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.

Used Blackberry Gives Buyer a Hotline to Hollywood

From the Mail Online:

As chances to impress family and friends go, internet shopper Kent Devey landed the big one.

After buying a second-hand BlackBerry for a bargain 16 pounds on eBay, the 28-year-old was amazed to find he had unwittingly acquired a priceless hotline to some of the world's biggest movie stars.

When he scrolled through the hand-held computer's contacts list he found the phone numbers and email addresses of A-list celebrities including Jude Law, Kevin Spacey, Natalie Portman, Julie Walters and Julianne Moore.

Among the 50 showbusiness contacts on the list were Stephen Fry, Paul O'Grady, Janet Street-Porter, Melvyn Bragg and Tom Stoppard.

The world of pop music was represented by X-Factor judge Louis Walsh and singers Neil Tennant and Alison Moyet.

For anyone tempted to drop lines such as, "Well, as Julie Walters was telling me the other day" into conversation the temptation to get dialling would have been almost irresistible.

But insurance worker Mr Devey was made of sterner stuff and intends to return the BlackBerry to its original owner.

Yesterday he explained how the telephone numbers fell into his lap.

"I wanted a BlackBerry so I could receive emails and found one for a really good price," he said.

"It arrived a couple of days later after I bought it online. As I started to look through it, I noticed that one of the emails hadn't been wiped off.

"Then I started to go through the numbers already saved on the phone, and as I scrolled through I started to recognize some of the names and I saw Jude Law's number.

"Then I came across Michael Gambon's number - he is one of my favourite actors so I felt pretty privileged.

"I told my brother and he didn't believe it, so we decided to ring a couple of the numbers. When I got through to Julie Walters' answer phone, I was speechless.

"Working for an insurance company I couldn't believe that these numbers weren't wiped from the phone before it was sold on."

After analyzing the email addresses, he believes the Black-Berry originally belonged to Marieke Spencer, an associate of Billy Elliot film director Stephen Daldry.

Mr Devey, of Oldbury, West Midlands, said: "I plan to ring the old owner of the phone, and explain what's happened."

Airworthy Spitfire Could Go Sky-High at Auction

From the Times Online:

A Spitfire that is still airworthy is expected to fetch 1.5 million pounds when it is sold at auction.

The fighter, built by the British Vickers-Armstrong company in 1944, will be the first two-seater Spitfire to be offered at public auction for more than 20 years when it comes up for sale at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon on April 20.

The plane was restored to flying condition by its late owner Paul Portelli, a collector of historic aircraft, during five years of work. The auction will be managed by Bonhams.

After the war, the Spitfire was sold by the RAF to the South African Air Force – and was rescued from a Cape Town scrapyard in the 1970s by a building developer and aviation enthusiast, Charles Church. Mr Portelli bought the plane in 2002 and commissioned an engineering firm based in Hampshire to restore it to its two-seater specification.

The supercharged Rolls-Royce engine was overhauled and returned to full working condition by specialists in Gloucestershire.

Robert Brooks, the chairman of Bonhams, said: "The sale of this Spitfire touches me personally as an enthusiastic amateur pilot and a keen student of military history. For Bonhams to be associated with this aircraft gives me particular pleasure...and not a little sincere pride."

eBay Asked to Stop Auctions of Guided Trophy Hunts

Groups say that the company's promotion of this type of hunting is adding to the threats many species face

From Environment News Service:

Canadian and U.S. wildlife advocates are asking that the eBay auction website stop the sale of guided trophy hunts for bears, wolves, cougars and other top predators.

The Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Big Wildlife and the Alaska Wildlife Alliance say eBay auction sales of guided trophy hunts put the survival of these species at greater risk.

In a letter to eBay chief executive John Donahoe, the groups said, "the company's promotion of hunting these animals is adding to the many threats these species face."

"Have the lives of Canada's grizzly bears, wolves and other large carnivores become so cheapened by the purveyors of trophy hunting that selling an opportunity to kill one is now as commonplace as trying to unload a kitchen appliance or baseball cards on eBay?" asked Chris Genovali, executive director of the British Columbia based Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

A quick search on eBay turned up auctions for bear hunting in Wisconsin that offers transport "to and from the baits at prime hunting hours;" an Alaska hunt offering black bear, wolf, and wolverine; and a hunt in northern Ontario that offers the "opportunity to harvest a big Canadian black bear."

Black bears are not classed as endangered in Canada or in the northern United States. Black bears are listed as a threatened subspecies in Louisiana, eastern Texas and southern Mississippi under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Under the Endangered Species Act, gray wolves are listed as endangered in the lower 48 states, except Minnesota, where they are listed as threatened. Wolves in Alaska are not listed under the Act.

