Wallace Henry Hartley is famous for leading the Titanic’s band to play as passengers were loaded into lifeboats. Hartley and all of the band members died when the ship sank on April 15, 1912. Popular accounts recall that Hartley and his band continued to play until the ship went under. The event was depicted in the 1997 movie Titanic, with the band playing “Nearer My God to Thee” as the horrific events of the ship’s sinking take place.

The Mail reports that the violin, if authentic, could sell for “hundreds of thousands of pounds.” There is also mention that the instrument could sell for a “record price.” The seller of the violin has chosen to remain anonymous, but has claimed that the violin was owned by Hartley’s fiance, who obtained it after Hartley’s body was retrieved.

The item will be auctioned off by Henry Aldridge and Son, a well-known Titanic auctioneer. The company bills itself as the “premier auctioneers in the sale of Titanic and White Star Line Material.”

The Lennon letter is particularly interesting because of its context. The letter is from Lennon to Eric Clapton, and is dated September 29, 1971. It shows that Lennon was hoping to collaborate with Clapton in the years following the break-up of The Beatles. From the letter:

Both of us have been thru the same kind of shit/pain that I know you’ve had—and I know we could help each other in that area—but mainly Eric – I know I can bring out something great – in fact greater in you that had been so far evident in your music, I hope to bring out the same kind of greatness in all of us – which I know will happen if/when we get together.

At the time of the letter, Clapton had already played with Lennon as a part of the Plastic Ono Band. Clapton also played on the White Album track “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” written by George Harrison. The Lennon letter is expected to sell for $20,000 to $30,000.

The Ludwig von Beethoven letter is signed and features a “disgruntled tone.” It is expected to sell for $40,000 to $60,000. The Tchaikovsky letter is also signed, and is expected to sell for $10,000 to $15,000. Other letters in the collection not expected to fetch as high a price include letters from the early 1930s from Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter.

So what is an intangible in eBay’s eyes? Anything to do with magic really. Here’s the full list straight from eBay’s category updates page:

The following items are also being added to the prohibited items list: advice; spells; curses; hexing; conjuring; magic; prayers; blessing services; magic potions; healing sessions; work from home businesses & information; wholesale lists, and drop shop lists.

I never thought that people selling magic spells was much of a problem until I went digging. It turns out that there is a thriving collection of magic for sale on eBay. It covers everything from white magic for protection to really specific stuff like “Black Arabian Magic Break Up Spell.” There’s even a hilarious listing for “Powerful Spell of Vampire Transformation.”

Here’s one spell in particular that caught my eye because I couldn’t stop laughing. The listing is for “Ultimate Black Magic Spells from Experience Magus.” I can’t really do the item description justice, so here it is:

Hail and welcome seeker of the Black Flame!

Make no mistake! If you are reading this then, fate has truly brought you to me!

I am no ordinary Practioner of the Black Arts. I have been trained in many forms of Extreme Dark Magic, Divination, Occultism, and Forbidden Ritual. It is because of this training and dedication to my Art that, I am able to create and cast spells for any occasion!

Do not fall prey to the “dazzling” auction pages that require you to purchase extra spells for 3, 5, or 9X strength for more of your hard earned money! The Power of True Black Magic does not require such Nonsense! Your donation goes towards my time, energy, and ingredients to creating your personal casting.

Funny enough, the spell will only cost you $6.66. This Magus would have you know that spells never “manifest themselves immediately.” If you buy the spell, you’re going to have to wait 60 to 90 days for the spell to take effect. He also must let you know, in accordance with the law, that his spells are “entertainment purposes only” as science has not proven his “metaphysical and paranormal services.”

It’s pretty obvious why eBay would ban the sale of such items. Despite how much you wish it was so, magic isn’t real. The kind of magic on sale here is doubly not real because there’s no guarantee that it will work and they don’t refund purchases for spells that don’t work. It’s a massive liability for eBay since they’re the one that foot the bill on refunds.

It should be noted that these listings will be taken down on August 30. You still have a few more days to buy some spells to help with everything from your love life to cursing your greatest enemies. After that, I guess we’ll just have to go back to living life without magic. What a shame.

[h/t: Wired UK]

“They were pretty famous in their moment and I think that’s lasted through time,” said RR Auction vice president Bobby Livingston.

The aforementioned weapons were recovered from the still-warm bodies of the doomed couple following the 1934 ambush by police which ultimately claimed their lives. Bonnie’s revolver was retrieved from her inner thigh, which was held in place with medical tape. Clyde’s handgun, meanwhile, was pulled from his waistband. The fact that these items were recovered from their corpses is sure to hold quite a bit of appeal for history buffs.

