Ghandi’s Zenith Pocket Watch Sold at NY Auction

JCK Online reports that Mahatma Gandhi’s pocket watch and personal belongings realized just under $2.1 million as part of the Antiquorum Auctioneers sale of Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, Pocket Watches & Clocks, held March 4 and 5 in New York.

The auction as a whole took in $8.7 million. More than 500 online bidders, in addition to room and telephone bidders, bought modern and vintage watches at 142 percent of their low estimate resulting in 75 percent of all lots sold, the auction said in a statement. Gandhi’s pocket watch, sandals, glasses, bowl, and thali were sold for $2.096 million to what the auction house described as a “prominent Indian businessman who intends is to bring the items back to India for permanent public display.”

“Despite continued global economic concern, we have achieved tremendous results for our first auction of 2009,” said Evan Zimmermann, Antiquorum president and chief executive officer.

“Antiquorum is pleased that the objects attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest spiritual and political leaders of the 20th-century, will be returning to India, added Robert Maron, Antiquorum chairman. “We know that this was the hope of the Indian people, as well as many others around the world.”

The auction also included a watch belonging to both U.S. president John F. Kennedy and Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis. Known as the Kennedy Onassis watch, it is the only known item connecting JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Aristotle Onassis. It fetched $120,000.

Another watch of great significance in the sale was the Patek Philippe Henry Grave’s platinum minute repeater, which sold for $630,000. The watch belonged to the late Henry Graves Jr. who inspired Patek Philippe to create some of its most complicated watches to date.

In addition, the “Giuseppe Bonanno” 1950’s Patek Philippe watch sold for sold for $36,000. Bonanno was an original member of the “Commission” whose purpose was to establish rule by consensus amongst the New York crime families and is thought to be the inspiration for the character of Vito Corleone in Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather.”

Several other Patek Philippe timepieces achieved excellent results, including: The Ref. 5016 in yellow gold, lot 536, fetched $ 494,000; the “TV Watch” in white gold, Ref. 5020 (lot 526), sold for $180,000; the Ref. 3970 in white gold (lot 525) attained $ 108,000; and the yellow gold “Celestial” wristwatch (lot 120), which sold for $186,000.

An Audemars Piguet watch, the “End of Days,” (lot 435) sold for $ 42,000. A Cartier Art deco desk alarm clock sold for $32,400, three times its’ pre-sale estimate.

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Do you have a mechanical timepiece or used watch that you are looking to sell in San Diego? If so, read this article before approaching a buyer: San Diego Tips: Selling Your Used Watch.

SDJB, Timothy Meier, & Green Gold

San Diego Jewelry Buyers (SDJB) has teamed up with local award-winning designer Timothy Meier to provide “green” (eco-friendly) fine jewelry to San Diego residents. San Diego and Southern California residents can bring their used gold jewelry into SDJB’s shop, located in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego, and receive cash for it today. Read more

Demand for Gold Bullion Coins Soars

Reuters (London) is reporting demand for gold coins has risen sharply, according to mints around the world, as interest in the precious metal soars on the back of financial instability and concerns over the inflation outlook. The Royal Canadian Mint, which produces Maple Leaf bullion coins, said it quadrupled its production capacity late last year as demand for gold and silver bullion products leapt. Read more

California Gold Scams On The Rise

John Asbury for The Press-Enterprise of Riverside writes that gold scams are on the rise in California. Asbury gives one example of how a a woman was approached to buy a gold bar outside a Southern California Wal-Mart, she thought she was getting a bargain. Instead, she ended up with a polished hunk of metal. Read more

Gold Buying Parties

National Jeweler reports that the tough economic times, in combination with high metal prices, have people around the country gathering at gold parties to sell their old gold jewelry.

Folks in the media have been comparing the gold-buying parties to recession-era Tupperware parties, resulting in cash for participants, who are choosing to clean out their jewelry boxes as the price of gold rises above $900 an ounce.

According to news reports, the parties begin with guests bringing unwanted jewelry, watches and coins to a host’s house. The host, with the help of companies that are mining the trend like MyGoldParty.com, the Gold Refinery and Nassau Buyers, then tests the gold content and weighs the items, and pays out a certain percentage to guests based on the price of gold that day.

A percentage also goes to the party host, the party representative and the refinery that eventually ends up with the gold and melts it down, according to news reports. In addition to much-needed money, the parties also provide a safe haven, and a social outlet, for consumers looking to cash in on high gold prices but unsure about entering a jewelry store.

According to an Associated Press report of a gold-buying party held in Granby, Conn., one participant said, “It’s terrific because it’s a little bit intimidating to think about walking into the jewelry store, even though they may be heavily advertising it, and, you know, to someone that you don’t know and turning over your valuables to them.”

While gold parties can indeed be fun, San Diego consumers should be aware that the buying offers you get at such parties will most likely be less than at a reputable San Diego gold buyer, since the person who is throwing the party is taking a percentage off the top, which means less cash in your pocket.

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If you decide that a gold buying party isn’t for you and you plan on approaching a San Diego gold buyer with your gold jewelry, then you want to be prepared. Before going to a potential buyer, read this article: 7 Questions to Ask Your Gold Buyer

7 Quick Questions to Ask Your Gold Buyer

San Diego Jewelry Buyers has announced the publication of a new education article appearing on their online Knowledge pages for consumers wanting to sell gold, fine jewelry, diamonds, and timepieces. Titled “7 Quick Questions to Ask Your Gold Buyer,” the article intends to help consumers avoid many of the pitfalls that have been recently documented by investigative news programs, where gold buyers have been engaging in dubious practices to buy gold from sellers for far less than what they deserve.

“Over the past year, there have been literally hundreds of new people and companies getting into the gold buying business,” says Alan Blyler, a spokesperson for San Diego Jewelry Buyers. According to Blyler, while some of these gold buyers are upstanding and follow industry accepted practices, many more, especially some of the big online outfits, are engaging in practices that long-time gold buyers do not support.

For example, some gold jewelry buyers immediately offer a customer a higher amount when he or she rejects the company’s first buying offer; and then a higher cash amount again when that person rejects their second offer. “An upstanding gold buyer will give you their best buying offer right from the start. Period,” says Blyler.

One sample from San Diego Jewelry Buyers “7 Quick Questions to Ask Your Gold Buyer” is the following:

How much are you paying per gram today for 14 karat gold (or 10K, or
18K, etc.)?

CORRECT ANSWER: According to today’s market price of gold, we are paying ___ per gram for 14K gold (or 10K, or 18K, etc.).

REASON: Some gold buyers will use deceptive techniques in order to get you into their store. For example, they might say, “Today’s gold price is ___ per gram.” Then when you come in they will explain that the price they quoted you on the phone was what they sell gold for, not what they buy it for. They do this in hopes of capturing a certain number of people who will still go through with the transaction despite the “misunderstanding.”

To read the rest of SDJB’s essential questions to ask a gold buyer, please visit their website at: SanDiegoJewelryBuyers.com

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Looking for more information about people’s personal experiences with gold buyers, and why you should compare before choosing one? Then check out this good news article: It Pays to Compare Gold Buyers.