auction news stories on Newser

Auction of Ronald Reagan's Blood Canceled

John Johnson — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:50:00 CDT

The creepy auction of Ronald Reagan's blood has been canceled. Instead, the seller will donate the vial to Reagan's presidential foundation in California, reports the Wall Street Journal . Europe's PFC Auctions announced the move today after Reagan's family called the auction unseemly. Bidding had reached $30,000 and was scheduled...

Artist Buys Ghost Village in France

Kevin Spak — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:43:04 CDT

It's been years since anyone lived in the kinda-picturesque French village of Courbefy, but if you're a photographer, kinda-picturesque counts for a lot. Indeed, for American artist Ahae, it was worth around $663,000, the price the South Korean-born photographer agreed to pay for the place at an auction yesterday....

Infuriating Fans, 'Reagan's Blood' to Be Auctioned

Kate Schwartz — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:39:45 CDT

It may sound creepy to you, but to the head of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, it's "craven": A UK-based auctioneer has put a vial purported to hold Reagan's blood up on the block. PFC Auctions says a lab technician spirited the blood out of the hospital where Reagan was...

'Illegal' Dinosaur Skeleton Sells for Over $1M

Neal Colgrass — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:48:23 CDT

A New York auction house sold off a dinosaur skeleton for $1 million yesterday despite a restraining order from the Mongolian government, which said the find had been illegally exported, New Scientist reports. Heritage Auctions kept mum about the seller and winning bidder, and said it had "legal assurances" that...

Babe Ruth Jersey Grabs $4.4M

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 21 May 2012 01:01:31 CDT

The Great Bambino's baseball jersey has knocked one out of the park. Babe Ruth's cotton No. 44 shirt grabbed a hefty $4.4 million at auction. The road jersey worn by the Sultan of Swat in the 1920s busted a record for sports memorabilia. The previous record-holder—the original rules...

Hitler's Medical Files Tell of Flatulence, Cocaine Use

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:54:00 CDT

Adolf Hitler was a blowhard in more ways than one. He frequently used cocaine, ingested some 28 drugs at a time, and suffered from "uncontrollable flatulence," according to his medical records. Someone with enough bucks and a high bid can have those fascinating files, about to be offered in an...

'Holy Grail' Baseball Card Sells for $1.2M

Matt Cantor — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:50:05 CDT

A baseball card known as the "Holy Grail" for collectors has sold for more than $1.2 million in a St. Louis-based online auction. The winner, after 14 bids, was a New Jersey man who hasn't yet been identified. The card, which features shortstop Honus Wagner, is part of the...

Marie Antoinette's Shoes Sell for $57K

Matt Cantor — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:38:01 CDT

A pair of shoes believed to be Marie Antoinette's were expected to auction for about $6,500—but they brought in $57,000, AFP reports. The white silk mules, which feature tricolor ribbons, were sold at an auction of French Revolution artifacts in Toulon, France. The queen may have worn...

Cezanne Under Wraps Since 1953 Could Fetch $20M

Kate Schwartz — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:39:05 CDT

A Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog in 2011 listed a 19th-century watercolor Paul Cezanne made as a study for his Card Players series as "whereabouts unknown." No more: The work, which Reuters describes as "rare" and "pristine," was discovered by Christie's as it worked with the estate of Dr. Heniz...