The James Brown Auction — What Happened?

Earlier on this blog, I reported that on July 17, 2008, Christie’s was preparing to auction off a large portion of James Brown’s estate.  Now, a report of that sale from Guy Trebay, More Tag Sale Than Tribute, NY Times, July 20, 2008:

• 328 items were auctioned.
• The results were considered “disappointing.”
• The auction raised only $857,688 when projections were around $2 million.
• Some people were upset that the break up of the estate would prevent the formation of a comprehensive collection or museum in the future (compare Graceland for Elvis).
• Some items were in pristine condition despite being over 35 years old.
• The highest price paid for an item was $47,500 for a black satin cape with bead-work and Brown’s name embroidered inside the collar.

Special thanks to Phyllis C. Smith (Assistant Professor of Law, Florida A&M University College of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.