Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'auction'

Study Suggests Buying Toxic Assets Could Work

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:09:00 EST

Purchasing toxic assets from banks is still the fairest way to save the American economy, say two University of Maryland economics professors. To prove it, they had a group of graduate students take part in what's known as a reverse auction.

Economic Concerns Affect Art Market

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Recent art auctions in New York and London have resulted in weak bids and withdrawn pieces. A commodity once thought to be recession-proof is showing signs of vulnerability. But some insiders say that may not be altogether bad.

Beatles' Eleanor Rigby May Be Revealed

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

The mystery around Eleanor Rigby, the main character in one of the Beatles' biggest hit songs, may be solved. The previously believed-to-be fictional character may have actually lived in the Beatles' hometown of Liverpool. A 97-year-old document for auction in London later this month may contain clues to Rigby's identity. Alex Cohen talks with the current owner of the document, Annie Mawson.

Art Auctions Watched For Economic Fall-Out

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:51:00 EST

Two big contemporary art auctions in New York City this week are being closely watched to see how much the financial crisis will affect the high-end art market. Sarah Thornton, author of the new book Seven Days in the Art World discusses what's happening, money-wise, in the art world.

'Inverted Jenny' Stamp On Auction Block

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:26:00 EDT

The stamp — which features an upside-down biplane — will be sold this week by the Robert Siegel Auction Galleries in New York City. Though a similar stamp sold for nearly $1 million last year, this one is not centered and is not expected to fetch as much.

Paul McCartney's Wax Head Left Behind On Train

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:47:00 EDT

Just in time for Halloween: A wax head of singer Paul McCartney is on the loose. The mop-topped likeness came from a wax museum at a seaside resort in England. A London auctioneer had taken it — in a cardboard box — to be appraised. And then left the box under a train seat somewhere between London and Reading. There's a reward for the head of Sir Paul, whose whereabouts remained something of a magical mystery.

Buying Bob Hope's Stuff

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT

When the comedian died in 2003 at the age of 100, he left behind almost a century of stuff: signed photos, golf clubs, cuff links from presidents, costumes, and golf sweaters. This weekend, a lot of those items are on the auction block.

Northeast States Trade Carbon Emission Credits

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:46:00 EDT

A consortium of Northeast states has completed the first cap-and-trade greenhouse gas auction in the U.S. Under cap-and-trade, limits are set on emissions. Companies that do not use up their quota of emissions are able to sell their excess emission capacity to other companies.

Polluters Required To Pay For Greenhouse Gases

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:20:00 EDT

Big power companies in Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut will be required to buy allowances for every ton of gas their plant emits. The auction of greenhouse gas allowances is part of a plan to start reducing carbon emissions. Four other states—New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Delaware, will participate in later auctions.

Saving Superman's House: Comic Book Fans Unite

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:56:00 EDT

In 1986, the city of Cleveland declared the house where Jerry Siegel thought up the Superman character to be a landmark. But today, the house is falling apart — and a group of high-profile fans is trying to save it, by auctioning art and other work.

Hearst Castle Auctions One-Night Stay

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Perched above the Pacific Ocean, California's Hearst Castle is a monument to its builder, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. An invitation to stay in one of its 56 bedrooms was highly coveted. Now, you can join the ranks of Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant and Winston Churchill. To raise money, the Hearst Castle — now a state park — will auction off a night's stay, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Why eBay Wants To Be Amazon

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

EBay may soon be giving up the gavel as the world's biggest online auction site. The company is announcing a major overhaul that would make it easier for merchants to sell items for a fixed price. We examine the company's shift to a business model that emphasizes buying over bidding.

Queen Victoria's Bloomers Auctioned

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:05:00 EDT

A pair of knickers once worn by Queen Victoria was sold at auction this week for about $9,000. The bloomers date from the 1890s, are hand-made, and are embossed VR, for Victoria Regina.

Freddie Mac Seeks $3 Billion In Auction

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Monday, the troubled mortgage giant will try to raise $3 billion in a securities sale, but the big question is whether or not investors will front the money. NPR's Jim Zarroli talks to host Andrea Seabrook about the steps the federal government might take if the Freddie Mac sale falls short of its goal.

Tony Soprano Outfits Auctioned for Charity

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:51:00 EDT

This week, 25 outfits worn by James Gandolfini in The Sopranos were auctioned off to benefit the Wounded Warrior project, a group that aids troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Economy Leaves No Mark on Art Collectors' Canvas

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:11:00 EDT

An $80 million auction sale of a work by Claude Monet illustrates that while most ordinary people are cutting out non-essential spending, wealthy art collectors aren't. The weak dollar is one reason why a very small group of ultra-rich buyers is keeping the high-end art market alive.

Marlene Dumas Pushes 'Grave' Limits

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Dumas became the highest paid living female artist in 2005 when one of her paintings sold at auction for $3.4 million. She gets introspective about being blonde and painting another famous blonde, Marilyn Monroe, post-autopsy.

Early Phone Book Sells at Auction

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EDT

One of the earliest phone books — published in New Haven, Conn., in 1878 — has sold at auction for $170. The slender volume included what would become the Yellow Pages, and some of the businesses that advertised then still exist ... including the Yale Daily News.

1878 Phone Book Up for Auction. That Is All

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Somebody might pay tens of thousands of dollars at this week's auction of an 1878 phone book from New Haven, Conn. Recipients of the directory got the following instructions on how to use the phone: Begin calls by saying, "Hulloa!" Keep conversations to three minutes. Report anyone using profanity. And end the conversation by declaring, "That is All."

Tiny 'Harry Potter' Prequel Sells for $48,000

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EDT

J.K. Rowling performed a piece of authorial wizardry for a good cause. She penned an 800-word prequel to her Harry Potter series for a charity auction. The handwritten tale, crammed onto a piece of paper about the size of a postcard, went for more than $48,000. And thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can read it online for free.

The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Wine

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:07:00 EDT

In 1985, a single bottle of wine purported to be from Thomas Jefferson's own cellar was sold at auction for $156,000. Benjamin Wallace traces the mystery surrounding the bottle in The Billionaire's Vinegar.

Marketplace Report: Hospitals Turn to Debt Agencies

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Some hospitals are auctioning patient debt to online collection agencies. Consumer advocates call this a harsh tactic that fails to address the real problem: rising healthcare costs and the lack of a national healthcare system.

Give Money a Chance

Sat, 31 May 2008 16:00:00 EDT

John Lennon scribbled the lyrics to his anti-Vietnam War song "Give Peace a Chance" on a piece of cardboard during his bed-in protest in Montreal in 1969. At the protest, the Beatle befriended a doe-eyed teenager named Gail Renard, and eventually gave her the handwritten lyrics. The teenager, now all grown up, is preparing to auction off the lyrics, which are estimated to sell for up to a half-million dollars. She talks with Guy Raz.

High-End Homes Sold as Art

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:37:00 EDT

With the housing market in shambles, certain properties are being pitched with more than "charming" and "must see inside." They're being auctioned as art. Of course, it helps when they have a name like Richard Neutra or Louis Kahn attached to them. A house designed by Neutra was auctioned off by Christie's last week for $15 million (it had been estimated at $25 million) and a Louis Kahn (one of his few house designs that was actually built) went on the block Sunday. Alex Schmidt of member station WHYY reports.

L.A. Developer Sells 22 Houses in Single Auction

Tue, 20 May 2008 08:27:00 EDT

A stressed builder in Los Angeles County managed to dodge the bullet and sell almost two dozen houses in single day, with an old-fashion strategy: an auction.