For as long as there have been celebrities, there has been an overwhelming, weird collection of celebrity memorabilia that superfans and collectors simply have to get their hands on. Over the years, people have bought some pretty strange things, from Katy Perry’s trampoline to a lamp that almost burnt down Ozzy Osbourne’s house.
Of course, as Beatlemania continues to flourish around the world to this day there have also been some pretty amazing pieces of Beatles memorabilia placed on auction over the years. Today, we thought we’d take a look at some of the rarest and weirdest ones:
The Lost George Harrison Letter
Back in 1966, as The Beatles were just about to start work on Revolver, George Harrison penned a letter to the Atlanta-based DJ Paul Drew. In the letter, Harrison reveals that he and the band had completely got rid of their plans to record at Stax Studio alongside the producer Jim Stewart. The letter has since sold for a whopping $20,000, which seems like a mad sum considering the letter isn’t even that long. Another letter written by John Lennon and addressed to Phil Spector, detailing the time during which The Who drummer Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson urinated in an LA studio, is also up for sale at £6,000.
The Beatles Slot Game
On the eve of December 8, 2012, memorabilia auction site Gotta Have Rock And Roll produced Lot 108: a Beatles “Yellow Submarine” vintage working slot machine. The cabinet looked like any regular fruit machine with three reels and the typical cherries, bells and numbers. However, it also featured an authentic yellow submarine drawing alongside a cartoon of the four Beatles themselves. This was even before online, musically inclined games became so popular. These days there are numerous slots based on music legends such as NetEnt’s Jimi Hendrix slot, which is available on numerous popular online sites such as Mecca Bingo, and contains six psychedelic-themed bonus features. See, The Beatles were always ahead of their times.
The Iconic Beatles Pianos
When it comes to iconic instruments, few bands have more than The Beatles. Two of their most legendary instruments are pianos, both of which have sold for thousands. First, there’s Paul McCartney’s 1907 Bechstein Concert Grand Piano, believed to be the piano ‘Help!’ was constructed on. Then there’s John Lennon’s Steinway model “z”, the very piano that featured in the ‘Imagine’ video. It even has the cigarette burns. This piece was bought by none other than George Michael who gave it to the Beatles Story museum to save it from any extra damage.
An Original Cavern Brick
In an unfortunate turn of events, the original Cavern Club was demolished at some point during the 1970s, either due to oversight or vandalism. Still, some fast-thinking fans made their way to the site and began collecting bricks, many of which can now be found on eBay at $150 each. The authentic ones come with a sticker of certification that states “this is a real Cavern brick” although we recommend getting a second opinion or some more evidence before investing.
The John & Yoko Spoon
While hosting a film night at London ICA in 1969, John and Yoko decided to scribble on a wooden spoon and hand it out to a fan. The kitchen utensil was up for auction at Christie’s back in 2014 and apparently brought in over $1,000. But if you thought this was probably the weirdest piece of memorabilia on the list, you are sadly mistaken…
John Lennon’s Tooth
Yes, you read that correctly – one of John Lennon’s teeth has been auctioned away in the past. A Canadian dentist named Michael Zuk paid approximately £30,000 for a single tooth discarded by the deceased John Lennon. As if that wasn’t weird enough, the dentist has apparently since been sequencing DNA from the molar in an attempt to clone the singer. We’re not sure what they teach in dentistry school these days but we hope cloning isn’t on the curriculum.
There are plenty of other weird and wonderful Beatles assets that have been sold over the years from Paul McCartney’s childhood front door to Abbey Road toilet roll, so really this list could go on forever. Chances are no matter when or where you search ‘Beatles memorabilia’ you’re bound to find something new and interesting.
nice post very useful tips you give thanks