Did you see this on the news? "You may never get this chance again..."
I'm betting you saw this on the news this week. It made headlines around the world.
US TV star Ellen DeGeneres held an auction on eBay, with the proceeds going to charity.
The bidding started at $10...
24 hours later it stood at $7,000...
And, within a few minutes of that, bids more than doubled to $18,200.
That's when it went crazy...
In the dying seconds, bids shot in at $25,000 ... then $40,568...
All before a final bid of $40,668.
So what was it that captured the public's imagination?
Well, it was a unique piece of memorabilia, but before I tell you what, let me explain what the purchaser told me...
At $40,668, he thinks he's got a bargain
"Adrian," he said, "Don't be disheartened. Even if you'd bid $250,000, you wouldn't have got it."
The purchaser was the Golden Palace Casino - a multimillion dollar organisation.
I spoke to their marketing director, Drew.
Drew's a man who knows collectibles. He's been behind lots of high-profile - and frankly unusual - purchases over the years:
- His company once paid $25,000 for William Shatner's gallstone
- $5,000 for Britney Spears' pregnancy test kit
- And $262,366 for Pope Benedict XVI's Volkswagen Golf car
So when Drew speaks, it's time to listen. But why does he buy all these weird collectibles?
It turns out the Golden Palace Casino shows off its purchases in what's best described as a "Museum of Travelling Oddities"...
The museum travels the US and Canada raising money for charity. Thousands of visitors have paid money to see these bizarre exhibits.
As Drew puts it...
"It's a win-win situation. The charities benefit and the company gets exposure. We also get to give something back to local communities."
So what was the item that Drew and his team at Golden Palace Casino were so desperate to own? An item they would have bid up to $250,000 for?
(I almost feel the need for drum roll here....)
It was a lock of Justin Bieber's hair.
Now bear with me here...
In case you didn't know, Justin Bieber is a teen pop star. He is also the most watched person on Youtube, with over 450m views of his single, Baby, and around 1.5bn 'hits' in total.
What's more, we agree with Drew - we think he definitely got a bargain.
Did you know that collecting hair is one of the fastest growing hobbies?
Of course some people think that hair collecting is weird and macabre.
In fact, the hobby dates back to Victorian times.
Also, collecting celebrity hair is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world. It's estimated the number of hair collectors is up 1,300% over the last 10 years.
Totally unique - and affordable - pieces of history
Hair from the head of Che Guevara once sold for $100,000 back in October 2007. And a single hair of Elvis Presley's brought £1,055 at an auction 12 months ago.
Also Marilyn Monroe, JFK and Abraham Lincoln... hair of each of these celebrities has sold for thousands at auction.
And here's why: throughout my decades in collectibles, I've often heard people talk about "pieces of history"...
But this is the real deal.
These pieces are:
- Totally unique
- Irreplaceable
- And impossible to fake (thanks to DNA testing)
... not to mention one heck of a conversation piece!
I mean, imagine bringing Michael Jackson's hair out at a dinner party...
Even Harry Rubenstein, curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, is a huge fan of collectible hair:
"More so than an autograph, it was a sign of affection" - Harry Rubenstein
But here's the best part... Anyone can afford to get involved. For proof, take a look at these examples:
And although Justin Bieber is the current beau of teenage girls around the world... he's no Michael Jackson:
We have hairs from these celebrities available for sale today. In fact we hold one of the world's biggest collections of celebrity hair. In total we have hair from the heads of 20 people who have shaped history.
From US Presidents, to British Royalty, Hollywood stars and Military heroes.
Needless to say each is strictly limited in supply, so you'd need to be quick to secure the hair of your choice.
Each is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Paul Fraser Collectibles.
And that's not all...
It will be delivered directly to you for free
As I said, a single hair from the head of Elvis sold at auction for £1,055. And the values of hairs are growing thanks to finite supply and growing demand.
But today you can purchase a genuine piece of history for less than £50. Just over $75.
So don't delay - follow the links above to reserve your own small piece of history. It will then be dispatched to you by special delivery.
Alternatively, click here to view our other celebrity hairs for sale:
See our full stock of rare Celebrity Hair
Until next week, good luck and happy collecting!
Adrian Roose
P.S. I've heard other stars are now considering selling their hair! This market is set to grow so our advice is to get in quick.
P.P.S. Thinking about it - you may never get the opportunity to buy a hair from the head of Marilyn Monroe ever again!!
__________________________________________
