The Beatles

The Five Most Expensive Beatles Collectibles

Wikicollecting.org, a new collaborative wiki project for collectors, has created the a list of the top five most expensive collectibles associated with The Beatles. The popular band has spawned many museums and items that are associated with members of the band, especially in relation to the creation of their music, sell very well, often at auction at some of the world's top houses. The top collectibles are associated with the life and music of John Lennon.

1) John Lennon's Rolls-Royce Phantom V – $2.23 million. In 1985, a psychedelic hand-painted Rolls-Royce Phantom V owned by John Lennon was sold by Sotheby's. This amazing car with custom modifications including a seat that converts to a double bed, a television and an interior-exterior sound system, is housed at the Royal BC Museum. Canadian businessman Jim Pattison donated the car to the museum.

2) The piano John Lennon used to write Imagine - $2.1 million. The simple walnut-finished Steinway upright that John Lennon used to write the song "Imagine" is an example of a humble collectible that has acquired value because it is part of history. It is considered to be one of the most valuable pieces of music memorabilia with a current estimated value of $8 million to $12 million. Musician George Michael bought the piano at auction for $2.1 million in 2000 and composed the song "Patience" on it. The instrument was recently on loan to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

Tags: beatles, beatles memorabilia, john lennon, most expensive, the beatles

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Limited Edition Beatles Pens Go On Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Writing Instruments

Has the addition of the Beatles catalog to iTunes spawned a new Beatlemania? Accessories maker Acme Studio has inked a new deal with Apple Records and The Beatles. The brand has already created pens, mirrors, business card cases and more that capture the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, Karim Rashid, Keith Haring, Shepard Fairey and Sue Wong. The new line will include pens, watches, business card cases and eyeglass cases. The first designs will be released in May 2011 with year pens evocative of each year the band was together (1962-1970) and 13 limited edition pen and business card case sets for all of their UK album covers. The priciests set is a set of four pens for four Beatles, consisting of interchangeable rollerball, felt tip, fountain pen, and ballpoint pens. This item is limited to 600 produced and sells at UnicaHome for $450.

Tags: acme studio, Acme Studios, beatles, pensions, the beatles

The Classicist: London's Famed Savoy Hotel Back After $350 Million Revamp

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Architecture & Design

London's renowned Savoy hotel has just reopened following a massive $350 million revamp encompassing one of the most ambitious restorations in British history. The world famous landmark, built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, originally opened in August 1889. Originally managed by Swiss hotelier César Ritz and Maitre Chef Auguste Escoffier, the hotel quickly became known for impeccable service and cuisine as well as glittering parties and famous patrons. Over the decades George Gershwin, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Noel Coward entertained there, while famous guests included King Edward VII, Harry Truman, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, Coco Chanel, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and numerous others. The property, now managed by Fairmont, has been closed for nearly three years while the impressive restoration project took shape.

120 years later the hotel's two main design aesthetics, Edwardian and Art Deco, have been carefully revitalized under the direction of world-renowned designer Pierre Yves Rochon. More than 1000 craftspeople, artists and artisans worked tirelessly to create interiors that are in keeping with the hotel's original and much-loved spirit. 38 new River Suites and guestrooms have been added, offering the same stunning views over the River Thames that inspired Whistler and Monet. Nine Personality Suites pay tribute to a few of the artists and well known figures who made the legendary hotel their London home away from home including Sinatra, Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich. The suites contain art, literature, photographs and artifacts that evoke the time and spirit of the stars including the 12 pink roses in the Marlene Dietrich Suite that the actress always requested upon arrival.

The reopening also includes the addition of a stately $16,000-per-night, 325-square meter Royal Suite featuring two bedrooms, a study, sitting room, dining room, master bathroom, dressing room (with a specially ventilated shoe closet) and a master bedroom with a bespoke Savoir bed. The suite has been specially designed so that all the rooms enjoy one of the finest views of London. The legendary River Restaurant meanwhile gets a contemporary interpretation of Art Deco décor, and the famed cocktail mecca the American Bar is back in business while Savoy Grill returns under the operation of Gordon Ramsay Holdings with Chef Patron, Stuart Gillies and Head Chef, Andy Cook. [continued]

Gallery: The Savoy Reborn

Tags: Art Deco, bar, cocktails, Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Taylor, Fairmont, Fairmont hotels, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Gilbert and Sullivan, Gordon Ramsay, hotel, hotel suites, London, luxury hotels, Maria Callas, Marilyn Monroe, Monet, Ritz, Savoy, Savoy hotel, tea, Thames, The Beatles, UK

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The Beatles' Piano and Jackie O's Jewels at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

A Challen upright piano from London's famed Abbey Road studios used by The Beatles to record some of their best-known tracks and items of Jackie Kennedy Onassis's jewelry are among the starring attractions at Bonhams' Pioneers of Popular Culture sale on August 15th at the UK's inaugural Goodwood Vintage Festival celebrating five decades of British Cool. The piano, which features on several Beatles songs including Paperback Writer and Tomorrow Never Knows was located in Studio Three at Abbey Road until it the 1980s, and it was also used by Pink Floyd on a number of recordings including the Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon albums.The pre-sale estimate for the piano is £100,000–£150,000. Among the items of Jackie's jewelry on offer is a three-strand simulated pearl necklace which she wore during the early 1960s, estimated at £25,000–£35,000.

