I have always loved something about antique stuff and they are a lot more special when our own personal memories are attached to the object. It is a lot more obvious that a person from the 80’s would value an Elvis guitar a lot more than someone from the modern times who has no idea of who the person is. It is not always about the object and only the sheer value of the object but about the sheer memories attached to it. That is why the auction of antiques fetches a lot more than maybe auction of the modern stuff.
In an auction that matches screen icon and iconic object, motorcycle owned by Steve McQueen comes up at Bonhams on May 3 during the California Show. A red 1940 Indian Scout motorcycle, restored by the late actor for competitions may fetch as much as $80,000 according to Bonhams auction house. Steve McQueen became synonymous with fast cars and motorcycles during his lifetime. The famous jump over barbed wire in the movie ‘Great Escape’ on solidified his association with motorcycles. Now those who have the cash to bid for it can go out and make it their own.
Aside from Steve McQueen’s riding reputation, the star himself is one of the major reason the item should fetch such a high price. His ongoing fame places him as the 10th-highest earner on Forbes magazine’s list of top-grossing dead stars, taking in $6 million in the year through October. He’s one of the few celebrities who apparently adds value to a motorcycle, said Andrew Reilly, a specialist in Bonhams’s motoring department. Bonhams estimated one of McQueen’s Sport Scouts at the going market rate of $15,000 to $18,000 for a Los Angeles sale in 2006, Reilly said. It fetched an awesome $175,000.
So if you happen to be in the area and if you wish to go bidding then I obviously suggest you better get prepared for a huge hole in your bank balance but you can expect also some amount of priceless admiration to flow your way along. Bonhams will auction the Indian Scout, which comes with a letter from McQueen’s children certifying that it belonged to their father, along with other motorcycles belonging to Corbin at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Half Moon Bay, California where the Concours d’Elegance is taking place.
