Michael Jackson Memorabilia: Timing can have a very dramatic effect on the value of items sold at an auction. Memorabilia relating to late pop icon Michael Jackson auctioned just one day after his untimely death sold for more than 17 times its original estimated value at Julien's Auctions' 2009 Summer Sale at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nev. A total of 21 items with an estimated value of $10,500 prior to Mr. Jackson's passing sold for more than $184,000 (excluding buyer's premium) during the Friday afternoon session of the auction.
The merchandise, which was consigned to Julien's Auctions by music producer David Gest, included an original painting and a pencil sketch, assorted vintage photographs of the Jackson 5, a signed CD, a J-5 signed album, and a shirt worn by Jackson during the Victory tour. There also was a piece of paper containing hand-written lyrics to "Bad," the signature page of contract bearing Jackson's signature, and much more.
An original painting of Mickey Mouse conducting Pluto singing, which had an estimated value of $1,000 to $1,500, sold for $20,000, while an original pencil sketch of a little boy fetched $16,000. The new owner of a collarless shirt filled with Swarovski crystals and pearls worn by Michael Jackson during the Victory tour, went for $42,000. It was originally anticipated to sell no higher than $1,500.
Eerily, the auction's catalog has a section featuring memorabilia of Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll," followed directly by the newly deceased "King of Pop." The glossy directory shows more than 700 pieces relating to numerous celebrities and the entertainment industry, including Marilyn Monroe collectibles.
In mid-April 2009, Julien's Auctions coordinated "The Michael Jackson Public Exhibition" at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. The two-week-long auction included more than 1,390 items from Jackson's Neverland Ranch. The auctioneer printed five separate catalogs to show all the goods available.
Those individual directories are available for sale at the company's Web site. The boxed sets of all five catalogs, originally signed and numbered by Michael Jackson, are completely sold out. For more information, visit JuliensAuctions.com.
For JustLuxe James Rothaar
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