NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Joan Rivers\u2019 estate has auctioned off over 300 pieces of memorabilia once owned by the late comedian<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Presented by Julien’s Auctions, the collection comprised an eclectic assortment of items, including Rivers\u2019 shag wigs, X-rays of her dog Spike\u2019s thorax and royal family-related keepsakes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Rivers died in 2014 at the age of 81<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Rare Joan Rivers<\/a> memorabilia captured the attention of eager bidders at an auction celebrating the late comedian\u2019s one-of-a-kind personality.<\/p>\nX-rays of her dog Spike’s thorax, keepsakes highlighting the star\u2019s affinity for the British royal family and over 300 other lots went under the hammer at the sale presented by Julien\u2019s Auctions<\/a> at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 9.<\/p>\nBilled by Julien\u2019s as the first comprehensive sale of Rivers\u2019 personal and professional treasures, the catalogue reflected her inimitable humor and the things she cherished most.<\/p>\n
As for why hundreds of items went up for auction just over 11 years after Rivers died in 2014<\/a> at the age of 81, the star’s daughter, Melissa Rivers<\/a>, tells PEOPLE, “The timing felt right. I’m finally emotionally ready to let go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\nCourtesy Julien’s Auctions<\/p>\n
One of Joan Rivers’ shag wigs, sold by Julien’s Auctions<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Several lots underscored Rivers\u2019 love for her dog, Spike. The two X-rays<\/a> of her Yorkshire Terrier’s thorax fetched $576 at the auction. The scans came with a manila envelope from Spike\u2019s veterinarian. Both the X-rays and the envelopes were dated \u201cApril 12, 1993″ and labeled “Spike Rosenberg” (Rivers\u2019 late husband was Edgar Rosenberg). The envelope was also labeled \u201cThorax.\u201d<\/p>\nA framed photographic portrait<\/a> of Spike wearing a crown, combined with the pooch’s collar and ID tags, a OnePass Elite \u201992 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.<\/p>\nRivers was frequently seen with her Yorkie, including on The Tonight Show<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n“What saved me was my dog jumped into my lap,\u201d Rivers told The Daily Beast<\/a> in July 2014. \u201cI thought, ‘No one will take care of him.’ It wasn’t a friendly dog \u2014 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.”<\/p>\n\n![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/MEN9g30gnfigfaF60EdiMA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3OTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/c0380a3317831b37d491525e8fb71429\"\/)
Joan Rivers\u2019 estate has auctioned off over 300 pieces of memorabilia once owned by the late comedian<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Presented by Julien’s Auctions, the collection comprised an eclectic assortment of items, including Rivers\u2019 shag wigs, X-rays of her dog Spike\u2019s thorax and royal family-related keepsakes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Rivers died in 2014 at the age of 81<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Rare Joan Rivers<\/a> memorabilia captured the attention of eager bidders at an auction celebrating the late comedian\u2019s one-of-a-kind personality.<\/p>\n X-rays of her dog Spike’s thorax, keepsakes highlighting the star\u2019s affinity for the British royal family and over 300 other lots went under the hammer at the sale presented by Julien\u2019s Auctions<\/a> at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 9.<\/p>\n Billed by Julien\u2019s as the first comprehensive sale of Rivers\u2019 personal and professional treasures, the catalogue reflected her inimitable humor and the things she cherished most.<\/p>\n As for why hundreds of items went up for auction just over 11 years after Rivers died in 2014<\/a> at the age of 81, the star’s daughter, Melissa Rivers<\/a>, tells PEOPLE, “The timing felt right. I’m finally emotionally ready to let go.\u201d<\/p>\n Courtesy Julien’s Auctions<\/p>\n One of Joan Rivers’ shag wigs, sold by Julien’s Auctions<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Several lots underscored Rivers\u2019 love for her dog, Spike. The two X-rays<\/a> of her Yorkshire Terrier’s thorax fetched $576 at the auction. The scans came with a manila envelope from Spike\u2019s veterinarian. Both the X-rays and the envelopes were dated \u201cApril 12, 1993″ and labeled “Spike Rosenberg” (Rivers\u2019 late husband was Edgar Rosenberg). The envelope was also labeled \u201cThorax.\u201d<\/p>\n A framed photographic portrait<\/a> of Spike wearing a crown, combined with the pooch’s collar and ID tags, a OnePass Elite \u201992 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.<\/p>\n Rivers was frequently seen with her Yorkie, including on The Tonight Show<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n “What saved me was my dog jumped into my lap,\u201d Rivers told The Daily Beast<\/a> in July 2014. \u201cI thought, ‘No one will take care of him.’ It wasn’t a friendly dog \u2014 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.”<\/p>\n