Oscar Statue Hammered for $79,200
Briarbrook Auctions recently auctioned off a rare 1942 Academy Award Oscar statuette for $79,200, with an original estimate of $5,000 to $30,000. It was issued at the 15th Academy Awards to Joseph C. Wright for color art direction, one of two Oscars that he won. Normally the Academy doesn't allow the sale of the Oscar statues by families of the recipients, however, because the statue was issued prior to 1950, when the restriction went into effect, the Academy allowed the auction to go through.