Sep 08, 2026
A lock of George Washington’s hair may not sound like an obvious auction treasure, but celebrity hair has been collected for centuries. A set of Washington’s hair, presented in a decorative ring with pearls, was sold by Sotheby’s in 2016 for $30,000. Provenance is particularly important when authenticating historic hair.
Source: wikimedia commons
ohn Lennon’s memorabilia collection gets particularly strange with his former toilet. Lennon had given the toilet to the builder at his Berkshire estate, Tittenhurst Park, telling him to use it as a plant pot. Instead, the builder kept it for decades. When it eventually went to auction in 2010, the toilet sold for $11,500, despite an estimate of around $1,500.
Source: youtube (sun news)
Royal memorabilia can take some unexpected forms. In 2015, a pair of custom-made underwear bearing an embroidered “VR” monogram for Victoria Regina was offered at auction. The royal undergarment sold for $14,600, giving collectors an unusually intimate piece of Queen Victoria’s history.
Source: researchworcestershire.wordpress.com
One of the strangest items ever auctioned was a vial containing blood reportedly taken from Ronald Reagan after he was shot during the 1981 assassination attempt. The vial, accompanied by a hospital document, was sold in 2012 for $3,550, before a later auction drew bids exceeding $30,000. The controversy surrounding the sale eventually led to the blood being donated to the Reagan Presidential Foundation.
Source: wikipedia
A copy of Double Fantasy signed by John Lennon is already a rare piece of music memorabilia, but this one had an extraordinary history. Lennon signed the album for Mark David Chapman just hours before Chapman murdered him on December 8, 1980. The album was eventually sold by Goldin in 2020 for a staggering $900,000.
Source: wikipedia
After Truman Capote died in 1984, his ashes were given to his friends Johnny Carson and Joanne Carson, as requested in his testament. They were kept in a hand-carved Japanese wooden box and displayed at the Carson estate. When the property was auctioned in 2016, Capote’s ashes sold for $43,750, far exceeding the $2,000 estimate.
Source: wikipedia
Even a kidney stone can become a collectible when it belongs to a celebrity. Star Trek actor William Shatner sold one of his kidney stones through Julien’s Auctions in 2006, with the proceeds going to charity. The stone fetched $25,000. Shatner joked that it was large enough to wear as a ring.
Source: wikipedia
Winston Churchill’s false teeth became an unlikely piece of historical memorabilia. Made by dental technician Derek Cudlipp to help correct Churchill’s natural lisp, the set was first auctioned in 2010 for $18,400. It was sold again by Bonhams in 2011, this time fetching $23,300.
Source: the Cotswold auction company
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