HERITAGE NOW BOASTS 1.25 MILLION BIDDER-MEMBERS
Heritage Auctions now has more than 1.25 million online bidder-members, providing consignors the largest collecting audience of any auction house.
“Heritage Auctions remains at the forefront of auction technology, and our free database of nearly 5 million lots has attracted users from all over the world,” says Heritage Auctions CEO Steve Ivy. “Our 1.25 million bidder-members have identified HA.com as the first online destination for buyers and sellers of collectibles, unique artworks and luxury items.”
HA.com already offers collectors the most heavily visited website for fine art and collectibles. The site is known in the industry for its database of more than 4.9 million auction prices realized, and affords access to Heritage’s Make Offer to Owner program, which allows members to bid on lots sold to other collectors.
A large portion of bidder-member growth comes from new, affluent markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America, Ivy says. “The growing number of bidders is a reflection of Heritage’s growth within the auction world as the premier landing spot for collectors.”
Joining Heritage Auctions is free. Visit HA.com/Join to register for upcoming auctions and sign up for category-specific auction e-newsletters.
Auction Benefits Asner Center
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Comic artists ranging from Jim Lee to Bill Sienkiewicz once again donated original comic art and sketches to benefit “Inktoberfest: The Ed Asner Family Center.”
The center – founded by the legendary actor’s son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Navah Asner – and Heritage Auctions sponsored the second annual auction of 86 lots in October to fund the center’s mission of promoting self-confidence in differently abled individuals to bring balance and wellness to those individuals and their families.
“We are over the moon about the success of last year’s auction and are so excited to be doing this again and making it an annual thing,” says Matthew Asner. “Through the kindness and generosity of some of the best artists in comics and Heritage Auctions, we are helping others find their voice at the Ed Asner Family Center.”
FUN Auctions Feature Top Coins
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Pieces from the Rollo Fox Collection, including a 1930-S Saint-Gaudens double eagle, graded MS66 PCGS, are among the featured lots of the official auctions of the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) winter show in Florida.
The Fox Collection is considered the best collection of Saint-Gaudens double eagles to be offered since the Duckor Collection in 2012. The collection’s 54 coins are all high-grade treasures, with the 1930-S Saint-Gaudens double eagle alone expected to realize at least $200,000.
Other auction highlights include an 1864 proof Liberty eagle, graded PR65 Ultra Cameo NGC from the Duquesne Collection; a 1796 No Stars quarter eagle, graded MS63 NGC, 1879 Flowing Hair Stella, graded PR65 NGC, from the Joan Zieg Steinbrenner Collection; and an 1892-S Morgan dollar, graded MS66 PCGS, from the Kodiak Collection.
In addition to Heritage auctions of U.S. coins, the show will host auctions of U.S. currency and world currency.
The FUN convention is considered the bellwether event of the numismatic calendar, featuring more than 600 dealer booths and an estimated crowd of more than 10,000 collectors. The show features educational programs, a kid’s booth and Scout Merit Badge programs. Seminars include an American Numismatic Association presentation on counterfeit detection, “Classic Fakes and Chinese-made Counterfeits.”
The 65th Annual FUN Convention and official auctions are scheduled for Jan. 8-13, 2020, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Admission is free. Visit FunTopics.com for details.
PEOPLE
MICHAEL MADRIGALE has joined Heritage Auctions’ New York office as a consignment director in the Fine & Rare Wine Department. Over the past 17 years, Madrigale has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s most recognized sommeliers.
RICK AKERS has joined Heritage’s Comics Department as a special consultant. Known as RicksNeatstuff on social media, he is recognized as an instrumental force in the growth of gold and atomic age good-girl art and science-fiction comics.
NICK DAWES, senior vice president for special collections at Heritage, has been named chairman and CEO of the Salmagundi Club after serving on the board of the non-profit club for several years. Salmagundi is the oldest artists’ club in New York.
This report appears in the Winter 2019-2020 edition of The Intelligent Collector magazine. Click here to subscribe to the print edition.