Auctions

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In which case, LS Lowry must be one of the most ‘flattered’ artists around.

August 9, 1967. That was the day when Kenneth Halliwell killed his lover Joe Orton using a hammer. Nine blows to the head. Halliwell then committed suicide.

When American amateur golfer Robert E Hunter won a gold medal at the 1904 Olympics he could not have ever envisaged that the next chance to compete in the Games would be 2016.

The Golden Age of Polar exploration is a constant source of fascination. Essentially, this period is the first three decades of the 20th century, when names such as Shackleton, Scott, Amundsen and Peary came to fame.

Pablo Picasso is revered as a key pioneer of Cubism, the radical approach to representing reality that he spearheaded with Georges Braque in the early 1900s. As with so many art movements, its roots extend further back, however.

Flat tyres and a thick film of dust, dirt and grime. Last on the road in the 1960s. It doesn’t exactly scream ‘buy me’. Especially for a £19,000 hammer price. Not to mention the fact that it’s going to cost you many thousands more to restore.

The Advertising Standards Authority have launched an investigation into the way auction houses display their commission rates.

A skull and crossbones ring or a skeleton on a chain are now likely to be seen hanging from a Goth looking like they have just stepped out of a Tim Burton film or heading for the biannual Whitby music fest.

A ‘unique’ Victoria Cross at auction usually means one thing – a bid from Lord Ashcroft. And that’s exactly how it turned out at the latest orders and decoration auction held by London saleroom Dix Noonan Webb.

John Lennon's 1956 Austin Princess is one of the featured lots at RM Sotheby’s London auction in September.

Who you gonna call? If you have ectoplasm seeping through the floorboards then ‘Ghostbusters’ is the obvious answer, shouted loudly.

A new record for a Star Wars production figure was established at Vectis' latest sale when a French issue of Boba Fett, the memorable bit-part character in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, sold for £21,000.

The collection of Jersey-based David Gainsborough Roberts leads Christie’s 250th anniversary Out of the Ordinary sale in September.

This tiny ivory netsuke of a rat was the major suprise of a recent auction in the Cotswolds.

Fighting valiantly through the Champions League qualifying rounds after overcoming the mighty Lincoln Red Imps last night, Celtic are well on the way to emulating their 1967 Lisbon Lions European Cup glory.

Christie’s South Kensington have ceased regular sales of vintage posters. The leading player in the popular collecting field say that they will now offer posters for sale in online auctions when the opportunity to sell an exceptional collection arises.

A full-scale test model of the satellite Sputnik-1 sold at Bonhams New York yesterday for $220,000 (£167,012), outstripping a $10,000-15,000 estimate.

Sotheby’s established an auction record for a watch by John Arnold (1736-99) when a large silver pocket chronometer of 1781 sold at £460,000.

Sotheby’s have appointed Claudia Dwek as chairman of contemporary art, Europe. She will remain as co-chairman of Sotheby’s Italy.

Christie’s has experienced a sharp fall in overall sales. In figures released earlier today the company reported sales of £2.1bn for the first half of 2016, which compared to £2.9bn for the same period in 2015.