A first edition copy of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit lately got sold for £60,000 at an auction to an unidentified bidder. This 1937-edition signed copy is a part of the original first run of 1,500 copies. It fetched almost two-times of the expected price at Bonham’s London-based auction house. The copy is emblazoned to Tolkien’s friend Elaine Griffiths, who enacted a critical role in enabling author securing a printing deal for the narrative. The auction also included the first foreign language edition of The Hobbit, a Swedish translation from 1947 that fetched £1,560 against its anticipated price of £400-£800. To your much-surprise almost 100 million copies of The Hobbit or There and Back Again got sold off.

Via InTheNews

Featured above is a lately exposed wooden sculpture of Dainichi Nyorai or Buddha carrying religious objects sealed in its torso for almost 800 years. It got sold for $14.3 million (€9.07 million) during Christie’s auction, thereby breaking the earlier record set by a Rakuchu Rakugai screen that fetched $1.76 million in 1990. Enjoying the presence in the sphere of Japanese work of art by making a world record, the figurine is accredited to Unkei, measured as one of the two best sculptors of the early Kamakura period in 1190s, when Buddhist art was actively practiced.

It was sold off on 18 March 2008 by Mitsukoshi Ltd. You would be surprised to know that the presale estimate was $1.5-2 million. Made of Cyprus wood, the Buddha is clad in generous attire and is positioned in a lotus position with a tiara and trinkets, and hair in a topknot.

Its whereabouts were unknown until now when it was sold to a dealer of Buddhist art most recently. The identity of the buyer is not to be disclosed. The knowledge of the owner considering Buddha statue to be hollow underwent an X-ray at Tokyo National Museum and it was identified that it carries three memorial items, representing Buddhist cipher viz. a wood pagoda, a crystal pagoda and a crystal ball on a bronze stand.

Via IHT

Those willing to experience the space journey or having a hobby to maintain a collection of weird stuff shall lend their eyes and ears here. Featured above is a space ship that has covered almost 300 million Intergalactic miles but still maintains its young appeal. This passenger craft with its special owners can house four people.

Seemingly in its first-class state, the space ship is devoid of any of the meteor serration. It requires a supply of reactor seals along with revitalized flux capacitors. News is it has never crashed and runs at a seed of 15 Mach. Luckily, its glass casement is in perfect shape. All you need to do is get certain patch works done on it viz. TLC like alignment and new landing sensors. To ensure its protection and magnificent contour, it has been preserved in a sheltered storehouse in Phx. Valued at mere $3500 (or best offer), who wouldn’t like to be the proud owner of this Space Ship. If you are eyeing something bigger then give rest to your eyes nad fingers by trying luck with the Chattanooga Flying Saucer House.

Via BornRich/ Craigslist

News is a man based in Australia has made up to headlines by auctioning his life (house, job, clothes and friends) on eBay, after his marriage broke up. Now he wishes to start a new life. Ian Usher, 44 is tired of old-sick life and wants to explore where life takes him. His life package along with the house is valued at A$420,000 ($385,000, euro250,000).

“Hi there, my name is Ian Usher, and I have had enough of my life! I don’t want it any more! You can have it if you like!,” reads his web page Alife4Sale that redirects the interested ones to ebay for bidding.

Usher declared that his life auction scheduled for 22 June is not restricted to his house, car, motorbike, Jet Ski and spa, but also includes his prologue with “great friends” and a job at a rug shop in Perth for a trial two-week period. On hearing about the auction his ex-wife said: ‘it seems a bit mental to me.”

Known as the Space house, the designer edifice managed to generate $135,000 during an auction on 15 March. Positioned on Signal Mountain near Chattanooga, Tenn., the house was built in 1970 by late Curtis W. King. Circular in form, the house has numerous levels, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an entrance staircase that lowers and withdraws with the push of a knob. This seemingly spaceship is surrounded with small square windows and suspended on six “landing gear” legs. It is being said that the late Curtis W. King and his family built the bizarre home as they love doing unique and unusual things.

Now the proud buyer of the house is a Cincinnati woman. The video tour of the house was available at TimesFreePress. As a result of this, it generated 50,000 plus hits on company’s web site. You would be surprised to know that the buyer came to know about this flying saucer auction from this site only.

