It should come as no surprise that antique and vintage auction houses have seen more than just tables and dressers grace their halls. There are plenty of weird and wonderful items that have gone up for auction over the years too – and this is especially true when it comes to celebrity-owned items! Here are 10 of the strangest antiques to ever have appeared on the auction block.
#1: The Country of New Zealand
Yes, the entire country was once up for auction! In 2006, an Australian man tried to auction of the country at a measly starting price of just AU$0.01. 22 bids were made and the price inflated to $3,000 before eBay closed the auction for good. It might have simply been a practical joke, but Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister at the time, was adamant that it was not a funny one on any level.
#2: Author JD Salinger’s Toilet
In 2010, bids were placed by auction attendees eager to own the toilet purportedly once owned by the iconic author JD Salinger. The toilet was listed on eBay for a whopping $1 million, and its seller said that he had obtained the item from a couple who own the writer’s former home. Unfortunately, the date of installation on the loo (1962) means that it was only added to Salinger’s home after he had written his best works. Perhaps the buyer would have been better off spending their money at Crazy Luck Casino instead…
#3: A North Italian Taxidermy Ostrich
A rare North Italian taxidermy ostrich from 1785 went onto the auction block of London auction house Christie in September of 2013. The item was surprisingly quick to sell, fetching a hefty price of £21,250.
#4: An Ancient Slice of Wedding Cake
In 2013, a 65-year-old slice of royal wedding cake from the union of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip sold for £560 at PFC Auctions. The aged 1947 fruit cake even came with a compliment slip from the wedding conveying the royal pair’s best wishes.
#5: The Violin that Serenaded the Sinking Titanic
Titanic band leader Wallace Hartley played his violin to soothe stressed passengers as the iconic ship sunk in 1912. Hartley was among those who died in the tragedy, but his legacy has lived on. His violin sold for £900,000 at a Wiltshire auction in 2013, and was on the block for mere minutes before it was snatched up.
#6: Brangelina’s Breath in a Jar
A jar reportedly containing the breath of both Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie reportedly sold for £340 back in 2012. As for whether or not the jar actually contained the stated contents, we will likely never know…
#7: Lee H. Oswald’s Wedding Ring
Lee Harvey Oswald is infamous for his assassination of former US president John F. Kennedy. His wedding ring was sold at auction for a considerable sum of $118,000 to an unknown buyer from Texas in late 2013.
#8: Justin Bieber’s Space Suit
You might remember the space suit that Canadian singer Justin Bieber wore in that legendary SuperBowl ad alongside Ozzy Osbourne. The autographed suit was later sold for $5,800 in a 2011 eBay auction to a mystery buyer.