In March 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to protect wolverines under the Endangered Species Act because wolverines are not endangered in Canada. The nonprofit group Defenders of Wildlife is now challenging this decision.

Last year, eBay announced a global ban on sales of ivory products after an International Fund for Animal Welfare report revealed the online auction site was helping to fuel illegal trade in wildlife products.

While the three groups said they are encouraged by eBay's ban on ivory auctions, their recent review of the eBay website found hunting sales complete with photos of grizzlies and other carnivores killed for trophies.

"Most people visit eBay to buy vintage dolls, used cameras or lawn furniture. Few eBay users know the company also auctions off the lives of some of our planet's most magnificent carnivores. eBay has become an online marketplace peddling the slaughter of wolves, bears and cougars," said Brian Vincent, Big Wildlife's communication director.

The wildlife advocates said expansive trophy hunting of top predators ignores the importance these species play in natural systems.

They pointed out that top predators such as wolves help regulate the food web, sustain ecological integrity and preserve species diversity. heir disappearance triggers changes in abundance of other species in an ecosystem and the intricate connections among the remaining species can unravel.

The groups have been working to end trophy hunting of grizzly and brown bears in British Columbia and Alaska. The bears face threats from habitat loss, declining salmon, mortality from trophy hunting, poaching, and international trade in bear parts.

Last year a record 430 grizzly bears were killed in British Columbia. Close to 1,500 brown and grizzly bears are killed annually in Alaska. Some of these bears are shot in the Katmai National Preserve, one of the premier bear viewing areas in the world.

"The same is true in B.C.," said Genovali. "The spring grizzly hunt is only seven weeks away and bears and wolves can be legally shot for sport in our provincial parks and protected areas."

The groups recommended a list of trophy hunting videos for Donahoe to watch, saying, "We encourage you to watch the videos of trophy hunting these animals at the following links to see the reality behind these guided hunts. While these videos are disturbing, we believe it is important that you understand the kind of activities eBay is condoning."

To date, eBay has not replied to an ENS request for comment on the groups' request.

(Pictured is a downs black bear taken by a hunter in Washington state. By Mike Quinn via Flickr.)

Nude Madonna Photo Auctions for Over $47K in NYC

Apparent record auction price for a photograph of the superstar singer

From Yahoo! News:

A full-frontal, nude photo of a 20-year-old Madonna fetched $37,500 at auction Thursday, an apparent record auction price for a photograph of the superstar singer.

An unnamed European buyer bought the picture, which had been expected to sell for up to $15,000, according to Christie's auction house.

Madonna, then known as Madonna Louise Ciccone, was a dancer trying to make ends meet when she answered a newspaper ad seeking a nude model. She may have earned as little as $25 for the 1979 photo session.

Lee Friedlander's raw, explicit black-and-white image appeared in Playboy in 1985. Friedlander has said of the photo session that Madonna "seemed very confident, a street-wise girl. She told me she was putting a band together but half the kids that age are doing that. She was a good professional model."

The photograph auctioned Thursday was one of six from that shoot that appeared in Playboy; the other five pictures were sold together in 2003 for $7,170.

A Herb Ritts photo of Madonna's "True Blue" album cover, which sold for more than $15,000 in 2006, is the most expensive photograph of the singer to sell previously at auction, Christie's said.

Another photograph of Madonna, by Helmut Newton, sold Thursday for $18,750, beating a $15,000 estimate. In that shot, also sold to Playboy in the 1980s, Madonna sports lingerie, curly blond hair and a seductive expression. A man kneels beside her.

The Madonna photos were among 150 images, by some of the biggest names in photography, auctioned from the collection of Leon and Michaela Constantiner. They feature fashion and other celebrity icons.

The sale fetched more than $900,000 in all, including a top price of $242,500 for "Sie Kommen," Newton's images of nude models for the Italian and French versions of Vogue in the 1980s.

'64 Lincoln Manuscript Sets Record at NYC Auction!

Document sells for $3.44 million on the bicentennial of his birthday

From the Associated Press:

A handwritten manuscript of an 1864 Abraham Lincoln speech sold for $3.44 million on the bicentennial of his birthday Thursday, setting a new auction record for any American historical document.

The manuscript was sold to an anonymous phone bidder after spirited bidding in a crowded Christie's auction house room. Proceeds from the sale will go toward a new wing for a library in New York's Finger Lakes region, where the document has been since 1926.

Thursday's price was just slightly higher than the previous record of $3.40 million set last year at Sotheby's, also for a Lincoln document — an 1864 letter the 16th president wrote to a group of youngsters who asked him to free America's "little slave children."

