Christie's provides another example: last month, during the semiannual New York Fashion Week, it held an online-only theme sale called "Andy Warhol@Christie's: Fashion".
Themed sales often bring another kind of exposure, auction house executives have discovered: free publicity.
September 14 2011 September 16 201111 As in recent seasons, Christie's approach to Asia Week is more fragmented, intermixing larger auctions with a series of smaller themed sales.
"Film," the latest of its themed sales, offers works by Warhol, Rauschenberg, Cocteau, Tony Curtis, and Dennis Hopper (six photographs), along with a selection of film posters and toys.
Gouzer's themed sales offer collectors something beyond the chance to buy a painting; they promise access to his apparently charmed world.
In the past five years, companies including Spink Phila China, Tiancheng International and Bonhams have been hosting small, narrowly themed sales to capture a larger share of the Hong Kong market for contemporary Chinese art, watches and jewelry, wine and stamps.
The idea was inspired by seeing a store in Stockholm, Sweden, that was having a France-themed sales promotion, leading Marcus to propose to the French government a sponsorship of an even more elaborate event in his own store.
RM Auctions led off the auctions with a themed sale of notable Fords on Thursday night.
Whether an item would command a higher price in a themed sale or a traditional sale is impossible to discern.
The second Asian-themed sale at Christie's (Sept . 12 is devoted to art from the Indian subcontinent.
