- Fans of the world’s biggest celebrity names will drop thousands – or even millions – to get their hands on prized memorabilia.
- Kim Kardashian paid $65,625 – more than three times the expected selling price – for a velvet jacket worn by Michael Jackson for her 6-year-old daughter, North.
- Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress sold for more than $1.2 million, while James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 went for $6.4 million.
- A pair of Nike Air Jordan 1s was named the most expensive pair of sneakers sold at auction after selling for $560,000.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Would you spend more than $10,000 for one of your favorite celebrity’s fake nails or $5,000 for a used tissue?
From the iconic ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” to One Direction singer Niall Horan’s half-eaten toast, prized celebrity memorabilia has cost mega fans and private collectors boggling amounts of cash.
Here are 25 celebrity memorabilia items that have sold for astounding amounts of money.
A pair of Nike Air Jordan 1s, game-worn by Michael Jordan in 1985 and signed by the player, sold for $560,000 in a Sotheby’s auction.
Guinness World Records recently announced that the pair of Nike Air Jordan 1s is now the most expensive pair of sneakers ever sold at auction.
Sold by the world record holder for the largest collection of sneakers, they fetched $560,000 at a Sotheby's auction held on May 17, 2020.
Kim Kardashian paid $65,625 — more than three times the expected selling price — for a velvet jacket worn by Michael Jackson for her 6-year-old daughter, North.
The pricey Christmas present was altered to fit North by pinning the custom-made jacket's body and sleeves to fit her proportions, Kardashian explained in an Instagram story.
Ahead of the auction, Julien's predicted the jacket would sell for between $10,000 and $20,000. Jackson wore the jacket to attend Elizabeth Taylor's 65th birthday party in Los Angeles on February 16, 1997, and again at the 50th Cannes Film Festival screening of his film "Ghosts."
"North is a really big Michael Jackson fan and we knew she would love this," Kardashian said on her Instagram.
As another Christmas gift for North, Kardashian purchased Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" hat.
The fedora sold for $56,250, according to E! News. Kardashian remarked on her Instagram story that the white fedora still had the artist's makeup on it.
The star also purchased two Elvis Presley rings for her brother, Robert Kardashian.
Darth Vader’s helmet worn by actor David Prowse in "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" sold to an anonymous bidder for $898,420.
It was estimated to tap out at $400,000 at an auction in September 2019 - but the final bid was more than double.
A General Lee 1969 Charger from "The Dukes of Hazzard," owned by actor John Schneider, sold for a whopping $9,900,500 on eBay in 2007.
The car was used in both the TV series and in the 2000 TV movie "The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood."
The design of the car's roof - a giant Confederate flag - became a source of controversy in 2015. TV Land ended up pulling scheduled reruns of the show.
Called "the holy grail of movie memorabilia," Judy Garland's ruby red slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" were reportedly listed at $6 million by auction site Moments in Time.
Several other pairs of the famous slippers also exist, including one pair that was stolen in 2005 and recovered by the FBI in 2018.
Audrey Hepburn's personal working script from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" sold for $811,615 at an auction of her personal items in 2018.
Other items at the auction included a tan Burberry trench coat, a black Givenchy cocktail dress, and a working script for "My Fair Lady."
The skin-tight black pants that Olivia Newton-John wore as Sandy in "Grease" were sold to Spanx founder Sara Blakely for $162,000.
"I have been the biggest fan of Olivia since I was a little girl, since 'Grease' came out, and my friend called me two days before the auction. I didn't know it was happening … and I thought, 'Oh my God. I've got to try to get these,'" Blakely said on "CBS This Morning."
Blakely says she plans to frame the iconic pants for display at the Spanx headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. She also bought a Pink Ladies jacket in the auction. A portion of the auction's proceeds will go towards the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Australia.
The dark blue gown Princess Diana wore while dancing with John Travolta at the White House in 1995 sold for $347,000, according to CNN.
When it comes to royal style, Princess Diana's wardrobe has been praised and more talked-about than any other. Therefore, when her iconic "Travolta dress" went on auction in December 2019, it was no surprise that it fetched a hefty sum.
Designed by Victor Edelstein, the dark blue, off-the-shoulder velvet gown was worn by Princess Diana during her visit to the White House in 1985. The dress was purchased by The Historical Royal Palaces for $347,000, which indicates that the gown is likely to be part of a future exhibition.
HRP purchased the gown outside of the auction after it failed to sell the first day, a spokesman told CNN.
The tennis racket Serena Williams smashed during her 2018 US Open final defeat to Naomi Osaka sold at auction for $20,910.
