Estate Sale at Moorelands

In Oyster Bay Cove recently, Moorelands, the estate of Oleg Cassini, who died in 2006 at the age of ninety-two, was open to the public for a preview of the items for sale at auction by Doyle, and were available for viewing three days prior to the auction.

Several hundred people each day wandered through the many rooms of the mansion, which was filled with the antiques, collectibles, and memorabilia which had been collected by Cassini over his lifetime, including letters from Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly, to whom Cassini was engaged, before she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956. The Kennedy memorabilia was housed in a separate section next to the main house, except for the dresses which were displayed in the foyer.

The property, which is over forty-three acres, was overgrown, and the house in need of repair, but is now in contract with a new owner, and it is hoped that the house and property will be restored. The original asking price was $19.5 million, then reduced to $13.5million.

Wandering from one overflowing room to another, viewing items from both Moorelands and Cassini’s townhouse on 19th Street in Manhattan, there was an abundance of paintings, furniture, art objects, crystal, and his designer clothing and perfumes.

There was great security, as was to be expected at such an event.

Every item sold, including the three cars that were outside, a rolls Royce, and two Mercedes, which were parked in front of the house. The amount of sales was a little over one million dollars.