Michael Jackson's iconic 'Pepsi commercial' black and white jacket is going up for auction in London in November for a jaw-dropping sum.
The jacket, which the singer famously wore for Pepsi's New Generation 'Street' music video released in 1984, is expected to fetch as much as £400,000 ($765,000 AUD).
The Pepsi commercial was filmed soon after the release of Michael Jackson's Thriller music video and featured the other members of the Jackson Five as well as a young Alfonso Ribiero.
In the commercial, Jackson wore a black-and-white leather zippered jacket that had a similar design aesthetic to the red leather jacket made popular through the Thriller video.
Although it became most associated with the Pepsi Commercial, Jackson was seen wearing his black-and-white zippered leather jacket on multiple occasions prior to the Pepsi video.
The commercials are chiefly remembered now because, during one filming session, Jackson's hair caught fire and he suffered burn injuries after a pyrotechnic malfunction.
In a galaxy not-so far away, "Star Wars" fans will soon have the chance to buy the head of C-3PO when it goes under the hammer next month as part of a huge movie memorabilia auction.
However, you'll need more than just the force on your side, as the item is expected to fetch up to a staggering $1.9 million.
The head is one of more than 1,800 pieces of movie and TV memorabilia that will be available at an auction held by Propstore in London and online between November 9 and 12.
The item, complete with light-up eyes, comes from the personal collection of C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels, who played the droid in the Star Wars movies.
Other items from Daniels' collection that are up for sale include C-3PO's hands and feet, hand-annotated scripts and an unopened cereal box used as a prop by C-3PO.
"I trust that the pieces will go into the right hands," Daniels said in a press release. "I hope this can bring pleasure to Star Wars fans and collectors all around the world and give them a chance to own a piece of the real thing."
With costumes and props from other movies also available, the auction as a whole is expected to fetch more than $23 million.
These other items are also steeped in movie history.
A super-rare Vegemite jar released as part of the Aussie spread's 100th birthday celebrations has sold on eBay for over $6000.
The 18-karat gold-plated one-ounce (28g) silver replica jar went for $6350 after 44 bids earlier this month.
Just five such jars, along with five three-ounce (85g) jars, were produced by Vegemite for its 100th birthday this year.
They went to lucky winners of a major draw.
The sold-out silver jars - minus the gold plating - sold on the Vegemite website for a relatively thrifty $160.
A "likely" one-of-a-kind Ferrari is on sale at eBay for an eye-watering US$4.35 million ($6.75 million).
The LaFerrari is one of only 499 ever made, and US vendors Ferrari South Bay said this was "likely" the only one that had been finished in black Nero Daytona.
The car is capable of covering the quarter-mile (400 metres) in 9.8 seconds at a blistering 149mph with a 950-horsepower V12 hybrid powertrain.
Although it's up on the online marketplace, eBay notes the LaFerrari is not open for bidding. Instead, people with pockets sufficiently deep are urged to contact the dealer.
Just 818 miles (1316km) are on the odometer.
The car comes with its original books and manuals, two keys, and original window sticker.
Also included are its original car cover, its Ferrari Telemetry USB stick and car charger. It is accompanied by its Ferrari Classiche certification (with Yellow Book).
The car carries the remainder of its warranty extension and maintenance plan through February 17, 2024.
The vendors advertised the car as the potential centrepiece for a collection.
A $10,000 US bill from the Great Depression has sold for $480,000 US ($749,402 AUD).
The note features the face of Salmon P. Chase, who was the Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln's administration.
Issued in 1934, the Federal Reserve note was certified by Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) and was Exceptional Paper Quality (EPQ) graded, according to Dallas-based auction house Heritage Auctions.
"Large-denomination notes always have drawn the interest of collectors of all levels," said Dustin Johnston, vice president of currency at Heritage Auctions, in a press release.
The $10,000 bill was the highest denomination note to ever circulate publicly. It was only ever used to transfer funds between reserve banks.
The same auction house sold this rare 1899 double eagle $20 gold coin featuring a portrait of the head of Liberty for $468,000 US ($730,667 AUD).
Only 84 coins of its kind were issued, and only about 30 are thought to still be around, according to the auction house.
"It takes an extraordinary coin to rise to the top of an auction with such consistent high quality, and this 1899 double eagle is that kind of coin," said Todd Imhof, executive vice president at Heritage Auctions, in the release.
Princess Diana wore many show-stopping outfits over the years, leaving behind an indelible impact on fashion history as it relates to royal dress codes, semiotics and more. From her unforgettable wedding dress to the black velvet cocktail dress, affectionately dubbed her "revenge dress" in the media, she wore in 1994 to even the pioneering penchant for athleisure she demonstrated throughout the '90s, Diana's daring sense of style has become part of her lasting legacy.
