WHAT: Provenance mattered β a lot β when a plain, walnut-framed, vintage massage table soared to $10,625 in a Palm Beach auction by Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Pre-sale estimate was $2,000 to 4,000.
The sale of 153 lots involved furniture and decorations from the former Kennedy winter compound in Florida. The home was sold by the Kennedy family to the current owners in 1995, along with most contents. The massage table was used by JFK as he recovered from back surgery.
MORE: Hundreds of local and national bidders attended the auction. High prices went to items linked to the Kennedy family, especially by photos or anecdote. The Kennedy dining table sold for $16,250; a pair of walnut twin beds, along with a photo of JFK sitting in one, brought $20,000.
SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: Items related to celebrity or infamy usually sell best in locations linked to the individual during their lifetime. Palm Beach and the Kennedy family were linked for decades.
HOT TIP: Chicago auctioneer Hindman went to the most likely buyers by selling the Kennedy lots in her Palm Beach saleroom. Interest from worldwide bidders expanded participation via phone and online bidding.
BOTTOM LINE: Celebrity sold big time as advance press and the Kennedy aura drove the total to almost $500,000. Bonus: Many, attracted by the Kennedy connection, were new to the auction process. Theyβll be back.