The Wilson Blade, which the athlete broke during an argument with the umpire, went up for sale on Goldin Auctions from an anonymous seller, and it was expected to fetch "$25,000 or $50,000," according to Ken Goldin, the founder of the firm.
It ultimately fell just short of the estimation, and an unnamed buyer snagged it with a final bid of $20,910 on December 7, 2019.
Marilyn Monroe’s "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" dress, which was covered in 2,500 rhinestones, sold for $1,267,500 at a Christie's auction in 1999.
The gown was said to be so tight-fitting, Monroe had to be sewn into it on the day of JFK's birthday party.
A silver dog bowl owned by Joan Rivers went for $13,750 at a Christie's auction.
The silver dog bowl from Tiffany and Co. is engraved with the name "Spike," Joan Rivers' beloved and most famous pet Yorkshire terrier.
A 1927 "Metropolis" movie poster, one of only four known to exist, was purchased by a private collector for $690,000 in 2005.
Ralph DeLuca, who owns New Jersey-based film memorabilia company Movie Archives Inc, beat three other bidders to win the extremely rare piece of film history.
An iconic dress that Kate Winslet wore in "Titanic" sold for a whopping $330,000 in 2012.
The dress was worn during the scene in which Kate Winslet's character, Rose, meets Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Jack, for the first time.
In 2006, Andy Warhol's signature silver wig sold for $10,800 during his estate's first auction since his 1987 death.
Warhol was a leading pop art figure. "He was a generous man and always gave us little gifts. But they've been lying around in the attic ever since and we decided now was the time to sell them," Jeffrey Warhol, one of the artist's nephews, said after the auction was announced.
A fully restored version of James Bond's Aston Martin DB5, which appeared in the "Goldfinger" film, was sold at an RM Sotheby's auction for an impressive $6.4 million.
It is one of only three "Bond-modified" DB5 vehicles in existence. "No other car in history has played a more important leading role on film and in pop culture than the Aston Martin DB5," Barney Ruprecht, a car specialist at RM Sotheby's, said in a press release ahead of the sale.
In 2009, Michael Jackson's famous white glove, covered in glittering crystals, sold for $350,000 to Hong Kong businessman Hoffman Ma.
According to Reuters, the glove was worn by Jackson when he famously moonwalked across the stage for the first time at the 1983 Motown 25 television special. The glove has become a trademark of the star's incredible career, almost synonymous with the man himself.
It was sold at a memorabilia auction held by Julien's Auctions.
Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry collection sold for a record-breaking $116 million in 2011.
The iconic actress' "La Peregrina" natural pearl, diamond, ruby, and cultured pearl necklace sold for $11.8 million, including fees.
At the time, it was the most expensive pearl ever sold at auction. This record was recently surpassed with an auction of one of Marie Antoinette's pearls, which sold for a whopping $36 million.
A lock of Elvis' hair, which was believed to have been trimmed from his head in 1958, sold for $15,000 in 2009, plus an additional $3,300 in auction house fees.
A shirt that once belonged to Presley also sold for a whopping $52,000.
A "Batman Returns" costume worn by Michael Keaton sold for $41,250 at auction in 2017.
A "Superman" costume from the 1978 original movie also went to the auction block but failed to get a minimum $40,000 bid.
A bullwhip used by Harrison Ford in "Indiana Jones" sold for $35,460, not including fees.
Estimated only to fetch a mere $5,000, the whip was originally donated by Harrison Ford to the Institute of Archaeology in London to help build a new Centre for Conservation and Museum Science at University College, London University.
Scarlett Johansson's used tissue was reportedly sold on eBay for $2,050 after the star said she'd caught a cold from costar Samuel L. Jackson.
Johansson announced she would sell the tissue while appearing on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" in 2008 and then give the proceeds to charity.
Lady Gaga's acrylic nail was auctioned off for $12,000 after a crew member on "The Born This Way Ball" tour found it backstage.
The auction included not only the nail, but also a letter of provenance from the crewmember, two photographs of Gaga with and without the nail, an Aviva Stadium staff handbook, an event crew wristband, and a Lady Gaga "The Born This Way Ball" grey crew t-shirt.
A chair that J.K. Rowling sat in while writing the first two "Harry Potter" books fetched $394,000 at an auction in 2016.
Sold to a private collector, the 1930s-era chair had previously sold for $29,000.
Perhaps one of the more ridiculous celebrity memorabilia sales, Niall Horan's half-eaten toast was reportedly sold for an astounding $100,000.
After appearing on the Australian morning program "Sunrise," Horan failed to finish his Vegemite-covered toast, and it wasn't long before the snack ended up on eBay.