We catch up with Frog Michaels of Hotlotz who in her role as PR & Marketing Director loves hearing back from happy customers! Don't we all. In Hotlotz recent record-breaking Home & Decor auction earlier this month, they sold, among other things, the contents of a Peranakan shophouse, untouched since the 1920s.
Read on to get excited about how Hotlotz captures the hearts and minds of buyers and sellers in Singapore and across the globe
Usually gracing the halls of a museum rather than the saleroom of an auction house: a good portion of yesterday’s sale (91% sold) included the untouched contents of a Peranakan shophouse at 20 Blair Road. Lot 37 – a group of Peranakan beaded shoes along with a box of precious embroidery that included a ceremonial handkerchief used for weddings – climbed to nail-biting $20,000 SGD on the night of the sale.
Lot 2 was also of note – selling for $24,000 SGD and attracting fierce bidding – a very good example of a Peranakan carved and parcel gilt side cabinet, which also came out of the Blair Road shophouse.
The star of the show was lot 108, a Chinese blue and white porcelain plaque in the manner of Wang Bu (1898-1986). It formed part of a collection of antiques belonging to Dr Charles Toh Chai Soon, Singapore’s highly respected cardiologist. His collection was assembled over more than 50 years and Dr Toh is delighted to be sharing it with the next generation of collectors. It sold for a whopping SG$200,000.
Matt, who founded Hotlotz, puts it beautifully: “We are delighted to provide Singapore with a world class auction platform to showcase items of quality, whether they’re fine art, antiques, designer handbags or Peranakan and Straits Chinese artefacts - some of which may not have seen the light of day for many years. We help our clients to find the right buyers and to achieve the best possible prices.”
It’s a tried and tested method: 6 weeks ago, we sold sold a yellow ground green enamelled dragon and phoenix bowl for SG$60,000; 4 weeks later a vintage 1980s double C Chanel belt commanded a record SG$4,600. “It’s about having the right digital platform to successfully showcase and sell items of quality, whether it’s a designer handbag, an antique porcelain vase or a Peranakan cabinet.”
Matt continues, “Our digital bidding platform is globally marketed, so we can attract buyers from all over the world – for instance, most of the vintage Chanel jewellery from April’s ‘Designer and Luxury Fashion’ auction was sold to dealers in New York and London.” He was delighted by the bidding for Sunday’s Peranakan collection “I am, however, pleased that this local collection was sold exclusively to Singapore-based buyers.”
If you are an Expat Choice reader and have any Peranakan heritage items you would like to sell, please contact Hotlotz for more information. What have you recently restored or renovated? Hotlotz loves to hear from you. Drop Frog Michaels a line at [email protected] and you may just find yourself featured in one of the upcoming weekly articles on the Expat Choice Network.
Visit Hotlotz Online today to view - and bid in the upcoming online auctions. You will not be disappointed.
