Rare collectibles set auction records

A bottle of 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti sold for $812,500 at a New York auction last month, setting a world record for a bottle of wine sold at auction and underscoring how rare collectibles have become a favored way for wealthy buyers to signal status. The sale, handled by John Kapon’s wine auction business, topped the previous record for the same bottle by nearly 50%, after one of only 600 bottles produced in a year that marked the end of World War II drew intense bidding from collectors who prize scarcity, provenance and condition.

The wine was not alone. In recent weeks, a 1969 black Fender Stratocaster guitar played by David Gilmour on Pink Floyd albums including “Dark Side of the Moon” sold at Christie’s for $14.55 million, more than double the previous record for a guitar at auction. A rare Pokémon Pikachu Illustrator card, one of just 29 made for a competition in the 1990s, brought $16.5 million when Logan Paul sold it, triple what he paid in 2021. Each item combined rarity with a story that made it more than an object: a bottle tied to one of Burgundy’s most celebrated vintages, a guitar linked to one of rock’s most recognizable sounds and a trading card certified in pristine condition.

Auction houses and market trackers say demand has been broadening beyond headline-grabbing trophies. Acker’s Fine and Rare index, which follows 100 top wines sold at auction, rose 11% in the first three months of the year, one of its strongest gains in 25 years. TCGplayer, the eBay-owned trading card platform, said many rare cards posted double- and triple-digit percentage gains in 2025. Reverb, the online marketplace for musical instruments, said values for a range of vintage instruments rose 10% to 30% last year, with the rarest models climbing the most.

That momentum stands out against the art market, which has been slower to recover. The latest Art Basel and UBS Art Market report said the sector grew 4% last year after several years of decline. Collectibles have long attracted wealthy buyers, but dealers say today’s market is being driven by objects that are both scarce and easy to explain: a bottle from an exceptional vintage, an instrument used on landmark recordings or a card with near-perfect preservation.

At Christie’s auction of items from the collection of Jim Irsay, the former owner of the Indianapolis Colts, the Gilmour guitar helped generate more than $84 million in sales from 44 lots and set 23 world records. Christie’s said the guitar’s modifications by Gilmour himself, including changes to the neck and drilled holes, added to its appeal because they showed how he shaped it to get his sound. In another case, Paul’s decision to sell the Pikachu card inside a custom necklace and offer hand delivery added another layer of exclusivity.

For collectors at this level, experts say the appeal is not only ownership but also distinction. Traditional luxury goods can look interchangeable to buyers who already have access to them. A rare bottle or instrument offers something different: proof that no one else can easily have the same thing.