Whether its Patrick Swayze’s false eyelashes and nails from To Wong Foo (1995), or ensembles worn by Nathan Lane and Robin Williams in The Birdcage (1996) – both of which were featured in previous sales by Julien’s Auctions – such out-and-proud film treasures speak to a time when mainstream Hollywood was really beginning to represent joyful LGBTQ identities on the big screen, as opposed to confining them to shadowy corners or censoring them out entirely.

Smaller independent features, too – like Jamie Babbitt’s heartfelt 1999 coming-of-age comedy But I’m a Cheerleader – were beginning to get noticed by mainstream audiences, their explorations of the diverse life experiences of the LGBTQ community resonating far and wide. 20+ years later, the importance of these representations can still be felt.

A small collection of costume pieces from this beloved cult classic will be up for auction in September, including: skirts worn by Natasha Lyonne in the title role of Megan; Manolo Blahnik pumps worn by Cathy Moriarty as the scenery-chewing and villainous conversion camp headmistress Mary Brown; and a blue hoodie / t-shirt combo worn by the fabulous RuPaul in his tongue-in-cheek boy drag role of gender counselor Mike, sent to intervene on the subject of Megan’s sexuality.

These costumes come directly from the studio courtesy of Reel Clothes and Props. Make sure you register to bid for these fun items and more in our upcoming “Legends: Hollywood and Royalty” auction! 

At Julien’s Auctions, we offer clients a unique opportunity to view rare artifacts from classic film productions. Sometimes, these artifacts can reveal parts of a film that were never included in the final version.

In December of 2022, Julien’s sold a provocative black “cellophane effect” evening gown worn by the iconic Marilyn Monroe in a deleted dream sequence from Billy Wilder’s The Seven Year Itch. Monroe wore the Travilla-designed gown to impersonate Mae West. You won’t see it in the released cut though as it was edited out, possibly due to time constraints.

Another great example is the early annotated script for The Godfather, sold by Julien’s Auctions from the estate of Paramount head, Robert Evans, which featured many deleted scenes that weren’t found in the final release, including different opening and closing sequences. Francis Ford Coppola originally began the film with a bright overhead shot of Connie Corleone’s wedding, and finished with Kay (Diane Keaton) in church praying for Michael’s soul – an ending closer to that of Mario Puzo’s novel. What you actually ended up seeing in theaters though was the character Bona Sera in the beginning proclaiming, “I believe in America,” and the door slamming shut on Kay at the ending as she stands in the entrance to Michael’s office.

Storyboard copies sold by Julien’s from the cult classic Elvira: Mistress of the Dark illustrate the film’s original climax, in which Elvira’s punk poodle transforms into a rottweiler, and her evil Uncle Vincent gets sucked into hell – but unfortunately the scene was never filmed due to budget limitations!

Be sure to check out our upcoming “Legends: Hollywood & Royalty” sale, which will feature more treasures from the productions of your favorite films, including an alternate blue version of Will Ferrell’s iconic costume from Elf that wasn’t featured in the final cut!

Most rock fans are familiar with the scene from Rob Reiner’s classic 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap in which none-too-bright frontman “Nigel Tufnel” (Christopher Guest) earnestly explains to filmmaker “Marty” (played by Reiner himself) that “the numbers all go to 11” on his Marshall amp (which is, he helpfully points out, “one louder” than the usual top number of 10). When presented with the question of why not just make 10 louder, Nigel repeats, matter-of-factly: “But these go to 11!”

The exchange is played for laughs, but EBS, Fender, Marshall, and other brands have all manufactured amps that allow you to rock past 10. Nigel might have been excited to know that two of the most sought-after and highly collectible amps of all time—Fender’s late-1950s Twin and Bassman models—sport a complement of dials that go to 12!

We came across a couple of these beauties in 2017 when we handled the collection of Neil Young: a 1958 Twin and a 1959 Bassman. They’d had some work done over the years—for example both sported non-original speakers (Vox Bulldog for the Twin and Kustom for the Bassman) and the original tweed had been switched out for black Tolex. These are common adjustments to find in well-loved examples today, especially the replacement speakers. The originals—even if top-of-the-line, like the Twin’s Jensen P12-N speakers—struggled to handle the power delivered by cranking it to 12 and Fender wouldn’t address the problem until later on.

Even so, both amps hammered for well over their estimates, and the value of these rare items is only continuing to increase as the years go by.

We’re always on the lookout for the next late-50s Fender Twin or Bassman to shepherd to a new, loving home. Make sure you register to bid in our upcoming auctions so you don’t miss out on the chance to score your own killer amp!

An astounding 1.5 billion people are said to have watched the 2022 World Cup final on television this last year. After one of the most exhilarating matches in recent memory, Argentina defeated France in penalty kicks in Qatar to win their first World Cup title since 1986 – when Diego Maradona led Argentina to victory. It would be the third title in their nation’s history!

Lionel Messi put together a phenomenal performance throughout the FIFA tournament by scoring seven goals, including two in the World Cup Final, to earn the Golden Ball award. It would be Messi’s second Golden Ball, after earning his first in 2014, thus making him the only player in FIFA history to score two World Cup Golden Ball awards.

Julien’s Auctions has a world-renowned reputation for offering match-used World-Cup football memorabilia from some of the most iconic players in the game, including a ball used during a Uruguay vs Peru match from the inaugural World Cup in 1930; a pair of Nike brand boots worn by Ronaldo in the 1998 World Cup; and an Adidas brand Argentina jersey worn by the great Diego Maradona in 1990.

If you’re interested in taking part in one of our Sports Icons auctions, reach out to us now for a free estimate on your soccer/football memorabilia items. We look forward to hearing from you soon!