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Massive estate sale at Irwin Jacobs' former Orono home this weekend
Artwork, furniture and other belongings of the late Jacobs and his wife will be offered this weekend.
September 16, 2019 at 3:30PM
Want to own a Renoir painting, a Versace china set or an Armani suit worn by Irwin Jacobs? Those are just a few of the thousands of possessions belonging to the late financier and his wife, Alexandra, that will be part of a massive estate sale September 13-16.
"It is one of the largest, most impressive estates we've dealt with," said Tony Scornavacco, owner of H&B Gallery, Minneapolis, which has spent two months preparing for the sale.
The sale will take place at the stately Lake Minnetonka mansion where the couple lived for decades before Irwin Jacobs took his own life and that of his wife there earlier this year.
Now their "much-loved items from around the world" are looking for new owners. The couple were "serious collectors of art and sculpture," said Scornavacco, mostly contemporary works by many renowned artists. Alexandra Jacobs, an artist in her own right and "quite good," according to Scornavacco, also left behind many paintings, drawings and sculptures that will be sold. Fans of Asian art will find a selection of jade carvings, as well as silver and enameled pieces.
In addition to art, there's an abundance of furniture and household goods. The 13,000-square-foot main house and 3,500-square-foot guesthouse are "completely furnished top to bottom, and everything is for sale," said Scornavacco. The couple's furniture includes an eclectic mixture of traditional and contemporary pieces, Scornavacco said, and are in "immaculate" condition. Garden ornaments, dishes, glassware, fine and costume jewelry, clothing and small collectibles also will be included. Prices range from $3 to $10,000. (For photos of items for sale, see estatesales.net, "Wayzata sale.")
The gates to the Georgian Colonial-style white brick house will open at 8 a.m. Sept. 13, with the sale beginning at 10 a.m. A large crowd is expected, and a lottery drawing for entry numbers to the four-day sale will take place at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 13 only. Sale hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 13 and 14, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 15, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 16.
Parking is expected to be challenging, so shoppers should plan to carpool and be patient.
The home and 20-acre property, located at 1700 Shoreline Drive in Orono, is currently on the market for $11.995 million.
Several home watch businesses joined together in the Minnesota Home Watch Collaborative to stay vigilant across the whole state.
