Von Dutch for Sale: The Brucker Auction.

It happened on May 13th, 2006 at the (old) Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, an epic sell-off of art, cars, and personal items once belonging to Ed “Big Daddy Roth, Robert Williams, and Kenneth Howard AKA Von Dutch. I was going through some of my old books tonight and found my original 12 year old catalog for the Kustom Kulture auction that had the entire traditional hot rod world buzzing for years… Why was it such a big deal? Pin striping master Von Dutch had been gone for years, and his legacy and legend had somehow morphed into a massive fashion line worn by the likes Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. The very name Von Dutch was now a cultural icon and global brand that had nothing to do with car customizing, leaving the entire thing likely to make Kenneth Howard vomit in his paint jars. The auction saw fevered overbidding by a hungry (and well-heeled) mob desperate to own a single piece of Dutch, as well as originals by Roth and Williams that had never traded hands before. The sales results were nothing short of astronomical and astounding, blowing most of the RM auction’s conservative  estimates way, way out of the water…

My top 10 examples:

Von Dutch Personal Hat estimated at $300 – $400. Sold for $3,450

Von Dutch Custom Letter Opener estimated at $500 – $700. Sold for $3,680

Von Dutch Brushed and Striping Kit estimated at $500 – $1,000. Sold for $4,025

Von Dutch Body Hammer estimated at $200 – $300. Sold for $4,600

Von Dutch Office Signs estimated at $300 – $400. Sold for $6,325

Von Dutch Engraving Tools estimated at $600 – $800. Sold for $7,475

Von Dutch Personal Helmet estimated at $300 – $400. Sold for $12,650

Von Dutch Illuminated Clock estimated at $2,000 – $4,000. Sold for $23,000

Von Dutch Originator of Modern Pin Striping Sign estimated at $8,000 – $16,000. Sold for $149,500

Von Dutch Personal Pin Striping Box estimated at $40,000 to $60,000. Sold for $310,500