The manuscript that sold Thursday is a speech Lincoln delivered at the White House after he was re-elected in the midst of an unpopular Civil War that both he and his opponents believed might cost him his job.

Lincoln delivered the speech to a large crowd on Nov. 10, 1864, after winning a second term with 55 percent of the popular vote. He said the results "demonstrated that a people's government can sustain a national election in the midst of a great civil war."

Lincoln also expressed gratitude to "almighty God for having directed my countrymen to a right conclusion" and called on them to "reunite in a common effort to save our common country."

Lincoln's war policies were unpopular and his prospects for a second term had looked bleak. He himself believed that Democrat George B. McClellan, a popular former Union general, would win.

The four-page document remained in the family's hands until 1916. Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln, presented it to New York Rep. John A. Dwight as a "thank you." Dwight helped secure funding for the construction of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

In 1926, Dwight's widow gave the document to the Southworth Library Association in Dryden, N.Y. According to the library's Web site, it displayed it only once, during the 1976 bicentennial celebration.

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Granny Cashes in When Old Baseball Card Nets a Fortune

What is believed to be one of history's first baseball cards sells for $64,073

From Yahoo! Sports' Big League Stew:

Remember Bernice Gallego? The lady who found an 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings card in her attic, put it up for sale on eBay with a starting price of $10 and then pulled it down after realizing it might be worth much more?

Turns out Gallego's hunch was right. After a three-week online auction, the Fresno resident sold what is believed to be one of history's first baseball cards for $64,073.

Not a bad paycheck for some spring cleaning.

The sale ended a whirlwind month for Gallego, who attracted an avalanche of attention on the front page of Yahoo!, the New York Times and other outlets across the country. Her popularity soared even further in late January, when she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and revealed that this wasn't her first instance of blind luck. She once won $250,000 from a slot machine in Nevada.

Gallego embraced all the attention and kept a wicked sense of humor throughout the process, as evidenced by her first public remarks after the auction ended on Tuesday.

From the Fresno Bee:

"I'm so happy for the card. Oh and for me too, of course," said Gallego on Tuesday night. "I had hoped to bail out California from this financial emergency, but it didn't quite get that far. But maybe it'll bail out my credit cards."

Jeffrey Rosenberg of Tristar Productions was the winner of the auction. He runs an autograph show business and plans to display the card at shows around the country.

The actual final price of the card was $75,285.78, but that amount included a 17.5 percent buyer's premium for the auction house. Memory Lane Auctions says the price is a record for its house and that the last 1869 Red Stockings card sold for around $30,000.

Flip This Phone! Site Aims to Turn Profit from Old Gadgets

"What we're doing here is buying dollars for 80 cents"

From Forbes.com comes this story of recycling for big green:

Rousseau Aurelien stands inside a 12-foot-high steel cage in a former shoe factory in Boston, surrounded by $200,000 worth of used laptops, cell phones and videogame systems. The firm he founded, Second Rotation, bought the gadgets through a Web site it launched in July called Gazelle. The likely destination: Ebay. "What we're doing here is buying dollars for 80 cents," he says.

Aurelien estimates that only 1% of people in the U.S. bother to go online and sell their old electronic goods. He is betting that the current economic downturn will push more consumers to sell their used products for cash.

A customer enters the name of the product he wants to sell on the Gazelle site, rates its condition and gets an automated bid based on Gazelle's current inventory and its past success in moving that product. If the customer accepts, he is sent a prepaid envelope or box in the mail. The company inspects the item it receives and cuts a check if it's in the condition that the customer claimed. The company then wipes all personal data off the device before reselling it.

Gazelle offers the most desirable used gadgets--in January the biggest sellers were the BlackBerry Curve, the Motorola (nyse: MOT - news - people ) Razr and the Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) iPhone--on Ebay or Amazon, and sends the less popular items to wholesalers.

An iPhone 3G in good condition that Gazelle bought for $153 in mid-December went for $300 at the company's Ebay store. (It would have cost $199 new from Apple with a two-year AT&T contract; Gazelle sells iPhones "unlocked" so they can be used with any wireless service. AT&T has announced it would sell the iPhone without a contract for $600.) Aurelien says he gets similar markups on items like laptops and GPS devices, but the company makes most of its revenue reselling run-of-the-mill cell phones, which rate a gross profit margin closer to 20%. The company is not yet profitable, but Aurelien aims to achieve a net margin of 10%.

