ABBA -The auction out of the closet

Thursday evening (the 27th of June), Stockholms Auktionsverk hosted the VIP opening of an auction/preview consisting of 443 lots -25.000 objects (!)- of ABBA-related material, mainly of original merchandise character. It has ben collected by Mr Thomas Nordin, during nearly 40 years. Loud music played by a disc-jockey greeted the visitors, even before having entered the venue. I needn´t tell you the choice of music.

Voulez-vous acquire some ABBA-memorabilia?

The timing of the auction is most certainly right, with the grand opening of the ABBA Museum on Djurgården less than a month ago. The interest has been enormous for the opening of the museum. -And also for the ABBA auction, I am told by Maria Granström, who heads the Valuations desk at Stadsauktion, in Frihamnen. -Ordinary people, collectors and press have been calling us like crazy, Maria adds, with a big smile.

Happy collector, Master Tailor Thomas Nordin, holding lot nr 191159, estimate 8.000 SKr. (Sold for 4.400 SEK)

The collecting started off small-scale in 1974, says Thomas Nordin. Eventually, it was stored it in two closets in 37 moving crates. And now it's time for the collection to come out of the closet? Yes, Thomas answers, in the beginning of my collecting years, I collected stamps and bottle capsules and what have you, like many kids, but over the years ABBA took over. I now feel that I want to go to another level and leave this particular collection behind me.

Mirror, mirror... -who´s got the biggest hair-do? (Lot nr 189239) (Sold for 300 SEK)

Today, Thomas works as a master tailor in connection with Camilla Thulin, the famous Swedish designer, in Stockholm. The choice of work was indeed influenced by ABBA, Thomas admits. Thomas has laid the finishing touches on many celebrities gowns and dresses, long after the era of ABBA.

Lot 191563, -Detail of-, poster 180x126 cm, estimate 7000 SKr. (Sold for 2.800 SEK)

When asked if he can show me a favourite object in the auction, he pulls out a vinyl record. What's so special with that then? It is an extremely rare Japanese pressing "Pre-Abba LP by Björn, Benny, Anna(!) & Frida", that was released in connection with a look-alike contest in Japan in 1973. The album sleeve has plenty of girls doing their favourite poses. The best part says Thomas, is that it was a Björn and Benny look-alike competition...

Lot nr 187443, 25 VHS Video tapes, estimate 800 SKr. (Sold for 300 SEK)

The reason for the VHS-video title The seduction of Inga (-How funny can sex be?) being included in the lot above, is probably known only by ABBA, Auktionsverket and Master Tailor Nordin...

I gather the Swedish myth is thriving. In August, we will see just to what extent.

Alas, the sale was rather quiet. Most of the lots seems to have sold under or much under the estimates. It seems as if there were no reserves so the most common result was 300 SEK+fees. A couple of vinyl records sold high above their estimates, as did a satin baseball jacket embroidered with ABBA on the back and "Scott" on the front. It achieved 31.000, estimated at 4.000 SEK. How long before we see this very model at an H&M near you?!

Nr 187494. Beam me up, Scotty!

Footnote:
One Swedish Krona is equivalent to around 0.161 Australian dollars/ 0.149 US Dollars/ 0.098 GB pounds/ 0.114 Euros, on the 28th of June 2013.
I do NOT know wether or not any of the ABBA-members features in The seduction of Inga.

Source:
http://www.stadsauktion.se/auktion/sok/?u=0&sok=abba