Very Expensive Ways To Connect To Our Heroes
Collectors are a little bit different from the rest of the world. A collector puts a lot of their time, effort, and, usually, money into amassing a vast amount of things, all centered on a particular theme. From film to pop music to sports—the variety of collectibles is endless. But for the discerning collector, here are some of the most expensive pieces of celebrity memorabilia (Note: All prices are in USD).
Film
The cults of personality around film stars and the success of some movies are a huge draw for collectors. From iconic films like The Wizard of Oz to stars like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, film memorabilia is a big-ticket item when it comes to collectibles.
The Wizard of Oz
One of the most famous films in cinematic history, The Wizard of Oz stood the test of time and continues to enchant audiences with its whimsical story and magical visuals. As a result, collectors have been drawn to costumes and props from the film for decades.
NBC Television Network, Wikimedia Commons
Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers
Judy Garland’s Dorothy wore ruby slippers in the film, changed from silver slippers in the original book to take advantage of the film’s use of technicolor. Several pairs were produced for the film, including one stolen from a museum in 2005. A pair auctioned in 2024 are the most expensive celebrity collectibles so far, commanding the princely sum of $32 million!
dbking, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Wicked Witch’s Hat
Worn by actor Margaret Hamilton in her iconic turn as the Wicked Witch, this hat was also sold at auction in 2024. The Witch’s hat sold for $2.93 million. The original illustrations in L Frank Baum’s books show a very different kind of hat, but Hamilton’s stereotypical black witch’s hat has become the go-to style for subsequent depictions of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Judy Garland’s Dress
Judy Garland’s turn as Dorothy was a star-making performance for the young actor. Throughout the film, Dorothy wears a blue and white gingham dress that became inextricably linked to the character. Nicknamed “the Dorothy dress”, it was auctioned and sold in 2011 for $1.56 million.
Marilyn Monroe
The ill-fated Marilyn Monroe is one of the most iconic film stars of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the greatest sex symbol of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Monroe’s classic films demonstrate that she was also a talented actress. Monroe’s early end has guaranteed her place in Hollywood legend.
Dell Publications, Wikimedia Commons
Monroe’s “Seven Year Itch” Dress
The Seven Year Itch is probably Marilyn Monroe’s best-known film, based solely on the fame of one particular scene. While standing on a subway grate, a breeze blows the dress up around Monroe’s shapely legs, creating what many consider to be one of the most iconic images of the 20th Century. The dress was sold at auction in 2011 for $5.6 million.
Monroe’s “Happy Birthday” JFK Dress
While she was mainly known for her film roles, a dress worn by Monroe outside of film is another of the most expensive pieces of celebrity memorabilia. Monroe’s rendition of “Happy Birthday” at the celebrations of ill-fated President John F Kennedy is infamous for its sultriness. The dress sold in 2016 for $5.6 million.
Cecil Stoughton, Wikimedia Commons
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn helped define an era with her style and sophistication, alongside a talent for dramatic and comedic acting. While her role in Breakfast At Tiffany's may well be her most iconic role, her turn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady is the source of one of Hollywood’s most prized collectibles.
Allied Artists Pictures Corporation, Wikimedia Commons
Hepburn’s “My Fair Lady” Dress
While Hepburn wore several different costumes during My Fair Lady, the role is most associated with a glamorous black and white piece worn during the horse racing scene. Along with its matching hat, the dress was auctioned in 2011 for $4.5 million.
Warner Bros., My Fair Lady (1964)
Elizabeth Taylor
The American Film Institute ranked Elizabeth Taylor seventh in its list of the greatest female screen legends of all time. Taylor’s career began with roles as a child actress, becoming one of the most glamorous and highly paid actors of her time through the 1950s and 1960s. She was famous for her jewelry collection, of which many pieces became highly-sought collectibles.
Studio publicity still, Wikimedia Commons
The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond
Originally known as the Krupp Diamond, Taylor’s husband Richard Burton bought this exquisite gem for $307,000 and gifted it to his wife in 1968. Set in a ring, Taylor considered the diamond one of her favorite pieces of jewelry. It was sold by Taylor’s estate in 2011 for $8.8 million.
lifeandtimes, Diamond Is Forever | Elizabeth Taylor | Life + Times
Taylor’s Mike Todd Tiara
Another of Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic pieces of jewelry was also a gift from one of her husbands. Film producer Mike Todd purchased a 19th-century tiara for Taylor and gifted it to her in 1957, the year they married. Todd called her his queen and felt that the movie icon deserved a queenly gift. Like her beloved diamond, the tiara was auctioned in 2011 and commanded a sum of $4.2 million.
