Sometimes it’s not enough to binge your favorite TV series or watch that classic movie for the hundredth time, replay a song on loop, or own it on vinyl, cassette, and CD. When a cultural moment has shaped you, sometimes you need to possess something more tangible.
See also: The Psychology of Why We Collect
From never-before-seen Marilyn Monroe photographs to Frank Sinatra’s personal address books, original pilot scripts from your favorite ‘90s six-person sitcom, furniture handmade by music legends, iconic fashion pieces, and set relics from cult films, these are the best popular culture collectibles heading under the hammer.
The best film, TV, and music collectibles at auction now
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Marilyn Monroe unseen photograph by Allan Grant
Taken on July 7, 1962, mere weeks before her death, this rare black-and-white photograph of Marilyn Monroe by Allan Grant captures the star at home in Brentwood at a moment that has since become part of Hollywood mythology. First shot for LIFE Magazine and long kept unseen in this original form, it resurfaces as part of a rediscovered archive. It is being offered at auction at Julien’s ahead of what would have been her 100th birthday on June 4.
See also: The Luxury Hotels Where Marilyn Monroe Checked In (and You Can, Too)
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'Friends' original pilot script
This original pilot script from Friends captures the moment a modern cultural phenomenon was still finding its name – quite literally, as the script still shows the original working title of Six of One. Signed by the core cast, it dates back to the very first days of filming in 1994, before anyone knew it would define a generation of sitcoms. Now being sold within a wider auction of the personal belongings of Matthew Perry, it offers a snapshot of the show’s earliest chapter.
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David Bowie's handmade coffee table
We know and love him for his original fashion style and songwriting, but now there is the chance to own an original piece of furniture crafted by David Bowie’s own hands. Made during his school days at Bromley Technical High School in the early 1960s, when he was still known as David Jones, this wooden coffee table is designed in the shape of an artist’s palette. It comes with a signed letter of provenance from Bowie’s childhood friend, along with a vintage photograph and a poem he wrote during this time, which references the table itself.
See also: You Could Own One of the Largest T. Rex Fossils Ever Discovered
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Frank Sinatra's 1980s address book
Little black books are used more as metaphors rather than necessities in the days of phone contact lists, but this one belonging to Frank Sinatra reads like a who’s who of 20th-century cultural life. Embossed with his initials, ‘F.A.S.’, inside is filled with entries that chart everyone from Ella Fitzgerald and Cary Grant to Marilyn Monroe, Richard Nixon, and Jackie Onassis. Now consigned from the estate of one of Sinatra’s secretaries, it offers a rare, personal insight into the neatly connected Hollywood and beyond.
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Stopwatch from 'Le Mans' film
The Le Mans race has long been one of motorsport’s defining endurance tests, yet while the race itself only lasts 24 hours, it was immortalized on screen in the 1970s film starring Steve McQueen. This Heuer handheld stopwatch from the production of Le Mans reflects the film’s close attention to detail, used on set to help time and coordinate racing sequences. Housed in its original branded sleeve and accompanied by production correspondence confirming its use, it's perfect for film fans and motorsports enthusiasts alike.
See also: Inside Le Mans’ New M24 Motorsport Museum With Landmark F1 Collection
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Diane Keaton's bowler hat
Few accessories are as closely tied to a star as the bowler hat is to Diane Keaton. Worn throughout her life and career, she once described her favorite simple black Baron bowler as “dependable” and the finishing touch to a great outfit. Rooted in her love of menswear and made iconic through Annie Hall (1977), the hat became part of her signature silhouette. As Keaton herself put it, “My hair is my hat. And my hat is my hair,” and now it can be yours, too.
