It’s a rare — and expensive — privilege to own something that once belonged to Hollywood royalty. But what about spending eternity buried next to Hollywood royalty?
The latest set of iconic lots from Julien’s Auctions, an exclusive auction house in Beverly Hills, will feature over 600 artifacts from Marilyn Monroe, Hugh Hefner and Playboy Enterprises, including a single-space mausoleum crypt near where the two legends are buried.
The mausoleum is in the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary in Los Angeles, California.
Monroe died unexpectedly in 1962 and, according to Julien’s, her ex-husband and baseball star Joe DiMaggio chose for her to be buried there because it was also the final resting place of two women who helped care for Monroe as a young girl.
Hefner bought the spot to the immediate left of Monroe’s in 1992, where he was interred shortly after he died in 2017. He famously launched Playboy magazine in 1953, with Monroe on the cover of the first issue.
Hefner discussed purchasing the crypt next to Monroe’s in a 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times, stating, “Spending eternity next to Marilyn is an opportunity too sweet to pass up.”
The crypts, located in the Corridor of Memories section of the burial grounds, are often visited by fans from around the world to pay their respects.
The open crypt space that will be up for auction is one row above and four spaces to the left of Monroe’s, according to Julien’s.
It’s not the first time a crypt near the movie star’s has been auctioned off or sold for a hefty price. Julien’s estimates that the lot will be sold anywhere between $200,000 and $400,000 once the bidding ends.
The auction, which begins on March 28, is mostly made up of rare, fine artwork that has not been seen since it was displayed in the infamous Playboy Mansion and Playboy’s offices.
Authentic Playboy Bunny costumes, Andy Warhol’s iconic Playboy Bunny silkscreen, as well as Hefner’s famous pair of custom-made purple silk pajamas embroidered with his name and slippers, black velvet smoking jacket, and tobacco pipe, will also be up for sale.
The selection of items from Monroe’s personal collection includes her 1962 John F. Kennedy birthday gala original program and ticket stub, where she notoriously sang to the president, an evening gown worn by Monroe in the film “The Seven Year Itch,” and her custom orange-red shade of Elizabeth Arden lipstick.
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