A guitar smashed by Kurt Cobain, the late frontman of US rock band Nirvana, has sold at auction for nearly $600,000. The broken black Fender Stratocaster had been expected to sell for a tenth of that amount at Saturday’s auction at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. Cobain, who took his own life in 1994, was known for his intense performances. The guitar was destroyed as Nirvana were working on their break-out album Nevermind in the early 1990s. It has been put back together but is no longer playable. The instrument is signed by all three band members in … Continue reading Guitar smashed by Kurt Cobain sells for nearly $600,000

The oldest most complete Hebrew Bible has been bought at Sotheby’s New York for $38.1m, becoming the most valuable manuscript sold at auction. The Codex Sassoon is thought to have been written about 1,100 years ago. It is the earliest surviving example of a single manuscript containing all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible with punctuation, vowels and accents. US lawyer and former ambassador Alfred Moses bought it for the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, Israel. “The Hebrew Bible is the most influential in history and constitutes the bedrock of Western civilisation,” Mr Moses said in … Continue reading Oldest most complete Hebrew Bible sells for $38m at auction

Jewish groups have condemned the multi-million dollar sale of jewels belonging to a billionaire whose husband made his fortune in Nazi Germany. Heidi Horten was an Austrian heiress whose German husband, Helmut Horten, had been a Nazi party member. He took over Jewish firms as their owners left 1930s Germany. Christie’s auction house is now putting 700 pieces of jewellery, estimated to be worth more than $150 million, under the hammer. The proceeds will go to charity, including Holocaust research, and Christie’s will also make a “significant contribution” to good causes. Mrs Horten died last year aged 81, with a … Continue reading Jewish groups condemn $150m Nazi-linked jewel sale

A pair of trainers once worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan has sold for $2.2m at auction, becoming the priciest shoes ever sold. The signed sneakers, which Sotheby’s had estimated would fetch $2m to $4m – are among the most expensive Jordan items auctioned. A jersey he wore at the 1998 NBA Finals sold in 2022 for $10.1m. The latest sale seals Jordan’s position as the most valuable athlete at auctions for sportswear memorabilia. “Today’s record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of … Continue reading Michael Jordan’s trainers sell for record $2.2m

The oldest most complete Hebrew Bible is on display in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv before its sale at an auction. The Codex Sassoon is thought to have been created about 1,100 years ago by a scribe in Egypt or the Levant. It is the earliest surviving example of a single manuscript containing all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible with punctuation, vowels, and accents. It will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in New York in May, where it could fetch $30m to $50m. It could become the most expensive historical document ever sold at auction if the … Continue reading Oldest most complete Hebrew Bible goes on display in Israel before sale

An auction for hundreds of items at Twitter’s San Francisco HQ has just ended. A statue of the platform’s famous bird logo has claimed the most expensive item sold, coming in at $100,000. Viewers online noted that some of the used items were no bargain, as they were selling for more than retail. The sale comes as owner Elon Musk cuts costs at Twitter following his $44bn purchase of the company last year. Since taking over in late October, Mr Musk has laid off around half of the company’s 7,500 staff. He has also ended many of Twitter’s perks, such … Continue reading Twitter’s bird statue sells for $100,000 at auction

A 400-year-old Bible which was taken to the New World by the founder of a town in Massachusetts is set to go under the hammer in east Belfast. The copy of the Geneva Bible is valued at between £5,000 and £10,000 by Bloomfield Auctions. It was printed in 1615 and was taken to what is now the United States in 1633 by Elizabeth Pole. The Geneva Bible was the first mechanically printed, mass-produced Bible available to the public. It was first published in 1560 – half a century before the King James Bible. The edition being sold on Tuesday was owned … Continue reading 400 year-old Bible valued at up to £10k going under the hammer in Northern Ireland

A signed copy of a transcript of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern insulting an opposition leader has sold for more than NZ$100,000 ($63,200). The offensive comment was picked up by microphones following a heated exchange with ACT party leader David Seymour. Ms Ardern later apologised for the remark before Mr Seymour proposed they join forces to raise money for New Zealand’s Prostate Cancer Foundation. The PM thanked everyone who bid after the charity auction ended on Thursday. During a lively parliamentary debate last week, Ms Ardern took issue when Mr Seymour, leader of the right-wing libertarian ACT party, asked … Continue reading New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern offensive MP comment transcript sells for NZ$100,000

A pocket watch belonging to a postal clerk aboard the RMS Titanic has sold for £98,000 – 110 years on. Oscar Scott Woody’s watch is frozen at the time he went into the cold North Atlantic when the ship sank on 14 April, 1912. It was recovered from the ocean and returned to his wife Leila the following month. The watch was sold at Henry Aldridge & Sons in Devizes on Saturday along with other memorabilia from the doomed ship. A first-class menu featuring ‘plover on toast’ sold for £50,000 and a list of first-class passengers went for £41,000. The … Continue reading Titanic watch sells for £98,000 at auction

A jersey worn by basketball icon Michael Jordan during the opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals has been sold for a record $10.1m (£8.8m). This is the most a piece of sporting memorabilia has fetched in history. Auction house Sotheby’s says the item drew “palpable excitement” from sports fans and collectors. It was reminiscent of a sporting season – chronicled in Netflix documentary The Last Dance – which saw Jordan winning his sixth and final NBA title. On Thursday, Sotheby’s said Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey attracted a total of 20 bids. Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectables, Brahm … Continue reading Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ jersey fetches record $10.1m

A rare ancient dinosaur skeleton has been sold in the US to an unknown buyer for just over $6m (£5m). It was offered up by Sotheby’s and sold at the firm’s natural history auction in New York City on Thursday. The fossil is that of a Gorgosaurus – a distant relative of the infamous and deadly Tyrannosaurus rex – that was discovered in 2018. The anonymous buyer will have the unique opportunity to bestow a nickname on the one-time apex predator. The sale is the second-ever of a fossilised dinosaur skeleton auctioned by Sotheby’s. The first, a T-rex nicknamed Sue, … Continue reading Ancient dinosaur skeleton sells for $6m at auction

A Francis Bacon painting of Lucian Freud has sold for a record-breaking £43.4 million at auction.‘Study for Portrait of Lucian Freud’ by Francis Bacon The work, Study For Portrait Of Lucian Freud, had not been seen in public for almost 60 years and was owned by the same person – described by Sotheby’s as a “distinguished European collector” for four decades. It was originally estimated to make £35 million before it went under the hammer at the auction house, The artwork was painted by Bacon in 1964 and based on a photograph of his contemporary and great friend Freud, taken in the same … Continue reading Francis Bacon portrait of Lucian Freud sells for £43 million