Chicago's Unicorn auction opens rare spirits to all
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Photos: Courtesy of Unicorn
Online auctions aren't just for fine art and jewelry.
The latest: The new Chicago company Unicorn aims to make collecting rare spirits and fine wines more accessible.
How it works: Bidders can buy common spirits like whiskey, scotch and tequila, and many of Unicorn's lots are rare and come from all over the world.
- It's free to register to bid, and the online auction house charges a 15% buyer's premium and 10.25% sales tax.
What they're saying: "Unicorn was really born out of a problem that [co-founder] Cody [Modeer] and I constantly felt with the wine and spirits industry," co-founder Phil Mikhaylov tells Axios.
- "It felt super antiquated, exclusive, very elusive and very much catered to the 1%. We wanted to build a platform that democratizes access to spirits and wine."
By the numbers: Mikhaylov tells Axios that Unicorn did $50 million in sales last year, and more than 50,000 transactions were $100 or less.
Stunning stat: Unicorn sold a bottle of Yamazaki 55 Japanese whiskey for $210,000, last year. It also sold a Van Winkle 18 Year Special Reserve Bourbon for $86,000.
- Other options are far cheaper. The bourbon buyer, for example, also purchased a $35 Maker's Mark Chicago Cubs bottle, Mikhaylov says.
Zoom out: Global auction house Sotheby's reported $114 million in sales from wine and fine spirits in 2024.