Auctions of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor by Christie’s are the most anticipated ones amongst the upcoming auctions. To expand the reach of the auction and add a new dimension to it Christie’s have added an online only portion to the auctions. This feature will start before the live action and continue through the back to back auctions in December. This section of the auction will feature more than 950 items from the collection. The range selected for this channel is the lower end from the collection in order to make it affordable for a much larger number of bidders. The pre sales estimates made for these items range from $100 to $10,000. The higher valued lots have been reserved for the live auctions to be held in New York City. It is going to be an exciting auction as the lots include apparel, accessories, decorative arts, film memorabilia and both cosmetic and fine jewelry.
Christie’s have been offering the option of real-time online bidding for live auctions since 2006. But this online only feature which is independent of the live auction but complements it is a new initiative and is aimed at reaching a larger base of bidders. This is the first time that Christie’s have offered this feature with their auctions. The online only section features 950 items from the design houses of Chanel, Dior, Halston, Hermès, Oscar de la Renta, Tiziani, Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent. Elizabeth Taylor had a fantastic sense of fashion and remarkable knowledge of fine jewelry and gems.Marc Porter, chairman and president of Christie’s Americas believes that at over 2,000 items strong this collection is of the highest caliber. The collection features one-of-a-kind historic jewels along with the iconic star’s haute couture and ready-to-wear fashions, and her exceptional collection of fine and decorative arts. The collection gains in value because of its association with Elizabeth Taylor. Her aura has not diminished one bit even after her death. Even during her lifetime her magnificent collection of jewelry had been written about often and discussed for its rare qualities.
Christie’s is hopeful that their innovative step of creating the online only component of the auction will attract bidders and collectors from around the world in much larger numbers and will be able to access the collection and participate in the landmark two weeklong event. All the lots that have been selected for the online only auctions will become available on Christie’s website from November 18. Till then a preview of the lots is available on the website of luxury fashion retailer Moda Operandi. The provision for online Registration and bidding on Christie’s website will begin on December 3 and will run through December 17. Elizabeth Taylor had a worldwide appeal and it is only fair that people around the world get the opportunity to own a little memorabilia associated with the star. This online only option is sure to be offered more frequently for important collections that would be auctioned in the future. But to make it appealing to a larger audience the value of the items on offer on this channel will be relatively low. However it is a welcome step taken by Christie’s.
