Original 'Baggy Greens' from Bradman's Invincible Tour Set to Break Records
- May 26, 2020
- 3 min read
Two original game worn ‘Invincibles’ Baggy Green cricket caps are set to break records at auction this Sunday during the online auction boom.
With many galleries and museums removing their big ticket items from display in the midst of current restrictions due to COVID-19 and plummeting sales across the Globe, one Australian online auction company is disrupting the market listing their biggest multi-million dollar fine art and memorabilia auction.
Lloyds Auctions conducts 10 online certified art auctions per month in Australia however that number has increased 500% and their latest offerings are set to top 10 million AUD.
“Two legendary Australian Baggy Green caps on offer are expected to fetch over half a million alone,” commented Amanda Benson the Head of Fine Art and Antiquities for Lloyds Auctions.
The original game worn Baggy Green cricket caps were worn by ‘Invincibles’ Arthur Morris and Sam Loxton, both regarded by many as true jewels in the international cricket collectables space.
Regarded as Australia’s greatest ever left-handed batsmen, it will be the first time Arthur Morris’s baggy green has been offered for public auction in almost 2 decades.
Both Arthur Morris and Sam Loxton are known as key players of Sir Donald Bradman's ‘Invincibles’ side, which made an undefeated tour of England in 1948.
There are even calls for the ‘Baggy Greens’ to be re-united and placed on display in the Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame.
“The sheer scale of this arts and memorabilia auction means we will definitely break Australian records with over 200 one-of-a-kind and extremely rare pieces of fine art and luxury items, featuring original artworks by Brett Whitely, Tommy Watson, Charles Blackman, Rosalie Gascoigne, Tim Storrier, Grace Cossington Smith, Gabriella Possum. Jewellery pieces include Pink Argyle diamonds, Rolex watches and high-end estate jewellery including massive 5 carat plus diamonds each expected to sell for six figure amounts” said Ms Benson.
The current boom in online auctions during the government enforced Covid-19 restrictions is leaving traditional auction houses and art galleries, flat footed and needing to catch up quickly on a market that often has been “sneered” at by established brick and mortar stalwarts.
Although down, the galleries are certainly not out as they turn sharply to online auctions to reignite falling sales.
Serafin Martinez a leading Sydney art dealer said Lloyds has been having a massive positive impact on Aboriginal art and works up to $50,000 however because of their long term online presence they are seeing “well heeled” bidders turning to their known trusted online platform to bid on pieces never expected to resurface on the market.
Mr Martinez predicts a surge of top quality pieces to resurface as the financial effects of Covid-19 takes full impact.
“The benefit of a trusted online platform like Lloyds is they can take a piece to market and have the money in the seller’s bank within days,” commented Mr Martinez.
“The most important thing for people to note about this special high-end auction is that these items are so rare you may not get another opportunity to own them again. All items are certified and original with online bidding starting at just $1.” Ms Benson stated.
“We have always taken pride in being the largest online art auction platform in Australia with hundreds of thousands of bidders however the flood of high-end art being consigned at the moment is unprecedented.
We have unfathomable original artworks by famous Australian artists, pink diamonds, and super rare Australian banknotes that date back to early last century!” Ms Benson continued.
As high-end art, jewellery and rare collectables falls in favour with online savvy investors the online auction platform may well be having a “Kogan” impact on the rapidly changing art industry.
The Auction is listed online now at www.lloydsauctions.com.au
