“Two lakhs.” “Two lakhs twenty thousand,”… “Two lakhs seventy five”... The fate of Muhammad Ali’s massive red autographed glove hung midair. Who was going to bag it? The young couple seated on the right corner of the room or the man with a French beard on the left, who’d already claimed Usain Bolt’s spiked boot? The bidding went on.
Meanwhile, the two volunteers on stage holding the glass-boxed glove shifted uncomfortably. Their hands were obviously beginning to hurt. But the bidding continued and the others kept turning their heads left to right, like viewers witnessing an exasperating set in a tennis match… 3.40 lakhs… 3.60 lakhs… and finally it was sold to the couple for Rs. 3,85,000. The other bidder gets up and charges to the young couple. Gasp! Is there going to be a brawl? No. He cordially shakes hands with them and gets back to his seat ready for the auction of the next memorabilia.
The invitees at the Collectabillia auction were well-armed. Credit cards — check. Debit card — check. A respectable wad of cash — check. One sensed a competitive gait as they walked around the ballroom at Vivanta by Taj Connemara sizing up the auction pieces on display. Each of the memorabilia is a piece of history or owned by somebody who is a legend. Sachin Tendulkar’s autographed bat stood there looking grand encased in a glass box with his hundred centuries listed in order. Wouldn’t blame the young man staring at it with an expression that’s akin to Gollum’s when he hisses ‘My precious’. There’s a poster signed by Tom Hanks, one by Quentin Tarantino, and another by the ever-so-charming Pierce Brosnan.
“We organise an auction once a quarter in different cities,” says Anjana Reddy, founder, Collectabillia. This is the first time the auction included merchandise of Hollywood personalities. And whose is the most in demand?
“Sachin Tendulkar. Even after his retirement, it’s Sachin all the way,” she adds.
Vijay Amritraj (the auction master for the evening) and son Prakash Amritraj started off the proceedings with an informal tête-à-tête that ranged from Amritraj Sr.’s formative years to his first date and marriage. The two entertained the audience with their conversation rich in anecdotes.
The first object to be sold was Tendulkar’s 100th hundred bat and it went for a lakh and fifty, followed by 17 Grand Slam title-winner Roger Federer’s tennis racquet, that went for a lakh and thirty. The next celebrity wasn’t that lucky. The other artefacts up for auction were Lewis Hamilton’s framed and signed picture, Cristiano Ronaldo’s white jersey and the finale was a cricket bat signed by Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar.
Despite the iconic merchandise on offer, the turnout for the event was disappointing. But that didn’t deter the serious auctioneers who were all geared up with their bid placards. The event had its dramatic moments as well, wherein an enthusiast tried bidding over the phone through his representative present there. By the end of the evening, everything on display had found a more-than-willing taker, except for the signed poster of the drool-worthy Tom Cruise in the film Top Gun. A lakh was the base price and a young lady in the audience joked, “I wouldn’t mind paying if it was the real him.”
