Game, Set, Match: Online auctions

A timed online auction of tennis star Boris Becker’s sporting memorabilia has taken place across all of ATG’s platforms over the last two weeks, with some extraordinary prices bid for a series of trophies won by the former tennis star.

The top lot of the sale was a full-size silver replica of the US Open trophy that Becker won in 1989 in his only US Open title by beating Ivan Lendl in the final. Made by Tiffany, it attracted a flurry of bids and sold at an astonishing £150,250.

The 82-lot timed online-only auction of medals, awards, trophies, rackets, watches and photographs ran from June 24 to July 11. The items were being sold ‘on behalf of the trustees in bankruptcy of the estate of Boris Becker’ in a sale conducted by business asset valuer and auctioneer Wyles Hardy & Co.

The overall total for the sale was £687,000, well above the £250,000 that had been expected. Other high-priced lots included a replica of the Davis Cup winners trophy that made £52,100 and the Renshaw Cup (hallmarked 1987) that made £40,250.

Originally, the auction was due to be offered in June last year but, shortly after the bidding had opened, Becker was able to get the sale postponed in the wake of his claim of diplomatic immunity as a cultural attaché for an African state.

Terry Madden, Wyles Hardy & Co, said: “The team are extremely pleased with the results of today’s auction. With a total of 499 participants from 32 different nationalities registering to bid in the auction and some placing bids from the Wimbledon crowd. It appears that free from the uncertainty created by the intervention last year, the sale has exceeded all our estimates.”

ATG CEO John-Paul Savant said: “The sale has been a tremendous success. By running the sale of these high profile lots across all of our online platforms, we were able to reach the widest possible bidder audience, again demonstrating the power of online technology in maximising hammer price.”

The online sale ran across Auction Technology Group’s platforms thesaleroom.com, i-bidder.com, BidSpotter.co.uk, BidSpotter.com and German online marketplace lot-tissimo.com.