We use the tagline “You want it? You need it? We’ve got it.” because it continually rings true. Our Marketplace is filled with highly valued items you can’t find anywhere else, but sometimes we’re surprised how much those items are truly treasured. In this week’s blog we’ll go over four items that sold for WAY more than we expected.
Big Money From a Big Fan in Texas
Items at charity auctions generally go for more than they are actually worth—but that’s the point! The higher the bids, the more money is donated to charity and that is why we love holding benefit auctions on Proxibid!
We were taken aback by what a vanity license plate can go for. In 2013, an attorney from Texas purchased a Texas A&M University Plate reading “12THMAN”, a name given to Aggies fans, for $115,0002. However, he didn’t purchase it to showcase his Texas A&M fandom. While he didn’t name the recipient, the generous donor said this plate would go to a military veteran who had graduated from Texas A&M and who the donor viewed as the “12th man to our country.”
This story is so sweet and makes us think even the hearts are bigger in Texas.
A Boy and His Piglet Automaton
Art is always an interesting category, because it is the most subjective buying environment out there. Everything is worth exactly what bidders will pay for it, and unless it is a known artist the perceived value can be volatile. That said, auctioneers don’t go into an auction without an estimate of a piece’s value.
“Bob and His Learned Piglet” is a type of art known as an automaton. Automatons are finely tuned machines that look human and perform automated actions (think somewhere between a music box and a robot). Bob’s piglet was automated to perform tricks around a ladder fixed in Bob’s hands, which must have captivated the bidders, because this piece was estimated to go for $25,000-$35,000, but bidders just kept bidding and drove the price of this piece to a huge $125,000!
Porsche
This 1973 Porsche 911 was the highest priced car ever sold on Proxibid—a whopping £365,000.00 EUR ($565,000 USD). The 911 is revered as one of the best ever produced by Porsche and the history of this particular example was extremely well documented by the seller, demonstrating that buyers are willing to purchase a highly priced item over the internet if the item is displayed well, with accurate and full descriptions, photos, and terms of sale.
Even accompanied with an excellent presentation by the seller, crossing the block for nearly $565,000 was kind of a big deal!
Bringing Out the Big Guns
The most expensive firearm to be sold in our Marketplace is counted among the most expensive guns ever sold, trailing behind George Washington’s pistols and Theodore Roosevelt’s rifle.
While this gun wasn’t a President’s rifle, it was engraved by the same guy who did engrave at least of one Teddy’s firearms, and a ton of other famous folks’ firearms too! Louis Daniel Nimschke was a German engraver in the 1800s who engraved items for people like: General George Armstrong Custer, Buffalo Bill and Napoleon III1. His work is considered so fine it is even featured in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This particular item was a collectible Winchester Model 1866 lever action rifle in exceptionally good condition, estimated to be 80-90% of new condition. With just a little wear and tear, the 150 year-old rifle commanded a high price—a final hammer of $210,000.