The results from Phillips’ various owner Photographs sale earlier this week in New York were solid and workmanlike. The combination of a respectable overall Buy-In rate (under 25%) and a handful of positive surprises led to Total Sale Proceeds that sat squarely in the middle of the pre-sale estimate range. Taken together with the results from its AIC sale, Phillips’s photography sales brought in the largest aggregate dollar volume during this busy week, besting the totals from Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 218 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $4305500 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $6142500 |
| Total Lots Sold | 165 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 53 |
| Buy In % | 24.31% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $5049000 |
Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 62 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 47 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 15 |
| Low Buy In % | 24.19% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $462500 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $477250 |
| Mid Total Lots | 129 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 102 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 27 |
| Mid Buy In % | 20.93% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $3005000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $2157500 |
| Total High Lots | 27 |
| Total High Lots Sold | 16 |
| Total High Lots Bought In | 11 |
| High Buy In % | 40.74% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | $2675000 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | $2414250 |
The top lot by High estimate was lot 126, Helmut Newton, Private Property: Suites I, II, and III, 1984, estimated at $350000-450000; it was also the top outcome of the sale at $389000.
96.36% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range, and there were a total of 7 surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):
Lot 176, Elliott Erwitt, California, 1955/Later, estimated at $2500-3500, sold at $10000
Lot 178, Elliott Erwitt, Paris, 1989/Later, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $20000
Lt 226, Sally Mann, Candy Cigarette, 1989, estimated at $80000-120000, sold at $257000 (image above, left, via Phillips)
Lot 259, Robert Adams, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1968/1990,estimated at $25000-35000, sold at $81250 (image above, right, via Phillips)
Lot 286, Carrie Mae Weems, Untitled (Woman Playing Solitaire) from The Kitchen Table, 1990, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $62500
Lot 304, Steve McCurry, Sharbat Gula, Afghan Girl, Pakistan, 1984/Later, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $25000
Lot331, Ruud Van Empel, World #8, 2005, estimated at $30000-50000, sold at $118750 (image above, middle, via Phillips)
Complete lot by lot results can be found here.
