A Closer Look

The big May auctions descend on New York this week, headlined by a big-ticket Picasso (Sotheby’s) and van Gogh (Christie’s), both estimated in the $50 million range. While trophy hunters prepare to do battle for those, here’s news from other red-hot collecting areas I've been following:

Russian art continues its rocket ride. Last week, Sotheby’s three-day sale pulled in a whopping $54.4 million, up from $35.2 million one year ago. Top lots: an ethereal painting by Nicholas Roerich of Lao-Tze ($2.2 million), which thrashed its estimate of $200,000– $300,000, and a gilded silver and champleveÏ enamel tea-andcoffee set ($1.8 million).

Meanwhile, the crowd continues to go wild for baseball rarities. At Mastro Auctions, a superrare mint 1933/34 Goudey #106 Napoleon Lajoie card, (only available to those who wrote in and asked for it), fetched $141,281. A 1910 T210 Joe Jackson rookie card brought $109,639. And someone bought a baseball signed by "rookie" Pope Benedict XVI for $26,805. Huh?

—M.S.