There wasn’t much holiday cheer to bolster the results of the recent sale of California-themed photographs at Bonhams online. With an overall Buy-In rate topping 60% and almost no positive surprises, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $230K) fell far below the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.

The consistently solid outcomes for the Ansel Adams prints included in the recent Photographs auction at Hindman in Chicago helped propel the sale to a notable outcome. Nearly all of the Adams prints included in the sale sold above their estimate ranges, so even with an overall Buy-In rate above 40%, there was enough momentum to drive the numbers upward. With a few additional positive surprises, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $950K) fell near the top end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.

The results from the Photographs Signature Auction last week at Heritage were generally uneventful. The top lot Robert Mapplethorpe flower print found a buyer below its estimate range, and was tied for the top lot honors with an Ansel Adams moonrise. The overall Buy-In rate inched up near 35%, and with just 1 positive surprise and too many of the lots that did sell doing so below their estimates, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $825K) came in below the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.

Aside from weakness in the top price tier, where both lots failed to sell, the Fine Photographs sale at Swann last week generally performed to expectations. The overall Buy-In rate was a bit too high (topping 32%), but a number of positive surprises helped counteract the passed lots. In the end, the Total Sale Proceeds (of just over $1M) came in just below the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.

A top lot that didn’t sell, an overall Buy-In rate over 52%, and no positive surprises combined to torpedo the results from the recent Photographs sale at Sotheby’s. The softness was felt in all three price tiers, but particularly in the highest priced offerings. When the tally was complete, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $1.06M) fell well below the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.

Even with more than a dozen positive surprises, the results from the photographs sale at Swann last week were largely uneventful. The top lot Helmut Newton print found a buyer within its estimate range and the overall Buy-In rate hovered in the mid-thirties, neither strong nor particularly weak. Softness in the higher priced lots ultimately dragged the numbers down a bit, with the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $975K) falling below the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.

A bit of softness in the top price tier was just enough to dampen the results of the Photographs sale at Christie’s last week. The overall Buy-In rate for the sale was a respectable 20% and there were plenty of positive surprises sprinkled throughout the sale, but a few passes in those pricier lots kept the Total Sale Proceeds tally (of roughly $2M) from picking up speed, ending up just above the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.

It was an altogether solid outing for Phillips at its Photographs sale earlier this week in New York. The top two lots both sold above their estimates, only to be topped by another Ansel Adams print. The overall Buy-In rate was a svelte 10% and with more than a dozen positive surprises to juice the numbers, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $6.4M) came in above the top end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.

The results from the Photographs Signature Auction earlier this week at Heritage were generally uneventful. The top lot Ansel Adams print found a buyer within its estimate range, and the overall Buy-In rate settled in at a respectable 22%. In the end, a few too many of the lots that did sell did so below their estimates, leading to Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $875K) which came in meaningfully underneath the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.

The results from the recent Photographs sale at Hindman in Chicago were generally underwhelming. The two top lot Diane Arbus prints underperformed (one failing to sell, the other selling under its low estimate), and with an overall Buy-In rate of 40% and few positive surprises, the Total Sale Proceeds (of roughly $250K) fell well below the low end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.... Read more at Collector Daily.