WebProNews

Tag: memorabilia

  • Kurt Cobain’s Credit Card Is Up for Auction, Nirvana Fans

    As of the publishing of this article, you have a little over six days to purchase Kurt Cobain’s personal credit card, if that’s something you’re into.

    The serious Nirvana fan will pay at least $8,100 for the piece of plastic, as that’s the current bid with bidding closing at 5pm EST on February 26. There have been a total of seven bids so far.

    Auction house Paddle 8 describes the item as an “autographed Visa credit card”. More specifically, it’s a gold Seafirst BankCard with Kurt Cobain’s signature in blue ballpoint pen. There also appears to be a phone number written in black ink beside the signature.

    Included with the card is a “King of Clubs Slot Club credit card holder”.

    Cobain’s credit card, which expired in February, 1995, is one of a handful of interesting items in Paddle 8’s “LegendaryL Memorabilia From Rock Gods and Pop Stars” collection. Other items include Frank Sinatra’s driver’s license and a U2 setlist from the band’s War tour.

    Images via Paddle 8, Kurdonal8794 Wikimedia Commons

  • Burt Reynolds on Auction: I Am Not Broke, Just Cleaning House

    When actor Burt Reynolds put up some of his possessions for auction recently, the first thing everyone thought was that the man was having money troubles.

    The auction site itself says of the items:

    “The auction includes Reynolds’ collection of Western themed decorative arts, screen-worn items, clothing from his personal wardrobe, signed items from co-stars and friends that were previously housed in Reynolds’ museum, and a selection of Reynolds trophies and awards.

    “The trophies earned by Reynolds date from his early football successes to his 1998 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Boogie Nights. These awards bookend countless People’s Choice Awards, an Emmy, another Golden Globe and other honors received over five decades.

    “The sale features wardrobe from Reynolds film career including a red “Bandit” jacket and an embroidered Western shirt from Smokey and the Bandit II, a sombrero worn in 100 Rifles, monogrammed boots worn in Striptease, a football helmet from the original Longest Yard, as well as personal clothing items and accessories.

    The online catalog detailing the items up for auction is 284 pages long.

    Some speculated that Reynolds divorce from Loni Anderson in 1993, as well as a bankruptcy and foreclosure, may have contributed to his auctioning the items. But Reynolds says this is not the case.

    “I want everyone to know that contrary to what all the news outlets are saying, I am not broke,” he said in a statement.

    “I have been dealing with a business dispute for many years as well as a divorce settlement,” he added. “I am simply selling some of my memorabilia that I have enjoyed for so many years but do not have use nor room for them anymore. Quite frankly, I am sick of so many pictures of myself in my own home.”

  • Ringo Starr Not In Rare Photos To Be Sold At Auction

    Pete Best was the original drummer for the Beatles. He was dismissed from the band on August 16, 1962. He was told it was because he wasn’t a good enough drummer. Whether or not that is true is a matter of much speculation and debate.

    We know that Best was replaced by Ringo Starr, and the rest as they say is history. Although it’s hard to imagine the Fab Four with anyone not named Paul, John, George, or Ringo, memorabilia from the brief two year period before Starr joined the band generates a lot of interest from collectors.

    One of the first photographs ever taken of The Beatles (without Ringo Starr) will be sold at auction. The extremely rare picture of the band playing at Liverpool’s Cavern Club was taken in 1961. It is just one of 330 lots to be auctioned off at The Annual Liverpool Beatles Auction at Paul McCartney Auditorium at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts on Saturday, August 23.

    The Ringo-less photo is part of a series of pictures of the band from the very beginning of their career. The snapshot features Paul sitting down at the front of the stage, John playing guitar on the right, George sitting down on an amp playing guitar on the left, and Pete Best playing the drums in the background.

    Stephen Bailey, who is the manager of The Beatles Shop in Liverpool, said a man named Mathew Street brought in the photograph along with a series of negatives. He stated, “My father was a professional photographer and these might be of interest to you.”

    All of the negatives were in perfect condition, including another picture of John, George, Paul, and Pete posing with six young girls. Bailey discovered that this particular picture was taken on June 14, 1961, at St. John’s Hall, Tuebrook, Liverpool. Bailey went a step further and was able to track down two of the girls from the photograph.

    The rare photographs are already generating a lot of buzz. “I am very excited about the auction. It just gets bigger and better every year,” said Bailey. He expects the photographs to bring in around 1,500 pounds (about $2,000 US.)

    Image via Wikimedia Commons


  • Hulk Hogan Gets $5,500 Shoe Returned

    Hulk Hogan Gets $5,500 Shoe Returned

    Hulk Hogan’s shoe has been returned, and the woman who took it said she ‘did a stupid thing’ according Inquisitr.com.

