An Apple-1 goes up for auction on Sept. 25

Calling all Apple fanboys and collectors: an Apple-1 is set to be sold at an auction in Boston on Sept. 25, 2018, and potential buyers will be able to bid online. The computer is estimated to fetch between $300,000 and $400,000 (about P15.9 million to P21.3 million).

The computer, which was built in 1976, was recently restored and is billed as being perfectly operational. It comes with the owner’s manual, a new period-style power supply with original Apple-1 power cable and connector, as well as a keyboard and a period Sanyo 4205 video monitor.

The Apple-1 will be auctioned with a starting bid of $50,000 (P2.6 million) with live bidding set to begin Sept. 25. Hopefuls can sign up to bid via Invaluable.com.



The Apple-1 was the first personal computer sold by the Californian tech firm. It is a relatively rudimentary device, requiring a keyboard and a monitor or TV to function. It is now a collector’s item that can fetch impressive sums when remaining machines come up for sale. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak produced around 200 models in 1976, almost all of which sold within a few months.

The computer is being sold as part of the “Remarkable Rarities” auction, which features rare items from Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” sheet music signed by the three band members to a letter signed by George Washington.

Other Apple-related lots in the sale include a Macintosh computer signed by Steve Jobs and nine team members (estimated to fetch $25,000 to $30,000, or about P1.3 million to P1.59 million) and a Betamax videotape of the firm’s “1984” commercial for the launch of Macintosh (estimated to fetch $10,000 to $15,000, or about P533,000 to almost P800,000).

You can bid on the Apple-1 through this link. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Modigliani sells for $157.2M in New York—Sotheby’s

A stunning nude that is the largest painting produced by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani sold for $157.2 million in New York on Monday, becoming the fourth most expensive work of art sold at auction.

Painted a century ago, Modigliani’s masterpiece “Nu couche (sur le cote gauche)” fetched the highest price in Sotheby’s history and was the star single lot in the May art auction season in New York.

Modigliani follows Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso as the third highest-selling artist at auction. Monday’s sale failed to eclipse the $170.4 million paid for another Modigliani nude at Christie’s in 2015.


Nearly 58 inches (147 centimeters) wide, the picture was the cover star of a recent retrospective at the Tate Modern gallery in London.

Modigliani reinvented the nude for the modern era, and when his series of paintings were first exhibited in 1917, they were considered so shocking that police closed the show in Paris.

Bidding was restrained, lasting three to four minutes and opening at $125 million before auctioneer Helena Newman brought the hammer down at $139 million. The final price includes a buyer’s premium.

The price chalks up a healthy profit for its seller, who acquired the picture in 2003 for $26.9 million.

Modigliani completed 22 reclining nudes and 13 seated nudes between 1916 and 1919. Most of the former are found in museums, such as The Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Simon Shaw, co-head of impressionist and modern art at Sotheby’s, said the painting sold Monday, while rooted in tradition, reflected the changing status of women during World War I.

“This is a nude of a very self-possessed, sexually confident woman who is not looking out from a distance. She’s absolutely meeting our gaze,” he told AFP prior to the sale.

Modigliani’s dealer Leopold Zborowski gave him a stipend of 15 francs a day and paid the models five francs to pose in a Paris apartment. MKH

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Woman auctions off virginity online to pay for schooling abroad

The price of good education nowadays is expensive and this Russian woman is willing to give “everything” of herself away just to achieve it.

Twenty-year-old student Ariana is auctioning off her virginity on an escort site in order to raise money to study abroad.

The bidding, which starts at £130,500 (P8.2 million), went online last week on the Russian-based escort site Sinderella, according to a report from The Sun.

Although she looked at other ways to raise the money, Ariana decided to sell her innocence since she says it’s the quickest and easiest way to raise her money.

“Many students have the issue that during their studies they have to deal with multiple problems. You have to go to work in order to pay for your education,” she said in the report.

“I want to move to another country for my studies in medicine. The university will be very expensive; the rent will also be high and I imagine that living in another country will be very hard. Therefore, I want to get the financial burden out of the way so I can focus on my medical studies,” she elucidated.

