Posts Tagged ‘auction’

Which is the World’s Most Expensive Photograph? “Approaching SFO Over Presidio Yard” or “Rhein II?”

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

Better A…

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…or B?

Hint: One is worth $4.3 million and the other is worth $0.0 million.

Oh well.

Speaking of which, does MUNI pay full market value for the land it uses up at the Presidio Yard?

I wonder.

And for the record, here’s your SFO approach cheat sheet:

Well That’s It: The Bay Area’s Formerly-Secret U.S. Navy “Sea Shadow” Stealth Ship Auctioned for Scrap Today

Friday, May 4th, 2012

Just like it was on eBay.

But back in the day, this ship was all that.

See?

The auction ends on Friday May 4, 2012. The buyer will be required to cut up this stealth ship for scrap. Current bid is $300k.

Oh well.

This boat was built here in the Bay Area and now it’s about to die here.

All the deets, below.

Remember  back when Bay Areans could espy the straight-outta-Redwood-City $200-million Sea Shadow stealth ship bobbing about in San Francisco Bay? Check this video from down Fun Diego way over at Telstar Logistics to see this baby in action.

Say it aloud: Super-Secret Sea Shadow Stealth Ship, Super-Secret Sea Shadow Stealth Ship, Super-Secret Sea Shadow Stealth Ship! This project was so secret that it didn’t make the Bay Area newspapers up until 1999, when this boat was identified as an airplane three times by the San Francisco Examiner.*

But lately, the ex Sea Shadow just sits around in the mothballed Ghost Fleet of the East Bay over in Benicia. Check out these great photos from Amy Heiden. Pretty boss, huh?

Now the first time the Navy tried to get rid of this historic boat, in 2006, they had all sorts of rules. Then they tried again in 2009 with more flexible rules. But the problem is that you can’t just take the Shadow, you also have to take the Hughes Mining Barge (HMB-1), a floating drydock boat that was developed as part of Project Jennifer. (That was the semi-successful, top-secret effort mounted by the Central Intelligence Agency to salvage the remains of the Soviet submarine K-129 from the ocean floor.)

Here’s a shot of  them together, ignore the two conventional warships in the background:

But wait, there’s more. Here’s how the Sea Shadow is laid out on the inside:

The bridge of Grant Imahara’s future evil lair. (Boy, talk about a glass cockpit, huh?)

And here’s how she looks from the outside:

You want. However, nobody set up a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and take these things off of the Navy’s hands. So now an important piece of Bay Area military history (and film history what with it inspiring the bad guys’ floating lair in Tomorrow Never Dies) is a gonna get scrapped.

Here’s what came next, after the Shadow got mothballed – it’s the all-aluminum Sea Fighter, as seen back in 2006:

via Telstar Logistics

The point being is that the aging Sea Shadow is the ur-ship, the JetFire of the stealth boat world. Why didn’t anybody save her?

Check out the owner’s manuals - pretty soon, that will be all that’s left…

Ever more deets, after the jump.

*From 1999: “The combined Navy-Marine exercise included overflights of the Bay Area by the Sea Shadow, the Navy equivalent of the stealth bomber.” No, this thing can’t fly, it just floats. Veteran SF Chronicle writer Henry K. Lee got that right but others did not. Nevertheless, SFGate.com, San Francisco’s online newspaper, remains an invaluable resource.

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CitiApartments: Put a Fork in, Cause It’s Done – Your Chance to Bid on Remnants of Former Real Estate Empire

Monday, November 21st, 2011

Your Socketsite is up on things related to CitiApartments.

Check it.

“The sale will begin at 2:00 p.m. local time on December 12, 2011 at the offices of Stein & Lubin LLP, 600 Montgomery Street, 14th Floor, San Francisco, California 94111.”

Which will you bid on come December?

78 Buchanan Street
233-241 Church Street
252-258 Church Street
950 Franklin Street
1844 Irving Street
1401 Jones Street
2677 Larkin Street
2075-2083 Market Street
2099 Market Street
1870 Pacific Avenue
500 Stanyan Street
645 Stockton Street
1340-1360 Taylor Street
1320 Washington Street
1461-1465 Burlingame Avenue (Burlingame)

A famous logo no more:

All the deets, after the jump

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Presenting the Most Expensive Photograph in the History of the World: “Rhein II” by Andreas Gursky – Meh

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

I don’t know, I think it could use a little flava…

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…but the person who just bought it for $4.3 million would disagree, to be sure.

Do you notice a theme here?