    The Clearwater Police Department had been investigating the theft of Hogan’s white wrestling boot, which he had worn at one point and later autographed. The boot was estimated at a value of $5,500, according to a press release from the police department.

    The shoe, which had been taken Sunday and only discovered to be missing two days later when employees checked the videotapes of the cameras, had been taken in what might have been a coordinated heist, said police.

    The press release from the Clearwater Police Department reads, “Four white females – possibly from Michigan on spring break — came into Hogan’s Beach Shop at 5:16 p.m. Four minutes later, a large statue of Hogan fell over outside the premises, and store workers were temporarily distracted. That’s when the theft occurred.”

    The woman caught on camera was heavyset, in her 50s, and wearing a pink T-shirt, white shorts, and flip flops. She had light brown hair and blonde highlights.

    The Michigan woman spoke with police over the phone and arranged to have the boot returned to the store by people she had met in Clearwater. She had already returned to Michigan.

    Police have not filed charges but the investigation is ongoing. Because the value of the boot is $5,500, possible charges that could be filed would be felony retail theft, according to the police press release.

    Meanwhile, Hulk Hogan plans to return to WWE—not as a wrestler, but as a host.

    Vince McMahon said in a statement, “We are thrilled that Hulk Hogan has returned home to WWE. It’s fitting to have him help us celebrate 30 years of WrestleMania and usher in a new era with the launch of WWE Network.”

    Image via Clearwater Police Department Facebook Page

  • The Hunt Is On For Hulk Hogan Shoe Thief [Video]

    The Hunt Is On For Hulk Hogan Shoe Thief [Video]

    Wrestling star Hulk Hogan is missing a $5,500 shoe.

    It wasn’t just any shoe. Hogan once wore the white wrestling boot in the ring, and he has signed it with a permanent marker. The Steve Cardillo shoe was on display at Hogan’s shop in Clearwater, Florida until staff noticed it had gone missing on Tuesday. They checked the CCTV and reported the incident to the police.

    Staff suspected a “heavyset woman in her 50s” had taken the shoe. The woman, possibly a tourist from Michigan, visited the shop along with three friends on Sunday afternoon, and took the shoe while the store workers were busy with something else.

    According to the police report and based on the CCTV footage, four white females arrived at Hogan’s Beach Shop at 5:16pm on Sunday. Around four minutes after they came in, a large statue of the popular wrestling-star-turned-shop-owner fell over outside the store, distracting the staff. Clearwater Police believe this was the time when the woman swiped the shoe, valued at $5,500.

    Hogan recently announced his return to WWE after six years of being away from the ring. Last month, the 60-year-old wrestler made an appearance at WWE Raw Backstage Pass, and will host the special anniversary show of WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans next month. He first entered the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) scene in 1985 back when it was still known as WWF (World Wrestling Federation), and expressed his excitement at being back.

    Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman, was also thrilled to have “Hulkamania” as a big part of the anniversary program. He said that it was fitting for Hogan to celebrate 30 years of WrestleMania with them “and usher in a new era” with the launch of the new WWE Network.

    Hulk Hogan was born Terry Gene Bollea. He won a total of 12 wrestling championships for the WWF/WWE and the WCW (World Championship Wrestling). He has several wrestling records under his belt, including being the all-time longest-reigning World Heavyweight Champion in WCW. He is also the first wrestler to win two consecutive Royal Rumbles (1990-1991).

    Florida police are currently on the lookout for the shoe thief.

    See video of the thief taking off with Hogan’s shoe

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Marvin Gaye’s Passport Discovered in Album Record, Worth At Least $20,000

    On one of the latest segments of PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow,” a Motown memorabilia collector shares the story behind discovering Marvin Gaye’s 1964 passport in one of the records he purchased from an estate sale.

    The man, who has worked for Detroit’s Motown Museum since age 18, said he went to retrieve items from the house of a musician who had died. Apparently, the deceased man had worked with Gaye in the past.

    Later that weekend, the remaining items were sold in an estate sale.

    He decided to attend the sale and ended up purchasing a few albums for only 50 cents each, not knowing that one of them was concealing Gaye’s passport.

    “It came to me by pure accident, actually…When I got home, I was going through them and out of an album fell this passport,” the man said on the show.

    According to PBS.com, the appraiser Laura Woolley described in detail how valuable Marvin Gaye’s passport could be:

    “1964, he’s still in the prime of his life and having the best time. His career’s really starting to take off. But this is such an innocent time, and people love passports because they also show where he was all over the world, what he’s doing during these years– he’s obviously traveling, he’s touring. People also like them because we know that they’re real signatures, because you have to sign your own passport. Passport collecting is a really vibrant collecting world because there’s usually only a few of them throughout your life; you only replace them every so often.”

