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Estimating the Christie’s Riggio Auction

This May, Christie’s will auction the $250 million collection of Len Riggio, the late founder of the bookstore chain Barnes & Noble. The first seven pieces revealed from the collection—which is filled with historical work—offer clues about the estimates and what the sale could mean for the broader market.

Leonard Riggio
Christie’s, which won the competition to auction some of Barnes & Noble founder Len Riggio’s art collection, will attempt to sell the late entrepreneur’s $250 million collection of 30 works in their own dedicated evening sale in May. Photo: Rose Hartman/Getty Images
Marion Maneker
February 26, 2025

At this stage in the art market cycle—after all the emerging talent fads and the downturn—we should probably be witnessing a new level of interest in high-quality historical work. And now Christie’s, which won the competition to auction some of Barnes & Noble founder Len Riggio’s art collection, will have a chance to test this proposition. More specifically, the auction house will attempt to sell the late entrepreneur’s $250 million collection of 30 works in their own dedicated evening sale in May.