Marilyn Monroe Dress Fetches over Half Million at Julien's Auction
- 13 years ago
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Macao is known for being one of the gambling meccas of Asian, but it appears the people there are willing to speculate on celebrity memorabilia, including a Marilyn Monroe dress, which went for a cool half million dollars.
In China's Macao, the second annual Julien's Auction had thousands of buyers from around the world bidding on a rare collection of pop culture memorabilia. The dress Marilyn Monroe wore in the film "River of No Return" fetched a whopping $504 thousand dollars.
Other items from superstars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Elvis Presley were also sold for high prices in the Asian market. Julien's Auction house foresees Chinese interest increasing in the business.
[Darren Julien, President and CEO, Julien's Auctions]:
"It's a new market actually, it's training the Chinese people that not only can you collect these items but you can invest in them. And it's also training them to participate in Western-style auctions."
The exhibition of celebrity auction items was taken on tour to several major Chinese cities and helped increase interest. Asian demand was high, as the same Marilyn Monroe dress that fetched over half a million was sold for only $40,000 six years ago in the United States.
[Darren Julien, President and CEO, Julien's Auctions]:
"So really, as you can see, it's a different market over here. And since we started doing exhibitions and auction over here in Asia, we've increased our business. I mean Asia represents about 30--40 percent of our business now."
Aside from the Asian buyers, who were mostly Japanese and Chinese, bidders from the United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, the UK, and Ireland also joined in. Those who did not go in person participated in the auction with absentee, online or phone bidding.
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Macao is known for being one of the gambling meccas of Asian, but it appears the people there are willing to speculate on celebrity memorabilia, including a Marilyn Monroe dress, which went for a cool half million dollars.
In China's Macao, the second annual Julien's Auction had thousands of buyers from around the world bidding on a rare collection of pop culture memorabilia. The dress Marilyn Monroe wore in the film "River of No Return" fetched a whopping $504 thousand dollars.
Other items from superstars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Elvis Presley were also sold for high prices in the Asian market. Julien's Auction house foresees Chinese interest increasing in the business.
[Darren Julien, President and CEO, Julien's Auctions]:
"It's a new market actually, it's training the Chinese people that not only can you collect these items but you can invest in them. And it's also training them to participate in Western-style auctions."
The exhibition of celebrity auction items was taken on tour to several major Chinese cities and helped increase interest. Asian demand was high, as the same Marilyn Monroe dress that fetched over half a million was sold for only $40,000 six years ago in the United States.
[Darren Julien, President and CEO, Julien's Auctions]:
"So really, as you can see, it's a different market over here. And since we started doing exhibitions and auction over here in Asia, we've increased our business. I mean Asia represents about 30--40 percent of our business now."
Aside from the Asian buyers, who were mostly Japanese and Chinese, bidders from the United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, the UK, and Ireland also joined in. Those who did not go in person participated in the auction with absentee, online or phone bidding.