Auction Results: Antique Chess Sets

Christie's Auction, Amsterdam, December 15 - 16, 2008: Lot 588/Sale 2808 A TURNED IVORY CHESS SET LATE 19TH CENTURY Price Realized: €3,500 ($4,798) Price includes buyer's premium Estimate: €1,500 - €2,000 ($2,020 - $2,694) Sale Information Sale 2808 furniture and works of art 15 - 16 December 2008 Amsterdam Lot Description A TURNED IVORY CHESS SET LATE 19TH CENTURY The opposing sides carved as busts on baluster-turned supports and on ring-turned moulded feet, the whites modelled as Europeans, the blacks modelled as Africans and orientals -of which two bishops European; associated-white king 8.3 cm. high; black king 8.7 cm. high Special Notice Christie’s charges a premium to the buyer on the Hammer Price of each lot sold at the following rates: 29.75% of the Hammer Price of each lot up to and including €20,000, plus 23.8% of the Hammer Price between €20,001 and €800.000, plus 14.28% of any amount in excess of €800.000. Buyer’s premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually. Wow! Those are gigantic buyer's premiums! Let Christie's sell your lot that fetches less than 20,000 Euros and pay them a whopping 29.75% of your purchase price right off the top. Ha! I don't even own anything transportable that is worth 20,000 Euros! That old saying is right: The rich are different...