Music
It’s tough to say which form of entertainment commands more devotion from fans, film or music (or sports, as we’ll see soon). Judy Garland’s ruby slippers may well be the most expensive piece of celebrity memorabilia, but many of these musical collectibles give the other film-related pieces a run for their money.
kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kurt Cobain
For those who grew up disaffected and rebellious in the early 90s, Kurt Cobain became the voice of a generation. His scratchy voice and growling guitars defined the sound of his band, Nirvana, and struck a chord with a generation of teenagers. Unsurprisingly, then, some of his guitars have become desirable collectibles.
Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E Guitar
One of Cobain’s final performances was the acclaimed set for MTV’s Unplugged series. Nirvana’s frontman sat on a stool, holding this acoustic guitar, and mesmerized his audience with renditions of Nirvana songs and an eclectic mix of covers. In 2020, the Martin acoustic was auctioned for $6 million, the highest amount ever paid for an auctioned guitar.
Cobain’s Blue Fender Mustang
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” catapulted Nirvana and Cobain into the music mainstream. The video became a touchstone of the Grunge era, and after Cobain’s tragic end, the guitar played in the video was sought after by collectors. It was sold at auction in 2022 to the owner of the Indianapolis Colts for $4.5 million.
Chicago Music Exchange, Fender Kurt Cobain Signature Mustang | CME Gear Demo
David Gilmour
Considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, David Gilmour rose to fame as a quarter of the seminal psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd. Gilmour’s unmistakable playing, singing, and composition helped produce some of the most famous rock music of the 20th century, including Dark Side of the Moon, one of the top-selling albums of all time.
Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Gilmour’s Black Strat
In 2019, Gilmour auctioned a number of his guitars to benefit the environmental charity ClientEarth. Among them was a heavily modified black Stratocaster used by Gilmour on some of Pink Floyd’s greatest recordings. Gilmour has stated that he played the guitar during the recording of such songs as “Money” and “Comfortably Numb”. The guitar sold for $3.95 million.
TheTankman, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Gilmour’s 1954 Fender Stratocaster
This Fender Strat’s fame comes from both its use by Gilmour to record some of the greatest rock music of all time, but also because of its auspicious serial number: 0001. Guitar tech Seymour Duncan has called it a “partscaster”, as he assembled it for Gilmour from two other guitars. Regardless, the seminal instrument sold for $1.8 million at auction.
Eddie Van Halen
If you’ve listened to hard rock from the 80s and 90s, you’ve very likely listened to Van Halen. Formed by brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen, the band rose to superstardom thanks to their catchy songs and the lightning-fast licks of lead guitarist Eddie. Many authorities recognize Eddie Van Halen as one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time.
Carl Lender, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Van Halen’s Custom-Made Kramer
Eddie Van Halen had a long and successful partnership with Kramer Guitars, one of the few models of guitar that could keep up with his virtuoso playing. His custom Kramer featured in the music video for the band’s hit “Hot For Teacher”, and was auctioned in 2023 for $3.95 million.
John Lennon
Like the aforementioned Kurt Cobain, John Lennon became the voice of a generation during his time with The Beatles and in the years after their break up. A vocal proponent of peace and art, Lennon co-wrote some of the most famous pop songs of all time, and the instruments he used are some of the most expensive guitars ever sold.
Tony Barnard, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lennon’s Framus Hootenanny
This 12-string acoustic guitar was thought lost until its rediscovery in an attic in the British countryside. Lennon used the guitar while recording the Beatles album Rubber Soul, and it makes an appearance in the film Help! At an auction in 2024, the guitar commanded a price tag of $2.85 million.
Lennon’s Gibson J-160E
Another of Lennon’s favored instruments, the Gibson J-160E became so associated with the ill-fated musician that Gibson guitars now make a special version of the instrument modeled after Lennon’s. The J-160E was one of the first acoustic-electric guitars produced by Gibson. Lennon’s instrument sold at auction in 2014 for $2.4 million.
Lauren Gerson, Wikimedia Commons
The Beatles
If you don’t know who The Beatles are, stop reading right now and go find out. This foursome from Liverpool, England, are one of the greatest musical acts of all time, and their success and musicianship changed music and culture in some very fundamental ways. Not least of which is their effect on high-end memorabilia.
