Heritage Auctions is the largest collectibles auctioneer and the third largest auction house in the world. Established in 1976, they have offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, San Francisco and Europe. On October 6 and October 7, 2011, Heritage held an auction at the Hyatt Century Plaza in Los Angeles offering many items from the estate of the late John Wayne.
After almost 40 years in storage, Wayne’s family decided to make these items available to collectors and fans alike and those collectors and fans didn’t disappoint — spending $5.4 million dollars on roughly 700 lots. I’ve said it a couple of thousand times before and I will say it again, you got to love the auciton business!
A portion of the proceeds will go to his cancer foundation for research. Mr. Wayne died of cancer in 1979 ending a career that spanned almost six decades, in which he starred in over 170 films. This two day auction is considered a record breaking event but those of us who were fans of the Duke aren’t all that surprised.
An American icon more popular than apple pie, who wouldn’t want to own something that belonged to him? His recommendation of James Arness alone for the role of Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke, after having turned it down himself, cemented his place in the hearts and minds of everyone who loved TV westerns.
For all the final results of this once in a lifetime auction, go to the Heritage Auctions website. Here are just a few of the highlights:
John Wayne’s last California Driver’s license sold for $89,625.
His beret from the movie The Green Berets sold for $179,250.
His Golden Globe Award for True Grit sold for $143,400.
The eye patch he wore in True Grit, for which he won an Academy Award, sold for $47,800.
Thanks, Mr. Wayne, for all the great memories. No one will ever fill your boots.
11/15/2011 by Anne Benedetto
Antiques aren’t normally cheap, but in this down economy, there are bargains to be had at many antique auction houses. Some regional dealers and collectors are reporting lower prices at antique auctions, as well as fewer sales in antique shops. If you are in the market for antiques now may be a good time to hit those places, especially the auctions. Hammer prices are about as low as they are going to get in many parts of the country. 
depend on the people in the audience. Every audience is unique and this uniqueness can sometimes cause a huge fluctuation in prices, but that’s the exception – not the rule. The difference in hammer prices from one region of the country to another can also be huge. Dealers will travel hundreds of miles if they are confident that the time and money spent on travel will be worthwhile.
You can locate the items that interest you online. Most auction houses will allow you to call and leave bids with them. You will probably be required to provide them with your credit card information and you will also have to pay shipping on any of the items that you win.
rugs sell for next to nothing in many parts of Florida because these areas are saturated with them. You can buy an Oriental rug in Florida for $150 and that exact same rug would sell for $1100 in Manhattan.
When you decide it’s time to sell your home, you should do all you can to make sure it’s in perfect viewing condition. With the real estate market in such serious decline, this has never been more important than it is right now. With such a large inventory of houses available, you must make your home stand out from all the rest. You don’t want it on the market for one to two years like so many others, especially if you need to get out of it quickly.
every day. Home staging companies are sprouting up all over the country and they are making believers out of those who are using their services.
Sherman jewelry was and is known for its sparkle. The company used only the best quality Swarovski crystals. Gustave Sherman was a masterful designer and believed in the old saying, “In order to make money, you have to spend money.” Proof of that was Sherman’s willingness to pay top dollar for his Swarovski inventory of stones. Because of this, Swarovski provided him with only the best, which included the unusual process of reverse foiling. This process gave the crystals unparalleled luster and glitter.
of Sherman and other high-end costume jewelry as well as being an actress. The site didn’t explain how the ads prove this but we assume that Ms. Gallus must own what is an unsigned set of Sherman that appears in one of those ads. Remember that this is an assumption on our part. Perhaps this could be verified by writing to Ms. Gallus.