Whether a collector of fine arts, entertainment and sports memorabilia, or more quirky interests like taxidermy or anything handled by a serial killer, somewhere out there is an auction suitable for every collector. Many would be surprised to learn that human skeletons can be bought at auction, but also nail clippings, locks of hair and even food partially eaten by a celebrity are just some of the strange and unusual items that can be found at some of these auctions.
Wedding Ring of Lee Harvey Oswald
This personal item once owned and worn by the assassin who killed President John F Kennedy was put up for auction in Boston a month prior to the 50th anniversary of that terrible day. A Texas buyer paid $118,000 for it.
Celebrity Underwear
That’s right, there are buyers out there willing to pay big money for under garments, if the original owner is notorious enough. The black negligee of former White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, sold with some other collectible for almost $50,000. While Elvis’s Presley’s soiled briefs initially failed to sell at an auction in Manchester England, eventually someone bought them for $8000, and an 80-year-old pair or Adolf Hitler’s “Surprisingly Large” underwear sold for almost $7000 at a private auction in 2017. More recently, Michael Jordan sold his underwear with “definite use” for more than $3000 in September 2021 in an auction that included other items from the basketball legend’s personal wardrobe.
Charles and Diana’s 40-year-old wedding cake
A slice comprised of icing from one of the 23 official wedding cakes , made for the Royal Wedding of HRH Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, was sold for £1,850 ($2,562) plus a 20% buyer’s premium at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Cirencester, England, on Wednesday 29th July 1981. This by-no-means edible keepsake was purchased by a private collector from the English city of Leeds by the name of Gerry Layton who described himself as a “Monarchist”.
The last violin played on the Titanic
Have you ever heard the heartbreaking tale of the eight-piece band that continued playing on the ship Titanic as it sank? It’s true, English musician Wallace Hartley led the band to play in an effort to soothe scared passengers as the ship was overcome by the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. According to CNN, “Hartley’s body was reportedly pulled from the water days after the April 1912 sinking with his violin case still strapped to his back.” Mr. Hartley’s damaged violin was sold for $1.7 million in 2013, more than a hundred years after the famous tragedy, becoming the most expensive artifact linked to sunken vessel.
From a banana taped to a wall (sold for $120,000) to John Lennon’s toilet (nearly $15,000) to a massive stuffed Ostrich ($33,150) and a dead shark in formaldehyde ($8 million), there are buyers out there for everything and auctions are the way to go to find them.
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