Over the weekend that is the second anniversary of his death, Michael Jackson's fans can bid on items the singer wore during career milestones: the sparkling shirt from when he unveiled the moonwalk on television, the leather jacket from when he filmed the world-renowned "Thriller" video and the wig from when he announced his comeback concert series This Is It.
those pieces of memorabilia and more at Julien's Auctions, which will unveil an auction titled Music Icons on Monday.
The "Thriller" jacket, in all its red and black, winged-shoulder glory, is the big draw. Darren Julien, the auction house's president, calls it "the Holy Grail" of Jackson's belongings because it's one of the most recognizable and famous garments of the 20th century.
"It's the most iconic piece of pop culture memorabilia that will ever come up for auction," Julien said. "You see the jacket, and you know it immediately."
The jacket was given to Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush, the singer's longtime costume designers, to use as a reference for concert performances of the song. It even includes an inscription to them on the jacket's lining, and the sleeve is signed, "Love Michael Jackson."
The estimated price is $200,000 to $400,000, but Julien refers calls that a "conservative estimate." He says people have expressed interest in purchasing the jacket for even more. Some predict it could be closer to $1 million.
"Michael Jackson has an unbelievable fan base," Julien said, adding that he expects bids from around the globe.
Part of the proceeds from the jacket's sale will go to support the Shambala Preserve, a California wildlife sanctuary that has housed Jackson's two tigers, Thriller and Sabu. The tigers were moved there after the singer moved out of his Neverland Ranch in 2006.
Other auction highlights include a black Swarovski crystal-covered glove, estimated to go for $20,000 to $30,000, that Jackson wore to the American Music Awards in 1984, when he picked up eight awards for the "Thriller" album. Julien says the black shirt bedecked with rhinestones that he wore when breaking out the moonwalk during the "Motown 25" television special in 1983 is estimated at $8,000 to $10,000 but probably will sell for more.
One extremely personal item up for bid is the wig Jackson donned at a London press conference to announce his This Is It concert series in 2009, three months before his death.
There are a number of autographed mementos, from photos to fedoras, and even a pillow. Jackson apparently threw it to his fans from a German hotel room, with a message scrawled in black marker: "Let's burn all tabloids, mountains of them worldwide. Good night. I love you."
Another memento attainable by the highest bidder comes from Jackson's trash: the mailbox from the rental home where the singer died.
"This was a mailbox that a car had hit, so they had put it in the trash," Julien said, lifting the much-bigger-than-a-bread-box item. "A fan dug it out of the trash. It's a piece that will still sell for thousands of dollars because it was Michael Jackson's."
Other music legend memorabilia includes an Elvis Presley original "TCB" necklace, Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" denim jacket, Ringo Starr's wool cape from "Help!" and a 25-year-old custom Jaguar that belonged to Frank Sinatra.
"As a car, it's worth right around $10,000 or $20,000. That's the presale estimate," Julien said. "But anticipate that because Frank Sinatra is so collectible that it will sell for a lot more.
The auction will be held June 25 and 26.
No comments:
Post a Comment