If you ever wanted proof that some collectors really will buy anything, then an auction which took place last Tuesday, June 29, was it.
The Jack Diehm Museum of Natural History, located in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, closed earlier this year because of poor attendances, and decided to sell off a large number of their exhibits.
It just so happens that these items were not your average ceramics, antique weapons or furniture - they were in fact taxidermied animals.
In total, about 300 lots were sold, bringing in more than $50,000, not bad for some 'stuffy' exhibits. News of the auction was delivered by Indiana website News-Sentinel, who reported that the most successful sale was that of a polar bear. It sunk its teeth into a healthy value of $7,500.
Obviously events like this are very rare and seldom held, so the market is not as big as say, those for arts or memorabilia. However, because of their uniqueness, it is fair to argue that these sorts of things could one day give you a lively return on your money.
 Roy Roger's stuffed horse Trigger made one last gallop towards $266,500 |
In fact, this time last year another famous stuffed animal was sold. American music and television star Roy Rogers was famous for having a trusty horse as his sidekick, called Trigger. Together, they performed all over the country during World War II, raising millions in the sale of bonds to aid the war effort.
Sadly, Trigger died aged 30 in July 1965, just one day before his 31st birthday. Inspired by the animals in the Smithsonian, Rogers decided to have Trigger mounted in his iconic rearing position on two legs, and displayed at the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum.
In July last year, 2010, the iconic animal went under the hammer at Christie's, with an estimate of $100,000-200,000. Clearly, bidders with memories of The Roy Rogers Show couldn't pass up the chance to own this unique memory of the program's equine star. Trigger galloped to a final price of $266,500.
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