celebrity collectables

Hi there

I often read about items that have belonged to celebrities going for fantastic prices at auctions.  Lately i have been watching Beverley Hills Pawn (or is it 'Hollywood', i can never remember).  On this tv show, anything that has belonged to a star sells for thousands upon thousands.

In my opinion, there is a shelf life for such items.  Obviously, the first generation of fans desperately want to buy things that their idol has owned, worn in a movie, or even touched in passing.

The second generation have been brought up listening to a singer that a parent has loved so, by osmosis, they too are hooked.

The next generation think its a wee bit embarrassing that Dad and Grandad like this old dead singer, and by generation four, the singer and his songs are all but forgotten.

In the 1920's, silent movie actor, Rudolph Valentino, had women fainting in picture theatre aisles when he was up there on the screen acting as  'The Sheikh'.  At his funeral, lots more women throw themselves on his casket, mobbed the funeral procession, and even committed suicide because without their favourite actor, life was now meaningless.

But how many Valentino fans are out there now?  Certainly not in their droves.

So, collectors of  pop memorabilia, i advise you to not hold on to your mementoes for too long.  That Paul McCartney handwritten lyric that you paid a hundred thouand dollars for may not quite provide the nest egg for your descendents that you figured it would do.

You only have to watch Antiques Road Show to see what was once the rage - crystal, dark furniture, George Formby - is not so anymore.

My hint for the day?  Sell Gerry and the Pacemakers' autographs now, because that ferry has all but sailed.