We love our celebrities. Through their performances, we form certain opinions of them that have an effect on us. We appreciate their talents and good looks, but it goes deeper than that for some of us. We often form an opinion of celebrities or Celebrity Memorabilia as people based on their parts and how they are portrayed.Â
Even with these confusing feelings about these strangers we love, why are we compelled to spend enormous amounts of money on memorabilia that they auction? There is an actual psychological term for this behavior. It is called the contagion principle. To summarize the contagion principle, when we feel a favorable attraction toward a celebrity, we long to have something they owned, touched, and connected with. If it is an item they used in a movie, a famous outfit they wore, or something that we can actually connect with them through photos or film, we feel we have now connected with them personally. Of course, the more famous the person is, and the item is, the more monetary value is associated with it. The items sold at auction always have a substantial price tag. Celebrity Memorabilia-
One example of this is the dress the famous USA movie star (the late) Marilyn Monroe, Celebrity Memorabilia , wore when she sang Happy Birthday to (the late) President John F. Kennedy in 1962. The performance was filmed and aired around the world. The rumors that were associated with the star and the President only added value to the dress. The flesh-colored gown was designed to fit her snugly and had more than 2,000 rhinestones that were sewn on while the gown was worn. Monroe paid $1,400 US Dollars for the gown, which would be $12,000 dollars (or 900780.00000 INR) in today’s money. Ripley’s Hollywood Boulevard Museum paid nearly USD 5-million for the gown which is 375,265,000.00 INR.Â
Who buys these things?
Of course, you would have to have a lot of cash to be included in these celebrity auctions. So, who are the people who seek these auctions out and spend so much money? Some of the people who buy memorabilia are just wealthy fans. They are people with a significant income, and they invest in collections. Over time, their collections usually go up in value, and it often becomes part of the person’s estate and is passed on to their heirs.
Then there are businesses, such as the one listed above. They purchase items that will draw customers into their business to view them. Their investment is strictly business, but it draws fans of the celebrity that owned the item.
You might think you would have to be as wealthy as the biggest Powerball lottery winner to even think about buying celebrity belongings. Well, you may be right. That is exactly the case of Adrian Bayford and his wife at the time, Gillian. A £148 million lottery winner opened a film and music memorabilia store selling signed products and lifesize Hollywood cut-outs. The rock-star fans used their winnings to follow their dreams of buying and selling music memorabilia.Â
Celebrity auction pieces from Indian Stars
India has its fair share of Bollywood stars willing to auction pieces for charity and personal reasons. Let’s look at some more current auction items sold by famous Indian celebrities:
- Aamir Khan’s Bat For Lagaan
No one will ever forget Aamir Khan’s performance in Lagaan. The movie has been called timeless. Lagaan was nominated for an Oscar award. The bat used by Khan and his team in the movie was autographed by him and auctioned for charity bringing Rs 1,56,000.
- Madhuri Dixit’s Lehenga
No expense was spared in the breathtaking, extravagant, and elegant costumes worn by Madhuri Dixit in the movie Devdas. The lehenga that Dixit wore in the song Maar Daala was sold at auction for an incredible Rs 3 Crore. Â
- Akshay Kumar’s Suit From Oh My God
Akshay Kumar is well known for his good deeds and acts of charity. In the movie Oh My God, Kumar is posing in a beautiful suit that he later auctioned for Rs 15 Lakh. The proceeds were used to benefit the Muktangan education institution’s budget. Kumar also encouraged his followers on Twitter to contribute to this worthy cause.Â
- Shammi Kapoor’s Jacket in Chahe Mujhe Koi Junglee Kahe?
Do you remember the famous jacket Shammi Kapoor wore in Chahe Mujhe Koi Junglee Kahe? That brown and tan jacket was auctioned off for a price of Rs 80,000. Who was the buyer? None other than Aamir Khan!
As you can see, there is fun to be had and money to be made in the world of celebrity auctions. So, if you have a load of cash buried in your yard, or if you hit the Powerball jackpot, take a look around. You may find your favorite celebrity is selling something you just have to have!
