What do a pair of Qianlong teapots, Pop Artist Andy Warhol and Batman all have in common?
The answer is: each of them have brought World Record prices on the auction block in the past fortnight...
A drawing of Batman by legendary artist Frank Miller brought $448,125 in New York...Two Qianlong teapots realised $2.19m in London... And Andy Warhol's first-ever self portrait sold for $38.4m, also in NY.
You might wonder, why did these pieces all sell for so much? And why now? Well I think Alberto Mugrabi explains it best...
"When the material is strong, collectors get excited" - Alberto Mugrabi
Alberto is the son of Jose Mugrabi, an art dealer who was also present at Christie's $38.4m sale of Warhol's first-ever self portrait (although Jose actually bought Warhol's last-ever self portrait in the same auction for $27.5m).
It's a simple statement, yet so very true... At best, a "strong" collectible should be unique. It should have impeccable provenance and confirmed historical importance.
Important and influential collectibles
The $448,125 Batman art is from comic artist Frank Miller's graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns.
Miller's comic "has since been universally acknowledged as one of the most important and influential stories ever published." So says Ed Jaster, Senior Vice President of Heritage Auctions which sold the artwork.
 The $448,125 drawing of Batman by Frank Miller, sold at Heritage Auctions |
In other words, the material was strong, so collectors got excit
