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Aste Bolaffi is a Bolaffi Group company that holds auctions of collectors' items.

The auction house was established in the early Nineties, but the connection between the name Bolaffi and the world of collecting is far older and spans more than a century of history. It all began in 1890, when a young Alberto Bolaffi Sr., perceptive of the cultural shifts and collector trends of the time, opened a philatelic business in Turin. This marked the beginning of an entrepreneurial journey that continues today with the fourth generation at the helm. Auctions were a natural evolution of that commercial enterprise: initially focused exclusively on philately, they expanded between the late 1990s and early 2000s to include numismatics and vintage posters, quickly becoming a benchmark in the national market.

Today, more than 130 years later, Aste Bolaffi examines, advises, and sells with the same passion and attention to detail that defined it from the outset, enriched by an international outlook, solid expertise built over decades of study and prestigious sales, an eye for trends in all areas of collecting, and the use of the latest digital technology.

A journey marked by record-breaking sales

From its very first auction, Aste Bolaffi’s history has been defined by outstanding results and historic milestones. Just a year after its debut philatelic auction in 1990, during the sale of the prestigious “Pedemonte” collection, the Tre Lire Faruk – one of only two known examples of the extremely rare stamp of the Provisional Government of Tuscany on a cover – sold for nearly 800 million lire.

In 1996, the vintage poster department was established, earning recognition over the years through iconic sales such as “Fiat in pista” by Plinio Codognato, sold in 1999 for 220 million lire (113,600 euros). Among the most recent highlights, in 2024 the poster “Cablé Confort Michelin” by Marcello Dudovich sold for 100,000 euros, becoming the most expensive Italian poster by the artist ever sold at auction.

Coins made their first appearance on the auction block in 2002: from Roman aurei to Marenghi from the Kingdom of Italy, numismatic auctions soon became an unmissable appointment in the Turin-based auction house’s calendar. Landmark sales include the 10 Scudos of Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy, sold in 2007 for 220,000 euros, and the record-setting Spring 2022 numismatic auction, which achieved over 4 million euros in total sales. Among the top lots: the 12 and a half doppie coin from 1650 (under the Biennial Doges of Genoa) sold for 254,000 euros; the gold 100 lire coin pattern of Victor Emmanuel III from 1908 sold for 248,000 euros; and the 20-ducat gold medal of John II Casimir Vasa (Poland) sold for 200,000 euros.

The first autograph auction took place in 2008, offering unique glimpses into the past that captivated collectors. In 2012, a collection of around 170 letters exchanged between major Italian Verismo authors – Verga, Capuana, and De Roberto – sold for 180,000 euros. Soon after, antique books and manuscripts were added to the offering, delivering impressive results such as the record-breaking 530,000 euros paid for Luca Pacioli’s Summa de arithmetica, geometria, proportioni et proportionalità, printed in 1494 in Venice – the highest price ever achieved in an Italian auction for that work – and the 2021 sale of a rare first edition of Ptolemy’s Cosmographia, which fetched 495,000 euros.

Since 2010, through auctions of furniture, paintings, and decorative arts, Aste Bolaffi has dealt with old master art in all its forms – from furnishings to Italian and international painting, fine sculpture and timeless objets d’art. The department regularly curates auctions of entire estates and private collections. Among the highlights: the furnishings of the Duke of Aosta, Amedeo of Savoy, and the collection from the estate of Bettino Craxi.

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Fine wines and spirits debuted at auction in 2014, with the first sale organized in partnership with Slow Food. Among the department’s most notable results is the 2020 sale of a bottle of Romanée-Conti 1990, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 Dmag), which achieved 100,000 euros.

In 2016, Aste Bolaffi launched three new high-profile departments: Modern and Contemporary Art, Jewellery, and Watches.

Among the highlights of the Modern and Contemporary Art department are Leopardo con serpente, an oil on panel by Antonio Ligabue, sold in 2022 for 344,750 euros, and Senza titolo (Segno e disegno), a 1978 tapestry by Alighiero Boetti, which was the top lot of the November 2024 auction, selling after intense bidding for an extraordinary 800,000 euros.

Aste Bolaffi, attentive to both the national and international market for jewellery and gemstones, has been selecting pieces from the most sought-after maisons for over a decade. Among many brilliant results stands the 2016 sale of a rare natural Very Light Pink (VVS1) diamond, which sold for 755,000 euros, and the 2024 sale of a blue sapphire and diamond ring, sold for 356,360 euros.

The Watches department has also seen remarkable highlights, including the 2019 sale of a Patek Philippe Ref. 1463 “Tasti Tondi” in rose gold, which fetched 275,000 euros.

Over the last decade, Aste Bolaffi has further broadened its offering, organizing major auctions for collectors of design, automobiles, motorcycles, and sports memorabilia, achieving outstanding results on both the national and international scenes. Among the recent top lots: the spectacular 2010 Alfa Romeo 8C Pandion concept car, sold for 575,000 euros; Marco Pantani’s Bianchi bicycle from the 2000 Tour de France (82,500 euros); and the founding statute of AC Milan (93,750 euros).

Aste Bolaffi boasts a team of highly qualified experts ready to assist anyone interested in having their valuable collectible items appraised, evaluated, and sold.