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Subprime Fallout In The Art World

You may recall my dirge a few days ago over the high prices some junk art was about to fetch at Christie's and Sotheby's.  Most of them still went for unthinkable millions.  But not as many millions as the auction houses had projected.  One doesn't know whether it was because of a sudden fit of good taste or the fact that the markets have been very shaky.  After all, the big gambles in banks and hedge funds have turned very sour.  So the gamblers are more than a bit shy.

The particularly ugly Andy Warhol of Liz Taylor which Christie's estimated might go as high as $35 million (plus commission and taxes) was acquired for $23.6 million.  A bargain.  I bet Hugh Grant, who put it up for auction, regrets not waiting for the securities market to recover.