OMG, “SanFranciscoMayor.Com” is Available and For Sale – Hurray! Oh, Wait a Minute…

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

Feel free to pay too much money for SanFranciscoMayor.Com. See?

“Purchasing sanfranciscomayor.com can help you become the market leader. If you are interested please visit: http://www.bigcountrydomains.com/sales/06H6Mv2hj47R

But, I don’t know, if I owned this domain name, I’d feel obligated to not make people think that I was the real mayor, Mayor Edwin Lee, San Francisco, 2011- 2020.

You know?

Just saying…

San Francisco Restaurant Community Comes Together to Help Crime Victim – Benefit at Ragazza January 24th

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Haighteration has the story this AM about how the San Francisco restaurant community is coming together to help one of its own, someone who is still reeling from a crime committed late last year:

“In late November, a beloved member of the Ragazza staff, and broader San Francisco restaurant community, was the victim of a terrible crime. To help this individual get back on their feet, Ragazza, along with several other establishments, are hosting a fundraiser. All proceeds will benefit the crime victim. Funds will be raised through several sources.”

And check out all the local businesspeople who are contributing, below.

“1. On Monday, January 24, Ragazza will donate 100% of sales proceeds to this cause. For this evening, Ragazza will hold an intimate benefit dinner, with a special menu designed by Chef Sharon Ardiana.  The meal will be served family style, with antipasti, salad, pizza, entree and dessert.  Seatings are at 5:00 pm, 7:00 pm or 9:00 pm.  The cost is $35/person, including wine, excluding gratuity and tax.  As of 1/13/11, the 7pm seating is sold out.  To make a reservation or to be put on the 7pm waiting list, please email Laurie at laurie@aocsf.com.

2. A variety of items will be auctioned off on eBay, between Friday, January 21st and Monday, January 31st. Auction items include special meals at notable San Francisco restaurants, cooking lessons, private meals prepared by Bay Area chefs, art, photography, wine and other items. To see all items up for auction or to bid on an item, please visit this link.

3. You may send a cash donation to benefit the victims of this crime. To do so, please send a check made out to our fiscal sponsor, La Cocina, Inc. Please write Ragazza Fundraiser in the memo line so that your contribution goes directly to our cause. Donations may also be made on the evening of January 24 at the restaurant. For your donation to be tax deductible, it will need to be made via check payable to La Cocina, Inc. Donations may be sent to:

La Cocina

2948 Folsom Street

San Francisco, CA 94110-4028

Note that all auction items and donations made via check to La Cocina, Inc. are tax deductible over the fair market value of the item (in the case of auction items). La Cocina is a registered 501c3 organization.

Full details coming soon, along with links to the eBay bid pages once the auction is live (anticipated to be on Friday, January 21).  Here’s a preview of some of the items we will have available for bid…..

Dinner for 8 in your home, cooked by Frances Chef/Owner Melissa Perello.
Italian cooking lesson, wine tasting and dinner for 4 prepared in your home by Chef/Owner of Ragazza, Sharon Ardiana and  Suzanne Drexhage
Dinner for 2, with wine pairings, at your choice of either A16 or SPQR
Wine dinner for 4 at Andalu
Dinner for 2 at Bar Tartine
Chef’s Dinner for 2 at Cafe des Amis, with wine pairings
Customized meal for 2 at Delfina, menu designed by Chef/Owner Craig Stoll
Customized meal for 2 at Flour + Water, menu by Chef/Owner Tom McNaughton, with wine pairing
Wine dinner for 4 at Garibaldi’s
Dinner for 2 at Gialina..and you can go to the head of the line!
Dinner for 4 at Nopa, seated with Chef/Co-Owner Laurence Jossel and Wine Director Chris Deegan
Dinner for 4 at the Chef’s Table of Rotisserie & Wine – meet Tyler Florence and Chef Jeremy Fox
Customized cake by Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake, sized to serve 40 people!
2 dozen cupcakes from Kara’s Cupcakes, delivered by cupcake maven and owner, Kara Lind
Marlowe‘s famous Marlowe burger, delivered to your office w/all the fixin’s…for 8 people
Carnitas dinner for 4, delivered to your door by Nopalito.
Sundae making party for 24 by Bi Rite Creamery
Cocktail making class for 15, along with signed copies of Art of the Bar at Comstock Saloon
Coffee tour/tasting for 6 at Equator Coffees & Teas-  the coffee of Ragazza & The French Laundry
Cooking clases at La Cocina
Poker party for 5 at Le Club….burgers, bourbon or champs, your own dealer & private table
Pizza Politana pizza party for 15 at your home
High end tequila tasting for 4 at Tres Agaves
Margarita party for 20 at your home by Tortilla Heights
A case of mixed Italian red wines, selected by Chamber and Chambers Wine Merchants
Gift certificates to Boulevard18 ReasonsBi Rite MarketOminvore BooksAbsintheLori Anderson Skincare, Pal’s Takeaway SandwichesIncanto and more!
A day of custom photography, with Katie Newburn, photographer
2 custom art pieces by artist Michelle White
50 custom cards/envelopes, designed and printed by Olive-Route letter press.
Custom canvas printing of your favorite photo by photographer, Nick Vasilopoulos
2 hours of custom tattoo work with the amazing Shannon Archuleta
And still more to come……