Tags: Bonhams, celebrity, Goodwood Vintage Festival, Jackie Kennedy, jewelry, London, music, pearls, piano, Pink Floyd, pop culture, The Beatles, UK

Beatles Lyrics Bring $1.2 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

As we mentioned back in April, the John Lennon-penned lyrics to "A Day in the Life" were set to be auctioned off by Sotheby's New York today, June 18. "A Day in the Life" is the last song on The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and considered to be one of the best songs of all time. The lyrics sold for $1.2 million beating the estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. The paper shows Lennon's edits and corrections with some words scrawled out and annotations in red ink. The song has separate parts written by Lennon and McCartney connected by an orchestral score.

Three bidders competed for the lot with the winning bid being made by an unidentified American bidder over the phone. Sotheby's London sold the lyrics in 1992 and Bonhams in New York offered them in a sealed-bid auction in 2006 but they didn't sell. The most expensive Beatles handwritten lyric record still belongs to the lyrics for "All You Need Is Love" which sold for $1.25 million in 2005 at the Cooper Owen auction house.

Tags: beatles, expire-images:2010-7-18, LyricsBorn, music video, RockBand, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, sothebys, the beatles

Rock Gods' Guitars Star in Christie's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A killer collection of guitars owned by some of the great rock gods are the starring attraction in Christie's' Rock and Pop Memorabilia sale in London on June 24. While George Harrison's acoustic Yamaha guitar from 1994 signed by the Beatle is the priciest at an estimated $72,000 - $86,000, in aesthetic terms it's the least interesting lot. We much prefer the collection of instruments owned by members of The Who (above), in particular Pete Townshend and John Entwistle. The top pick is a custom made mahogany Gibson SG used by Townshend during the band's 1971 U.S. tour, estimated at $29,000 - $43,000. An newer acoustic guitar of his meanwhile is estimated at $8,500 - $11,500. Entwistle's Peter Cook Custom bass from the 1970s is estimated at $21,500 - $29,000, while his 1962 Fender Precision bass is estimated at $11,500 - $14,500. Eric Clapton's 1996 Fender Stratocaster 50th Anniversary edition with a gold-plated body is pricey at $29,000 - $43,000; much better deals are to be had with Marc Bolan of T.Rex's 1968 Fender Custom Telecaster and an early 1970s Gibson Les Paul owned by the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones, both estimated at $14,500 - $22,000.

Tags: Beatles, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, guitar, guitars, London, Memorabilia, Pete Townshend, rock and roll, The Beatles, The Who

John Lennon Lyrics Up For Auction

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

The John Lennon-penned lyrics to "A Day in the Life" are being auctioned by Sotheby's New York on June 18. "A Day in the Life" was the last song on The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – in countries where it wasn't stripped from the album – and the first credited with making The Beatles true artists. Being a Beatles production, the lyrics and song also came with enough controversy to match its accolades.

These same lyrics have been auctioned before, and although bidding a few years ago in a Bonham's offering was said to reach $2 million, this time Sotheby's places estimates at anywhere from $500,000 to $700,000.

[Source: Art Daily]

Source

Tags: a day in the life, john lennon, music, paul mccartney, sothebys, the beatles

Bardot, Beatles & Monroe Star in Sotheby's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The buzz at big photo auctions lately has been all about nude supermodels. Perfectly understandable, of course, but how many times can you really stand to see Gisele naked? (OK, no need to answer that). At Sotheby's latest photo sale in London on Tuesday, we're pleased to see some stunning images on offer which while short on supermodel cleavage nonetheless have plenty of appeal. Take for instance this portrait of the beautiful Brigitte Bardot taken by Terry O'Neill 1971 with an estimate of $8,000 - $12,000. Not one of the more expensive items on offer, but worth every penny in our estimation.

Also included in the amazing auction is Helmut Newton's 1975 photo of Elsa Peretti, est. $24,000 - $30,000, and his 1987 portrait of Jodie Foster, est. $14,000 - $18,000; Andy Warhol's Polaroid of Muhammad Ali taken in 1977, est. $10,000 - $14,000; David Bailey's 1969 double portrait of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, est. $20,000 - $30,000; and a recent print made from Bert Stern's famed Marilyn Monroe series (recently aped by Lindsay Lohan), est. $6,000 - $8,000. See the gallery for more.

Gallery: Sotheby's Photo Auction Stars

John Lennon and Paul McCartney by David Bailey.

Source

Tags: Andy Warhol, AndyWarhol, Bert Stern, BertStern, Brigitte Bardot, BrigitteBardot, David Bailey, DavidBailey, Elsa Peretti, ElsaPeretti, Gisele Bundchen, GiseleBundchen, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, Jodie Foster, JodieFoster, John Lennon, JohnLennon, Lindsay Lohan, LindsayLohan, London, Marilyn Monroe, MarilynMonroe, Muhammad Ali, MuhammadAli, Paul McCartney, PaulMccartney, Photo auctions, PhotoAuctions, Sothebys, Supermodels, The Beatles, TheBeatles

Lennon's Glasses to Sell for $1.5 Million or More at Auction

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

John Lennon's glasses, yes the legend himself, are up for auction on the British site 991.com. The Beatle's gold wire rimmed sunglasses are currently owned by a Japanese TV producer named Junishi Yore who got them back in 1966 when he worked as a translator for the Beatles, and they'll come with a handwritten note from Yore explaining how he came to get them from Lennon. Estimates are predicting the auction will end somewhere around $1.5 million or higher, although it's a private auction so we'll have to wait and see when the bidding ends on July 31st.

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Tags: 991, 991.com, auction, Beatle, Beatles, glasses, john lennon, JohnLennon, lennon, sunglasses, The Beatles, TheBeatles, yore