Memorabilia from musicians can be sold for thousands of dollars at auctions, but how much money would you pay for a lock of hair? Not just anyone’s hair, of course. This lock of hair selling at an auction is none other than John Lennon’s hair.
According to Heritage Auctions , the lock of hair being sold was taken when John Lennon had his hair trimmed in Germany in 1966 in preparation for the filming of How I Won the War , wherein he played the role of Musketeer Gripweed. Klaus Baruck, Lennon’s hairdresser, kept the hair, which measures four inches long, with “hundreds of strands.” Before the filming of the movie, Lennon had a shaggy hairstyle, but the film is set during the war in the 1940s, which required John to get a trim.
How much do you think a 50-year old lock of John Lennon’s hair is selling for? https://t.co/SqkuwBMmfv pic.twitter.com/XRenOZVRt1
— billboard (@billboard) February 9, 2016
Along with John Lennon’s hair comes a mimeograph entitled “Petersham Films Limited/Call Sheet No. 13,” and at the bottom is the signature of John Lennon in blue ink that reads, “John Lennon/oh yes.” Also included are original newspaper articles that feature the Beatles’ signature haircut. In one of the newspapers, dated September 7, 1966, there is a picture of Baruck holding the lock of hair with the caption, “Immediately picked up and tucked away: a clump of hair that had been John Lennon’s, cut yesterday.” Another headline reads, “The historic moment: John Lennon is deprived of his hair. The first look in the mirror says it all.”
Bidding for John Lennon’s lock of hair is ongoing and will end on February 20, Saturday. As of writing, the current bid is at $12,000. According to the auctioneers, as The Telegraph reports, the lock of hair is “the largest lock of Lennon’s hair ever sold at auction.”
Lock of John Lennon’s hair will be up for grabs for $12,000 at Dallas auction https://t.co/fhUB967jED pic.twitter.com/lLoVZUnYlv
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) February 9, 2016
If you think that John Lennon’s hair is a weird auction item, think again. In 2011, Lennon’s molar sold at auction for $31,200. According to a report from Rolling Stone , John gave his molar to his former housekeeper, Dot Jarlett, to dispose of. However, he later changed his mind and suggested Jarlett keep the tooth and give it to her daughter who was an avid fan of the Beatles. Jarlett worked at Lennon’s Surrey home between 1964 and 1968, and Jarlett’s son said that his mother and John Lennon had a good relationship.
“One day whilst chatting in the kitchen, John gave my mother the tooth (he had been to the dentist to have it removed that day) and suggested giving it to my sister as a souvenir, as she was a huge Beatles fan. It has been in the family ever since.”
Before the auction for the molar ended, the projected selling price was at $16,000. However, it fetched almost double that amount. According to Middletown Press , John Lennon’s lock of hair is expected to fetch $10,000 at auction, but the current bid has already surpassed that amount. The next minimum bid for the hair is at $13,000, and there are still 11 days until the auction ends, so there is a big possibility for the amount to reach double or more of the estimate.
Heritage Auctions is also putting other rare Beatles items up for bid, including a photograph of the Beatles with all four of the band members’ signatures. Other items available at the auction include memorabilia from Led Zeppelin and Elvis Presley.
[Photo by Harry Benson/Express/Getty Images]