    Woolley suggested that the passport’s insurance price run for no less than $20,000, since Marvin Gaye collectables are rarely viewed at antique exhibitions, as they are hard to come by.

    Although the museum collector was in disbelief by the recommendations given, he apparently left very happy.

    In recent news about the late singer, his ex-wife Anna Gordy Gaye passed away at age 92 on January 31.

    She was said to be the inspiration and co-writer of some of his earliest hits in the 1960s like “Pride and Joy.”

    The two are survived by their only son, Marvin Gaye III.

    Image via Youtube

  • Eli Manning Sued over Bogus Memorabilia

    It’s a tough week for Eli Manning. Not only does he have to watch America swoon over his older brother as Peyton takes his Denver Broncos to the Super Bowl, now he’s being sued for allegedly passing off bogus memorabilia.

    A lawsuit filed in New Jersey on Wednesday claims that several New York Giants players have routinely passed off new jerseys and helmets to collectors and dealers, fronting them as authentic “game worn” items. The complaint even alleges that the Manning helmet from Eli’s 2008 Super Bowl win currently on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is bogus.

    Named in the filing are are Manning, the Giants, Inc., CEO John Mara, team lawyer William Heller, CFO Christine Procops, locker room manager Ed Wagner Jr., and equipment managers Joe and Ed Skiba, and the team’s dry cleaner. Yes, the dry cleaner, Barry Barone, who has worked for the team since 1982. Barone is alleged to have used his dry cleaning equipment to age jerseys and other items of clothing, going so far as cutting them with scissors and repairing them to heighten the illusion of authenticity.

    The suit even has a smoking gun. In an exchange between memorabilia dealer Eric Inselberg and Joe Skiba, Inselberg asks, “Hey Joe, my buddy was offered an eli game used helmet and jersey. Are these the bs ones eli asked you to make up because he didnt want to give up the real stuff?” Skiba, replying from his official Giants email address, responded, “BS ones, you are correct.” Maybe that was Skiba being sarcastic—he may certainly claim so in court—but someone should remind him that sarcasm doesn’t always come across in an email.

    Other alleged forgeries include several Manning jerseys, two 2012 Super Bowl helmets, and a 2004 rookie season Manning helmet. Manning himself allegedly conspired in the scam so that he could hang on to his personal items.

    Earlier today, a Giants spokesperson attacked the filing, saying, “this suit is completely without any merit whatsoever and we will defend it vigorously. We will not otherwise comment on pending litigation.” Eli Manning has so far declined to make any comment.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Amazon Launches New Store with 350,000+ Verified Entertainment Collectibles

    Amazon has just launched a new specialty store on its site for memorabilia from various entertainment industries – music, movies, and TV.

    It’s called the Amazon Entertainment Collectibles Store, and it features over 350,000 “unique and rare” collectibles – all authenticated. We’re talking records, instruments, playbills, photos, clothing, etc. The new store is browsable by category, autograph status, and year.

    “Entertainment Collectibles is an exciting new category offering a vast selection of past and present Movie, Music and TV memorabilia,” said Peter Faricy, vice president of Amazon Marketplace. “There is something for everyone. Fans will find keepsake items from their favorite artists, actors and icons of entertainment, and aficionados will discover some of the rarest items for their collections. With hundreds of thousands of items, the store has a wide range of memorabilia to delight any entertainment enthusiast.”

    Amazon says that you can find plenty of verified collectibles from big name people and projects like The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, One Direction, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Johnny Depp, “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” “The Walking Dead,” “The Hobbit,” “Game of Thrones,” and “The Twilight Saga.”

    In February of 2012, Amazon launched a similar destination for sports memorabilia just in time for the Super Bowl called the Sports Collectibles & Memorabilia store. We can’t help but notice that the timing of this entertainment collectibles store coincides with Oscar week.

  • Titanic Violin to be Auctioned Off

    Titanic Violin to be Auctioned Off

    The violin of Wallace Hartley, bandleader on the RMS Titanic, will be put up for auction on April 20. The news comes courtesy The Daily Mail, which reports that the violin is currently undergoing tests to prove its authenticity.

    Wallace Henry Hartley is famous for leading the Titanic’s band to play as passengers were loaded into lifeboats. Hartley and all of the band members died when the ship sank on April 15, 1912. Popular accounts recall that Hartley and his band continued to play until the ship went under. The event was depicted in the 1997 movie Titanic, with the band playing “Nearer My God to Thee” as the horrific events of the ship’s sinking take place.

    The Mail reports that the violin, if authentic, could sell for “hundreds of thousands of pounds.” There is also mention that the instrument could sell for a “record price.” The seller of the violin has chosen to remain anonymous, but has claimed that the violin was owned by Hartley’s fiance, who obtained it after Hartley’s body was retrieved.

