The recent online sale of gift-worthy photography at Bonhams didn’t elicit much in the way of generosity. With an overall Buy-In rate over 53% and just a couple of positive surprises, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $190K) didn’t threaten 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 | 181 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $487400 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $711500 |
| Total Lots Sold | 85 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 96 |
| Buy In % | 53.04% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $193818 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 171 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 83 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 88 |
| Low Buy In % | 51.46% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $489500 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $170138 |
| Mid Total Lots | 10 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 2 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 8 |
| Mid Buy In % | 80.00% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $222000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $23680 |
| 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 two lots, both estimated at $30000-40000: lot 334, David Yarrow, Rajasthan, Ranthambore National Park, India, 2019, and lot 358, Guy Bourdin, Mousehole, Charles Jourdan, Autumn 1979, 1979/later; neither lot sold. The top outcome of the sale was lot 335, Steve McCurry, Afghan Girl, Peshawar, Pakistan, 1984/2015, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $15360 (image above, via Bonhams.)
Just 64.71% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 2 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above, via Bonhams):
Lot 311, Frank Horvat, Jardin des Modes, Paris, Halles A (Tan Arnold at Chien qui Fume), 1955/1995, estimated at $1000-1500, sold at $6400
Lot 455, Hollis Frampton & Marion Faller, Selected Images (from ‘Vegetable Locomotion’), 1975, estimated at $1000-1500, sold at $3328
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
