Truman Capote’s Ashes
Truman Capote’s ashes, which are kept in a carved Japanese wooden box (shown here), had been in the hands of Johnny Carson’s ex-wife, Joanne Copeland, until her passing. Capote and Copeland were good friends. Capote died of liver disease at his Bel-Air mansion in 1984. After Copeland’s passing in 2015, the late writer’s ashes sold at auction for an incredible $43,750. From a James Bond car to the Batmobile, these classic movies had some of the coolest, funniest and weirdest cars in entertainment history.
Albert Einstein’s Advice
In 1922, Albert Einstein was in Tokyo to receive the Nobel prize for physics. Prior to winning the award, he gifted a bellboy at his hotel a note scribbled in German after he did not have cash to give him for a tip. The note read: “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.” It sold at an auction house in Jerusalem for $1.56 million. Celebrities are known to be tastemakers, but clearly not the ones that own these ugly homes.
Elvis Presley’s Old Bible
A bible that had been given to Elvis Presley at his Graceland home in 1957 was auctioned off for $94,600. Also at auction was a pair of soiled underwear worn beneath his white jumpsuit during a 1977 concert. The reserve price was about $11,000, but the underwear only reached a bid of about $8,000. Here are our favorite celebrity handymen/women.
John Lennon’s Tooth
In the 1960s, Lennon gave one of his teeth to his housekeeper, Dot Jarlet. Lennon suggested she give it to her daughter, who was a big fan of The Beatles. Jarlett ultimately sold it at an auction in 2011 for a whopping $31,000. These small towns were put on the map thanks to eager fans seeking out filming locations and tours of their favorite TV shows.
Marilyn Monroe’s Chest X-Rays
In 1954, Marilyn Monroe was admitted for surgery for endometriosis. Years later, a set of three chest X-rays from that hospital visit sold for $45,000 at the Hollywood Legends auction at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Bet you didn’t know these celebrities are actually DIYers.
J.K. Rowling’s Chair
The humble chair J.K. Rowling sat in while writing her first two books of the Harry Potter series must be magical, right? Well, at least one person thought so when they bought it, anonymously, for a crazy $394,000! Check out these 25 things in your house right now that could be worth money.
Willie Nelson’s Braids
For the majority of Willie Nelson’s career, his hair has been a part of his persona. In 2010, the country music icon shocked fans by cutting off his trademark locks. In 2014, the braids sold at an auction for $37,000. Surprise, surprise. These 20 old tools are worth big bucks.
William Shatner’s Kidney Stone
Star Trek actor William Shatner was once hospitalized as a result of a kidney stone. “It was a gurney for pregnant women,” said Shatner. “They’re wheeling me through the hospital — my legs are in the stirrups and I’m screaming—and somebody says, ‘Look, there goes Captain Kirk, he’s having a baby!’ Very, very embarrassing.”
Shatner ultimately auctioned off his kidney stone, stint and string for $25,000 via GoldenPalace.com.
“When Julien’s Auctions contacted me about selling my kidney stone to GoldenPalace.com for an original price of $15,000 I turned it down knowing that my tunics from Star Trek have commanded more than $100,000. I offered the stone, stint and string for $25,000 and informed Darren Julien that 100% of the proceeds would go to benefit Habitat for Humanity and I retain visitation rights.” Take a look inside Prince’s Caribbean island estate that went up for auction.
Britney Spears’ Pregnancy Test
Long ago, when Britney Spears was married to Kevin Federline, she found herself throwing a positive pregnancy test kit in the trash of her hotel bathroom in Los Angeles. A greedy hotel employee found the test and sold it to an Ottawa radio station, Zap2it.com. After Spears publicly confirmed her pregnancy test, the station auctioned off the kit to GoldenPalace.com for $5,001. Check out these 14 fortunes found in attics.
Scarlett Johansson’s Dirty Tissue
On an episode of The Tonight Show, a sick Scarlett Johansson had some fun with her cold, blowing her nose into a tissue that she said she’d post on eBay, giving the money to her charity of choice. Her tissue ultimately sold for $5,300. True to her word, the actress gave the proceeds to USA Harvest, which helps distribute food to the hungry. Check out the most valuable finds in Antiques Roadshow history.