In addition to the weaponry, prospective bidders can also toss some money at a letter Clyde wrote to his brother L.C. Barrow on the back of a photograph. The gangster’s gold pocket watch, Bonnie’s cosmetics case, and a brown leatherette box will also be on the auction block should someone decide to add these items to their collection.

All of these amazing pieces are coming from the private collection of Robert E. David, a collector who acquired an assortment of Bonnie and Clyde-related relics from Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, one of the men who participated in the bloody ambush. Additionally, some of the items were obtained from Clyde’s sister, Marie Barrow.

In case you were wondering, the two young hooligans are thought to have committed 13 murders and scores of robberies during the 1930′s. As word of their crime spree began to spread, so did their popularity, which ultimately made staying out of the public eye a little difficult for the duo. Even after 80 years, the legend of the lovestruck outlaws still manages to capture the imagination of those who are fascinated with the lives of gangsters.

Rogers, who has penned a number of country music staples over the years, announced earlier this year that he intended to part with his expansive Jackson County estate at auction. Advertisements for the event claimed that there was no minimum bid, which caused a number of individuals with weighty bank accounts to crawl out of the proverbial woodwork. Unfortunately, by the time these anxious bidders were ready to toss some wads of money at the singer’s home, the entire auction had been called off. So much for being a gambler.

Shortly after the auction was scheduled to begin, a lawyer made his way before the crowd and announced that “Kenny has decided to take the house off the market.” For some, the disappointment was palpable.

“I wasn’t going to pay that kind of money for it,” Athens, Georgia resident J.B. Weaver Jr. explained “It was advertised so heavily as ‘absolute, no reserve.”

Although bidders were probably extremely agitated about not having an opportunity to bid on the property, even the most bitter of those in attendance can’t argue with Rogers’ decision to sell his home for such a substantial amount of cash. Presently, no explanation has been offered as to why, exactly, the auction was cancelled or who decided to spend that much money on the estate.

According to the auction house, Rogers’ property consists of a “5,681-square-foot house, a 2,675-square-foot pool, an 8-acre lake, horse riding trails, go-cart track and other amenities.”

That’s what country music and fried chicken can get you these days, kids.

Potential bidders better have plenty of money in the bank, as the documents are expected to fetch upwards of $3 million. What separates this copy from those given to President Thomas Jefferson and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court John Jay are the numerous notations written by Washington in the margins of the documents. Adding to the book’s value is Washington’s signature, which appears in the top right corner of the title page.

Thomas Lecky, who heads up Christie’s books and manuscripts department, stated that Washington’s copy of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights ranks among the most notable items the auction house has ever made available for sale. Previous noteworthy documents that have been auctioned off include Shakespeare’s first folios, Abraham Lincoln’s 1864 victory speech, and three copies of John James Audubon’s “Birds of America”.

Following Washington’s death in 1799, the documents were housed in the President’s Mount Vernon library until his relatives made the decision to sell them. Since then, they’ve made their way through a number of owners, eventually ending up in the possession of H. Richard Dietrich, Jr, an art collector and successful businessman. Dietrich passed away in 2007.

Julien’s Auctions, a company that specializes in selling the former possessions of dead celebrities, will handle the auction, which, of course, will go to the highest bidder. The crypt, a part of the auction house’s “Music Icons” series, will start at $100,000, so be sure to bring all of your pennies and nickels along if you’re planning on tossing your bid into the mix. Other items the company has peddled over the years include Michael Jackson’s red leather jacket and a few of the items Whitney Houston wore in “The Bodyguard”.

In addition to receiving the crypt which temporarily held the Presley’s body, the winner will also receive an opening and closing for the purposes of burial, a memorialization inscription, and the use of the chapel when and if the person decides to use it. Most importantly, you’ll get bragging rights to the crypt, which means that you’ll be able to trump just about any Elvis fan currently living who claims they’re more devoted to the singer than you are.

This isn’t the first morbid celebrity auction that has made headlines recently. A vial of Ronald Reagan’s blood was available for purchase not too long ago, though it was soon removed from the auction site after the seller received complaints from the former president’s friends and family. Although Presley’s crypt isn’t nearly as offensive, it’s still quite creepy, particularly you stop to think about the sort of individuals that would feel the pull to purchase something that’s a little macabre. To each his own, I suppose.

The auction for the crypt begins on June 23rd. Mark your calendars appropriately.

Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks buying Elvis Presley’s crypt is a little odd. Take a minute to peruse these Twitter posts related to the story.

According to Christie’s representatives, the mask has small holes along its perimeter, which could have been used to attach the piece to someone’s face. Alternatively, these openings have may allowed someone to hang it on the wall as a decoration.

This sort of mask is particularly rare. Although others were thought to have existed at some point in time, very few remain intact. Molly Morse Limmer, head of Christie’s Antiquities department in New York, says that the Judean desert’s dry climate is what helped preserve the item for so many years. However, nobody, including Limmer, seems to know what purpose the mask served upon its creation.

