Gwynedd StuartEver wanted to feel like a mugger without the threat of jail time? Is Willie Lopez your favorite character in Ghost?
On April 28 and 29, a collection of Patrick Swayze's belongings is going up for auction at Julien's Auctions, both online and at their physical location in Beverly Grove. The auction features more than 200 lots of the late actor's belongings, including antique furniture, African artifacts, equestrian accoutrements, hunting rifles, big-ticket items like a Ford pickup truck and a 1984 DeLorean, and movie memorabilia, including his wig from To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar and the G-string he wore in Keeping Mum (an entry in his filmography that I was heretofore unfamiliar with).
But then there are the sorts of pocket possessions that would presumably appeal only to superfans and petty thieves — hence the Willie Lopez mention — like an old wallet filled with credit cards, Swayze's MPAA membership card, a key card to the Trump Hotel in Chicago and a club card for the Golden Nugget in Vegas. There's also one lot that's just a bunch of old keys still on keychains; one ring features a miniature, fringed biker boot and a little tag that says “PATRICK'S KEYS.” Two expired passports and sheets of dental X-rays are among the other odd personal items.
Credit: Courtesy Julien's Auctions
Swayze died in September 2009 after battling pancreatic cancer. Martin Nolan, executive director at Julien's, told the Daily Mail that Swayze's widow, Lisa Niemi, “felt it was 'time to let go'” of her late husband's belongings.
I emailed the auction house to ask whether it was typical for personal items like keys and credit cards to up for bid, and received a response from Darren Julien, president and CEO of Julien's Auctions, who said: “Yes, we often sell things like this. His estate was concerned about protecting these items and many of them belong in museums. So the best way to preserve the legacy of a celebrity and the items is to have a first-class auction with Julien’s Auctions.” (He also included a smiley emoticon.)
Hopefully the items really do end up in good hands. Either way, a portion of the auction proceeds will benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. You can view all the auction items here.
Credit: Courtesy Julien's Auctions
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