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<p>Acquiring the greatest of the best is a matter of sheer luxury for some collectors. So, to take it to the next level, why not go for a noteworthy number plate if you already have a fantastic collection of vintage cars or stable of elite speed machines? To most of us, a vehicle licence plate is a simple stamped piece of metal with an identification number. But to the connoisseur, it is a gateway to prestige and swagger.</p>



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<p>In Hong Kong, you don’t have to be a big spender to score a PVRM (personalised vehicle registration mark). At a government auction held at the beginning of the year, HK$11,000 (US$1,400) was paid for the EL0NMUSK plate. Other attention-grabbing car licence plates included BAD G1RL, LATTE and SHADYB1Z. The registration mark 1 HH scored the highest bid, earning HK$115,000 (US$14,700) for the Transport Department.</p>



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<p>It is at the next gear of the game when prices start to accelerate and it is a hot market. Millions of dollars have been paid by Hong Kong residents for a single desired plate. The number 18 sold for HK$16.5 million (US$ 2.1 million) in 2008, and 28 fetched $18.1 million (US$ 2.3 million) in 2016.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="476" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/9_p.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-76430" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/9_p.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/9_p-200x124.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/9_p-452x280.jpg 452w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>That sounds like a wildly exorbitant amount of money (and it is) for a small metal plate, but there’s no mystery why those big bucks changed hands. In Cantonese, ‘28’ sounds similar to the words for ‘easy’ and ‘to prosper’, so the number is thought to bring good fortune to its owner.</p>



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<p>A plate with just the letter R – considered to have positive connotations in Chinese fortunetelling – was sold this year for HK$25.5 million (US$3.2 million). This is just shy of the record price for a PVRM, which was achieved in 2021 when a bidder paid HK$26 million (US$3.3 million) for a plate with the sole letter W.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Top Down’s Top-Up</h3>



<p>For some, a rare licence plate is a declaration of stature. A single-digit plate can say more about social standing than a garage full of expensive cars. Vanity licence plates also have sentimental value for owners. Property tycoon Cecil Chao bought his CEC1L plate for a comparatively low price of about HK$20,000 (US$2,550) in 2007. It currently adorns his burgundy and silver Rolls-Royce.</p>



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<p>Additionally, Chao owns a Bentley with the letters CHAO inscribed front and back and a convertible Rolls-Royce bearing the number 4. Four is an unfortunate number in Cantonese and Mandarin because it sounds like the word for ‘death’, but not for the Shanghai-born magnate. He notes: “In Shanghainese, number four (sounds like) ‘happiness’ ¬– this is my philosophy of life.”</p>


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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Registration Rush</h3>



<p>The Hong Kong Transport Department has auctioned off more than 40,000 PVRMs since 2006, with starting bids of HK$5,000 (US$640). Interested parties must first find out if the department’s which can have a maximum of eight characters (including spaces). After the registration mark is approved, it is put up for auction.</p>



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<p>Every January, May and September since the PVRM scheme was introduced in 2006, auctions have been held for personalised marks and more conventional licence-plate numbers to be sold to the highest bidders. From there, it became a phenomenon of its own. Are we a trailblazer in this aspect? Definitely. Is the rest of the world laughing at us? Maybe.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="477" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DEBORAH_p.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-76432" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DEBORAH_p.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DEBORAH_p-200x124.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DEBORAH_p-451x280.jpg 451w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Need for Deed</h3>



<p>Local celebrities and businesspeople want to add a PVRM to their vehicles to make them more unique. Since the scheme’s inception more than 15 years ago, a large number of licence-plate combinations have been sold at auction for prices that are nothing short of astounding. Whether or not the superstitious owners of lucky registration marks requirements are met by their proposed plate. The letters I, O and Q are prohibited from being included in licence plates, will actually experience good fortune is unknown, but the Hong Kong charities that benefit from these sales are undoubtedly better off. Funds raised through the auction of vehicle registration marks after the deduction of operation expenses go to the Lotteries Fund, a government body that finances social welfare projects and services through grants, loans and advances.</p>



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<p>So why is this an instant phenomenon? It’s quite likely to be a guilt thing. As one of the billionaire cities of the world, Hong Kong has no shortage of ultra-rich individuals. According to a marketing study titled ‘Licensing Effect in Consumer Choice’, people who behave or feel altruistically are more likely to go on to purchase luxury products because of subconscious moral self-licensing ¬– giving to others makes people feel less guilty about getting something for themselves. It becomes easier to justify the purchase of a luxury item after a charitable act.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="428" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Beatles_p.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-76433" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Beatles_p.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Beatles_p-200x111.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Beatles_p-502x280.jpg 502w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Feeling Lucky</h3>



<p>But there’s also cultural reasoning behind the acquisition of personalised plates. Though Hong Kong is considered to be one of the first pioneering modern cities, it has long clung to many of the traditions and superstitions of its cultural heritage. Performing ‘lucky’ actions gives people a sense of control. Religion, science and superstition can help us feel less anxious and more comfortable in a world that seems increasing out of control. Hong Kong is not a particularly religious place, so to feel better, there’s a need to rely on either science or superstition.</p>



