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Joan Rivers’ estate has auctioned off over 300 pieces of memorabilia once owned by the late comedian
Presented by Julien’s Auctions, the collection comprised an eclectic assortment of items, including Rivers’ shag wigs, X-rays of her dog Spike’s thorax and royal family-related keepsakes
Rivers died in 2014 at the age of 81
Rare Joan Rivers memorabilia captured the attention of eager bidders at an auction celebrating the late comedian’s one-of-a-kind personality.
X-rays of her dog Spike’s thorax, keepsakes highlighting the star’s affinity for the British royal family and over 300 other lots went under the hammer at the sale presented by Julien’s Auctions at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 9.
Billed by Julien’s as the first comprehensive sale of Rivers’ personal and professional treasures, the catalogue reflected her inimitable humor and the things she cherished most.
As for why hundreds of items went up for auction just over 11 years after Rivers died in 2014 at the age of 81, the star’s daughter, Melissa Rivers, tells PEOPLE, “The timing felt right. I’m finally emotionally ready to let go.”
Courtesy Julien’s Auctions
One of Joan Rivers’ shag wigs, sold by Julien’s Auctions
Several lots underscored Rivers’ love for her dog, Spike. The two X-rays of her Yorkshire Terrier’s thorax fetched $576 at the auction. The scans came with a manila envelope from Spike’s veterinarian. Both the X-rays and the envelopes were dated “April 12, 1993″ and labeled “Spike Rosenberg” (Rivers’ late husband was Edgar Rosenberg). The envelope was also labeled “Thorax.”
A framed photographic portrait of Spike wearing a crown, combined with the pooch’s collar and ID tags, a OnePass Elite ’92 credit card bearing the name “Spike Rivers,” a button which says “I Like Spike,” and a copy of the May 26, 1986, issue of PEOPLE with Rivers and Spike on the cover, sold for $1,920.
Rivers was frequently seen with her Yorkie, including on The Tonight Show, in a Got Milk? ad campaign and on the cover of PEOPLE. She often credited Spike with saving her life at a moment when she was contemplating suicide shortly after the death of her husband in 1987.
“What saved me was my dog jumped into my lap,” Rivers told The Daily Beast in July 2014. “I thought, ‘No one will take care of him.’ It wasn’t a friendly dog — only to me. I adored this dog … [I] was sitting in this big empty house in Bel Air, with a phone with five extensions, which we no longer needed. I had the gun in my lap, and the dog sat on the gun.”
Courtesy Julien’s Auctions
A collar and identification tags for Spike, Joan Rivers’s beloved Yorkshire Terrier, together with a framed photographic portrait of Spike wearing a crown, a OnePass Elite ’92 credit card in Spike’s name and a button which says “I Like Spike” sold by Julien’s Auctions
Two of Rivers’ shag wigs that she wore in her one-woman show, A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress, sold for $5,760 and $2,880, respectively, while two voodoo dolls went for $448.
Royal keepsakes owned by Rivers also found new homes, including a bone china mug commemorating the marriage of Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, a.k.a. “Fergie,” on Jul. 23, 1986, which was auctioned for $384.
Two bone china mugs commemorating two other special events in the history of the royal family — The Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, and The Queen Mother’s 80th birthday in 1980 — were also sold for $512.
Though Rivers was a fan of the royal family, her affinity didn’t stop her from lampooning members of the Windsor clan. Ferguson in particular was a frequent target of the comic’s quips. On an episode of her E! TV series Fashion Police, Rivers once praised Kate Middleton by joking, “She almost makes up for Sarah Ferguson … almost.” According to Rivers’ friend Kathy Griffin, the QVC trailblazer even made jokes about Ferguson in front of King Charles.
Courtesy Julien’s Auctions
A bone china mug commemorating the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, that was sold at the Joan Rivers auction
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The former “permanent guest host” of The Tonight Show became friends with King Charles (then Prince Charles) after they were introduced during a painting holiday in the South of France in 2003.
“We sat next to each other at a dinner party and got friendly,” Rivers told PEOPLE in 2013. “He’s darling.” Rivers went on to attend Charles and Queen Camilla’s 2005 wedding and was praised by the King as “utterly irreplaceable” when she died.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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