Her parents have no idea of her novel way to raise money, but she said she was open to explain it to them if and when they do discover what’s going on online.

The hopeful scholar added that that selling her virginity was her own choice, and described herself as an “independent woman” in her auction profile.

She also attributed her decision to her cynical approach on love, adding that she has waited so long to give her virginity to the right person, but it’s never worked out in the past.

“Why should I wait any longer?” she said. “Why should I lose my virginity to someone who could then break my heart later?”

Despite her seemingly rash judgment, Ariana admitted that she is looking at the sale as an investment, and hopes that whoever wins the auction will deal with her respectfully.

Aside from Ariana, her best friend Lolita is also auctioning her virginity, with bids also starting at £130,500. Khristian Ibarrola

source: technology.inquirer.net

Diamond the size of a tennis ball could fetch $70 million

LONDON  — It’s a rock for the ages.

A 3-billion-year-old diamond the size of a tennis ball — the largest discovered in over a century — could sell for more than $70 million, auctioneer Sotheby’s said Wednesday.

The auction house plans to offer the Lesedi la Rona diamond in London on June 29.

The diamond was unearthed in November in Botswana at a mine owned by Canada’s Lucara Diamond Corporation. It measured 1,109 carats, the second-largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered. Its name means “our light” in the Tswana language of southern Africa.

The auctioneer said the rough gemstone “of exceptional transparency” could yield the largest top-quality diamond ever cut and polished.

David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s jewelry division, called the discovery “the find of a lifetime” and the auction unprecedented.

“Not only is the rough superlative in size and quality, but no rough even remotely of this scale has ever been offered before at public auction,” he said.

The largest diamond ever found was the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, unearthed in South Africa in 1905. It was cut into nine pieces that form part of the U.K. Crown Jewels.

The Lesedi la Rona could smash the record price for a diamond of $48.5 million, paid at a Geneva sale last year for the 12.03-carat polished “Blue Moon” diamond. Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau picked it up as a gift for his 7-year-old daughter. TVJ

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

India PM Modi to auction controversial suit with his name all over it

NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to auction a controversial suit that bears his name in gold pinstripes, which he wore at a meeting with US President Barack Obama, leading to attacks he was out of touch in a nation where many live in extreme poverty.

The tailored suit, which was ridiculed by Modi's political opponents, will be auctioned in the state of Gujarat to raise money for a project he is championing to clean the Ganges river. The auction, which starts on Wednesday, will last three days.

"People are very generous in this area and we hope that it will raise a lot of money for a good cause," said Milind Torawane, the municipal commissioner of Surat, a port city home to India's diamond industry, where the auction is being held.

Modi's choice of the navy suit, which was embroidered repeatedly with his name, damaged the image of a man who in last year's election had played up his humble beginnings as a tea-seller and his personal sacrifices for India's advancement.

Political rivals, including Congress party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who attacked the prime minister over his suit, said it had cost 1 million rupees ($16,000) and Modi should instead concentrate on delivering on his promises to India's poorest.

About a third of the world's extreme poor live in India, up from a fifth in 1981, the World Bank says. The country lags on other social indicators such as child malnutrition.

Torawane said the government would like to raise at least 3 million rupees from the suit sale.

For the auction, Modi donated about 450 objects given since being appointed prime minister in May after winning the biggest parliamentary majority in three decades.

The gifts he has received include silver cufflinks, a ceramic vase, a carpet and a silver box with precious stones, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. — Reuters

Iconic Les Paul ‘Black Beauty’ guitar to hit auction block

 

NEW YORK - One deep-pocketed bidder will get a chance to own a piece of rock and roll history when the iconic Les Paul guitar known as "Black Beauty" goes up for auction in New York next month.

 

The electric instrument, which is the original prototype for the Les Paul Custom guitars made the Gibson Guitar Company, will be sold by Guernsey's Auctions at the Arader Galleries on Feb. 19th.


No pre-auction estimate, or reserve price, has been put on the instrument. But some music experts believe it could exceed the record auction price of $965,000 paid in 2013 for the guitar owned and played by Bob Dylan at his first electric performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.