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<p>The city’s superstitious beliefs are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Superstitions may be updated over time when people know better how certain things work, but there is no anticipation that these beliefs will go away completely. Since people can never have full control over their life, swearing by the use of lucky numbers, phrases and customs is here to stay. Hence, if and when desirable licence plates like multiple 8s come up for auction, records will be smashed.</p>



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<p>And of course, there’s always the cool factor as a motivation for splashing out – where you get to flaunt your unique number plate around the city. Given the slow pace of progress through heavy traffic, especially during rush hour, plenty of people will have time to admire it.</p>


Prime Numbers: In Hong Kong, a personalised car registration puts you on the fast track to prestige

<p>A piece of painting, an automobile or anything that has an interesting story and history to it always becomes a priced possession and dominates in the auction world. To add to it, if the bidding item is completed with great craftsmanship, it is always bought for millions.</p>
<p><strong>Passionate CLINCH</strong></p>
<p>Woman sculptor inspired by ancient poem</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70712 size-full" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Claudel1_p-e1680746759358.jpg" alt="great craftsmanship" width="500" height="603"></p>
<p>Camille Claudel’s L’Abandon sold for £831,600 (about US$1.01 million) at a Christie’s sale of Impressionist and Modern Art in London, beating out two sculptures by Auguste Rodin, briefly her collaborator and lover, for the auction top spot. Cast in bronze by Eugène Blot in 1905, the work is hailed as the French figurative sculptor’s breakthrough. Born in Fère-en-Tardenois, a rural village between Paris and Reims, Claudel’s mother told her any desires to become an artist were ‘unladylike’. Her father, however, presented some of her early work to a neighbour: the sculptor Alfred Boucher. Impressed, he became the girl’s mentor, and following his advice, the family moved to Paris in 1881. Claudel enrolled at the Académie Colarossi – a progressive art school that admitted women. In 1886, she began working on L’Abandon, a sculpture of an embracing couple inspired by the ancient Sanskrit poem Sakuntala. Exhibited in plaster at the 1888 Salon des Artistes Français, it won an honourable mention. The critic André Michel praised its “profound feeling of tenderness both chaste and passionate, an impression of quivering, of restrained ardour”</p>
<p><strong>Top table</strong></p>
<p>Italian dining furniture attracts huge bid</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70713 size-full" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/table101_p-e1680746841331.jpg" alt="great craftsmanship" width="500" height="621"></p>
<p>A magnificent Italian ormolu, white marble and semi-precious hardstone-inlaid centre table went for a healthy US$1.5 million at the widely-anticipated auction of Modern Medici: Masterpieces from a New York Collection held by Christie’s. One of the sale’s shining highlights, this bejewelled piece of furniture is a prime example of early 19th-century Italian craftsmanship – an elegantly sculptured base expertly rendered in gilt bronze with a rich combination of chased and burnished surfaces, paired with a marble top inlaid with glorious coloured stones. The latter, circa 1800-1810, is the handiwork of Roman mosaicist Giacomo Raffaelli. Assessing the appeal of this rare lot, William Strafford, Christie’s Deputy Chairman, European Furniture and Decorative Arts, said: “The spectacular table is a fine embodiment of the art of pietra dura and sculptural gilt-bronzes. Its eye-catching top is inset throughout with rare samples of semi-precious hardstones, an attribute that saw the table hugely admired during an exhibition dedicated to this exquisite collection. We were thrilled that it was one of two lots that fetched the highest prices of the sale, selling for US$1.5 million to an anonymous buyer.</p>
<p><strong>Church Record</strong></p>
<p>Happy ending for looted Kandinsky</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70714 size-full" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Kandinsky_L-002-e1680746909771.jpg" alt="great craftsmanship" width="768" height="701"></p>
<p>A bid of US$44.9 million at a recent Sotheby’s sale scooped up a masterpiece by Wassily Kandinsky, representing a new auction record for the artist. The painting, Murnau mit Kirche II (Murnau with Church II), originates from 1920 and encapsulates the beginnings of the revolutionary abstract language that would underpin the rest of Kandinsky’s career. The work was recently returned to the descendants of its rightful owners, the Berlin art collectors Siegbert and Johanna Margarethe Stern; Johanna died at Auschwitz in 1944. Auction proceeds are to be shared between the 13 surviving Stern heirs and used to fund further research into the fate of their family collection. Lucian Simmons, Vice Chairman and Sotheby’s Worldwide Head of Restitution said: “This year marks the 25th anniversary of the conference, held in Washington, D.C., that first established the ground rules for the restitution of artworks looted by the Nazis during the Second World War. Since then, Sotheby’s Restitution Department has worked with many heirs and families to reunite them with their stolen property and, at the same time, to help re-tell their stories and celebrate their lives.”</p>
<p><strong>Bugatti blast</strong></p>
<p>Frenzied bidding for last-of-its-kind supercar</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70715 size-full" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/07-BUGATTI_Chiron-Profilee_auction_p1-e1680746965181.jpg" alt="great craftsmanship" width="768" height="512"></p>
<p>A Bugatti Chiron Profilée, the last W16-powered car available from the famed French automotive atelier, has gone for nearly 9.8 million euros (about US$10.7 million), making it the most valuable new car ever sold at auction. It was the last possible opportunity to buy a new Bugatti powered by the legendary W16 engine – the only 16-cylinder engine in the world to be used in a car. With such an important piece of Bugatti history at stake, bidding was fierce. Marcus Görig, Car Specialist at RM Sotheby’s, said: “It was an honour for us to host this very special lot in collaboration with Bugatti. The sale of the Chiron Profilée was one of the most anticipated moments of the whole auction. With enormous global interest in the car, the Profilée attracted considerable attention at the auction among bidders and curious viewers who had visited to have a glimpse of this unique car.” Designed as a more radical version of the Chiron Sport, the Profilée took its name from one of Jean Bugatti’s first creations – a specific Type 46 model known as Surprofilée, with a sleeker silhouette and an elegant sweeping tail.</p>
<h5>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gafencushop.com/auction-bids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Applauding Creations From Different Centuries – Auction Bids to Note</a></h5>


