Madonna queen of the collectibles

Investing in Madonna memorabilia today could see big returns as she proves popular at auction. www.absolumentmadonna.fr

According to the PFC40 autograph index, which details the 2000 - 2010 price performance of 40 of the most sought after celebrity autographs, Madonna autographs have seen an increase in value of 138.7% in the last decade, with a signed photo valued at £375 in 2000, now commanding a price of £895.

Platinum record displays are one such example, a framed display of Madonna’s 1986 album True Blue, recently fetched £260 ($384), while a signed platinum disc of the 2003 album American Life sold for £570 (£864) in 2005.

Similarly, cheques have proven a relatively low cost opportunity to obtain Madonna’s autograph, with two 1988 cheques signed Madonna Ciccone, auctioned for £640 ($960) and £750 ($1054.80) off estimated prices of $200-400.

Clothes from the star herself have also been purchased relatively cheaply with a leather jacket from rehearsals of the 1990 Blond Ambition tour selling for £500 ($777) at a 2005 Bonhams auction, while even a pair of Dolce and Gabbana stretch pants worn by Madonna, sold for £700 ($1,058). The stage worn Dolce and Gabbana bra from Madonna’s “Live down Under” tour of Australia in 1994 sold for £8,100 ($12,500) over three times the auction estimate of £2,750 ($4,000).

In 2005, Bonhams auctioned, a gold, sleeveless, full length gown worn by Madonna in the film version of the famous musical Evita for £3,000 ($4,113).

Similarly, dresses made famous in music videos and tours offer collectors a unique opportunity to invest. A white wedding dress, worn by Madonna during her 1984 Like A Virgin tour was sold via the New York based Gotta Have It auction house for £3,750 ($5,662), against an estimate of £2,000 ($3,000).

A 1979 cassette of Madonna performing an acoustic demo recorded before Madonna signed to any major record labels exceeded all expectations at a recent auction. The rare recording sold for $6,400, over three times the estimate of £1,300 ($2,000).

A 4″ x 7″ black leather bound appointment book, covering the similar period from April 30th 1988 through to January 22nd 1989, came up for sale in August, 2008. The document offered a window into the star’s routine, at a time when she was in the public eye, thanks to her marriage to Hollywood bad boy Sean Penn. With a low end estimate of £5,500 ($8,000) the personal document sold for $11,616 ($17,500).

In February last year Christie’s put two photographs of Madonna up for sale. One photo created for a 1980s Playboy shoot, exceeded estimates, reaching $18,750 (£12,888) at auction.

A nude picture had been expected to fetch £10,365 ($15,000) at the Christie’s auction in New York, yet sold for £26,000 ($37,500). Recent years have seen more pictures emerge on the market, meaning we may not have seen the last of these particular Madonna collectibles at auction.

In 2008, Gotta Have it auctions sold a “World’s Best Selling Pop Rock Artist of the Year” award belonging to Madonna from 2001. The statue was donated by Warner Music International as part of a charity auction and sold for £12,000 ($18,000), improving on the estimate of £11,000 ($17,000).

From paulfrasercollectibles.com