We all value things differently. Some people can't understand how a Pokémon card can sell for a million dollars, while others can't understand how a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat can sell for tens of millions.
At the end of the day – the value of an item is simply the amount that someone is willing to pay. One thing that we've learned over the years is the items connected to celebrities can bring top dollars, no matter how bizarre the connection is.
Related: Worth Millions: Behind the Appeal of Celebrity Memorabilia
10. George Washington's hair
Let's begin the list with something that's considered to be somewhat normal, namely collecting hair. It's a tradition that goes back for centuries. Nowadays, people often ask celebrities for a selfie. Ten years ago, people asked celebrities for their autographs. Hundreds of years ago, people asked celebrities for a snip of their hair. It may sound strange today, but once it was considered to normal. Even in the '60s, when rock stars such as Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney got fan mail, they sometimes got a request for hair strands along with their autograph.
Related: The Fascinating Market for Celebrity Hair
George Washington is one of many notable historical names whose hair is coveted. The key to authenticating hair strands is by looking at the provenance. For instance, hair strands that belonged to Elvis Presley have been offered at auction with provenance from his hairdresser, Homer Gilleland. That's a strong provenance as it comes from someone who had direct access to the hair strands of Elvis.
Celebrity hair strands are often presented elegantly. It could be in custom-made boxes with images of the celebrity or, in this case, set in a fancy ring with pearls. George Washington's set of hair was sold by Sotheby's in 2016 for $30,000.
9. John Lennon's signed album to Mark David Chapman
There's nothing weird about a signed album, you may think. This, however, is more than just a signed album. Many would consider it one of the most incredible music memorabilia items in the world due to the fact that John Lennon signed it just five hours before he died. And what's even more remarkable is that he signed it to his soon-to-be killer. At approximately 5 p.m. on December 8, 1980, Lennon left his home at The Dakota in New York for a recording session. Just outside his home, he met someone who asked for an autograph. The person had Lennon's latest album, entitled Double Fantasy, with him. Lennon signed the album and left. Five hours later, at 10:55 p.m., Lennon returned to The Dakota and walked through the archway of the building. While doing that, Lennon got shot four times at close range. The shooter was Mark David Chapman, the man who had the Double Fantasy album signed.
Related: The Beatles Autographs: History, Rarity, and Value
Any John Lennon-signed copy of Double Fantasy is scarce since the album was released in November 1980, less than a month before he died. They usually sell in the $30,000 range. This particularly signed copy is, for obvious reasons, much more valuable. It was sold by Goldin in 2020 for $900,000.
8. Winston Churchill's false teeth
If you thought that hair strands were bizarre, how about teeth? Winston Churchill was voted number 1 in BBC's 100 Greatest Britons list, but how big is the interest in owning such an intimate item?
The Prime Minister was born with a natural lisp and therefore wore false teeth to correct his speech defect. The teeth were made by a dental technician named Derek Cudlipp, who later in life received a knighthood from Churchill. The set of teeth was saved for many years and was offered at auction for the first time in 2010 when a small UK-based auctioneer sold them for $18,400 (£15,200). A year later, in 2011, they were sold by Bonhams for $23,300 (£19,200).
Related: Lost Painting by Churchill Found at Sea
7. Queen Victoria's underwear
Royal memorabilia and collectibles are very popular with people all over the world. By a milestone, British royal collectibles are the most sought-after. The less valuable items are produced in high quantities, while the more valuable items are much more rare and often items with a direct connection to the royals. It can be everything from a signed photograph by Queen Elizabeth II to a piece of cake (well-preserved, of course) from King Charles III and Princess Diana's wedding.
And then there's Queen Victoria's underwear. Yes, you read that correctly. Queen Victoria ruled the United Kingdom, while also being the Empress of India, from 1837 to 1901, which makes her one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history. Beneath her beautiful clothes, she wore (like all of us) underwear. It's very seldom that such items are being sold to the public, especially when they have royal provenance. But this time, collectors got the opportunity to bid on custom-made panties with a beautiful embroidered monogram featuring the initials "VR" (Victoria Regina). The underwear was sold by auctioneer Richard Edmonds in 2015 for $14,600 (£12,000).
Related: British Royal Memorabilia
6. Truman Capote's ashes
As the writer of masterpieces like Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood, Truman Capote was one of the world's most acclaimed living authors until he took his final breath in 1984. In his testament, he asked for his ashes to be given to his dear friends, the legendary Tonight Show presenter Johnny Carson and his wife, Joanne. The ashes were kept in a beautiful hand-carved Japanese wooden box and displayed at the Carson estate for many years. Interestingly, the box and the ashes were once stolen but later returned to the Carsons.
Johnny Carson passed away in 2005, and Joanne in 2015, and their family sold the couple's property in 2016 through Julien's Auctions. The most remarkable lot was arguably Truman Capote's ashes, which were sold for $43,750, exceeding its estimate of $2,000.
5. William Shatner's kidney stone
Known for portraying Captain Kirk in Star Trek, actor William Shatner enters this top 10 list on unique terms as he sold one of his kidney stones a couple of years ago. Although he did it for a charitable cause, it's still awfully weird.
"The kidney stone was so big," Shatner said, "you'd want to wear it on your finger." Since the kidney stone was sold directly from Shatner, there's no doubt about the authenticity. The selling price ended at $25,000 when it was sold in 2006 via Julien's Auctions.
