Each Friday, Robbie Briggs, president and CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty, writes about luxury, trends, business and more in the advertising pages of the Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal. Below is his letter of February 5, 2021.

I bet you've heard the news. (It's definitely gone viral.) Sotheby's just shattered the auction record — by almost 10 times — for a work by Sandro Botticelli. One of the greatest Renaissance works ever to come to the market, Young Man Holding a Roundel is the painting heard round the world, with transatlantic bidding that was fast and furious between New York and London. In the end, the gavel went down at $92.2 million.

Wow. That's a record for the artist and a record for an Old Master painting sold at Sotheby's. And this is only the first week of February! 

If your budget isn't quite as healthy as the winner's, good news: The ever-innovative Sotheby's has a Buy Now section on sothebys.com, with offerings at all sorts of prices. There is art of every kind, plus watches, handbags, furnishings, jewelry, bottles of great wine, even collectible tennis shoes. What's more, everything is available right away — hence the name. You will not be waiting for your Warhol: You can buy it now.

Instant gratification is a lot of fun. Right now, there is a pair of plywood chairs by Charles and Ray Eames, some beautiful fountain pens and a bottle of 1995 French Champagne. And, if you hurry, there is a Valentine's Day shop, with everything from watches to handbags. I see about 35 things under $1,400. My wife may not be getting Botticelli's Young Man Holding a Roundel on the 14th, but let's see what I can do with what I've got in my piggy bank.