Mastro Auctions, the largest sports memorabilia auction house, has closed amid an FBI fraud investigation. Three Mastro executives have purchased the company’s assets and will launch a new company called Legendary Auctions. Part of the investigation by law enforcement is focused on charges of “shill bidding”. [Read more…]
An article published in 2007 (see Auction House Buying Considerations, Part II: Chandelier Bid (“Sham Bidding”) Legislation) discussed proposed legislation related to “sham” or “chandelier” bids, described by a New York legislator as “chicanery perpetrated by auction houses,” with auction house Sotheby’s opposed to the legislation. [Read more…]
The website TrekCore, which offers a significant amount of free resources that is of value to original prop and wardrobe collectors, is having a fundraiser to raise capital to operate the site and keep it advertising free. [Read more…]
Comic-Con International in San Diego for 2009 has nearly sold out of the 4-day passes for attendees, having been on sale for less than a month. Comic-Con (formerly “San Diego Comic Con”) is generally considered to be “the” pop culture event of the year. [Read more…]
As reported Thursday, Michael Jackson has filed a lawsuit against Julien’s Auctions over the upcoming auction event in April, liquidating Jackson’s personal property and memorabilia from Neverland Ranch. Now Auction Network, the online bidding service provider, has announced on their website that they are withdrawing as a partner in the auction “unless or until the controversy is resolved”. [Read more…]
There has been a great deal of controversy in the news in the past week with regards to three unrelated auction house events, including Christie’s auction of “national treasures” originally looted from Beijing in 1860, India’s attempt to halt the sale of Mohandas Gandhi memorabilia scheduled for auction today by Antiquorum, and Julien’s Auctions upcoming sale of Michael Jackson memorabilia (which today Jackson is threatening with lawsuit). [Read more…]
As mentioned last week on the Original Prop Community discussion forum, next month’s “Hollywood Auction 35” held by Profiles in History will include, in addition to memorabilia from the Forry Ackerman Estate, original props and costumes from the latest Friday the 13th film direct from Platinum Dunes Productions. [Read more…]
As reported previously (see “Star Trek: The Experience” to Close September 2008), the long-running CBS Paramount attraction at the Las Vegas Hilton was shut down late last year after more than a decade in operation. Now reports have emerged announcing the return of “The Experience” in early May, at a new downtown Vegas location, Neonopolis Center. [Read more…]
