Latest news with #privatecollector
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rare Hulk stretch toy sells for thousands of pounds at auction
A stretch toy of Marvel's The Hulk, which has been described as one of the 'rarest stretch toys in existence', has sold for thousands of pounds, according to Excalibur Auctions. The figure, which appears to be one of only 30 known examples of the original Hulk stretch figure from 1979 known to still exist, was sold to a private collector on Saturday at the Excalibur Auctions Vintage Toys, Diecast Models & Model Railways auction for £3,900. Originally estimated between £3,000 and £5,000, the final sale set a new record in the UK for 'a figure of its kind', according to the auction house. Jonathan Torode, from Excalibur Auctions, said: 'We were excited to offer this rare piece of nostalgia today, which set a UK auction record for a figure of its kind. 'We saw competitive bidding on the phones and internet, with it finally winning out to a UK private collector, where we hope it will be as cherished by its new owner as much as it has been by its previous one.' The character the toy is based on was created by the American comic book writer and producer Stan Lee and comic artist Jack Kirby, appearing in comic form for the first time in May 1962 under the Marvel name. He was later portrayed across TV, film, cartoon and video games as The Incredible Hulk – the alter ego of the physicist Dr Bruce Banner, who transformed into the superhero when he was angry or under extreme stress. A range of actors have since portrayed the character over the years, including Eric Bana in The Hulk (2003), Edward Norton in The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Mark Ruffalo in The Avengers (2012). The toy was described as being in 'mint' condition after being kept out of the light, upright, and in its original packaging over the years. The Hulk figure also came with its original instructions and has never been offered for sale since it was bought in 1979, according to the auction house. Produced by renowned toymaker Denys Fisher (1918-2002), the figure came directly from its original owner who had begged his mother for one as a child. It was originally part of Kenner's 'Stretch Armstrong' line and was later licensed under Denys Fisher in the UK. Fisher, who developed the Spirograph, grew up in the Leeds area and later lived in Dumfries and Cumbria. The Hulk stretch figure was filled with corn syrup to enable it to stretch and was made using the same latex and gel moulds as those used for the Stretch Armstrong figure. However, its green skin colouring, the Hulk head and the Marvel branding set it apart from the Stretch Armstrong toy. Manufactured in Thorp Arch, Wetherby, the toy was sold in limited quantities only in the UK, through select mail order catalogues and a handful of shops.
Free Malaysia Today
15-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
US$10mil bag: original Birkin smashes records at auction
The original Birkin crafted for celebrity Jane Birkin, 1985. (Sotheby's pic) PARIS : The first-ever Birkin bag designed by French luxury brand Hermes for celebrity Jane Birkin sold for 8.58 million euros at a Sotheby's auction in Paris on Thursday, smashing previous price records for a handbag. The modern design classic, owned by a Paris-based handbag collector, sparked a telephone bidding war up to seven million euros, with the final sale price set at 8.58 million with commission and fees, the Sotheby's website showed. 'After weeks of anticipation, the bidding opened at 1 million euros – prompting a gasp from the room,' Sotheby's said in a statement. The final buyer, who eclipsed eight other rivals, was a 'private collector from Japan', the auction house added, without giving further details. The previous record price for a handbag at auction was set by a diamond-encrusted crocodile skin Hermes Kelly 28, which fetched US$513,000 in 2021 at Christie's in Hong Kong. Sotheby's had advised that the Birkin prototype was expected to beat that level during its sale. But the staggering price tag for a well-worn item is in keeping with the fashion world's recent flashy aesthetics. After years of so-called 'quiet luxury' dominating catwalks, designers have embraced more ostentatious looks in recent seasons that have been dubbed 'boom boom' by some trend forecasters. Modern-day Birkin bags are offered by Hermes to loyal clients, with prices starting at around US$10,000. 'Nostalgic' The original Birkin has changed hands twice since being put up for sale by Birkin at an auction in 1994 where the proceeds went to an AIDS charity, according to Sotheby's. Thursday's sale represents an extraordinary pay day for owner Catherine Benier, who has a boutique in the upmarket 6th district in Left Bank Paris. She said she was 'astonished at the result' in a statement sent by Sotheby's. 'I'm already very nostalgic at the thought of knowing the bag is no longer mine but extremely happy it has found a new loving home,' she added. She told The New York Times before the sale that the bag, which she bought at auction 25 years ago, was the 'jewel in my collection'. The bag is now the second-most expensive fashion item ever sold at auction, Sotheby's said. The record was established by a pair of ruby red slippers worn by actor Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz in 1939, which sold for US$32.5 million in 2024 in Dallas, Texas. 'Many years of use' The birth of the Birkin bag has become a modern fashion legend. During a Paris-London flight, the singer and film star – who died in 2023 – complained to fellow traveller Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermes, about not being able to find a bag suited to her needs as a young mother. The result of their conversation was a spacious tote with room for baby bottles, created in 1984 and named the Birkin. The prototype, which Birkin regularly carried with her and customised with stickers, is engraved with the initials J.B. and has several unique features, including closed metal rings, a non-detachable shoulder strap and a built-in nail clipper. Its condition 'reflects the many years of use by the actress and singer', Sotheby's said beforehand. A slightly differently sized version of the original has become the flagship product of the immensely profitable family-owned Hermes ever since. Produced in very limited numbers, the bag has maintained an aura of exclusivity and is beloved by celebrities from the Kardashians, Jennifer Lopez to Victoria Beckham. Frustrated fashionistas in America even sued Hermes in a class-action suit in California last year after they were refused access to the bags. Birkin had a sometimes strained relationship with Hermes, once threatening to take her name off the bags because of the group's treatment of crocodiles whose skins are used for its products. The former wife of French singing legend Serge Gainsbourg championed a host of causes, including animal rights.
South China Morning Post
11-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
First Birkin bag made by Hermès sells for record US$10 million at Paris auction
Read more about this: The first-ever Birkin bag designed by French luxury brand Hermès for celebrity Jane Birkin sold for €8.58 million (US$10 million) at a Sotheby's auction in Paris on July 10, 2025, smashing previous price records for a handbag. The final buyer, who outbid eight other rivals, was a 'private collector from Japan', the auction house added, without giving further details. The previous record price for a handbag at auction was set by a diamond-encrusted crocodile-skin Hermès Kelly 28, which fetched US$513,000 in 2021 at Christie's in Hong Kong.