The Beatles’ Drumhead
One of the few pieces of expensive musical memorabilia that isn’t a guitar, The Beatles’ drumhead adorned the front of Ringo Starr’s drumsets during concerts and promotional videos. It features the band's name in an iconic font that has come to be associated with The Beatles and their legacy. It was sold at auction in 2015 for the sum of $2.1 million.
Mark Roeder, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bob Dylan
Love or hate his scratchy voice, you can’t deny the impact Bob Dylan had on the culture of the 1960s and on singer-songwriters up to the present day. Celebrated as the voice of the counter-culture, Dylan wrote some of the most widely-covered protest songs of the 60s.
Stoned59, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Dylan’s "Like A Rolling Stone" Lyrics
Dylan’s song “Like a Rolling Stone”, written in 1965, is perhaps his most famous composition. In 2024, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number one in their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, and it regularly places in the top 10 in other, similar lists. In 2014, the original hand-written lyrics were auctioned by Sotheby's for the sum of $2 million.
Rowland Scherman, Wikimedia Commons
Michael Jackson
The still-undisputed King of Pop, Michael Jackson lived a troubled life in the public eye. Despite this, he wrote and sang some of the greatest pop music ever released, and continues to be an influence on pop singers to this day. Jackson’s legacy in music and style is wide-ranging, and, unsurprisingly, has produced some highly-sought music memorabilia.
Zoran Veselinovic, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Jackson’s Thriller Jacket
“Thriller” may be Michael Jackson’s best-known song. The epic video, featuring zombies, werewolves, and an iconic dance sequence, are pop culture standbys. The jacket Jackson wore in the video became a hot fashion item in the mid-80s. The original jacket, worn in the video, brought in the sum of $1.8 million at auction in 2011.
Sports
No discussion of expensive celebrity memorabilia would be complete without looking at the wide world of sports. Sports teams, maybe more than any film or music celebrity, command devout loyalty from their fans—fans who will spend outrageous amounts of money to own a piece of their favorite sport’s history.
All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Babe Ruth
Many experts think George Herman Ruth, better known by his nickname “Babe”, is the greatest baseball player who ever lived. He played in the major leagues from 1914 to 1935 and was one of the first players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Throughout his career, Ruth achieved numerous awards and records.
Irwin, La Broad, & Pudlin, Wikipedia
Ruth’s 1932 World Series Jersey
One of the most famous moments in Babe Ruth’s career took place during the third game of the 1932 World Series. Ruth appeared to point to the center field stands, apparently calling his home run. Amazingly, on the next pitch, he rocketed a ball to the exact position he had predicted. The jersey worn by Ruth for this incredible moment sold for $24.1 million in 2024.
Nathaniel Fein, Wikimedia Commons
Ruth’s 1928-1930 New York Yankees Jersey
Although he also played for the Boston Red Sox, Ruth’s career and fame are tightly connected to the New York Yankees. At a 2019 auction, the jersey worn by Ruth for his later years with the club was sold for $5.64 million.
New York Daily News, Wikimedia Commons
Michael Jordan
If you know basketball, you know Michael Jordan. And one of the main reasons that many of us know basketball is because Jordan did so much to popularize the sport in the 90s. Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players ever, and his skills and charisma made basketball the sports juggernaut that it is today.
Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Jersey
One of Michael Jordan’s great moments was his Game 6 winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals. It was the first time that the NBA playoffs had garnered a larger television audience than Major League Baseball, and as a result, Jordan’s shot has become one of the iconic moments in basketball history. The jersey he wore for the playoffs was sold at auction in 2023 for $24.1 million.
First United 1976, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mark McGwire
Through the 90s, baseball produced players still seen as some of the greatest to have ever played the game. Among these luminaries is heavy-hitter Mark McGwire. McGwire played for both the Oakland Athletics and the St Louis Cardinals and set numerous records while playing for both clubs.
EricEnfermero, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
McGwire’s 70th-Home-Run Baseball
During the 1998 baseball season, three players, including McGwire, were on track to tie, or beat, the single-season home run record, held by baseball great Roger Maris since 1961. McGwire not only broke the record but went on to hit 70 home runs that season. The ball was bought at auction by comic book artist Todd McFarlane for $3 million in 1999.
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Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
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