Led by first-time-buyers from The Middle East (up 23% year-over-year), the London-based auctioneer Christie’s saw full-year sales hit record highs in 2014. As The FT reports, Christie’s saw total sales rise 16%, topping $5bn for the first time driven by a 30% in ‘new buyers’ as central bank largesse leaked out of the 1% pockets. The Americas remained the primary driver of growth, accounting for 38% of sales and the largest proportion of new buyers.