Owning a Piece of an Icon: A Male Thing?

Online, June 9, 2010 (Newswire.com) - AMHERST, NH - Many women report (okay, admit) that owning a pair of heels from Chanel, Manolo or Christian Louboutin makes them feel closer to, or perhaps more equal to, their cultural icons-especially celebrities, socialites and supermodels.

"That rationale may also apply to men. That may explain why 85% of the bidders at RRAuction's monthly auctions are male with the other 15% are usually women bidding on an item as a special gift for their spouse, boyfriend, brother, or male boss or colleague," says Bobby Livingston, marketing VP at RRAuction.

Established in 1976, RRAuction is known to collectors and dealers worldwide as the most respected auction source for guaranteed authentic autographs. Interestingly, the auction house finds that its largest concentration of bidders live on the east and west coasts, New York and LA, and in Florida. Men of all ages are represented.

"Possibly, with the exception of antique furniture, women tend to like newer things. I do know from many years in this business that most men really get a kick out of owning something personally touched by one of their heroes-be it a sports hero, an entertainer, or a figure from history. They really get great pleasure from owning a one-of-a-kind item that features their hero's autograph or signature, especially if there's an interesting story attached to that particular object. There usually is, and that's what makes it such an object of fascination.

"For our customers," Livingston continues, "finding one of these special items with a great story attached to it represents a bond to one of their heroes and also a great conversation piece. Men like to show these items to other guys and talk about them-possibly the way women compare notes on shoes, handbags and jewelry."

RRAuction's June auction event, which began on May 24 and ends on June 16, features more than 1,250 items. Headlining the auction are:

• A signed letter from George Washington written during the Revolutionary War

• A lengthy letter from the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, complete with a hand-drawn sketch

• Early copy of the original Wizard of Oz book autographed by the film's stars, with icon Judy Garland signing as "Dorothy."

• Thomas Paine and Paul Revere, two other Revolutionary War heroes, are represented in the auction: for Paine, a signed, handwritten letter trying to establish contact with a distant relative, and for Revere, a business agreement supplying copper for the refurbishment of two New England lighthouses.

• An early letter from presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth is here as well, reflecting his violent side as he boasts of defending the honor of his widowed mother and sister by striking the offending party with a stick, "which made him bleed like a butcher."

• Thomas Edison, perhaps the world's brightest inventor, is represented here by a scarce and historic document from 1883 that was originally filed with the governor general's office in India. It was this very paperwork that allowed Edison to patent his idea for "Improvements in incandescent conductors for electric lamps" in that South Asian nation.

• The auction includes music-related items. One is a remarkable letter from Ludwig van Beethoven, written around 1805, in which he responds to what history has shown to be appropriate criticism of his one-and-only opera Fidelio, parts of which were unsingable. Beethoven agrees to "a few changes" in his work!

• This month's auction also features a unique souvenir signed by the key players of the cast of the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. The film's top executive, Louis B. Mayer, corralled six of the top stars of the epic film while on the set and got them to sign a 1903 hardcover copy of the L. Frank Baum book. The Wizard's signature is here, as is that of the actors who portrayed the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, the Wicked Witch of the West, and of course Judy Garland...who added the character name "Dorothy" beneath her autograph! "This is one item I think women would want to bid on, or would love to receive as a gift," Livingston maintains.

Also at auction, along with many other items: one of only two known examples of a 1964 Newsweek magazine cover autographed by all four Beatles following their "invasion" of the United States that year.

The lucky winners will have "not just a piece of history, infused with the spiritual DNA of someone they greatly admire; it is also a good investment," says Livingston.

For more information on each of the auction items, and how you can "get in on the action," visit www.rrauction.com

Winning bids will be announced on the company's website after 10 am on Thursday, June 17th.

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Media contact: Mike Graff, 212-825-3210 [email protected]