The world’s largest flower auction and flower market is Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer (VBA) in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. Every weekday approximately 19 million flowers and 2 million plants of over 12,000 varieties are sold with a daily turnover of €6 million ($7.2 million, £4 million). The total area of the building covers 999,000 m² (10 million ft²) which is equal to 165 soccer fields.
The VBA has a network of 7,000 growers who provide the plants/flowers and almost 1,400 buyers who export them. Approximately 85% of the goods are exported that day to European countries and 10% go to USA. Imports generally come from Africa, Europe and Scandinavia. The auctioning takes place using 13 clocks in five auction rooms handling 55,000 transactions per day.
A system known as ‘Dutch clock auction’ is used, whereby the auctioneer sets the starting price high and prices then go down until a buyer pushes a button to freeze the price. The risk being wait too long and another buyer will get the goods, but press too soon and the buyer might pay too much. The VBA was established in 1968, following a merger of two Aalsmeer auctions: Veiling Bloemenlust and Centrale Aalsmeerse. These auctions themselves began in Aalsmeer in 1911/1912 where growers would gather in a cafe and sell their produce.
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History of Auctioneering
The most expensive car sold at auction is a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which sold for $142,769,250 (£115.1 million; €135.1 million) including premium and was auctioned by Sotheby’s in Stuttgart, Germany, on 5 May 2022.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, of which, only 2 models have been created by the German manufacturer, was sold at a ‘secret auction’ at the manufacturer’s brand museum in Suttgart. The auction was brokered by Sotheby’s and the winning bidder chose to stay anonymous.
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In August 2003, Joni Rimm (USA) paid $50,000 (£31,000) at a charity auction for the privilege of one kiss with Hollywood actress Sharon Stone. Sharon auctioned the kiss in aid of Project Angel Foods – a Los Angeles based charity providing free meals for people with HIV and AIDS.
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The most expensive sandals sold at auction is $218,00 (£184,765) and was achieved by Steve Jobs’s Birkenstock sandals, worn in the 1970s and 1980s, which was sold at Julien’s Auction, in Beverly Hills, California, USA, on 13 November 2022. The auction house predicted to sell the sandals for $60,000, but the final sale price with an accompanying NFT was $218,750.
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Source: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/726530-most-expensive-sandals-sold-at-auction
The most expensive glove sold at auction was sold for $420,000 (£267,879) and was bought by Ponte 16 Resort (China) in New York, New York, USA, on 21 November 2009. The glove belonged to Michael Jackson and is now on display at the MJ Gallery at Ponte 16 in Macau, China. The auction was conducted by Julien’s Auctions (USA) at the Hard Rock Cafe at Times Square in Manhattan.
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The most expensive motorcycle ever sold at auction is the “Captain America” Harley-Davidson Panhead, ridden by Peter Fonda’s character Wyatt in Easy Rider (USA, 1969). It was sold as part of an auction of Hollywood entertainment memorabilia in Los Angeles, California, USA, on 18 October 2014, for US$1.35 million (approximately £836,000 at the time).
With its distinctive stars-and-stripes tear-drop fuel tank, chrome pipe work and chopper forks and handle bars, the bike was custom-built by bike builders Cliff Vaughs and Ben Hardy, based on design suggestions by Fonda himself.
Although one of several made for filming, the bike sold at auction is believed to be the only one surviving today.
According to the auction catalogue text, the bike was restored by actor Dan Haggerty (famous for acting in 1974’s The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams) before selling to collector Michael Eisenberg, who in turn sold it at the 2014 Los Angeles auction.
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The highest price paid for a thoroughbred race horse at public auction is $16 million (then £9.1 million) for a two-year-old, then unnamed colt, who had yet to even race. The Forestry colt was bought through an agent, Demi O’Byrne (Ireland), in the auction held at Calder Race Course, Florida, USA on 28 February 2006.
The bay colt, (with a white blaze) was bred in Florida, USA and sold at auction the year before (July 2005) for $425,000 (then £244,000).
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A brioche was sold at auction at the Reve d’un Soir event in aid of Kids, London, UK for £4000 ($7,838) to Lady Aliai Forte (UK) on 1 February 2007.
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The highest ever auction price for a violon cello is £;682,000 ($ 1,217,711) paid at Sothebys, London, UK on 22 June 1988 for a Stradivarius known as The Cholmondeley, which was made in Cremona, Italy c. 1698.
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The most expensive photograph sold at auction is Le Violon d’Ingres (1924) by Man Ray (USA), which sold for $12,412,500 (£10,156,156 / €11,939,832), on 14 May 2022.
The black and white image overlays a violin and a woman’s naked body. It was sold by Christie’s auction house and greatly surpassed its expected sale price of $5-7m.
The item had previously belonged to art collectors Rosalind Gersten Jacobs and Melvin Jacobs.
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Source: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-photograph-sold-at-auction
The most expensive guitar sold at auction is Kurt Cobain’s ‘MTV Unplugged’ guitar, and was purchased by Peter Freedman (Australia) for $6,010,000 (£4,815,430; €5,352,000) at Julien’s auctions in Los Angeles, California, USA on 19 June 2020.
The modified, left-handed 1959 Martin D-18E was used by Cobain in the recording of Nirvana’s iconic MTV unplugged performace in November 1993.
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Source: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-guitar-sold-at-auction