begins at $1 and is sure to go up, up and away. It originally cost 10 cents in 1938.

He says copies of Action Comics No. 1 in "fine" condition are worth about $126,000, but this one could sell for several times that. About 100 copies of the No. 1 edition are known to exist.

The owner, who was not identified, bought the sale magazine for 35 cents in 1950 and held onto it for 58 years. It will be on auction for two weeks beginning Friday.

Fishler and Vincent Zurzolo, co-owners of Metropolis Collectibles, will offer it on their Web site, http://www.comicconnect.com.

Magic Carpet Ride, Indeed!

Rug made entirely of jewels could fetch millions in Qatar

Check this out from Forbes.com:

When Sotheby's kicks off its inaugural series of four auctions in Doha, Qatar, on March 18, the worldwide auction house hopes to find a bright spot in a depressed art and collectibles market. Sotheby's stock has tumbled to a recent $9 from a high of $57 in October 2007.

One item on the block may help. A unique throw-rug-sized carpet made of pearls, diamonds, rubies and emeralds--the highlight of Sotheby's (nyse: BID - news - people ) Doha auctions--could fetch as much as $20 million, according to Sotheby's Henry Howard-Sneyd, the house's deputy chairman for Europe and Asia and international director of new markets.

Bidding will start at $5 million, says Howard-Sneyd, who has already fielded inquiries from private clients in India and the Middle East interested in the piece.

Crafted in the 1860s as a gift for the tomb of the Prophet Mohammad in Medina, Saudi Arabia, the carpet was created under the auspices of Gaekwar Kande Rao, the maharajah of Baroda, a former kingdom in northwest India that is now part of Gujarat state. It took five years of labor by hundreds of craftsmen. Some 2 million seed pearls and colored glass beads and gems set in a gold foil background make up the swirling rosette design.

The carpet was never bestowed on Muhammad's tomb and instead remained in the maharajah's family until 1988.

In the mid-20th century the carpet wound up in the hands of Sita Devi, a woman some refer to as the Wallis Simpson of India. Her husband, Prattapsingh Gaekwar, maharajah of Baroda, scandalized Indian society when he dumped his first wife in favor of the much younger Devi in 1943. Devi promptly transferred many of the family jewels to her homes in Paris and London, and later to Monaco, where the pair lived together before separating in 1956. The carpet remained in her estate until after her death in 1986.

Sotheby's is keeping mum about the seller except to say that the owner is a private entity.

While rival Christie's has set up shop in Dubai as an outpost for its auctions geared toward the Middle East market, Sotheby's is betting on Qatar, a tiny nation the size of Connecticut that sits on vast oil wealth. The auction house hopes to capitalize on the region's resource riches and its recent investment in art and culture.

(Photo from Sotheby's)

Dallas Auction to Gavel Ernie Kovacs' Props

From The Associated Press:

Props used by 1950s television comedian Ernie Kovacs, including a pair of eyeglasses with images of eyes on the lenses, are being sold this weekend by a Dallas collectibles auctioneer.

Kovacs wore the glasses when he was in character as drunken poet Percy Dovetonsils.

The three gorilla masks used in comedy bits involving the "Nairobi Trio" will also be part of the auction online and in Dallas at Heritage Auction Galleries. Doug Norwine, director of music and entertainment at Heritage, said in a news release that the items are consigned by the estate of Kovacs and his late widow, actress and singer Edie Adams.

Adams died in October at 81. Kovacs died in a car accident in 1962 at the age of 42.

Other items in the auction of music and entertainment memorabilia include items consigned by the daughter of "Frankenstein" actor Boris Karloff, Norwine said.

Those items include original photo negatives of Karloff in costume from the 1931 film "Frankenstein" and a 1969 handwritten letter of condolence from fellow actor Christopher Lee to Karloff's widow following Karloff's death.

Country Stars Contribute to Good-Cause Auctions

Proceeds intended to benefit those affected by health problems, natural disasters

From Great American Country:

Sugarland, Faith Hill, Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney are among the country artists who've contributed their signatures of late to online auctions intended to raise money for people who've been affected by health problems or natural disasters.

Faith (pictured) signed an iPod loaded with some of her favorite music for an auction being run for Music Rising, which supports victims of hurricanes along the Gulf Coast. Sugarland, Taylor and Kenny are just a few of the country acts taking part in a Grammy auction at eBay where the proceeds will benefit MusiCares and the Grammy Foundation. MusiCares aids musicians facing health problems, addiction issues or financial hardship; the Grammy Foundation backs music research and education projects.

Faith's iPod had drawn a $255 top bid as of Sunday at tonic.com, where she's joined by pop stars Mariah Carey and Gwen Stefani in paying homage to some of the music they personally find inspiring. Each of them has uploaded 20 songs onto an iPod to call attention to music that's affected them. Faith's iPod features songs by Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Coldplay and Madonna. Husband Tim McGraw is the only country artist among her 20 selections: He's represented by "Live Like You Were Dying" and "She's My Kind Of Rain."

