Christie's breaks out in a cold sweat.

July 19, 2008 7:46 AM

Coming in at just under $860,000, the take for the recently auctioned estate of James Brown fell well short of the two million that Christie's had hoped for. You'll want to browse the collection for yourself, of course. If I had the extra scratch, I'd have sure bought this.
posted by flapjax at midnite (21 comments total)

The average Joe doesn't shop Christie's. The real money is on Ebay.
posted by doctorschlock at 7:55 AM on July 19, 2008

Wait, James Brown is dead?
posted by roll truck roll at 7:56 AM on July 19, 2008

Yo, wait a minute now, roll truck roll, just wait a minute... you're telling me you celebrated Christmas last year, NOT the first anniversary of the passing of the Godfather of Soul?

HERETIC!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:03 AM on July 19, 2008

Maybe it's karma for the heirs for making James lie around for 10 weeks before burial.

Gasp! - say it ain't so, James!

But now this gold suit was quite a bargain.
posted by madamjujujive at 8:08 AM on July 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

"Well okay, Mr. Brown, let's just get you up on the table and see what we're dealing with-"

"Hey, I'm a diabetic!
It ain't copacetic!
Whoa-oa-oa! No penicillin,
It makes me illin'
Makes me break out - in hives!
Uh!"

[Orderly enters, drapes hospital gown over Godfather's shoulders]

"Nurse, please prepare 15 milligrams of Haloperidol..."

[Godfather leaps up from the table, throwing the gown aside]

NOOOOO! UH!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:09 AM on July 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

The white fox cape, I get...but, the hockey jersey? We have an awesome James Brown tribute band in Gifu, Japan. Their New Year's Eve gig celebrated the man in style.
posted by squasha at 8:10 AM on July 19, 2008

The lowest earning man on the auction block.
posted by DU at 8:24 AM on July 19, 2008

I still regret not buying anything at Ella Fitzgerald's estate sale. With every fiber of my being. It was "Rent? Or buy this gold-plated tissue box that has 'Ella' engraved on it? Hmmmm..."

I stupidly chose rent. DAMNIT.
posted by miss lynnster at 8:41 AM on July 19, 2008

I stupidly chose rent. DAMNIT.

I feel your pain, miss l.

there's always a landlord somewhere
there's always some rent to pay
another little disaster
each and every day ...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:45 AM on July 19, 2008

I seriously considered buying one of Johnny Cash's black shirts: I still regret missing it.

Now I'll go to my grave regretting not buying one of James Brown's capes.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 9:29 AM on July 19, 2008

What's this about James Brown selling his stuff? Is he in need of cash or something?
posted by Meatbomb at 9:39 AM on July 19, 2008

Handwritten Letter 1 and Handwritten Letter 2 had pre-auction estimates of $300-$500 and sold for $2,375 and $9,375.

Letter 1 seems to be addressed to a woman with whom he was breaking off an affair and offered her $6,000 as a parting gift. Letter 2 is a paranoid rant about being ripped off by record companies.

The suits are a bargain and I regret not bidding.
posted by Frank Grimes at 9:47 AM on July 19, 2008

The suits are a bargain and I regret not bidding.

You'd likely pay more retail. $375 for three suits?!
posted by Meatbomb at 10:21 AM on July 19, 2008

i also almost lost my mind over the johnny cash auction. love those auction preview books that come out for things like that. i also feel that i might be a secret yuppie for admitting that.
posted by fillsthepews at 10:36 AM on July 19, 2008

I would have loved one of those red suits, even though there's no way to tailor them to fit a 6' 6" man, and my caucasian heritage would render me incapable of wearing it without dissolving everyone around me into fits of laughter. Still, a red GFoS suit? or the silver & black? Damn, jack.

But I would have loved being at the auction, if only to lurk around the furniture & admonish people to "get up offa that thing!"
posted by beelzbubba at 11:46 AM on July 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

I know I could never pull off this look but Yowza I would sure give it a go.
Thanks for the post flapjax.
posted by HappyHippo at 5:31 PM on July 19, 2008

MetaFilter: You are big but you can be small again.
posted by furtive at 6:05 PM on July 19, 2008

but where there any bags in the auction...i need a new one.
posted by ShawnString at 6:49 PM on July 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Letter 2 is a paranoid rant about being ripped off by record companies.

Paranoid, drug-induced, semi-literate-but still pretty accurate. It is a pity to see Mr. Brown's heirs and trustees squabbling among themselves until everything is gone; if it were properly managed his legacy could be as large or larger than Elvis's (who by the time of his death had pretty much been written off a a caricature of his former self). Instead it will be scattered about and everyone will be worse off.

On a lighter note, I wanted to bid on this, but I've already got one. And I didn't like the way it made my wife laugh.
posted by TedW at 7:48 PM on July 19, 2008

MetaFilter: You are big but you can be small again.

Or in the words of The Tragically Hip:

Good News! You get to vanish
Go to Cleveland, be an indie smash
The good news is now you're smaller
The bad news is you can be smaller than that
posted by bwg at 7:49 PM on July 19, 2008

That hockey jersey is HOT and I'm glad I didn't know about this before having to resist the temptation of getting evicted and/or having my car repo-ed to buy it.

I sure would look awesome walking to work in it, and I'd be the envy of the homeless shelter!
posted by rollbiz at 8:32 PM on July 19, 2008