Titanic Auction: Original Ticket, Lunch Menu, SOS Message Sold To Private Buyers

Several items from the Titanic went up for auction this weekend at Bonham’s in New York, including an original ticket to board the legendary ship, a dinner menu, and the SOS message that was sent out shortly after the Titanic struck an iceberg.

The big winner of the night was the original 1912 boarding ticket. A private American buyer purchased the ticket for $56,250. The menu, which showcased the luxury dining about the cruise ship with choices like ox tongue and beef sirloin, sold for $31,250.

Gregg Dietrich, Bonhams’ maritime consultant, said that interest in the Titanic remains strong, but he was surprised that some items didn’t fetch huge prices. For instance, a telegraph that was sent to Titanic’s sister ship The Olympic that read “We Have Struck An Iceberg” only sold for $27,500.

Bonham’s did not reveal a total haul for the auction.

The Associated Press reports that this weekend’s sale wasn’t the only chance bidders have to take home a part of the Titanic. A Titanic auction, which will include more than 500 pieces with a value of hundreds of millions of dollars, will soon get underway. The auction was originally scheduled for this April but was put on hold as various parties are talking about buying the entire collection.

And Bonham’s isn’t the only one making money off of the Titanic. James Cameron’s movie has just passed the $2 billion milestone for overall ticket sales.