The Collector

The U.S. government has seized a 54-pound Martian meteorite that was sold at auction last year, asserting American ownership of the space rock. The case, involving Jeanine Pirro and questions over who owns a chunk of Mars, has drawn attention to how meteorites found on Earth are claimed, traded, and legally contested between private collectors and the state.

A pen exhibition in Hyderabad has drawn attention after a fountain pen was sold for a remarkable 7.80 lakh rupees, underlining the growing market for luxury and collectible writing instruments. Telugu media, including Sakshi, covered the show with photographs of the premium pens on display, noting the surprisingly high price a single pen commanded among collectors and enthusiasts.

Richard Manoogian, the longtime head of Masco Corporation and a prominent Detroit-area businessman, philanthropist and art collector, has died at the age of 90. The Detroit News reported his death, prompting tributes to his decades of business leadership, charitable giving and support for the arts.

Richard Manoogian, the longtime Masco Corporation executive known for his business leadership, philanthropy and major art collection, has died at the age of 90. The Detroit News reported his death, and tributes are highlighting his role in Michigan business and his support of the arts and charitable causes.

Art Basel has announced 272 exhibitors for its 2026 Miami Beach edition, alongside a reconfigured showfloor layout for the fair. The gallery list and new arrangement signal how the leading US art fair intends to reshape the visitor and exhibitor experience. Details on which galleries will occupy the redesigned space are drawing attention from dealers, collectors and observers of the international art market calendar.

Britain is striking a new series of commemorative coins celebrating Cluedo, the classic murder-mystery board game. The release, reported by German-language media, honours the game's detective characters and its place in British popular culture. Collector coin programmes marking cultural anniversaries regularly draw interest from hobbyists, and this Cluedo edition is no exception.

Media fans are increasingly buying CDs, DVDs and vinyl records as an alternative to streaming services driven by recommendation algorithms. The Guardian reports that collectors value physical media for its ownership, permanence and freedom from automated curation, as frustration grows with platforms deciding what people watch and listen to.

Collector Jeff Magid sat down with Margherita Artoni for a conversation titled 'The Art of Looking', published by Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art. The discussion centres on how collectors and viewers engage with contemporary art, offering Magid's perspective on collecting and observing art today.

A Japanese gaming site has published a guide on how to win a Mewtwo prize box from crane games, claiming nine out of ten players struggle with this particular machine. The item offers capture techniques for the Pokemon Center merchandise, which is popular among collectors and arcade players.

A Lancia rally car is being pitched as a dream purchase for rally enthusiasts, but only for those with a substantial bank balance. The car is drawing attention among collectors and motorsport fans in the Netherlands, where classic rally-bred Lancias have long commanded serious money at auction and private sale.

A jersey worn by Michael Jordan during the Chicago Bulls' 1997-98 'Last Dance' championship season has sold at auction for around £9 million, placing it among the most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold. The record-shattering price underlines the booming market for items tied to Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time.

The soundtrack compilation 'GTA 6: The Album' will be released physically on vinyl and CD, according to Mashable. Physical editions of video game soundtracks have become popular collector's items, and the Grand Theft Auto series has a long tradition of curated in-game radio music. Fans are discussing the announcement ahead of the game's release.

Hawaiʻi has reached a settlement in a data breach case that forms part of a broader, multistage investigation into debt collection practices in the state. The agreement is being reported as a step forward in ongoing state scrutiny of how debt collectors handle sensitive consumer information. Details of the settlement terms and any penalties have not yet been fully disclosed.

Retro gaming enthusiasts are sharing photos of the Vampire Savior arcade board, Capcom's 1997 fighting game released on the CP System II hardware. The game is part of the Darkstalkers series and remains popular among collectors, who prize original CPS2 boards and the CRT displays used to play them at authentic quality.

A sealed, first-generation iPhone has sold at auction for more than $190,000, a price far above its original $499 launch cost. The sale highlights the booming market for vintage tech collectibles, with factory-sealed Apple products from the mid-2000s drawing intense bidding from collectors.

Sneaker media are highlighting the Air Jordan 16 Retro Black Pack, with coverage focusing on its premium materials and detailing. Sole Retriever showcased close-up looks at the finish, fueling discussion among sneaker fans about the release. The Black Pack colorway is the latest retro of the 2000-era Jordan 16 silhouette.

A postcard dating from 1910, themed around nighttime whispers, moonlight and Victorian-era scenes, is being shared among collectors of historic ephemera. The image is tagged with interests like historic views, travel and late-night atmosphere, and has drawn modest engagement from people who enjoy antique postcards and old visual memorabilia.

Christie's is auctioning a piece of internet history: the first data packet ever transmitted using RFC 1149, the 1990 humorous protocol that defines how IP datagrams can be carried by pigeons. The lot, listed under printed books, manuscripts and science, has drawn attention from the technical community, where the pigeon-based 'IP over Avian Carriers' standard has long been a beloved in-joke.

An engineer has documented how a Go application suffered a 40ms garbage collector pause, tracing the cause to swap activity on the machine. The writeup explains that when memory pressure pushes Go runtime pages to swap, garbage collection can stall far beyond its usual microsecond pause targets. Readers are debating the runtime's interaction with the operating system's memory management.

Richard Manoogian, a renowned businessman, philanthropist and art collector, has died at the age of 90. The news was reported by The Detroit News, reflecting his deep ties to Michigan's business and cultural community. Tributes are highlighting his longtime support of the arts and charitable causes alongside his decades in business.