Celebrity Love Triangle Should Generate Millions - 50 Years Later

We’ve made it, Collectors. Welcome to the first day of spring.

That means warmer weather, blooming flowers, and your bracket getting busted by a college basketball team you’ve never watched (looking at you, Fairleigh-Dickinson).

But March Madness is not all we’re celebrating, because this week we also launched Mantel’s YouTube channel! The first episode of our “Quality Stories” series is up, where Alexis Ohanian and Buster Scher show off items worthy of their personal Mantels and take us through the stories behind each one.

For those who occasionally get the 007-themed synth stuck in your head, Alexis presented his first edition of the GoldenEye video game with a story many 90s kids can relate to. And Buster pulled items spanning the past 300 years (including gems from historical figures like George Washington and SpongeBob SquarePants).

Please give the episode a watch and subscribe to our channel as we'll be rolling out more episodes with incredible guests and drool-worthy collectibles. 

Now let’s get into it.

Collector’s Item

Here are two more names you probably know… George Harrison and Eric Clapton. And while you may not have heard of Pattie Boyd, you’ve definitely heard the songs about her: Clapton’s “Layla” and Harrison’s “Something”. This week, Boyd is auctioning off items related to her relationships with both singer-songwriters in a Christie’s auction that could total millions.

Unlike most rock auctions, Boyd isn’t looking to sell guitars or microphones. The items for sale are mostly unseen, intimate snapshots from the infamous love triangle. See, Boyd married Harrison in 1966, and while George spent time away learning meditation, his best friend grew infatuated with his wife – yes, that friend was Eric Clapton. 

A Harrison letter from 1968 asked her to “say hello to hubby”, and estimates a price tag between $15,000 - $20,000. Naturally, Clapton one-upped this with a handwritten note of his own. His letter, which could net $100,000, professed his feelings of love while asking to maintain discretion. Months later, those desperate thoughts inspired him to write the Layla album (Pattie - not “Layla” - had him on his knees. The song officially won her over). The album’s original artwork is predicted to sell in the range of $77,000 - $116,000.

Harrison and Boyd divorced in 1977, leading Clapton to marry her in 1979, and then, well, get divorced ten years later. This isn’t the first time a divorce ended up generating profits. Sotheby’s biggest-ever sale ($672M) stemmed from a court order to the billionaire Macklowe family to sell their prized art collection. And Russell Crowe used a $3.7M auction to celebrate his divorce – the sale of his ex-wife’s jewelry was adorned by a photo of him grinning, whiskey-in-hand.

Speaking of break-ups, the document sealing the Beatles’ final fate recently sold for $125,000. Opportunities to reopen the book on rock and roll history are rare. At 79, Boyd is looking to cash in without the added bitterness. She told the Associated Press, “I can feel slightly sentimental, but not emotional.”

Penny Thoughts

• Imagine if Pattie Boyd had thrown out those letters back in the 60s. An 82-year old veteran recently found a prized relic he believed had been long gone. When he left home to serve in 1966, his mother threw out his baseball cards – including, by his memory, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. When he referenced this recently to his brother, a memory was jogged. His brother had saved the Mantle card in a cheese box hidden under the house. While it’s not in perfect condition, the time passed has been kind to the card’s value. It’s now estimated to be worth $152,000.

• Author Neil Gaiman held onto his collection for decades, but he was recently convinced it was time to let go. Last week, he sold 126 items with Heritage Auctions, garnering $1M, all of which went to a charity in support of writers. The biggest sale was an original page from Watchmen ($132,000), while his personal favorite item (a Sandman figurine) sold for $750.

• The collectibles world found itself streamlined on Wednesday. Certified Collectibles Group (CCG) has purchased James Spence Authentication (JSA). This merger of major authenticators clarifies the process: CCG is responsible for witnessed signatures, while JSA verifies unwitnessed ones. The deal comes only two weeks after Collectors, owner of PSA, scooped up rival SGC, possibly signaling an era of consolidation in the sports card and memorabilia industry.  

Have any prized items, authenticated or not, that you’re looking to share? Check out our growing community on Mantel to post and connect with other passionate collectors, and if you are enjoying this newsletter, please share it with your circle to help Mantel grow. Readers can sign up to get Above the Mantel each week here: https://mantel.beehiiv.com/subscribe.