Punk For Sale!

In what has to be some of the most pretty vacant news to come down the pike in some time, auction house Christie's, the uppity New York firm known for high end sales to high end people, will be holding an auction of collectibles and memorabilia from punk's greatest bands and events.

The list of crap is impressive: handwritten Ramones lyrics, Richard Hell tour posters, and a Sex Pistols press kit signed by Pistols manager/creator Malcolm McLaren are among the more than 100 items that rich punks will have the opportunity to grab.

Of course, the real news here is that 'punk' as an aesthetic has been accepted and appropriated by the, well, upper class. We're talking about a movement (punk, that is) that thumbed its nose, and other body parts, at the establishment. It was about taking control of your destiny. The Sex Pistols, in an event that proved that punks knew how to market themselves, signed their contract with EMI at the front gates of Buckingham Palace. God Save the Queen, that fascist regime.

Now, punk has made it uptown, and is for sale. How did we get here? Several factors are at play.


One, the simple passage of time. Thirty years of the dilution, commercialization and mere presence of punk have softened a once dangerous idea.

Two, punks, and their peers who respected/feared/disdained them, are all grown up. They have one, if not two, leather lace-up boots firmly entrenched in the Establishment.

Three, they're rich.


The most telling quote comes from Simeon Lipman, the 'pop culture chief' of Christies. He seems to know the score:

"We understand that tastes change, tastes mature. Ten years ago, punk memorabilia probably wouldn't be something we'd be auctioning here. But now, people of a certain age have a certain ability to splurge on this material."

Let's analyze this, shall we? First, he gets the Christie's PR talk out of the way. Tastes change, mature, blah blah blah. We wouldn't have done this ten years ago, etc etc. He's saying this because he has to; he needs to comfort stuffed shirts who would faint in horror at the sight of Sid Vicious. Also, Christie's has a reputation to uphold!

But then, he gets REAL: Now, people of a certain age have a certain ability to splurge on this material. OK, here we go! What Mr. Lipman is stating is a take on that old industry maxim, Money talks and bullshit walks. You punks want to drop dosh on a Johnny Thunders pick? Be my guest. Just please wear a collared shirt while you're here.

At least he's being honest. If you want to grab a preserved piece of attitude, it all goes down at Christie's on November 24th. With any luck, customers will trash the place.