    The item will be auctioned off by Henry Aldridge and Son, a well-known Titanic auctioneer. The company bills itself as the “premier auctioneers in the sale of Titanic and White Star Line Material.”

  • Most-Forged Autographs Include Babe Ruth, Elvis

    According to a new report by PSA/DNA, as many as 60% of the Babe Ruth autographs they verify turn out to be fakes. As PSA/DNA one of the world’s leading memorabilia authentication services, the organization cautions collectors that the percentages of fakes out in the wild could well be even higher. This is because the autographs it verifies are often from already-savvy collectors.

    The new PSA/DNA report lays out 2012’s ten most “dangerous” autographs that are most likely to be forged for both sports memorabilia and entertainmen/historical memorabilia. As a Babe Ruth-signed baseball could fetch up to $60,000 at auction, these forgeries are often more important than something to impress friends and family.

    Coming in second on the sports list is Lou Gehrig, who’s signed baseballs are valued at even more than the Babe’s. Next is Mickey Mantle, another Yankees legend who tops the forgery list despite the report’s statement that he signed an “enormous” amount of items in the 80s. Rounding out the top 10 sports forgeries are, in order, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, and Ted Williams.

    Unsurprisingly, Elvis Presley tops the entertainment/historical forgery list, with large numbers of forged autographs showing up in Europe as well as the U.S. It’s a similar story for the Beatles, who rank number 2, and whose group autograph memorabilia are rare due to John Lennon’s 1980 assassination. The number 3 spot belongs to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, and whose death in August of this year will almost certainly increase the number of forgeries floating around the memorabilia marketplace. The rest of the entertainment/historical category, in order, are John F. Kennedy, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Walt Disney, and Judy Garland.

  • Lennon Letter to Clapton Up For Auction

    Lennon Letter to Clapton Up For Auction

    Entertainment memorabilia auction house Prifiles in History this week announced that the personal correspondence of several famous musicians will be up for auction on December 18 in Los Angeles. 300 of the “most important” items from a collection of over 3,000 items will be up for sale. Some of the most interesting letters in the collection include letters from Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and John Lennon.

    The Lennon letter is particularly interesting because of its context. The letter is from Lennon to Eric Clapton, and is dated September 29, 1971. It shows that Lennon was hoping to collaborate with Clapton in the years following the break-up of The Beatles. From the letter:

    Both of us have been thru the same kind of shit/pain that I know you’ve had—and I know we could help each other in that area—but mainly Eric – I know I can bring out something great – in fact greater in you that had been so far evident in your music, I hope to bring out the same kind of greatness in all of us – which I know will happen if/when we get together.

    At the time of the letter, Clapton had already played with Lennon as a part of the Plastic Ono Band. Clapton also played on the White Album track “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” written by George Harrison. The Lennon letter is expected to sell for $20,000 to $30,000.

    The Ludwig von Beethoven letter is signed and features a “disgruntled tone.” It is expected to sell for $40,000 to $60,000. The Tchaikovsky letter is also signed, and is expected to sell for $10,000 to $15,000. Other letters in the collection not expected to fetch as high a price include letters from the early 1930s from Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter.

  • Amazon Sports Collectibles Store Launches Just In Time For Super Bowl

    Amazon Sports Collectibles Store Launches Just In Time For Super Bowl

    This week being Super Bowl Week, everyone seems to have sports fever. All of the media coverage and internet chatter about the big game makes it a pretty good time for Amazon to announce a new sports memorabilia store.

    Amazon Sports Collectibles & Memorabilia beta launches today, bringing sports fans 2 million+ unique collectibles from all types of sports. We’re talking NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and FIFA.

    Collectors will be able to browse the selection of cards, gear, pictures, balls, and jerseys by sport, year, specific team, and price. All of the focus is on authentic, unique memorabilia, with a premium placed on autographed items and other quirks like game-worn items.

    “Our customers have told us that when purchasing sports collectibles they highly value authenticity, which is why we have teamed with some of the top sports collectibles sellers in the world to provide unique items with easy to find authentication and condition information,” said Peter Faricy, vice president of Amazon Marketplace. “The emphasis on authenticated selection, combined with our A-to-z Guarantee protection on purchases, allows customers to shop the new store with confidence.”

    Every item page in the store will include information about authentication as well as condition:

    As I said before, the store is launching just in time for the Super Bowl, and Amazon has a category just for Super Bowl-themed collectibles. For instance, you can get a signed Eli Manning collectible mini-helmet for $289.95. If you’re a Pats fan, a signed Tom Brady mini-helmet is going to run you $569.99.