The craziest era in rock’n’roll survives today through memorabilia sales. While many classic groups are still touring today, from Blondie to U2 to Metallica, one of the most popular (and lucrative) aspects of the industry lies in memorabilia. Fans enjoy collecting and showing off items they’ve had signed by their favorite musicians and bands.
Along with memorabilia, official band merch is known for going a little over the top. For example, some of the craziest band merch of all time includes a Kiss-themed coffin and a Justin Timberlake-themed ax. The first, though over the top, isn’t particularly off-brand for the rock band. However, the Timberlake-ax is a bit harder to justify. Still, the weirder the item, the more fan interest it’s likely to generate.
And the same goes for memorabilia. Not only are fans willing to collect items that may seem to have little or no relevance to the music they adore, but they’re also willing to pay top dollar for things like garden gnomes and doors. Let’s look into five of the oddest pieces of memorabilia—and where they’ve ended up.
Keys to Ozzy Osbourne’s Death Bike
Back in 2007, Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne were settling into life as empty-nesters. After a storied stint with Black Sabbath, Osbourne’s career took a new direction when he and his wife became reality TV show stars on MTV’s The Osbournes.
But it all came literally crashing down when Ozzy crashed a four-wheel quad. The accident left him in the hospital—but the millions of fans watching from home weren’t just focused on the rockstar’s health. Some were after the quad keys, which were later auctioned off for thousands.
The Doors to the Chelsea Hotel
The original doors to the Chelsea Hotel saw dozens of world-famous artists pass through them. This includes musicians like Janis Joplin, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan, along with artists like Andy Warhol and Jack Kerouac.
When the hotel was being torn down in 2011, a homeless man named Jim Georgiu stepped in to safeguard two of the doors. Georgiu had been a tenant at the hotel and understood the significance of preserving its doors. He later sold them for over $100,000 each.
Ronnie James Dio’s Gnarliest Garden Gnome
As one of rock’n’roll’s biggest names, Ronnie James Dio, has auctioned off quite a few items of memorabilia over the years. However, one of the most surprising was one of his garden gnomes, which was responsible for severing part of his thumb back in 2003.
Dio spoke publicly about the devilish gnome many times. When he passed in 2010, one fan fought tooth and nail to attend his estate auction. They forked over $2,400 for the gnome, which is hailed as one of the industry’s most dangerous decorative items.
Memorabilia Under Wraps: US Department of Justice & the Shaolin Saga
Not all memorabilia is obscure. When Wu-Tang Clan released their seventh studio album, they created one single physical copy, which was preserved in an artifact-like casing. Back in 2015, one businessman paid over $2.5 million for the album. However, he was imprisoned in 2018, which meant his most valuable assets were forfeited to the US Department of Justice.
So, where does that leave the Wu-Tang album? According to legend, the US Department of Justice keeps the album, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, in a temperature-controlled room.
Memorabilia Around the World: President Jokowi & the Metallica Guitar
Not many people know that Indonesia’s president-elect is a member of the Met Club. However, President Joko Widodo is a verified metalhead—and he considers them the best in the world. In fact, he told the Jakarta Post that no modern bands can compete in terms of skill.
Unsurprisingly, the President owns a bass guitar from Metallica’s Robert Trujillo. However, unlike the others on the list, his piece of memorabilia was gifted straight from the musician.