The tiny 30-employee company looks like a cash sink at the moment. It says it has purchased 40,000 used items so far, paying on average $115. That's $4.6 million out the door. Coming in: probably a whole lot less. Aurelien's revelations about revenue are limited to the assertion that they exceed $1 million to date. By way of illustrating that the business is not recession-prone, he notes that his purchases of used items increased 60% between December and January. But what about sales? He sold fewer items in January but for a higher price. To pay the bills Gazelle has raised $11.5 million from Venrock Associates, RockPort Capital Partners and other suppliers of venture capital.

The retail market is tough these days. Even Ebay reported decreases of 7% in revenue and 31% in profits in the fourth quarter. "It's a myth that companies like Ebay do better in a recessionary environment," says James Friedland, an analyst at Cowen & Co.

Aurelien, 40, also founded an Internet consultancy and a think tank since he left his native Haiti. At Gazelle he is the chief strategy officer; chief executive is Israel Ganot, an Ebay veteran. Ganot is focused on shortening the time that used gadgets spend in the warehouse and fending off competition from GameStop, which buys and sells used videogames and game hardware, and VenJuvo.com.

Collection of Marilyn Monroe Photos Set for Auction

Nine limited edition prints from star's last photo shoot featured

artnet Online Auctions is featuring a special sale of 60 photographs of the legendary screen icon Marilyn Monroe by renowned photographers including Bert Stern, George Barris, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Ken Galente, and George Zimbel.

The sale chronicles Monroe's rise from a young ingenue to the height of fame just weeks before her tragic death.

Leading the sale is a collection of nine limited edition prints taken at Monroe's last session with Bert Stern in 1962 for America Vogue known as "The Last Sitting."

It was believed that these transparencies, now known as "The Lost Sitting" were lost forever, until they were recently discovered, recovered and restored.

Included in this collection is a portfolio of six images of Marilyn Monroe as Jacqueline Kennedy.

Other works in the sale reveal Monroe's transformation from a young Norma Jean to a glamorous screen siren.

A rare portfolio of 12 vintage prints taken by Andre De Dienes from 1945-1953 captures the youthful innocence of the undiscovered ingenue while her emergence as starlet is masterfully captured in three 1949 gelatin silver prints by Laszlo Willinger .

A luminous Monroe is captured on her honeymoon with Joe DiMaggio in five 1954 gelatin silver prints by Kashio Aoki.

The sale also features classic black and white photographs from "The Seven Year Itch" by Ken Galente and George Zimbel.

Rounding out the sale is a group of 15 color photographs from "The Last Photos" taken by George Barris in 1962.

The series depicts an exuberant Monroe laughing, flirting and enjoying the Santa Monica surf in what would be the final year of her life.

Overstock Auctions Announces Revamped Homepage

From AuctionBytes:

Overstock Auctions announced Monday it is revamping its homepage at the end of February and will be adding some promotional offerings for sellers.

Overstock Auctions sellers will be able to feature themselves weekly on a rotating homepage banner. Sellers must have a minimum of 10 positive transactions and concurrent listings of 500 or more. The cost for a homepage banner is $29.95, and there will be a promotional fee of $19.95 through June 1, 2009. Similarly, Overstock Auctions will offer sellers a "Homepage Tile" for the same fee.

Sellers who wish may also pay a $39.95 monthly subscription fee for their own homepage. A special introductory price of $29.95/month will be available based upon a 12 month contract signed by June 1, 2009.

New York Auction to Sell Gandhi's Glasses

Sandals and a pocket watch to also be gaveled

From India's Rediff.com:

A pair of the distinctive circular metal-rimmed glasses of Mahatma Gandhi [Images], along with his sandals and pocket watch, will be on sale at an auction in New York.

The items are of huge interest and expected to well exceed the estimate of 30,000 pounds at the March 4-5 auction, the Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday. The sandals were given to a British army officer in 1931 prior to the Round Table talks in London [Images] that were held to discuss Indian self-rule, the report said.

Gandhi gave the spectacles to an army colonel with the words, "These gave me the vision to free India." His Zenith pocket watch was given to his grand-niece, Abha Gandhi.

Gandhi was pictured wearing the pocket watch, made in 1910, and it is expected to be the highlight of the lot. A bowl and plate that were given by the great leader to his grand-niece are also for sale.

The items have letters of provenance and were collected by an unnamed vendor who is now selling them. Michelle Halpern, from Antiquorum Auctioneers in New York, which is staging the auction, said, "This is a truly historic sale of Gandhi's possessions. Of course he didn't have much, so anything of his that comes up for sale is worth that much more."

"The glasses were given in the 1930s to Colonel H A Shiri Diwan Nawab who asked Gandhi for inspiration," Halpern told the paper.

