The first part of the auction was entitled "The Evening Sale", which included only 59 lots. All lots, however, were truly exceptional and fetched a total price of $15.4 million (£12.2 million). The most expensive lot in that auction was Freddie Mercury's Yamaha Grand piano, which sold for $2.1 million (£1.7 million). The piano was purchased by Freddie Mercury in 1975 and is arguably the most important and significant instrument connected to him as he used it to compose some of Queen's greatest songs, including Bohemian Rhapsody. Surprisingly, the piano was only one of two lots that didn't exceed its estimate (£2-3 million).
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Related: Day 1 of the Epic Freddie Mercury Auction Brings in $15.4 Million The headlines of the Evening Sale went to a special silver bracelet formed as a snake bangle, which was worn by Freddie Mercury in the classic music video of Bohemian Rhapsody – arguably the band's most famous song. The bracelet sold for 100 times its estimate and hammered at $869,000 (£698,000).
Overlooking all the lots that were sold in the 6-part auction, there are a few lots that stand above all others. The most talked-about lot was, indeed, the mustache comb. The small item had a somewhat low estimate at $500-760 (£400-600). That estimate would be reasonable without the Freddie Mercury provenance, but since the item is heavily connected to Freddie's most significant physical appearance, the item became a very symbolic piece. Hence the selling price of $186,500 (£152,400), which is almost 250 times its high estimate! Other impressive results were nearly $50,000 (£40,640) for his pair of sunglasses, and $43,500 (£35,560) for an old plastic Seiko watch. Related: The Unexpected Star of Freddie Mercury's Collection
Other spectacular details about the auction were the exhibitions and the auction catalog. The collection was exhibited in New York, Hong Kong, and lastly, in London, where the auction later took place. Notably, there were more than 140,000 people who visited the exhibitions in the noted cities. That's truly remarkable and a worldwide record for any auction. The auction catalog was offered for visitors and sold online for $50. Over 20,000 copies of the catalog were sold in one month, making it into The Times "Bestsellers List", which is unheard of for any auction catalog ever made.
The impressive and unprecedented facts about the exhibitions and the auction catalog, combined with the truly remarkable selling prices on the lots, are true indicators that this Freddie Mercury auction truly is the greatest memorabilia auction of all time. Discover more auction news on Barnebys Magazine
