Christie's holding Punk/New Wave Auction

[ebbhead]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081028/ap_ ... NLZuFX24cA

1st major Christie's punk auction set for NYC

By JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated Press Writer Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press Writer Tue Oct 28, 7:43 pm ET
NEW YORK – Never mind the auction block — here's the Sex Pistols.

Memorabilia from some of punk rock's biggest acts and seminal moments — including a scrawled flier for one of the Clash's first shows and publicity photos signed by the Sex Pistols — is headed for a Nov. 24 Christie's auction.

The event, announced Tuesday, includes more than 120 records, photos and promotional pieces for such punk, garage rock and new wave legends as the Velvet Underground, Patti Smith, the Ramones, David Bowie, Blondie, the Cure and the Smiths.

The auction is Christie's first to focus on punk mementos, signaling the collectible status of a brash, anti-authoritarian rock movement that largely thumbed its nose at posterity.

"We understand that tastes change, tastes mature," said Christie's pop-culture chief Simeon Lipman. "Ten years ago, punk memorabilia probably wouldn't be something we'd be auctioning here. But now, people of a certain age have a certain ability to splurge on this material."

Should they care to, highlights include a rare poster for a 1976 Ramones concert in London widely credited with helping inspire such British punk titans as the Clash and the Sex Pistols and a flier for a show later that year featuring the latter two bands and the Buzzcocks.

Other prime finds: a copy of the Sex Pistols' first press release and a 1966 promotional packet in which an up-and-comer called David Jones promulgated his new last name: Bowie.

The various punk items are expected to fetch between $300 and $6,000 apiece.

The items generally weren't designed to last for decades, making the few that have survived all the more tantalizing, Lipman said.

Even when the global financial meltdown is sapping a once-raging art market, "with pop-culture items, there's sort of a nostalgia that drives it. It's not necessarily a need to invest — it's 'that's cool,'" he said.

The auction also features artist-designed toys and several big-ticket classic-rock collectibles, such as the portable organ John Lennon played in the Beatles' indelible 1965 appearance at Shea Stadium. Drawing a then startling 55,000 fans, it ushered in the era of stadium-size rock concerts.

The instrument was broken during the show and quickly traded in at an Atlanta music shop, where the owner realized its significance and held onto it, Lipman said. The now-functioning organ is expected to fetch $150,000 to $200,000.

[schwenko]

I wonder if this is a single collector's collection.

And one great thing about auctions- you can go beforehand to see evrything, almost like a museum exhibition- and it's free[8D]

[ebbhead]

[quote][i]Originally posted by schwenko[/i]
<br>I wonder if this is a single collector's collection.

And one great thing about auctions- you can go beforehand to see evrything, almost like a museum exhibition- and it's free[8D]
[/quote]

Hmmm... I wonder if one might find schwenko at Christie's some time around Nov. 24th. [:p]

[schwenko]

[quote][i]Originally posted by ebbhead[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by schwenko[/i]
<br>I wonder if this is a single collector's collection.

And one great thing about auctions- you can go beforehand to see evrything, almost like a museum exhibition- and it's free[8D]
[/quote]

Hmmm... I wonder if one might find schwenko at Christie's some time around Nov. 24th. [:p]
[/quote]

mebbe

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_ ... e5c8e61b3b

[Frau_Blucher]

I smell a bidding war.

[cubby]

Is anyone planning on going to this (Schwenko, Blir, etc)? I am thinking of coming up to the city for it.

[schwenko]

[quote][i]Originally posted by cubby[/i]
<br>Is anyone planning on going to this (Schwenko, Blir, etc)? I am thinking of coming up to the city for it.
[/quote]

I'm not sure that I can go to this. If the auction is on the 24th (Monday) then the viewing will probably be Sat/Sunday before. And I'm pretty sure I have to work 'til 6PM both days. If the preview includes the Friday beforehands, then I could go after 4PM.

[cubby]

The auction is on Monday Nov 24th at 10am and 2pm. The viewing times are on Nov 21 and 22 from 10am-5pm and on Nov 23 1pm-5pm. I was checking out the memorabilia for sale. Some very nice stuff. Lots of Sex Pistols and Clash (posters, handbills, t-shirts, pins, etc) It looks like there are some original "punk" clothes (bondage pants, Vivienne Westwood shirts, etc) There are also quite a bit of rock memorabilia as well (Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, etc)

[schwenko]

http://nytimes.com/2008/11/26/arts/desi ... .html?8dpc

[Frau_Blucher]

Says many items went for less than estimates. I had a feeling that the New Order poster would go for more - $1000.