“No doubt they represent one of the earliest human attempts to connect with the spiritual world,” the antiquities expert explained. “Given the skeletal representation, it would be logical that they relate to death rituals or ancestor worship.”

The mask is one of 260 items that will be up for auction on June 8th in New York City.

Image courtesy of Christie’s Auction House

Although the glass container no longer holds the specimen in question, there is, and I quote, “dried blood residue” still inside. If a little crusty fluid from a dead president sounds like a solid investment in your eyes, you’ve just struck a big ol’ batch of fried gold, my friend. Congratulations.

Here’s a description of the item straight from the official listing:

A 3½” x 1” white label has been affixed to the vial. It is printed, in purple ink, “REAGAN RONALD 940029 THOR / 610892572 AARON PRESIDENTIAL / SUITE 3/30/81 M 2/02/11 JAP.” 940029 was Reagan’s patient ID. AARON refers to Benjamin L. Aaron who was Chief of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at George Washington University Hospital where Reagan was in the Presidential Suite. THOR refers to thoracic. Reagan was admitted on March 30 1981 and M refers to male. The President’s date of birth is incorrectly stated as “2/02/11” when his actual date of birth is February 6 1911.

But wait! That’s not all! For ponying up such an outrageous amount of money for this morbid little curiosity, you’ll receive a document from Bio-Science Laboratories which gives you even more blood-oriented information to play around with. Still not interested? You’ll also receive a letter from the vial’s previous owner detailing its storied history.

Buyer beware: Michael Reagaon, Ronald Reagon’s son, calls the whole thing “bogus”. Additionally, John Heubusch, director of the The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, was horrified to learn that such an object was currently up for auction.

“If indeed this story is true, it’s a craven act and we will use every legal means to stop its sale or purchase,” he remarked in a written statement.

Those who really want to own a piece of Ronald Reagan would probably be better off picking up a copy of “Law and Order” or “Hellcats of the Navy” on DVD. It’s definitely cheaper, not to mention a hell of a lot less creepy. Better yet, why not watch the video for Genesis’ “Land of Confusion”, instead. You were going to, anyway.

Bidding will start on Sunday May 20th, 2012 with a starting minimum bud of $850,000 but they are currently accepting online bids. So if you were planning on putting it in your foyer you might want to think again! If you can make it to the auction in person, it is at Center 548, 548 W. 22nd St., New York, NY 10011.

Here is the official description from the Auction site Heritage Auctions:

“The classification of the Tyrannosauridae family is somewhat convoluted, but even the least scientifically-inclined observer can see at once that the similarity between the fearsome Tarbosaurus (meaning “alarming lizard”) and the famous Tyrannosaurus rex. T.bataar currently belongs in fact to its own tribe, Tarbosaurinae, within the Tyrannosaurinae subfamily, but many scientists support a reversion to its initial classification (in 1955) as Tyrannosaurus bataar. On the other hand, a 2003 paper proposed that the nearest relative of the Tarbosaurus was in fact another late Cretaceous Tyrannosaurid, the Alioramus; if true, this would suggest that two distinct Tyrannosaurine families evolved separately in both North America and Central Asia, over 70 million years ago. The T. bataar was marginally smaller than the T. rex, at 30-40 feet in length, but equipped with the same powerful jaws, monstrous teeth, powerful hind legs, and voracious appetite for prey. Like the T. rex, it also had remarkably short forelimbs, the shortest in relation to body-size of all dinosaurs. It ruled the food chain of the ancient floodplains that are today’s Gobi Desert, thinking nothing of taking down the giant Titanosaurs with which it shared the ecosystem. There is evidence also that the T. bataar was not above scavenging, bite-marks on a hadrosaur Saurolophus discovered in 1995 suggesting that the carnivorous dinosaur carefully stripped muscle and flesh from a half-buried carcass. This is an incredible, complete skeleton, painstakingly excavated and prepared, and mounted in a dramatic, forward-leaning running pose. The quality of preservation is superb, with wonderful bone texture and delightfully mottled grayish bone color. In striking contrast are those deadly teeth, long and frightfully robust, in a warm woody brown color, the fearsome, bristling mouth and monstrous jaws leaving one in no doubt as to how the creature came to rule its food chain. Equally deadly and impressive are the large curving claws, with pronounced blood grooves. The body is 75% complete and the skull 80%, and it is mounted on a discreet gray-painted armature. Measuring 24 feet in length and standing 8 feet high, it is a stupendous, museum-quality specimen of one of the most emblematic dinosaurs ever to have stalked this Earth. Bone map and restoration details available upon request. Estimate: $950,000 – $1,500,000.”

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