Highly-valued Craftsmanships – The Latest Top Bids in the Auction World

<p>Despite setting <a href="//www.gafencushop.com/unfinished-sketch-david-hockney/">new records</a>&nbsp;last year, one would be ill-advised to ignore the onslaught of reports that the auction houses of the world are increasingly suffering the symptoms of decline. Indeed, last year jewellery sales were down by a whopping 17.6 percent, with Christie&#8217;s sales falling by 11.5 percent and Sotheby&#8217;s by 25 percent.</p>
<p>However, it wasn&#8217;t all bad&#8230; gavels still dropped and collectors still locked horns to outbid each other. In fact, 2019 seems to be off to a not-so-shabby start with <a href="https://www.christies.com/auctions/the-george-michael-collection">George Michael&#8217;s Collection</a> coming up next month at Christie&#8217;s&nbsp;– a sure treat for any modern art collector.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Below are the most interesting auctions of 2019 thus far&#8230;</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_42992" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42992" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-42992 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction2.jpg" alt="interesting-auction" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction2.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction2-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction2-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction2-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction2-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction2-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction2-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42992" class="wp-caption-text">Heritage Auctions</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>A not-so-pretty penny sold for a pretty extraordinary price of US$204,000 last month at a <a href="https://www.apnews.com/27d4c47404544da2acae2dc26b1adbd7">Florida auction</a>. What made the value jump from $0.01 to over six figures, you ask? Well, this particular penny is indeed rare as it was mistakenly minted in bronze rather than steel, and with only 10 to 15 of these accidental pennies said to exist in the whole world, making it wholly worthy of its astounding price. The seller, Don Lutes, is believed to have originally found the lucky Lincoln coin inside his pocket after being handed over loose change from his school cafeteria way back in 1947. Now that&#8217;s what we call lunch money.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_42991" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42991" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-42991 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction.jpg" alt="interesting auctions" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/interesting-auction-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42991" class="wp-caption-text">Andy Warhol &#8211; Orangutan (from Endangered Species) 1983 | Photo Credit: Artnet</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>A range of iconic American pop artist Andy Warhol&#8217;s paintings went under the hammer earlier this month, the priciest piece turning out to be a painting titled&nbsp;<em>Orangutan (from Endangered Species)&nbsp;1983</em> which fetched US$150,000 – more than double its estimated sale price of US$60,000.&nbsp;<em>Orangutan&nbsp;</em>stood out from the rest of the lot due to Warhol&#8217;s own curiosity in the animal and the unique idea to draw the ill-fated ape in an upbeat and colourful manner to help propel the species towards stardom and hopefully save it from extinction. Only 30 trial proofs were created, making this signed screenprint a delightful addition to any collector&#8217;s home.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_42997" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42997" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-42997" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-1.jpg" alt="supreme" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42997" class="wp-caption-text">Sotheby&#8217;s</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>Fans of American skateboarding and streetwear brand&nbsp;<em>Supreme</em> were delighted to bid on the entire full set of decks created by the iconic brand, dating back to 1998. The 248 skateboards set a record at US$800,000 for the whole shabang, definitely a more expensive hobby than your teenage son would have you believe twenty-some odd years ago&#8230;&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42996" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-2.jpg" alt="angus bull" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-2.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-2-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-2-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-2-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-2-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-2-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Untitled-2-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Cows certainly made headlines last week as an US Angus bull set new records with its sale at a cool US $1.51 million in North Dakota on Friday. The fancy bull was none other than SAV America 8018, who despite his&nbsp;stout figure is barely over a year old, not bad for a man just barely out of his calf years. Mr 8018 will soon be heading to his new farm in Nebraska with his new owners Herbster Angus Farms; we think its fair to assume while he may be one, he won&#8217;t be taking any bull.</p>
<p><em>Text: <a href="mailto:bailey@itotalmedia.com">Bailey Atkinson</a></em></p>


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Blog Section

Prime Numbers: In Hong Kong, a personalised car registration puts you on the fast track to prestige

Highly-valued Craftsmanships – The Latest Top Bids in the Auction World

Going, going, gone: Announcing 2019’s most interesting auctions so far