Julien's Auctions
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Auction house |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Darren Julien |
| Headquarters | Beverly Hills , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Darren Julien, Martin Nolan |
| Products | Memorabilia auctions (film, music, sports, fashion, modern art) |
| Website | www |
Julien's Auctions is a privately owned auction firm headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, established in 2003 by Darren Julien and jointly managed with Martin Nolan. The enterprise focuses on auctioning memorabilia related to film, music, sports, as well as fashion and modern art. Julien's Auctions has gained recognition for managing prestigious collections and estates from iconic figures such as Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, and Elvis Presley. A landmark event for the company occurred in 2009 when Michael Jackson's sparkling white glove sold for $420,000.
Noteworthy auctions and record-breaking sales
- In May 2024, a 12-string Hootenanny guitar owned by John Lennon, featured in the Help! album and film, achieved a sale price of $2.9 million, establishing a new world record for the highest auction price of a Beatles guitar.
- December 2023 saw a Jacques Azagury evening gown worn by Princess Diana reach $1.15 million, setting the record for the most valuable Princess Diana dress ever sold at auction.
- Neil Young's 1953 Buick Roadmaster was sold for $400,000 in December 2017.
- A 1915 prototype of Coca-Cola's famous bottle design fetched $240,000 in December 2011; its original concept sketch was sold for $228,000.
- Julien's inaugural Asian auction took place in October 2010 at Ponte 16 Macau; items included memorabilia from Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan, with a basketball selling for $304,000.
- In 2009, Michael Jackson’s iconic white glove sold for $420,000 while his white socks brought in $65,000; his Thriller jacket later commanded $1.8 million in 2011.
- November 2015 featured the sale of a Gibson J-160E guitar stolen from John Lennon during the late 1960s for $2.41 million. That same auction included Ringo Starr’s 1964 Ed Sullivan Show drumhead which sold for $5.05 million.
- Ringo Starr’s drum kit set a world record as the “Most Expensive Drum Kit” when it sold for $9.11 million in December 2015; additionally, his personal copy of The Beatles’ White Album sold for $990,000.
- Football legend Pelé auctioned over $5 million worth of his personal career items in June 2016.
- Marilyn Monroe’s "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" dress was auctioned in November 2016 for $4.8 million, holding the title of the most expensive gown sold at auction as of 2022.
- In June 2020, Kurt Cobain’s guitar used during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York performance achieved a sale price of $6 million.