But on Thursday in New York, the record for the highest price paid at auction for a garment worn by Princess Diana wasn't broken by an elegant evening gown or rare designer accessory. Instead, it was country casual knitwear.
The piece: a "black sheep" sweater first worn by the late Diana when she attended a polo match in 1981, while she was engaged to the now King Charles III. It was the star lot at Sotheby's latest Fashion Icons auction in New York, where it fetched US$1,143,000 ($1,775,136) in just 15 minutes of bidding.
Previously, the record sale prince for a piece from Diana's wardrobe was held by a Victor Edelstein ball gown designed for her in 1989. The strapless, maroon silk-velvet dress was fashioned with a shapely tulip skirt and was largely regarded as a pivotal example of Diana's sartorial maturation. It fetched US$604,800 ($939,285) at auction earlier this year.
But the quirky knit sold today has not only eclipsed that record sum, it has also become the most valuable sweater ever sold at auction. (This record was previously held by a cardigan word by Kurt Cobain during a Nirvana performance on MTV Unplugged, Sotheby's said.)
Created in 1979 by knitwear designers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne under their label Warm & Wonderful, the garment features a pattern of white sheep arranged in rows. One black sheep stands out from the crowd on the front of the sweater.
However, just weeks after Diana had worn it, she reported a small snag in one of the cuffs, and it was returned to the label by Buckingham Palace. Muir and Osborne didn't hesitate to knit her a brand new one, and later received a letter of gratitude from palace. Diana later 're-wore' this replacement piece at the 1983 polo match (pictured with Sarah Ferguson).
The sweater was originally estimated to reach between US$50,000 and US$80,000, ($77,652 and $124,244) and but after a total of 44 bids, the price reached 14 times higher than expected, according to Sotheby's.
"We are thrilled that this cherished sweater has now found a new home, carrying with it the enduring legacy of Princess Diana," said Muir and Osborne in a statement.
A long-lost model of an X-wing fighter used in the original 1977 Star Wars movie is up for auction, with a starting price of $621,000 ($USD400,000).
Used in the filming of the final battle in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope as the Rebel Alliance fights the Empire above the Death Star, the model "represents the pinnacle of Star Wars artifacts to ever reach the market," Dallas-based auction house Heritage Auctions said.
The top two wings of the fighter are both painted with a single red stripe, identifying it as the squadron's "Red Leader".
The model is part of a collection that belonged to the late Greg Jein, an Oscar- and Emmy-nominated miniature-maker known for his work on Star Trek and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and will be auctioned on October 14-15.
Long known as "the missing X-wing," it was discovered by a team of visual effects experts, including Gene Kozicki (Face/Off and Flight of the Phoenix), as they helped Jein's family sift through his collection, Kozicki told the Hollywood Reporter.
"This model has not been displayed or modified since it left ILM (visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic)," Kozicki said.
"For those of us that grew up in the '70s or '80s, and those of us that work in visual effects, this model is as significant a find as the ruby red slippers or the Maltese Falcon."
The 1:24 miniature was one of four "hero" models built for filming close-ups in key moments during the space battle, including in shots during the trench run as the rebel fleet seeks to destroy the Death Star.
Several "pyro" models were also built according to a much simpler design, which could then be blown up, while the four "hero" models featured intricate painting, wings that spread open into "Attack Position," a miniature pilot, internal wiring to power lights inside the spaceship as well as minute details such as blast marks and heat-scorching around exhaust nozzles.
They were designed by the Oscar-winning team Industrial Light & Magic according to basic specifications from director George Lucas, who wanted to create distinct shapes for the climactic battle so the audience could distinguish between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire.
Kozicki told the Hollywood Reporter that it isn't clear how Jein came into possession of this model, speculating that he sometimes obtained items to trade for something else later on.
"(Steven Spielberg's) Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Star Wars were being made at roughly the same time, and with an overlapping group of people," Kozicki said.
"And at that time no one, not even Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, could anticipate the impact these films would have on the industry or cultural zeitgeist."
A collection of art, furniture, ceramics and jewellery once part of the Rothschild banking dynasty's private collection has been put up for auction, expected to fetch a whopping $US30 million ($47 million).
The auction, taking place at Christie's New York, will mark the first dedicated auction of the French family in North America.
The Rothschild family are the most famous of the European banking dynasties. The family held great economic influence for over 200 years, according to CNN.
The family's total net worth is unknown, however, it's estimated to be between $US400 billion ($600 billion) and $US1.2 trillion ($1.8 trillion).
Most of the items up for sale were acquired by Baron James Mayer do Rothschild and his family in the 19th century.
They remained in their descendents custody until now.
A portrait of Roman emperor Claudius from the first century AD is expected to fetch up to $US300,000 ($471,000).
Other ceramic and decorative items are expected to sell for thousands of dollars.