Among the country-related items available through the Grammy auction at eBay are:

* A pink guitar signed by Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. (High bid, as of Sunday: $1,225)

* A Grammy program book signed by at least seven people at last week's Grammys, including Carrie Underwood, Kanye West, Best New Artist nominee Adele and Raising Sand producer T Bone Burnett. (High bid: $100)

* A Grammy ball cap signed by Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush. (High bid: $75)

* A working microphone signed by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss. (High bid: $810)

* An Epiphone guitar signed at the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute to Neil Diamond by Tim and Faith as well as numerous pop stars: Jennifer Hudson, Foo Fighters, the Jonas Brothers and Neil himself. (High bid: $1,000)

* A leather-bound book from the green room at the Grammys signed by a wealth of artists, including Carrie, Taylor, Miley, Sugarland, T Bone, Robert & Alison, plus Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Justin Timberlake, Queen Latifah, B.B. King and John Mayer. (High bid: $1,075)

* A Dwight Yoakam Honky Tonk Deuce model guitar signed by Tim and Faith. (High bid: $1,500)

* A copy of the "Lucky Old Sun" CD signed by Kenny Chesney. (High bid: $66)

* A copy of the 2009 Grammy Nominees CD signed by Carrie. Music on the disc includes Lady Antebellum, the Eagles, Katy Perry and Leona Lewis. (High bid: $65)

* A long-sleeved Grammy thermal signed by Carrie. (High bid: $150)

Sotheby's Sets Rare Trove of Judaica for Auction

Collection of 11,000 items valued at $40 million

From Charleston.net:

A rare trove of 11,000 Hebrew books and manuscripts went on display at Sotheby's this week as the auction house seeks to find a buyer for what is considered the greatest collection of Judaica in private hands.

The Valmadonna Trust Library includes documents of unparalleled significance, including a copy of a 16th-century Hebrew Bible once owned by Westminster Abbey. Some have burn or water marks or other signs of religious persecution.

"I don't know any other collection quite like it in private hands. It even rivals some of the great institutional collections in the world," said Arthur Kiron, curator of Judaica collections at the University of Pennsylvania. "There are very few cultural moments like this one where a collection of such great significance is made available for sale."

The complete library, valued at more than $40 million, is being shown in its entirety for the first time at Sotheby's Manhattan galleries until Feb. 19. The trust has asked the auction house to facilitate the sale of the complete collection to a public institution or private collector. It will not break up the collection or sell individuals works.

The Valmadonna Library is the lifelong pursuit of Jack Lunzer, an 88-year-old collector from London who was in New York recently for the opening of the exhibition.

Lunzer will not benefit from the proceeds of the sale, which is being handled by the trust, which will also decide whether to accept an offer from a collector or an institution. But Lunzer has made his wishes known. "I would like our library to be acquired by the Library of Congress," he said. "That would be my great joy."

Sharon Mintz, curator of Jewish art at the Jewish Theological Seminary, which owns the largest public collection of Judaica in the U.S., said any institution that acquired the library would immediately be catapulted "to one of the top-tier places of study of Hebrew culture."

Lunzer's most prized acquisition, one he pursued for more than 25 years, is a nearly pristine complete edition of the Babylonian Talmud printed in 1519-23 by Daniel Bomberg, a Christian printer of Hebrew books. The Talmud is a vast record of Jewish laws and traditions, and the nine-volume, leather-bound Bomberg copy is recognized as one of the most significant texts in the history of Hebrew printing, on which all Talmud editions are modeled.

Lunzer said he first learned of its existence at the library of Westminster Abbey, where it had resided for four centuries, in 1951. He vowed then that he would own it one day. That dream was realized when he was able to purchase a 900-year-old copy of the abbey's original charter and offer it in exchange for the Talmud.

"A library of this sort has immense responsibility," he said. "It spans hundreds of years of printing of liturgies, Bibles and above all else, the misery of the plight of Jews."

He was referring to the physical condition of some of the books, including censors' ink and burn and water marks.

"There were book bannings and book burnings and endless efforts to try and destroy the culture of the Jews," said Sotheby's Vice Chairman David Redden. The books are "important not just because of the information they contain but because of the stories they tell, how difficult life was."

Redden said that from the beginning, Lunzer set out to assemble a library of early printing from every town and village that had a Hebrew printing press. Books from Italy, the cradle of Hebrew printing, dominate the collection. There's also a huge collection of books from Constantinople and Jerusalem. Among the early handwritten books is a 1189 Pentateuch, or Hebrew Bible, known as the Codex Valmadonna I. It is the only dated Hebrew text to survive from medieval England, written before the Jews' expulsion in 1290.

Outside the U.S., the great collections of Judaica are found in the British Library, the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, La Bibliotheque Nationale in France and the National Library of Israel.

The collection is displayed in four large rooms at Sotheby's Manhattan galleries.

Auctions That Close on Weekends Go for More Dough

From Germany's Computer Bild Spiele via Earth Times:

Online deals abound, especially if customers keep their eyes on auctions where the gavel comes down on a workday. Many items selling for lower prices than comparable items when auctions are held at a weekend, reported a German computer magazine. Therefore, sellers should schedule their auctions to end over the weekend, notes Computer Bild Spiele.

If a seller has problems describing his product, a quick scan of the internet should turn up a pre-written prescription. The magazine suggests using whole blocks of text as they often include the best item descriptions.

At the same time, sellers should avoid giving unnecessary details, as they can sometimes scare off potential buyers. Clear structure and bullet points, on the other hand, give more clarity.

Collectibles Sellers Get Photo-Freebie from eBay

Free photos in all four U.S. collectibles categories

eBay is providing free photo-hosting to sellers in the Collectibles, Art, Antiques and Pottery & Glass categories. The announcement was made on Thursday by Greg Fant, VP of marketing & buyer experience.

"The first eBay-hosted picture in an item is already free...Effective February 18, 2009, we are making all additional pictures, Picture Pack and Gallery Plus FREE for listings in all four categories on the U.S. site (www.ebay.com). This includes all formats and all durations.

"Buyers in these categories have asked for more photos to help them decide which items to compare and which item to purchase. We believe that more free photos will allow sellers to provide buyers the visual details they need to make these decisions, lower buyer questions, and increase seller sales."

eBay also said it was working on "improving the visual shopping experience for buyers with new ways to browse and view multiple, large pictures, which should further increase the benefits of free pictures for both sellers and buyers." It did not provide further details.