It's the most famous bust in America, and it's up for sale. No, not the ones on Mount Rushmore, but Marilyn Monroe's bras, two of which will be auctioned at Julien's on June 4th—bids have already reached $5,000 each, more than double their estimated value of $1,000-$2,000—as part of a sale timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of her birth on June 1st.
The bras are just two of dozens of personal items up for sale, including a gold-plated lipstick tube containing 70-year-old hot pink lipstick (current bid: $7,000), a $1,250 eyeliner, and an $800 mascara. For buyers looking for a big purchase, the 1960s gate from her Brentwood home at 12305 Helena Drive—approximately a ton of wrought iron—is currently listed for $15,000, excluding shipping. It left the lot in 1984, when a fan purchased it from the then-owner and installed it in the basement of his Minneapolis home, suggesting either a show of devotion or a storage issue.
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The top lot is expected to be her 1950s evening clutch (est. $100,000-$200,000; current bid: $40,000), now owned by fashion designers Tommy and Dee Hilfiger. Most of the personal effects come from the estate of Lee Strasberg, Marilyn Monroe's acting coach, who inherited 75 percent of her fortune and all of her personal belongings. Most of these have been auctioned before—at Christie's in 1999, and at Julien's in 2003 and 2016.
Perhaps most intriguing are previously unpublished photographs and slides from Marilyn Monroe's 1954 trip to Japan with Joe DiMaggio, currently with a starting bid of $100.
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