Considering how much we idolize celebrities, it doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone that we’re probably all secretly longing for a souvenir from our favorite idol. It doesn’t even have to be something meaningful either.
Anything that will make us feel closer to them is welcome, and for some of us, that isn’t even a fact to hide. The specific item simply has to be associated with your idol, and you’re all in.
Trash or Treasure?
As they say, one man’s trash could be another one’s treasure. This statement has been proven time and again, and an auction held last month pushed the narrative even further. On May 18, Julien’s Auctions sold off a paper plate for $22,400! What was so special about this disposable item, you ask?
Obviously, this wasn’t your everyday paper plate. Guess who had used it for his slice of pizza? Kurt Cobain, may his soul rest in peace. The frontman ate off the plate, then proceeded to write Nirvana’s setlist for a D.C. 1990 performance on it. No wonder it was that valuable! Considered one of the best rock artists of all time, Cobain, unfortunately, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1994.
$22,400 for a paper plate is quite the amount, right? But that’s not the only thing diehard fans have spent mad money on. In 2006, Britney’s unfinished food was up for sale on eBay. Together with Kevin Federline (her then-husband), the singer was at some event in an unidentified eatery.
She had a sandwich while Kevin had a corn dog. Neither of them finished their meal, and when it was time for the server to clean up after them, Britney had a bite of Kevin’s corn dog saying that it would be a pity letting it go to waste.
Seeing an opportunity to make a quick buck, the server didn’t throw the leftovers away. Instead, they put them up on eBay, attracting 43 bids. They were sold for $520, with the winning bid going to the Golden Palace Casino.
Leftovers for souvenirs
Leftovers seem like quite the souvenir, as something similar happened with a Justin Timberlake French toast in 2000. Before he was riding solo, Timberlake was part of ‘N Sync. Representing the band, the artiste showed up for a Z-100 interview, during which they served him a French toast.
He didn’t finish it, and one of the station’s employees put it up on eBay. The coveted item fetched $1,025, with Kathy Summers winning the bid. She was a huge JT fan, and she did say that she’d freeze-dry the toast and put it on her dresser.
In 2012, Lady Gaga lost one of her acrylic nails while at an Aviva stadium performance and a crew member who retrieved it after the concert put it up for auction.
Guess how much it fetched? The winning bid was $13,000, with reports stating that the winner had also won a second bid, this one a photo of Gaga onstage with the missing nail. This bidder must have forked out some big bucks to acquire the items.