Via Tennessean

Yah, what you have seen above is real. Pinch yourself. The most interesting point in this 5 1/2 inches creation designed by Briton Antonio Berardi is that they lack heels but still gives you the feel of maintaining a catty walk. They almost go with any form of attire since they are available in gold or silver snakeskin. But a smart dudette would carry it these heels with a crash helmet and an instruction manual.

Ready to be yours at a bargain price of £1,800, the wearer can easily manage to totter around with all her weight evenhanded on a coagulated platform sole. Obviously, fashionistas would be rushing to buy at least one pair. Celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Uma Thurman have picked up black patent version valued at £1,100 plus. To my non-surprise, Victoria Beckham tagged a snakeskin pair to her name. If the piece-of-news has managed to convince you then you can also buy one as they will be available for sale in Browns stores, London. But folks, you have to make a pre-order for this at least five-weeks ago.

Via ThisIsLondon

Now and then we have been spending time upon getting best-of-best furniture, chairs into our home, just to meet the design or style statement. But gawd, I ponder did you ever spent even minutes towards the existence of elite chairs for special people. Chairs that allow handicapped people to do what they want, go where ever they want and follows their instincts. With iBOT 4000 Mobility System, the revolutionary mobility device, everything that seems to be impossible becomes possible. It opens broad horizons for disabled people. Independence is a word that describes the nature of these chairs.

The sophisticated mobility chair walks on four and six wheels depending on what mode or function it’s in, it would be wrong to tag it as mere wheelchair. Discovered by Dean Kamen, the iBOT 4000 makes use of sensors, gyros and computers to maintain balance amongst its two wheels, thereby enabling it climb curbs up to five inches, traverse uneven terrain, help reach high shelves and climb stairs independently.

Prerequisite: You must weigh between 75-250 lbs and know the art of operating a hand-operated joystick, must productively complete a driver training program and test.

Via iBotNow

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Screaming “My Violin” is obvious and much-anticipated cry when one happens to fell off the stairs holding an antique 18-century violin priced at $1million. David Gareth, the former model and the present proud owner of the violin was stepping down the stairs after performing at the Barbican Hall, when his leg jerked and he could not maintain balance. As a result, he fell of the concrete stairs turning this pricey musical instrument into pieces. But Gareth is hopeful that the violin can easily be repaired in New York. We also pray that the damage to this violin gets fixed soon otherwise it would result in causing harm to one’s mental stability along with disturbing bank balance. Via LuxuryLaunches

You must be dreaming about the magical compass from the blockbuster fantasy film “The Golden Compass.” The news is now you can possess your dream by turning into reality as a Japanese jeweler has given a real form to this magical compass, which is bathed in gold and is valued at 30-million-yen ($281,400).

Tanaka Kikinzoku uncovered the compass made of 18-carat gold to endorse the film featuring Nicole Kidman and actor Daniel Craig. Measuring 8.3 cms. in diameter, the compass is designed on the lines of one used in the flick. Weighing 31.5 ounces, it took one-long year for seven veteran craftsmen to engrave flimsy letters and numbers on it. Word is around that compass would be exhibited at movie’s Japan premiere later this month. News is jeweler has no plans to put this compass on sale. The story line of the movie resides on an orphan setting off for his journey with a gold magical compass to hoard her best friend. It is an alteration of “The Northern Lights,” the first book in British author Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” fantasy trilogy.

Via AFP

Having earned deceiving looks, this red-brick U.K.-based house has made a success story recently. To its non-awareness, this Oxford home was ballooned with gamut of art pieces valued at 4 million pounds! It was news for the proud owner of this villa, Preston, a 77-year-old lady that she is a millionaire. Lately, an auction of all her pricey valuables fetched 4 million pounds, which is almost 20 times of the price value of the her house. A librarian by profession throughout her life, Preston inherited all these possessions from her father who was an enthusiastic collector. Take a peep into her world that was flooded with variety of masterpieces.

Amongst the lot, there were two paintings by Fra Angelico, a 15th century Italian Renaissance master, that generated a sales value of $3.4 million (1.37 million pounds) and are anticipated to be placed back in Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Other highlighting artwork include a hanging watercolor creation by pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti and an electric fire by Sir Edward Burne-Jones both calculating to be $2 million. Both would be exhibited at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum. One must-know treasure discovered here was exclusive creation of Chaucer that was “too small” to be placed in a bookshelf and thus was buried in a wardrobe. It got sold for $150,000.

Via Yahoo