 

"This instrument," said Guernsey's President Arlan Ettinger, "is referred to as the grail, the Holy Grail, because it was the first Les Paul guitar made by Mr. Les Paul that gave birth to the thousands and thousands of instruments that bear that name and that resemble this instrument."

 

Paul, a pioneering musician and inventor, collaborated with guitar makers Gibson, who approached him in the early 1950s to build a true electric guitar.

 

The solid body guitar was delivered to him in 1954 and continuously modified as Paul sought to perfect its sound until it was last used in 1976, when he gave it to his close friend Tom Doyle. The black guitar with gold hardware features fine inlays and bindings around the entire instrument.

 

Ettinger said the instrument originally had different hardware and attachments and the pickguard did not look the same.

 

"But through the next 20 years it evolved as he was experimenting to get new sounds and the maximum excitement of what he created," he said.

 

Many people, Ettinger added, suggest the guitar's electric sound gave birth to rock and roll.

 

The upgrades, modifications and changes on the "Black Beauty" set the standard for other Les Paul guitars, which are owned by musicians such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Neil Young and Jeff Beck.

 

The February sale will be a litmus test in the auction market for vintage guitars.

 

When a bidder bought Dylan's 1964 Fender Stratocaster for its record price it was nearly double its pre-sale estimate and surpassed the $959,500 paid in 2004 for Eric Clapton's Fender Stratocaster.

 

Last year, however, an auction featuring 265 prized guitars from California collector Hank Risan produced disappointing results. — Reuters

 

 

Giant white truffle fetches more than $61,000 at New York auction

NEW YORK - A white truffle from Italy, said to be the largest in the world, sold for $61,250 at an auction in New York on Saturday, Sotheby's said.

The truffle, which weighs 4.16 lbs (1.89 kg), was purchased by a buyer from Taiwan who bid by telephone, the auction house said.

The massive fungus was discovered in Italy last week by Sabatino Truffles, one of the largest suppliers. It is stored in an airtight box, Sotheby's said.

White truffles, one of the most coveted and expensive delicacies in the world, are found only in certain areas of Italy from October through December. They grow wild in forests and are detected by specially trained dogs and experienced hunters.

They vary in size and are valued for their flavor and aroma.

Sotheby's said the truffle was the largest ever found. It is nearly twice the size of a truffle that was sold in 2010 for $417,200, although the two sale prices are not necessarily comparable, a Sotheby's spokesman said.

The earlier sale took place at a charity dinner in Hong Kong while Saturday's auction had only one bidder, he said.

The Balestra family of Sabatino Truffles said it plans to donate proceeds from the sale to several charities. — Reuters

Unique camera from NASA's moon missions sold at auction

VIENNA - The only camera to return from NASA's moon missions in 1969-1972 was sold at an auction in Vienna Saturday for 550,000 euros ($760,000), far outdoing its estimated price.

The boxy silver-colored camera, which was sold to a telephone bidder, was initially valued at 150,000-200,000 euros.

The Hasselblad model was one of 14 cameras sent to the moon as part of NASA's Apollo 11-17 missions but was the only one to be brought back.

As a rule, the cameras -- which weighed several kilograms (pounds) and could be attached to the front of a space suit -- were abandoned to allow the astronauts to bring back moon rock, weight being a prime concern on the missions.

"It has moon dust on it... I don't think any other camera has that," Peter Coeln, owner of the Westlicht gallery which organized the auction, said of the rare piece.

The camera, which was being sold by a private collector, was used by astronaut Jim Irwin to take 299 pictures during the Apollo 15 mission in July-August 1971.

A small plate inside is engraved with the number 38, the same number that appears on Irwin's NASA snapshots.

Close to 600 objects were on sale on Saturday. The Westlicht gallery is the world's largest auction house for cameras and has overseen the sale of some of the most expensive photographic equipment in history, including a 1923 Leica camera prototype that sold for 2.16 million euros, a world record. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Early pieces by graffiti artist Banksy added to Los Angeles auction

LOS ANGELES - Four early works of elusive British artist Banksy will go on sale at an auction in December, joining the artist's "Flower Girl" piece, Julien's Auctions said on Monday.

