For The Love Of Port

For those with $ to spare, lot 52 of the auction at Zachys on Thursday 10th May 2007 is a case of Nacional 1963 (estimated at $20k to $35k), and lot 138 is a case of the Nacional 1994, est $7½k to $12k.

Thats not having spare money,

Thats having more money than sense!

Oh well, one can dream,

Alan

Ahh, to be so fortunate...

Sorry gents.. a TN on the first of 12 Nacional '63s will NOT be forthcoming from me.

Last summer, I helped sell 6 absolutely pristine NN'63s for $9k, so the price from Zachy's seems ridiculous, even if they are talking about a 12 bottle case. Then again, Zachy's is one of the very last places I would look for any bargain on wine from anywhere. The best of their sales usually brings their prices in line with the rest of the market. But their service, reputation and sourcing of quality bottles, is beyond reproach.

Their estimate does not seem so ridiculous when you see how much the last two to sell in London fetched - but that was three times over the odds.

Sometimes two people go into an auction room determined to buy a particular item - neither contemplating failure.

Adrenalin is high, and the bidding is rapid - giving little time to think. As the two slug it out, incredulous smiles break out across the room - even the auctioneer struggles to keep a straight face sometimes..

Incidentally, when auction prices deviate from my prediction by more than one bid, I adjust the base price on my database.

The formula I use divides the percentage difference by 4 - so if a lot sells for 20% more than I predicted, I raise the base price by 5%. However, I never increase the base price by more than 15% from a single result.

This protects the base price from being unduly influenced by mavericks.

Tom

This protects the base price from being unduly influenced by mavericks.

A brilliant use of a euphemism for the term "mavericks."

Well done Tom!