Want a piece of John Wayne?
For 32 years, fans have been begging for a look at John Wayne’s legacy, but since the Duke’s death in 1979, many items from his personal and professional life have been languishing in a warehouse in Newport Beach, Calif.
Finally, in an auction this week, John Wayne’s youngest son, Ethan, is selling more than 700 items, ranging from coffee cups, valued at $50 to $100 each, to Wayne’s personal saddle, valued at $50,000.
“The fans — the people who watched the movies and bought tickets — they were the people who were important to my father,” says Ethan, 49, about why he’s now letting his dad’s possessions go.
John Wayne Enterprises, owned by Wayne’s children and grandchildren, is holding the auction at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in LA on Thursday and Friday. Bids will also be accepted in real time at JohnWayneAuction.com.
Seeing Wayne’s belongings, says Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions, which is helping with the sale, “gave me chills. It was like walking into a time capsule of Hollywood history, but also American history.”