Softness in the higher priced lots, and in the bidding more generally, dampened the results from the recent Photography Online Only sale at Grisebach in Berlin. All three top lots failed to sell, and with an overall Buy-In rate above 48%, even with a handful of positive surprises, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly €235K) fell well below the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 137 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | €406600 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | €561800 |
| Total Lots Sold | 71 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 66 |
| Buy In % | 48.18% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | €237040 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 126 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 67 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 59 |
| Low Buy In % | 46.83% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | €355800 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | €193225 |
| Mid Total Lots | 11 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 4 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 7 |
| Mid Buy In % | 63.64% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | €206000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | €43815 |
| Total High Lots | 0 |
| Total High Lots Sold | NA |
| Total High Lots Bought In | NA |
| High Buy In % | NA |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | €0 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | €0 |
The top lot by High estimate was tied between three lots, each estimated at €20000-30000: lot 1883, Helmut Newton, Piscine Deligny, Paris, 1976, lot 1888, Helmut Newton, ‘Selfportrait. Valentino Place’ Hollywood, 1986, and lot 1922, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Bay of Sagami, Atami, 1997; none of them found buyers. This dropped the top lot honors down to lot 1898, Bettina Rheims, 7 Novembre – Paris, from the series ”Chambre Close”, 1991, estimated at €7000-9000, sold at €19050 (image above, via Grisebach).
97.18% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were 7 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above, via Grisebach):
Lot 1806, Lewis Baltz, ”SHHHHHH…”, Bank Secrecy, Portrait Roy Lichtenstein, 1995, estimated at €1000-1500, sold at €3175
Lot 1845, Harald Hauswald, Berlin, 1. Mai, 1987, estimated at €800-1200, sold at €4572
Lot 1846, Harald Hauswald, Konzert Bruce Springsteen, Berlin, Weissensee, 1988, estimated at €800-1200, sold at €6096
Lot 1855, Daniel Josefsohn, Dear Helmut, dear George, I also wanted to play with the train set, 2008, estimated at €1800-2200, sold at €4826
Lot 1880, Andreas Mühe, ‘Prora Wiek’, Prora Rügen, 2004, estimated at €3600-4000, sold at €11430
Lot 1881, Andreas Mühe, Egon vorm Haus, 2007, estimated at €800-1200, sold at €4318
Lot 1898, Bettina Rheims, 7 Novembre – Paris, from the series ”Chambre Close”, 1991, estimated at €7000-9000, sold at €19050
Complete lot by lot results can be found here.
