Michael Jackson's Possessions Still in Demand

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Nov 22nd 2009 at 3:02PM

The publicity may have slowed down, but Michael Jackson fans are still coming out in force. Several lots soundly beat presale estimates at an auction conducted by Julien's Auctions. The staples of Michael Jackson's image -- such as the famous white glove and the jacket from the "Bad" tour -- went under the gavel. A presale estimate for the entire auction of $80,000 to $100,000 quickly became irrelevant, as bidders sent prices into the stratosphere.

The white glove opened at $10,000 but went immediately to $120,000 before settling at the final price of $350,000 (not including fees and commissions). After all fees and taxes, Hong Kong businessman Hoffman Ma spent around $420,000 for the piece of Americana that Darren Julien, the auction house's CEO, describes as "the Holy Grail of Michael Jackson." It was expected to sell for $50,000.

The black jacket, with all the straps and zippers, that Jackson wore during his 1989 "Bad" tour, also made presale estimates pointless. It closed at $225,000 (before any fees or taxes), more than 20 times the expectation.

At the auction, held at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square, most of the 80 lots pertained to Michael Jackson, generally provided by friends and family who had received them as gifts. Other lots included a car driven by Jackson, a guitar once owned by David Bowie and memorabilia from the Beatles.

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