Heritage Auctions is reporting another record year of sales. The report states that Heritage sold $860 million in property during 2012. Coin sales was the largest sector for Heritiage with $218.68 million in sales. Fine art and dec arts were also strong, showing a 20% and 32% increase in sales respectively. Other strong categories were luxury items, books and comic books.
As I reported last week, Chirstie's continues to show strong growth and continued record sales along with aggressive marketing and new web based sales options. We are still waiting for Sotheby's to release their financials, but expectations are for around $4.4 billion in 2012 sales, down 12% from 2011.
Heritage reports
Source: Heritage Auctions“Diversification and has been key to our success,” Ivy said. “We’re proud to offer Heritage as a one-stop trusted platform for selling diversified, high value collections and estates. We’re the largest auction house capable of delivering success to every aspect of a collection and are honored to help so many wonderful consignors attain record prices for their precious objects.”
Heritage retained its title as the world’s largest seller of sports memorabilia in 2012 after closing the year with more than $19.24 million in sales. In August, Heritage offered a set of baseball cards from 1910 popularly referred to as the “Black Swamp Find.” Found covered in soot in an attic in Defiance, Ohio, the first 37 cards brought $566,131. In May, Heritage auctioned the baseball that rolled between the legs of first baseman Bill Buckner at the 1986 World Series, allowing the New York Mets to win in the 10th inning, for $418,250.
It also was a record year for sales of rare books and manuscripts, with $7.27 million, led by impressive growth in Weekly Internet Rare Books auctions.
Heritage’s budding Luxury Accessories department redefined the category in 2012 with $5.12 million in sales, including a record $3.2 million Handbags & Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction, featuring the world’s most exclusive handbag: an Hermès Diamond Birkin, which realized more than $100,000. Luxury Weekly Vintage Internet auctions realized $677,000+ – delivering an average of $700 per lot sold in 2012 and establishing itself as a seamless and affordable entry point to the market.
During 2012, Heritage again invested in technology to make bidding easier on HA.com and though HeritageLive!, its proprietary bidding software. Clients may now sign in using PayPal, the most popular payment methods used by collectors on mobile devices. Clients also may now request text messages to their smartphones when lots they are bidding on, tracking or consigning are coming up for auction.
The growth has sparked expansion in staff at the firm’s Dallas headquarters as well as its locations in New York, San Francisco and Beverly Hills. Additional positions have recently opened in the areas of 20th Century Design, Vintage Firearms, Trusts & Estates and Coins and Currency.
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