By James Montgomery and Rachel Josue
Have you ever wished that, while practicing the Moonwalk in your bedroom, you had Michael Jackson's magical white glove to complete your best "Billie Jean" performance? Well, now you can — provided you can pony up the estimated starting bid of $6,000 to $8,000.
Today, Julien's Auctions, the "premier auction house in high-profile celebrity and entertainment auctions" and the folks behind last year's Osbourne auction, announced that it will auction off more than 2,000 pieces of Michael Jackson memorabilia in April of next year. From April 14 to April 20, items will be on display at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Then, starting on April 21, the gavel will fall.
Which means that, if you've got the loot, the entry gates to Neverland Ranch (estimated starting bid: $10,000 to $20,000) can soon keep the paparazzi away from your front door. This potential sale begs the question: Who or what will then keep the riffraff out of Neverland, considering Jacko saved it from foreclosure last May?
Other items up for bid include "an astounding array of Fine & Decorative Art items and life-size bronze and marble sculptures ... amusements, arcade games [will they have 'Moonwalker'?] and 'Disneyana.' "
Start saving those pennies now, because even though Billie Jean isn't your lover, in order to even stand a chance, you'll have to pony up some serious dough. According to Julien's Auctions President Darren Julien, the auction house has in the past sold one of Jackson's white gloves for $35,000, as well as a pair of the star's white sparkly socks (worn onstage!) for $15,000.
And while the auction is slightly creepy, it's also for a good cause: A portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares, the Recording Academy organization established in 1989 that helps musicians in need. The other (presumably larger) portion will benefit the King of Pop's ongoing battle against bankruptcy.
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