Ringo Starr is auctioning off a bunch of stuff, including rare Beatles memorabilia
Former Beatle Ringo Starr is auctioning off over 800 items of his personal stuff, including tons of memorabilia from his time in the Fab Four, according to The Associated Press. The event will be held December 4-5 at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, California. In the “live and online auction,” fans can bid on everything from Starr’s used tuxedos to George Harrison’s Gretsch guitar.
Starr got the idea after being asked to sort through his possessions for a couple recent museum exhibits and an upcoming book. He and his wife, Barbara Bach, quickly realized they had “so much stuff” in their various international storage units. And since they were getting rid of two of their homes, they decided to auction off the items they didn’t have room for anymore, with a portion of the proceeds going to the couples’ Lotus Foundation. “We’re fed up with having the stuff in storage when it could be put to some good use and also give a lot of people joy,” Starr explained.
Some of the high-profile pieces include the three-piece drum kit Starr used in over 200 performances and several studio recordings, seven guitars—including the Rickenbacker “Beatle-Backer” John Lennon passed along to him—a 2000 Mercedes Coupe formerly owned by Harrison, Starr’s copy of The White Album No. 1, and a seven-tom custom drum set commissioned by Harrison. Plus, there’s also clothes, furniture, fine art, and “cups and saucers” from Starr and Bach’s various homes. That means those who’ve always dreamed of throwing their own Ringo-themed tea party are finally in luck.
The flashier items will be displayed at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square starting November 16 and they’ll also be shown at the Museum of Style Icons in Ireland and at Julien’s before the sale begins. The auction house is calling the sale a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” with profits expected to top $5-$10 million. There are more details over on the Julien’s website.