The RICS Podcast From the Archives: Valuing Freddie Mercury’s Auction with Ashley Stuart-Noble, Carey Wallace, Sarah Hodgson and Rachel Reilly #222
With more than 30,000 items and an original estimate between £7.6m and £11.3m, Freddie Mercury's auction at Sotheby's in London in 2023 exceeded expectations, fetching £39.9m in just over a week.
In this week’s episode of The RICS Podcast, we meet the three exceptional women who helped bring this sale to the public and asked them about the challenges in discovering, valuing and selling the belongings of an international rock star who is so fondly remembered.
Rachel Reilly is the Senior Director and Head of Valuation for Europe at Sotheby’s London. Sarah Hodgson and Carey Wallace are memorabilia specialists and Co-Founders of Wallace and Hodgson, who were engaged as consultants to work on the wardrobe section of the sale.
Notable sales include Mercury's crown and cloak, selling for £629,000, almost 10 times the estimate, and a Tiffany & Co moustache comb that went for £152,400, over 250 times its estimate.
The auction's success (140,000 people visited Sotheby's to view the items) highlights the enduring appeal and legacy of the iconic Queen frontman.
This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:
- The extraordinary scale, popularity, and success of the Sotheby’s Freddie Mercury auction
- The process, challenges, and expertise needed to manage over 30,000 items, including iconic costumes and unique memorabilia
- The importance of storytelling and immersive curation to make the experience accessible, emotional, and museum-like for visitors
Ashley Stewart-Noble
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleystewartnoble/
Carey Wallace
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carey-wallace-0b0a3a28/
Sarah Hodgson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-hodgson-76792923/
Rachel Reilly
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-reilly-172513273/
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:
RICS Podcast Page
Kieran Halliwell