Most Expensive Celebrity Items Sold At Auction

 

Movie stars, singers, and athletes have cemented their place in hearts around for the world for a variety of reasons. They are beautiful, talented, and the world looks to them as a guiding force. One of the ways people like to express their appreciation for these celebrities is by owning something the celebrity-owned. Let’s take a look at the most expensive celebrity items sold at auction.

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor was an iconic star, famous even after she died in 2011. Her extensive jewelry collection contained emeralds, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and so much more.

Pieces from her collection came from lovers like Richard Burton, who gave her an emerald and diamond lapel pin, among many other gifts.

Her collection sold through Christie’s for a whopping $116 million, making it one of the most expensive celebrity items sold at auction.

Elizabeth Taylor

One of her most prized pieces of jewelry was a tear-shaped pearl named La Peregrina. It was discovered in 1513 off the coast of Panama and is said to be the most symmetrical pearl in existence. La Peregrina translates into The Wanderer. It has traveled around the world and even previously owned by royalty.

Richard Burton famously bought the pearl for Elizabeth Taylor in 1969 as Valentine’s Day present. It went up for auction again in 2011 with the rest of her collection and sold for $11.8 million.

Elvis Presley

The King of Rock and Roll had a memorable career. Not only was he extremely talented, but he was also extremely kind and generous.

When Elvis had sold 75 million records, RCA records gave him a gorgeous Omega watch studded with diamonds from Tiffany & Co. He traded his watch with a fan, and years later, that fan put the piece up for auction. The watch sold for $1.8 million in 2018.

James Bond

The Aston Martin DB5 is famous because it’s the first choice vehicle for the super-spy James Bond. This car is one of only 3 Aston Martins from the series still in circulation. The car is fully modified and functional, including smoke screens, a revolving license plate, and even a passenger ejection seat.

It has 30 caliber machine guns and tire slashing spikes in the wheel hub. The car sold through Sotheby’s for $6.4 million., solidifying its status as the most expensive celebrity vehicle sold at an auction.

Judy Garland

Somewhere over the rainbow, someone is gazing lovingly at a pair of ruby red slippers worn by child star Judy Garland during the testing process of the Wizard of Oz.

These slippers are a famous symbol from the movie, and fans and collectors alike clamored at the chance to bid on them when they sold as part of Debbie Reynolds’ collection in 2011. The shoes sold for $690,000.

Marilyn Monroe

The dress that Marilyn Monroe wore during the movie The Seven Year Itch is likely one of the most iconic dresses in movie history.

Designed by costume designer William Travilla, it gained popularity during the scene in which Marilyn stands over a subway grate with air blowing up around her. Described as the most iconic scene in 20th-century movies, the dress sold for $4.6 million in 2011.

Marilyn Monroe

In 1962, Marilyn Monroe sang the Happy Birthday song to President Kennedy for his 45th birthday celebration. Underneath a white fur coat, she wore a gorgeous sheer colored dress with over 2500 hand-stitched crystals on it.

Some say the dress was so tight on her that seamstresses had to sew her into it. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not bought the dress at Julien’s Auction house for $4.8 million in 2016.

Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn’s starring role in My Fair Lady is reprised continuously in shows on and off-Broadway.

The gorgeous black and white dress was worn during her character’s debut at the Ascot Derby and sold for $4.5 million in 2017.

Steve McQueen

Actor Steve McQueen drove the 1968 Mustang from the movie Bullitt.

It was famously modified to fit cameras throughout, and the engine was modified to increase its velocity and volume—the car sold through Mecum auction in 2020 for $3.4 million.

John Lennon

One of the most influential bands of all time, the Beatles, united the world in a love for music. In the true spirit of the ’60s and ’70s, singer and songwriter John Lennon owned a yellow, psychedelically painted Rolls Royce Phantom V.

It sold at auction in 1985 for a staggering $2.3 million.

Michael Jackson

The iconic red jacket with black accents is a fantastic piece of music history that music lovers all over the world recognize. It was auctioned off in 2011 and sold for $1.8 million.

At the time of purchase, the buyer planned to use the jacket as a way to raise money for children’s charities.

Richard Gere

In 2011, a collection of guitars that actor Richard Gere acquired over 40 years sold at Christie’s for a total of $936,438. The guitars are ones he chose because they ‘spoke’ to him, and come from different creators like Les Paul and Gibson.

Included in this collection was a guitar that had previously belonged to Bob Marley.

Star Wars

One of the most famous sagas in movie history, Star Wars has a lot of movies and even more diehard fans. Among those fans is an anonymous buyer who purchased Darth Vader’s mask in 2019. The helmet appears in The Empire Strikes Back, in which Luke Skywalker’s paternity is revealed.

It so for $898,420. During the same auction, Darth Vader’s shoulder gear was also auctioned off and sold for around $700,000.

Audrey Hepburn

Featured in the cult classic Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Audrey played the fabulous Holly Golightly. Quickly turning into America’s sweetheart, it’s no surprise that fans are willing to pay hefty amounts to own a piece of her history.

Her working script for the movie, filled with her notes, sold for $846,619 in 2017.

Michael Jackson

Worn during the first time Michael Jackson moonwalked across the stage, this crystal-studded glove is a beautiful piece of art and history.

It marked the beginning of an era, with the glove becoming a trademark of sorts for the singer. It sold in 2009 for $420,000.

J.K Rowling

The success of the Harry Potter books has propelled J.K Rowling into celebrity status.

The chair that she sat on while writing the first and second Harry Potter books sold in 2016 for $394,000.

Kate Winslet

Another dress made famous by its appearance in a movie is the classic dress that Kate Winslet wore in Titanic. The gorgeous black and red dress appeared in the scene where her character Rose first met her love interest, Jack.

The dress sold for $330,000 at a California auction.

John Wayne

The green beret worn by John Wayne in the movie The Green Beret broke a record when it sold for $179,000 in 2011.

It became the most expensive celebrity hat sold in an auction!

Olivia Newton-John

Tell me about it, stud! Rumor has it that Olivia Newton-John was sewn into her pants for the classic carnival scene in Grease.

The iconic hot pants that Olivia Newton-John wore in the final scenes of Grease were auctioned in 2018 for $162000.

Niall Horan

While visiting an Australian talk show in 2012, hosts asked the members of the band One Direction, to try a bite of vegemite. Niall Horan wasn’t up for the task, and after he only ate a bit out of the toast, the hosts sent it for auction.

It sold for just under $100,000, and the show donated that money to a children’s charity.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson first wore the black velvet jacket to his friend Elizabeth Taylor’s 65th birthday. He wore it again a few months later to watch his film Ghosts at the 50th Cannes Film Festival.

Kim Kardashian purchased the jacket at an auction in 2019 for $65,625.

Michael Jackson

Arguably one of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits, Smooth Criminal featured Michael wearing a white fedora with a black accent. This hat was also purchased in 2019 by Kim Kardashian, for $56,250.

She bought both the hat and the jacket as Christmas presents for her daughter North.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams has worked hard to rise through the ranks of tennis, and with that popularity came the paparazzi of Hollywood.

During a disagreement with an umpire, Serena lost her cool and broke her racket. It sold for $20,910 in 2019.

Movie Posters

In 2012, a bundle of movie posters sold for $1.2 million. It featured posters from Metropolis, King Kong, The Invisible Man, and Arsenic and Old Lace.

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Also included in the bundle was an original painting of Elvis Presley used for the Jailhouse Rock poster, among other memorabilia.