Nat Ford Presides Over San Francisco’s First Taxi Medallion Sale – #354 Goes for Quarter-Mil

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Here’s what you need to know about San Francisco raising money through the sale of taxi medallions - it’s not going so hot so far.

In any event, the City’s first taxi medallion sale in recent San Francisco history was celebrated at City Hall today.

Nat Ford engages the crowd:

Handing over a $250,000 piece of aluminum:

Carl Macmurdo, President of the Medallion Holders Association, was on hand with his terrific suit. Keep up with his organization here.

On It Goes

This Morning’s Auction at the Presidio Should Prove to be Entertaining

Friday, August 28th, 2009

What’s that? You missed the previews on Tuesday and Wednesday? Well then you missed this:

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To answer your questions:

No, that’s not Nuetella in the cabinets,

Yes, that is the Hammond C3 organ; and

I have no idea.

What are you waiting for? Put your Rice Krispies down and get on up to the Presidio, why not?

The first hammer drops at 9:00 AM.

Auction at the Presidio this Friday Friday Friday! Clawfoot Bathtubs, Anyone?

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

You gotta get over to the Presidio to check out all the stuff that’s getting auctioned off this Friday, August 28th, 2009, at 9:00 AM. But before you do that, make sure to drop by Tuesday and Wednesday to get in a nice long sneak peek.

(Just make sure to leave your commercial mapping vehicle at home (looking at you, Google) and you’ll be treated like royalty.)

Look at this! You’ll be just like Morrissey in his tub, clacking away at the typewriter.

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Or, kick it new school in a huge hydrotherapy tub:

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Looks like IKEA, but it’s built to last, baby:

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Show your subs that you care with this stainless steel table, am I right?

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And, straight out of Elkhart, Indiana, an official United States Park Service amplifier and pre-amplifier from Crown International, a $400 value (a third of a century ago, anyway). 

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See you there!

Auction at the Presidio

Preview August 25 and 26. Live Auction August 28.

View the Gallery of Auction Items

For the first time, the Presidio Trust, in association with the General Services Administration (GSA), will present a live auction of itemssalvaged from Presidio buildings since the U.S. Army’s 1994 departure. As a first step in preparing park buildings for new uses, the Presidio Trust Salvage Department has combed through hundreds of sites, including the former Letterman Hospital, collecting items with remaining value and useful life.

Ranging from the conventional to the eclectic, items for sale include claw-foot bathtubs, tools, antique display cases, stainless steel cabinetry, laboratory casework, machinery, furniture, vintage fixtures, household and industrial lighting, and some extraordinary pieces of custom cabinetry… even a grand piano and a Hammond organ.

Items will be sold both individually and in small lots. Here’s how to participate:

Attend a Preview

A preview of sale items will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, August 25 and 26, from 9 to 1 pm, or by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call (415) 561-4260. The Preview will be held at the Salvage Warehouse, 1243 Appleton Street, in the Presidio. View map.

Join Us at the Live Action

The live auction will be held on Friday, August 28, starting at 9 am at the Herbst International Exhibition Hall at the Presidio, 385 Moraga Avenue. Doors will open, and registration will begin at 8 am. Please bring photo identification and a Tax ID number or Social Security number. View map.

View the Gallery of Auction Items

View a Map of Preview and Auction Locations

Questions? Please call the Presidio Trust at (415) 561-4260.

All the deets, after the jump

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Was Harvey Milk Discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1955 for Being Gay?

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

That’s what they’re saying at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago. Here’s what they’re pointing to:

“Pat – Don’t say or do anything. I’ve been turned in by Johnny Teynel and Marty ‘Kid’ (illegible) and a third party – Harvey

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Is this proof positive?

You Make The Call.