{"id":342578,"date":"2024-08-26T11:52:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T15:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/blog-api\/?p=342578"},"modified":"2024-08-26T11:52:57","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T15:52:57","slug":"collecting-focus-pop-culture-memorabilia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-pop-culture-memorabilia\/","title":{"rendered":"Collecting Focus: Pop Culture Memorabilia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Celebrity culture has created a market for collectibles that is growing at unprecedented speed, writes Victoria Woodcock<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Stage costumes on show at the Sotheby\u2019s exhibition \u201cFreddie Mercury: A World of His Own<\/a>\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

When \u201cFreddie Mercury: A World of His Own\u201d rocked up at Sotheby\u2019s in London last August, it brought down the house. The exhibition of the late singer-songwriter\u2019s personal effects attracted more than 140,000 visitors, often queuing around the block to get a glimpse of Mercury\u2019s Yamaha Grand Piano\u2014billed as \u201cthe instrument used to compose some of the greatest songs of the 20th century\u201d\u2014and his handwritten lyrics for hits such as \u201cBohemian Rhapsody\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t Stop me Now\u201d. There were flamboyant, sequined stage suits, but also Qing Dynasty lamps and Japanese woodblock prints\u2014not to mention an attractive silver mustache comb by Tiffany & Co.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 1,406 lots attracted 41,800 bids, and fetched a total of \u00a340 million ($52 million). High on this success, the auction house now has a dedicated team for popular culture. \u201cSome people think of us as the fun department,\u201d says its director, Katherine Schofield. \u201cAnd we very much <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> the fun department, but there\u2019s also a lot of interest. Within the last three to five years, the area has really been seeing a big growth spurt\u2014a lot more collections are coming onto the market, and the appetite for these collections is really significant.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A Steinway grand piano from Abbey Road Studios<\/a>, used in the recording of tracks by musicians Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga, is part of the upcoming Sotheby\u2019s Popular Culture<\/a> auction<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, pop culture auctions are, well, popular. \u201cPeople like to see what something will sell for,\u201d says Schofield, who has 20 years\u2019 experience in this dedicated market. \u201cWith an artwork, a diamond or a piece of gold jewelry, there is a market value. But with our category, because it\u2019s emotive, new and evolving, you sometimes quite simply don\u2019t know what something is going to achieve. And that is what is so exciting.\u201d Superfans can send prices stratospheric, and as new generations grow their wealth, so tastes evolve; younger collectors may be more drawn to a celebrity collectible than a Picasso. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span>Prince\u2019s VOX HDC-77 electric guitar<\/a>, which will be offered at the Popular Culture<\/a> auction<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

At Sotheby\u2019s, having a dedicated department that handles significant pop cultural artifacts, \u201celevates them and brings them to a new audience,\u201d says Schofield. When the inaugural Sotheby\u2019s Popular Culture auction opens for bidding on August 29, one of the top lots will be a guitar played by Prince\u2014a VOX HDC-77 estimated at \u00a3200,000 to \u00a3300,000 ($255,000 to $383,000). Other musicians in the mix include Noel Gallagher, and The Beatles, who are a \u201cmystical anomaly,\u201d says Schofield. \u201cThere is still such huge buying power and collectability in that area\u2014and there\u2019s still new stuff coming to the market. I value things almost daily relating to the band that have never been seen before.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Schofield, though, suggests that passion is more often the motivation than speculation\u2014and that pieces are bought to be displayed. \u201cThey\u2019re often seen in the man cave, the cinema room or the games room,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a talking piece to have a framed guitar or an item of clothing on your wall. It adds a different element to someone\u2019s interior. They\u2019re really striking.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Photographs: Stephen Chung \/ Alamy, Sotheby\u2019s, Michael Spencer Jones<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Sotheby\u2019s Popular Culture<\/a> auction runs from August 29th to September 12th; <\/i>sothebys.com<\/i><\/a>
\n<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Celebrity culture has created a market for collectibles that is growing at unprecedented speed, writes Victoria Woodcock Stage costumes on show at the Sotheby\u2019s exhibition \u201cFreddie Mercury: A World of His Own\u201d When \u201cFreddie Mercury: A World of His Own\u201d rocked up at Sotheby\u2019s in London last August, it brought down the house. The exhibition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64295786,"featured_media":342582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1393],"tags":[1487],"class_list":["post-342578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-and-culture","tag-sothebys"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf4gbL-1r7s","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":344585,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-music-memorabilia\/","url_meta":{"origin":342578,"position":0},"title":"Collecting Focus: Music Memorabilia","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"September 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Acquiring an instrument or manuscript touched by rock \u2019n\u2019 roll royalty can be a deeply personal and nostalgic experience The \u201cFreddie Mercury: A World of His Own\u201d exhibition at Sotheby\u2019s London in 2023. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s \u00a0 Sotheby\u2019s has a long history of selling rock and pop memorabilia. 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