Property: Garbo Home Goes for Big Bucks at Auction

-WSJ Normally, a home with decades-old décor might struggle to find a buyer. But a new generation of collectors is scouring the homes of deceased celebrities, business titans and influential figures in search of relics from a bygone era. Last month, the Manhattan apartment actress Greta Garbo called home for nearly 40 years sold for $8.5 million—43% more than its asking price. While the movie star’s mystique generated a big premium for her home, often it is the contents of the house, from glassware to jewelry to personal items, that prove more lucrative. “Younger collectors don’t want things so much as they want experiences and stories,” said Jennifer Jones, director of trusts, estate and valuations at Phillips, a New York auction house. “Owning something that belonged to a big celebrity like that sort of combines both.” Last year, Phillips sold a 1968 Rolex Daytona once owned by actor Paul Newman for more than $17 million.