"They were passed down through the colonel's family and we have a letter of provenance from his grandson. The sandals were given to a British military officer in 1931 prior to the Round Table talks in London."

"The items were put together by a collector who is now selling them and there has already been a great deal of interest. I'm sure the items will sell for more than the estimate," he said.

Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation to Gavel 'Ultimate Shelby Package'

2009 Shelby 427 GT500 Super Snake Now on eBay

From State College, PA's Centre Daily Times yesterday comes word of yet another auto auction we've got to pass along to you:

The Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation will celebrate the inaugural Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race by auctioning the Ultimate Shelby 427 GT500 Package on eBay starting today. The auction, which will end Feb. 19, 2009, includes a new torch red 2009 Shelby GT500 upgraded with the Super Snake package and No. 427 of the Limited Edition Shelby 427 packages. The winning bidder will also receive a VIP weekend at the Shelby 427 race on March 1, 2009, including two private Shelby suite tickets to enjoy the action. Money raised from the auction will benefit the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation, which helps children worldwide battle life-threatening illnesses while promoting the importance of organ and tissue donation.

"This is the ultimate Shelby package for the ultimate Shelby fan," said Jenni Shreeves, director of the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation. "Not only will the winning bidder get the keys to a brand new Shelby GT500 Super Snake, they'll spend race weekend in Las Vegas with Mr. Shelby and his team. Most importantly, the money raised will help us continue our mission to give children around the world a second chance at life."

The 2009 Shelby GT500 being offered on eBay is fitted with the legendary Super Snake package, which includes multiple suspension and engine upgrades as well as design enhancements. Under the hood is a Ford Racing Supercharger upgrade kit that produces over 605 horsepower and 590 ft.-lbs. of torque. Mr. Shelby's personal autograph and race-related add-ons highlight the Limited Edition Shelby 427 package added to the muscle car.

Additional amenities of the Ultimate Shelby 427 GT500 Package include a meet and greet with Mr. Shelby, private Shelby factory tour and tour of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. For more information on the auction, please visit www.ebay.com/shelby.

About The Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation

The Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation was created by legendary racer and automotive manufacturer Carroll Shelby. After undergoing a successful heart transplant in 1990, he established the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation. Thanks to the support of the Shelby Companies, Ford Motor Company and loyal fans worldwide, the Foundation is helping children battle life-threatening illnesses and promoting the importance of organ and tissue donation. More information is available at www.cscf.org.

McDonald's Memorabilia Set to Go at Auction

From ANI:

A collection of McDonald's memorabilia is expected to fetch up to 20,000 pounds when it goes under the hammer.

The Lincoln's Unique Auctions will see 7,000 toys and boxes from McDonald's Happy Meals.

The collection includes a rare complete set of 101 Dalmatians figures in their original bags, as well as posters and display boards.

The seller picked up the items over ten years, starting in 1990.

"We're expecting buyers from all over the world," the Sun quoted Terry Woodcock, of Unique Auctions, as saying.

Is 'Oldest Hockey Stick' Worth $1 Million?

Quebec seller thinks so

From the Canwest News Service:

A Quebec man has put up for auction - at $1 million U.S. - a hockey stick that he claims is the oldest in the world.

The stick went up on eBay at 7 p.m. ET Monday and those interested in purchasing it will have to deposit $10,000 US just to be able to place a bid in the 10-day auction. Unsuccessful bidders will have their money refunded.

Bobby Rouillard - a sports collector and son of a Quebec City antique dealer - says the hockey stick sheds new light on the early origins of the game but Canadian sports historians aren't so sure. They expressed doubts about the stick, insisting the oldest existing hockey sticks were carved in the 1850s.

Rouillard, 35, said he was hoping to list the stick for a 30-day period but had to settle for 10. He says he won't be disappointed and will keep it in his collection if the stick isn't sold.

According to a carbon-dating laboratory in California, where samples of the stick were sent for analysis, the artifact is made of yellow birch or cherry wood dated between 1633 and 1666. The analysis showed the stick was carved in one piece.

Two hours after the item went up on eBay there was yet to be a bid. While the stick comes with a price tag, shipping is listed as free.

BREAKING NEWS! Ex-eBay CEO Whitman to Run for California Governor

From Reuters comes word this morning that what has been rumored appears to be true:

Former eBay Inc Chief Executive Meg Whitman, one of the highest profile Republican technology executives in Silicon Valley, has formed a committee to explore running for governor of California in 2010, the first official step of a campaign.