4. John Lennon's toilet
When you thought that list couldn't get any weirder… How about John Lennon's personal toilet? Everything connected to The Beatles, and John Lennon in particular, is highly sought-after by collectors – apparently, even a toilet.
From 1969 to 1971, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, lived in their beautiful estate Tittenhurst Park in Berkshire. The home was bought for $182,000 (£150,000) and had a "very, very fancy" toilet, at least if you ask the auctioneer who sold the toilet nearly 40 years after Lennon gave it to his builder. According to the builder, Lennon told him "to use it as a plant pot" after he installed a new toilet. The builder didn't use it as a plant but rather kept it as a collectible over the years. When the toilet found its way to the auction block, it was estimated to sell in the $1,500 range, but it sold for $11,500 (£9,500) in 2010 by The Beatles Shop.
Related: John Lennon's Patek Philippe Ref. 2499
3. Lee Harvey Oswald's coffin
John Wilkes Booth, Mark David Chapman, James Earl Ray, and Lee Harvey Oswald have two things in common – they have three names, and they killed some of the most prominent figures in modern history: Abraham Lincoln, John Lennon, Martin Luther King, and John F. Kennedy. Due to the assassinations, the four killers will forever be known, and collectors (mainly Americans) have found an interest in collecting items related to them simply because they are associated with the famous people they killed. The high interest in JFK's killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, was proven when an interesting item came to auction.
To put a rest to the conspiracy theories about Lee Harvey Oswald's body not being buried, his family approved his coffin to be dug up, and it was later confirmed and identified through dental records that it was indeed his body that was buried. The original coffin was replaced with a new one and later buried in the Rose Hill Memorial Burial Park in Fort Worth, Texas.
The sale of the original coffin gained a lot of media attention and crushed all expectations when it was sold for $87,000 in 2010 by Nate D. Sanders.
2. Ronald Reagan's blood
You may have heard of John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963, but did you know that Ronald Reagan could have fallen to the same fate? The attempted assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan took place on March 30, 1981. Reagan was shot and seriously wounded after a speech held in Washington, D.C. The President was taken to the George Washington University Hospital and was, according to reports, close to death. Blood tests were taken, and someone stole a stoppered glass vial with Regan's blood in it.
It's not entirely known how the blood left the hospital and ended up in the hands of a collector. Still, the blood was also accompanied by a hospital document about their famous patient. The sale gained a lot of attention, with critics saying it shouldn't be legal to sell such property.
This glass vial was sold via an American auction house in 2012 for $3,550, and was later, in the same year, resold by PFC Auctions, who ended the auction after receiving bids over $30,000. The seller decided to donate the blood to the Reagan Presidential Foundation.
1. Napoleon's penis
What's weirder than hair, teeth, ashes, kidney stones, toilets, and blood? The answer is genitalia. At least if the genitalia is for sale.
If we were to create a top 10 list of the most important humans of all time, then Napoleon would certainly enter that list. The French Emperor conquered many countries and, over the years, has been established as a global icon. Today, everything connected to him is of high interest to collectors worldwide. Apparently, even his penis.
In 1815, after losing the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena. He died on the island in 1821 and the story goes that after Napoleon passed away, his penis was amputated during an autopsy. The autopsy was performed by Napoleon's physician, François Carlo Antommarchi. It's not confirmed why he cut off the penis. Nonetheless, rumors are that Antommarchi was bribed to cut off the penis as an act of revenge by one of Napoleon's chaplains. The penis was later smuggled into Napoleon's home city of Corsica. Over the years, the penis became a collectible and changed owners several times.
Related: Napoleon's Iconic Hat at Auction
In 1924, the penis was purchased by the legendary bookseller A. S. W. Rosenbach, who later had it on display at an exhibition in New York. The penis changed owners multiple times and was subsequently sold at auction in 1977. The purchase price was $3,000, which is approximately equivalent to $15,200 in 2023. The buyer was an artifact collector named John K. Lattimer, who passed away in 2007. After Lattimer's passing, the penis was inherited by his daughter, who, according to reports, is still the current owner.
It's unknown how the penis looks today, but one visitor from the 1927 New York exhibition described it as a "maltreated strip of buckskin shoelace". Others have described it as a "piece of leather or a shriveled eel." One thing is, however, clear – the value of Napoleon's penis has increased dramatically since it last changed owners in 1977. It isn't easy to put a price tag, but the bizarreness of the item and its incredible history make it truly unique as a collectible.
Related: Why is Napoleon So Popular at Auction?
Bonus: Albert Einstein's brain
Many weird collectibles could be highlighted in this list. Hair strands of multiple celebrities have sold at auction over the years, and the same goes for underwear, ashes, and even body parts. Albert Einstein's brain is a very significant collectible that has brought much controversy over the years. A few hours after Einstein died in 1955, his brain was taken out of his head. The primary purpose was for scientific research, as there were speculations that Einstein's brain was different from others. The autopsy was conducted by the American pathologist Thomas Stoltz Harvey, who kept the 1.2 kg brain after he had dissected it into several pieces. Fast forward to 1978, the brain was rediscovered in Harvey's possession by journalist Steven Levy, who noted that the brain was well-preserved.
Related: Albert Einstein’s "Theory of World Peace"
In 2013, the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia purchased 46 small portions of Einstein's brain that they now have on display at the museum. No part of the brain has ever sold at auction, hence Einstein's brain not entering the list of Top 10 Weirdest Collectibles Ever Sold. But when, or rather if, it sells, then it will enter the list. That's for sure.
