Items associated with three of America's most iconic figures have made auction news recently. Former possessions of Michael Jordan, Elizabeth Taylor and Steve Jobs were all either sold off or are set to be auctioned, and their availability has given collectors of modern American history some rare opportunities to add important pieces to their personal inventories.
Flu game shoes sold
Michael Jordan's performance in game five of the 1997 NBA finals is one of the most famous in basketball history. Despite suffering from a severe bout of the flu, to the point that he appeared ready to collapse at multiple points throughout the contest, Jordan managed to score a remarkable 38 points, leading the Bulls to victory over the Utah Jazz. The Bulls would then go on to finish off the series in game six, sealing the franchise's fifth championship of the 1990s.
The shoes Jordan wore in game six were recently sold at a collectibles auction on Dec. 12, with the ballboy who asked for them after the final buzzer taking home more than $100,000. The sneakers had been sitting in a safe deposit box for the past 16 years, according to the New York Daily News.
Steve Jobs document brings $40,000 at auction
Even in his younger Steve Jobs had a head for business. In 1978, Jobs signed an eight-page contract with his college friend Robert Friedland that set up an investment venture between the two men. And while the business never took off – Jobs founded Apple soon after the agreement was signed – the document itself was still able to fetch a pretty price of a little more than $40,000 at auction on Dec. 12.
The contract was purchased by Tristar Productions CEO Jeff Rosenberg, according to CNET News. It was just the latest Jobs- and Apple-related item to go for a high price at auction, following on the heels of two Apple 1 computers that recently sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars each.
Liz Taylor bracelet to be part of jewelry auction
On Dec. 15, an 18-karat gold cuff bracelet with two ruby-eyed lions once owned by Elizabeth Taylor will be part of a jewelry auction in West Palm Beach, Fla. One of the most famous movie stars of all-time, Taylor set a standard for glamor throughout her life, and now one lucky bidder will be able to take home a piece of that legacy by purchasing her bracelet.
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