"California faces challenges unlike any other time in its history - a weak and faltering economy, massive job losses, and an exploding state budget deficit," Whitman, 52, said in a statement. "I refuse to stand by and watch it fail."

Bugatti Found in Garage Nets Over $4.5 Million at Auction

"Creme-de-la-creme of late 1930s sports cars"

Last month we told you about a rare Bugatti that had been found in nearly flawless condition after sitting for 50 years in a garage - essentially forgotten about. One of just a handful ever made, this rare ride was sure to score big at auction. The question was "how big?" The answer from Bloomberg News:

A Bugatti sports car that was found after 50 years gathering dust in a garage in England sold last night in Paris for 3.5 million euros ($4.53 million).

The two-seat 1937 Bugatti Atalante 57S coupe was one of 17 vehicles of its type produced by the Italian-based racing-car manufacturer. It had been estimated to fetch between 2.75 million euros and 4 million euros at the Retromobile sale held by London- based auction house Bonhams. The price included sale fees.

"This was the creme-de-la-creme of late 1930s sports cars," said Simon Kidston, a Geneva-based classic car adviser, who attended the auction. "Of the examples that have come on the market, this had by far the best history, prettiest body style and no one has seen it for 50 years. Nothing drives collectors more crazy than a car they haven't been able to buy."

Bonhams described it as "one of the last great barn discoveries" in an e-mailed statement before the sale.

Harold Carr, a surgeon, owned the Bugatti from 1955 until his death in the spring of 2007. The reclusive doctor, from the northern English city of Newcastle, left his family a lock-up garage and its contents. Dr. Carr's nephew knew he owned an Aston Martin and a Jaguar E-type sports car and only discovered the partially dismantled Bugatti when he opened the building's doors. The 130 miles-an-hour coupe has 26,284 miles on the clock and the engine has not been fired up for more than 50 years, said Bonhams.

Racing Aristocrat

The car had originally been made for Earl Howe, a U.K. aristocrat who in 1929 was elected the first president of the British Racing Drivers' Club. Two years later, he won the 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans.

"People were taken aback by the condition," said Kidston in an interview. "It's gone a bit too far. Whoever has bought it will probably be looking at a restoration bill of at least 500,000 pounds ($739,000). It's a big job, but worth it. That car deserves to be preserved."

The car was pursued by three telephone bidders and two bidders in the room, said Kidston. "That price was about right. Both the seller and the buyer can feel satisfied."

In August 2008, another 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante coupe sold for $7.92 million at Gooding & Co.'s auto auction during the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California, according to http://www.luxist.com. It was the highest price paid for an automobile at auction in the U.S., said the Web site.

"Because there are so few of them, the value of these cars is pretty stable," said Kidston. "This car is less speculative than the market for 1960s and 1970s Ferraris, though even the prices of those haven't come down much more than 20 percent in the last 12 months."

The record price for any car at auction was set in May last year when the U.K. television and radio host Chris Evans paid 7 million euros ($10.9 million) with fees for a black 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder. The sale at Marinello in Italy was run by RM Auctions in association with Sotheby's. The Ferrari had formerly been owned by the movie actor James Coburn.

What's Going On at Mastro Auctions?

From the New York Daily News:

Is Mastro Auctions, already the target of an FBI investigation, suffering from financial problems?

Sports memorabilia's largest auction house recently asked consignors not to cash the checks the company issued them for items sold at Mastro's December catalogue sale.

In an e-mail to the Daily News, Mastro Auctions president Doug Allen blamed the problem on "a banking issue." The checks, he said, were drawn from the wrong account.

"As a result we had to contact a handful of consignors. In all those cases we have personally made calls, provided replacement checks and wires when requested," Allen added.

A lawyer contacted by an angry consignor, however, said company founder Bill Mastro told him the company had a cash-flow problem. Mastro sold the auction house in 2004 to SilkRoad Equity, a private investment firm.

"Mastro said the new owners have been reluctant to expand or renew their bank credit line," said the lawyer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The lawyer said Mastro told the consignor the company had to call back $600,000 but assured him that replacement checks would go out immediately.

The Daily News reported in September that sports memorabilia officials have testified before a grand jury in Chicago that is investigating Mastro Auctions and fraud in the collectibles business.

The grand jury deliberations are part of an investigation into memorabilia fraud initiated last year by the Chicago division of the FBI, whose "Operation Foul Ball" smashed a multistate autograph forgery ring in the 1990s.

Although the target of the investigation is Illinois-based Mastro Auctions, sports memorabilia's largest auction house, other businesses and individuals may be involved.

The investigation of Mastro Auctions has focused on shill bidding, card doctoring and other allegations of fraud.

