They say you are what you collect, and from the look of two current auctions, the sellers are sexy and kinky. The first, this weekend, is a massive auction of Kink.com’s arsenal of kinky items from its former headquarters at the San Francisco Armory. The facility, a National Guard armory turned porn studio, is selling everything from bondage props to an incredible collection of vintage photographs and BDSM art. From “torture racks” to cool, collectible art, this is our idea of a fun weekend road trip.
As someone who toured the Armory (at one point they had guided tours), I can tell you that the artwork is spectacular, and if I lived in San Francisco I would be there in a kinkster minute. I remember the tour guide telling us that many of the vintage, rare photographs of San Francisco “came with” the building when Peter Acworth purchased it for $14.5 in 2006. After a tour of “the prop” room, I was freaked out by the scary, gigantic human “Hamster cage” for days! Good times.
When the San Francisco Armory was sold for $14.5 million for use as a production studio, a group known as the Mission Armory Community Collective formed to oppose Kink.com's use of the building, and in early February 2007 held a public protest in front of the building. The building was recently sold for $65 million, so we are happy that someone who led a life of kink made out well.
The Y.E.S. Co. (Your Estate Sale) is running the sale, which it bills as “Acres of Amazing Antiques and Art Plus an Arsenal of Advertising and Artifacts All at the Armory.” The address is 333 14th St., San Francisco, and the sale runs Friday-Monday, April 6-9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check out the items for sale here.
Zsa Zsa’s Sexy Stuff, Dahling
Zsa Zsa Gabor died at the age of 99, led a glamorous life in film and television, and had nine husbands, including Conrad Hilton. Her ninth husband, Frederic Prinz Van Anhault, has put up her things for auction, and from the looks of them, she had quite a fabulous life. From trophies (one for “Most Glamourous”) to crocodile handbags, to television scripts and jewels, her collection of stuff is fun to check out.
But most surprising is her spectacular collection of art. From Picasso paintings and ceramics to works of art from major contemporary artists such as Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, she had a great collection, with most of the big-ticket items—such as Lichtensteins and Basquiats—scooped up already. We especially liked her picks of pin-up, erotic and fetish art, including Eric Stanton illustrations of BDSM scenarios, which were way ahead of their time in the 1940s and ’50s. The item listed as “most popular” is a portrait of the Hungarian beauty by Keane, an artist whose story was portrayed in Big Eyes and played by Nicole Kidman. Every item tells a story.
Check out the items here at Heritage Auctions. The auction ends April 14.
Above, left, erotic sculptures from the trove of treasures at the Armory; right, an Eric Stanton illustration from Zsa Zsa Gabor's collection
