To those outside the publishing industry, the deals that get covered in the press might give the impression that book auctions are as rare as solar eclipses. In fact, they happen with remarkable regularity. But that doesn't mean they're any less nerve-wracking for authors.
Remember Meister Brau beer or Pom Poms candies? How about Collier's magazine, Victrola or General Cinema movie theaters? After a recent auction, those classic names -- and many others -- may soon be going back into business. And more are still awaiting an offer.
An Apple I, one of only 200 computers the company made for its first-ever sales model in 1976, sold at a London auction for about $210,000, the Associated Press reported.
The owners of Manhattan%u2019s landmark Lipstick Building, which housed convicted Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff's opulent offices, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Could new owners make the economics work?
A Chinese vase that spent years in a suburban London household sold for 43 million pounds ($67.8 million) at auction. Including tax and commission, the final price was 53.1 million pounds ($85.8 million).
The world's largest retailer, Walmart Stores, wants to get even larger: It has joined the bidding war for Indonesian retailer Matahari's hypermarket business, Hypermart, a deal that could be worth up to $1 billion, unnamed sources told Reuters on Thursday.
The recent winning bidder for a low-mileage 2008 Ford Escape hybrid may have gotten more than he or she bargained for -- especially if it's dark gray in color. It seems that matches the description of the vehicle President Barack Obama drove prior to his bid to become president of the United States.
As anyone who pays attention to the market can attest, valuation is a delicate dance. And as the recent decision to auction The Catcher in the Rye author's toilet demonstrates, this process is even more pronounced when the commodity is a commode.