NFL Pro Bowl-Autographed Surfbroads Set for Auction

Custom-made boards to be gaveled for 3rd annual event

From the Honolulu Advertiser comes this unique story:

The City and County of Honolulu and the NFL are presenting the third annual "Surfboards in Paradise" online charity auction of two custom-designed surfboards to be autographed by the 2009 Pro Bowl AFC and NFC teams during Pro Bowl Week in Honolulu.

Each board will be auctioned separately on NFL.com, beginning today and ending on Feb. 12. The proceeds from the auction are then donated to local charities.

"This partnership between the City and County and the NFL has brought in thousands of dollars for local charities," said Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in a press statement. "This year, Chinatown Boardroom has designed truly unique collectibles that will be made all the more valuable by team autographs. eRealty Companies, owner and developer of the Yacht Harbor Tower in Waikiki, has generously stepped in to underwrite the hard costs of the boards' production. We know that local charities are the backbone of our community. We hope to provide assistance during these economically challenging times, while promoting Hawaii to the world."

The AFC and NFC surfboards are sleek custom shortboards handcrafted by local surfboard shaper and owner of Chinatown Boardroom, Eric Walden, and glasser Brian Michler.

Members of each of their respective teams will sign the one-of-a-kind, museum-quality boards during Pro Bowl Week festivities in Honolulu. In addition to being featured on NFL.com, the boards will also be displayed at Pro Bowl Week venues.

eBay, Wal-Mart & Amazon Top Retailer Searches in December

From InternetRetailer.com:

The retailer name "ebay" was searched nearly 22.3 million times in December, with "walmart" coming in a distant second with almost 12.2 million searches and "amazon" third with nearly 7.5 million searches.

These were the top retailer names searched in December, according to data provided to Internet Retailer from Nielsen Online's MegaView Search Custom Data. The MegaView Search data is based on tallies from 58 representative search engines.

Following are the top 20 retailer names searched in December with the number of searches for each, according to Nielsen Online:

1) ebay, 22,252,000
2) walmart, 12,163,000
3) amazon, 7,479,000
4) target, 6,889,000
5) best buy, 6,351,000
6) sears, 3,693,000
7) toys r us, 3,283,000
8) circuit city, 3,073,000
9) home depot, 2,890,000
10) netflix, 2,383,000
11) lowes, 2,327,000
12) kmart, 2,132,000
13) kohls, 2,072,000
14) costco, 2,001,000
15) qvc, 1,883,000
16) walgreens, 1,681,000
17) bed bath and beyond, 1,557,000
18) jcpenney, 1,393,000
19) itunes, 1,261,000
20) staples, 1,184,000

AntiqueWeek Debuts New Live Online Auction Site

From AuctionBytes:

AntiqueWeek announced the launch of its an online auction site, AntiqueWeek Live Auctions, following the recent closure of eBay Live Auctions. The new venture is a joint partnership comprised of ATG Media, AntiqueWeek and RemoteBidder.com. Currently only licensed auctioneers can sell items on the site, and the auctions will be advertised to more than 100,000 people who are interested in antiques and collectibles.

Tony Gregory, publisher of AntiqueWeek, said "AntiqueWeek Live Auctions brings together three of the major players of the industry. ATG Media developed the already proven software; RemoteBidder.com is bringing in the customer service, they have been facilitating live sales for 10 years now; and AntiqueWeek brings its experience in the antiques industry, its knowledge and tradition."

AntiqueWeek Live Auctions will offer all the antiques and collectibles auctions, while its partner, RemoteBidder.com will facilitate general auctions. Licensed auctioneers will be able to upload their entire catalog and offer live Internet bidding complete with audio and, coming soon, video. Other options will be uploading just the catalog and accepting absentee bids or uploading a few choice items and offering them via an eBay style bidding process of seven to 10-day auctions.

Hand-written Lincoln Speech to Be Gaveled Next Week

For sale on his 200th birthday, Christie's estimates document could go for as high as $4 million

From the Sun-Times News Group:

As 1,500 "serenaders" gathered on the White House lawn, President Lincoln came to a window and made a speech by candlelight. "Not very graceful" was how he assessed his performance.

"I am growing old enough not to care much,'' he said. "People attach too much importance to what I say, anyhow."

But the speech, given on Nov. 10, 1864, after Lincoln was elected to a second term, is considered significant.

In the speech, he notes that a successful election was held by a nation in the middle of a civil war -- showing "how sound, and how strong we still are."

A copy of Lincoln's second victory speech, written in his own hand, will be on display today at the Chicago office of the Christie's auction house -- the first time it has been on public view since 1976.

