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Auction goers to the two-day celebrity memorabilia auction at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino this past weekend suddenly found their seats at the auction to be substantially more valuable than expected. Planned months in advance prior to the shocking death of celebrity pop-icon Michael Jackson last week, auction goers anticipated the Julien’s Auction that would feature a large number of items once owned, signed, or worn by the likes of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, and more. With the tragic loss of Michael Jackson, the items up for auction took-on brand new meaning. The once estimated dollar amount for the star’s memorabilia jumped from the estimated value of $6,000 to being sold at over $205,000!
Twenty-one items that were once owned by the late Michael Jackson were sold for a grand total of $205,000. The items came from the collection of David Gest, the producer and promoter who was once married to, close friend of Jackson, Liza Minnelli. Jackson was the one who initially introduced the couple, and Jackson was also the best man at their wedding. Among the memorabilia were handwritten lyrics to Jackson’s song “Bad,” an album cover signed by the original Jackson 5, a Swarovski crystal-beaded shirt (once worn by Jackson during his 1984 Victory Tour), and a hand-painted Mickey Mouse painting by the King of Pop, himself.
The highest ticket item to go was the Swarovski crystal-beaded shirt, which went to bidder Glenn Johnson. Though the price paid was not announced, items from Elvis Presley are rumored to be valued at over a quarter million now-a-days. So, the value of any item from Michael Jackson is sure to be quite the investment for those wanting to own a piece of history from the King of Pop. The hand-painting of Mickey Mouse, signed “Mike Jackson,” went for $20,000. And, perhaps one of the higher bidding items, and one of the most odd of the bunch, was a handwritten note by Michael to an unidentified “Greg,” which sold for $18,750. The note read: “Thanks for a magic moment in my life, I hope it was the same for you, please come visit me at Neverland. Let’s hope this is the beginning of a lovy friendship and never lose your boyish spirit. It’s immortal.” The winner to the note was a mysterious unidentified bidder over the phone to the Las Vegas hotel held auction.
Julien’s Auction’s chief executive was worried about continuing with the auction, after hearing of Jackson’s death, and even thought about pulling the pop-star’s memorabilia. He was worried that he would be seen as profiting from the death of Jackson, but he defended his auction by saying “we have tons people bidding from all over the world [and] everything we did was to honor Michael Jackson.”
These pieces sold may have hefty price tags, but to those who purchased them, the price tag is just a small price to pay to own a piece of the living spirit of the late-and-great pop icon Michael Jackson.
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