The four graffiti works include "Happy Choppers," a 2002 mural that first appeared on a wall at the Whitecross Street Market in London and features a stenciled group of military helicopters, one adorned with a pink bow.

The piece is estimated to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000, and will join the sale of "Flower Girl," a stencil work that first appeared on a Los Angeles gas station wall. It is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $300,000.

Beverly Hills-based Julien's Auctions said the auction marked the first time that Banksy's public street art had gone on sale in the United States.

The works were all put up for sale by private owners whose identities remain confidential. The consignors to decide whether Banksy receives any part of the proceeds, Julien's said.

Also included in the sale are two other works from Banksy's 2003-2004 tour in Germany, which were discovered on walls in Berlin. "TV Girl" features a stencil of a girl holding a television set with an orange heart on the screen, while "Umbrella Rat" depicts a rat dressed in a bowler hat and tie, parachuting with an umbrella.

"TV Girl" is expected to fetch between $80,000 and $120,000 while "Umbrella Rat" is estimated between $40,000 and $60,000.

The final piece to be added to the collection is a 2003 work called "Black Bobby," from Banksy's tour in Sydney, Australia. It features a silhouette of a British policeman writing a ticket and is valued between $20,000 and $30,000.

Other works in the "Street Art" collection include canvases and paper pieces by artists Risk, Indie 184 and MearOne.

Banksy is the pseudonym of a graffiti artist who first emerged in Bristol, England, as part of an underground group. He hides his identity and real name, and his works have become collectors' items, prized for their trademark spray-paint stencils and offering social commentary.

The auction follows a month-long "street residency" by Banksy in New York through October, during which he placed murals, sculptures and artwork around the city.

One stunt included selling original canvas artwork for $60 at a street-side stall, with buyers having no idea they were purchasing Banksy originals. He also dropped off a painting at a Housing Works thrift shop, which funds charities for AIDS and the homeless, snubbing the art world. The thrift shop auctioned the painting, which fetched more than $600,000.

As Banksy's street work often appears on private property, it has brought up questions of ownership. This year, two of his murals were pulled from a Miami auction when questions arose about the ownership of one and how it had been obtained.

The work, "Slave Labour," eventually sold at a private auction in London for $1.1 million in June, a sign of growing demand, and prices, for a Banksy original.

The artist also appeared in the 2010 Oscar-nominated documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" with his face obscured and voice altered. His works are verified through his website (www.banksy.co.uk). — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

'Star Trek' phaser fetches $231,000 at U.S. auction

Set phasers to sell - and sell big.

Captain Kirk's "Star Trek" phaser gun from the second pilot of the wildly popular 1960s television series sold for a hefty $231,000 on Saturday in Los Angeles, Julien's Auctions said.

The phaser, created at the request of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry for use by William Shatner, who played Kirk in the beloved sci-fi show, had been estimated to sell for about $50,000, but achieved more than four times that including commission.

Other extraterrestrial highlights at the two-day Hollywood Legends sale of hundreds of costumes, memorabilia, props and other items included the "alien survey buggy" seen aboard the Nostromo in the 1979 movie "Alien," which sold for $10,625, and a complete costume worn by Anubis, played by Carlos Lauchu, in the 1994 movie "Stargate," which sold for $16,250, more than three times the estimate.

An archive of autographs from Academy Award winners fetched $15,625, while a 1966 Imperial Crown car nicknamed the Black Beauty built for the 2011 production of "The Green Hornet" movie sold for $46,875. It was the only one of several versions left intact after production, Julien's said.

Old Hollywood was represented as well. Claudette Colbert's "Cleopatra" cape from the lavish 1934 Cecil B. DeMille film sold for $5,625, while a Munchkins flowerpot hat from 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" made $15,000.

Fast-forwarding to the 1980s, Christopher Reeve's "Superman IV" flying suit sold for $25,000, in line with the estimate.


Items connected to film siren Marilyn Monroe continued to draw interest some 50 years after her death: a nightshirt fetched $15,000, a bra from "Some Like It Hot" sold for $28,125 and a one of her cocktail dresses soared to $25,000, more than four times the estimate. Monroe's Capo di Monte cups and saucers sold for $17,500. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com