It's expected to fetch $3 million to $4 million when it goes on auction Feb. 12 in New York. After a private showing Tuesday night, the speech goes on public display today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Christie's at 875 N. Michigan, Suite 3810.

Legendary Ferrari Expected to Shatter Auction Record

"Pontoon-Fender" Testa Rossa Expected to Fetch MEGABucks in May

We came across this on the PR Newswire and had to pass it along. Since the material is from an official press release, you might find the hyperbole to be a bit breathless for a story that it nonetheless interesting:

RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby's, will present one of the most historically significant and valuable Ferrari racing cars ever offered at auction, the legendary 1957 Ferrari 250 TR (chassis no. 0714TR), when the famed Ferrari Leggenda e Passione event returns to Maranello, May 17, 2009. Held during the final stretch of the Mille Miglia retrospective, the exclusive auction will offer an unprecedented collection of historic Ferraris.

Considered one of the most competitive and iconic of all Ferrari racing cars, the immediately recognizable Scaglietti-designed, 'pontoon-fender' 250 TR was produced from 1957 to 1958 during which only 22 were constructed. The Ferrari 250 TRs entered 19 international championship races from 1958 through 1961 emerging with 10 victories and earning them legendary status among discerning collectors, as well as the honor of being one of the most desirable and competitive racing Ferraris ever built.

"This legendary 250 TR is one of the most exciting motor cars ever to be presented in auction history," said Max Girardo, Managing Director of RM Europe.

"The Ferrari Leggenda e Passione event, now in its third year, is firmly established as the place to sell important road and race going Ferraris, and we are delighted to present this car at its Maranello birthplace," he added.

0714TR was extensively campaigned in its day with significant finishes at the world's most important racing events and is now being offered at auction for the first time. The car is resplendent in its period race-correct black livery and red nose.

In December 1957, this car was delivered to its first owner, racing driver and future coachbuilder, Piero Drogo in Modena, Italy. Drogo debuted the car as a privateer in the celebrated 1000 km Buenos Aires in January 1958 with a respectable fourth place finish competing with such legendary drivers as Phil Hill, Peter Collins, Wolfgang von Trips and Olivier Gendebien. Following entries in the Grand Prix of Cuba and Portugal, the car was sold by American Ferrari agent Luigi Chinetti to Texas rancher and entrepreneur Alan Connell whose competitive driving skills and affluence afforded him several wins on the 1959 North American racing circuit. 0714TR continued its prowess on the track with subsequent owners and competed in its last professional race in June 1963 at the Elkhart Lake 500.

The legendary s/n 0714TR is by far the most campaigned of the 250TR cliente series cars with a fascinating ownership and racing history, establishing its rarified place in the collector world as one of the most beautiful and valuable Ferraris ever offered in auction history.

Famous '80s Song Title/Phone Number Hits Auction

Man auctions "Jenny's" 867-5309 on eBay

It's been over 25 years since Tommy Tutone's signature hit had the digits 867-5309 blaring out of radio's everywhere. Now a man who owns one version of the phone number is selling it. More from the New Jersey's NJ.com:

Bidders on Ebay appeared to be having a little fun with an auction for a Weehawken D.J.'s phone number -- (201) 867-5309 -- the same number made famous by Tommy Tutone's catchy 1982 hit song, "867-5309/Jenny."

Spencer Potter, 28, originally of Rye Brook, N.Y., got Jenny's number in the 201 area code when he and several roommates requested it in jest for their home phone. Five years and 50,000 phone calls later, Potter Monday put the number out to auction on Ebay.

And the joke hasn't gotten tired yet.

At about 1:30 p.m. Monday, when figures were still relatively low, one of the 58 bidders offered $8,675.30, a reference to the first six digits of the well-known number. Then at about 9 p.m., someone else appeared willing to pay as much as $186,753.09.

Several more people who later posted bids in the six-figure range had retracted their offers citing reasons like, "Attempted to contact buyer, no response."

As of 3 p.m. today, some offers were approaching half a million dollars with the top bidder offering $434,744.44.

A call to Ebay this afternoon asking about the legitimacy of the auction bids and whether the company has a policy for addressing erroneous bids, went unreturned.

We're taking a few days off

It's moving time for Chris, who is headed from Northern California back to the friendly confines of Southern Cal. As of today, he is in the midst of the heavy lifting phase of his move, with the actual post-packing cleaning, and the actual relocation taking place over the next few days that follow. As as result, we'll not be updating our site for at least a few days. Look for the next update on Wednesday or Thursday.

As always, we appreciate your patronage.

Chris & Frank