The Philippine Online Chronicles

Why squeeze in with the throngs of fans to tear off your idol’s eyebrows?

Thanks to e-commerce, you can conveniently buy them over the Internet without threat to life or property.

If you want to find the strangest, most morbid, or rarest memorabilia with which to remember your favorite celebrity, living or dead, you can now go to online stores hawking those hard-to-find collectibles.

Hair is still up there

Two slices of bread untouched by former 'N Sync lead singer Justin Timberlake after a breakfast interview had Kathy Summers scampering to dish out US$1,000 (P46,850) after hotel staff put it up for auction on the Internet.

Fans aren't the only ones selling memorabilia on the Internet – celebrities do it, too.

Cher, one of the most sought-after singers today, put her black bra and other personal objects for auction and was paid an undisclosed amount by the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel wished to display the apparel in their hall.

One quart of the exhaled breaths of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the “pet rock” of the new millennium, according to comedy writer and former owner Joe Wilson, was bought by GoldenPalace.com for about US$530 (P24,751.63).

William Shatner’s trekkie horde at GoldenPalace.com, meanwhile, shelled out US$25,000 (P1.17 million) for his shimmering kidney stone. Shatner donated the amount to Habitat for Humanity for the benefit of sheltered Giant Pandas.

However, hair is still the top star commodity.

In 2002, Elvis Presley’s pomade-streaked locks sold for a whopping US$115,000 (P5.37 million). According to Mary Williams of the Chicago auction house, Elvis’ hair is actually only worth US$8,000 to US$12,000 (P373,599.99 to P560,399.99).

How do you get past his guards for some strands of the late great Michael Jackson’s hair? You don’t. Ralph Cohen, a softdrink executive, got lucky when the King of Pop got his hair burnt by pyrotechnics while shooting for a commercial in 1984 – he was able to buy some strands as a trophy.

'Fame, I’m gonna live forever'

Relatives of dead celebrities and big companies vie for the income generated from the marketing of memorabilia.

The son and the widow of Dracula star Bela Lugosi, for example, won a lawsuit against Universal Pictures, compensating the successors for US$70,000 (P3.28 million) and banning Universal from selling Dracula merchandise.

These court resolutions, however, provide only short-term relief, as the final solution lies with Congress laying out clear-cut legislation.

'This is [not] it' for the Jacksons

Recently, Michael Jackson's nephew Taj Jackson said he doesn't want his uncle to be remembered as a cash cow, which is how he thinks “This Is It” portrays the late King of Pop.

Taj Jackson adds that apart from the footage, which was originally being intended for Michael Jackson’s choreography fine-tuning, the movie was “rushed” because the film editors had to work through 800 hours of stage practice footage.

Meanwhile, Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson’s mother, said she did not approve of the late pop star’s mementos going on tour. An Associated Press article theorizes that Mrs. Jackson may have wanted to sell the rights to the highest bidder, and Michael's mom was stalling for time. However, Exhibitions International, which is also responsible for showing King Tut’s remains around the world, has been awarded the privilege to put the memorabilia on tour.

Whether they approve of it or not, Michael Jackson’s relatives will continue to receive royalties from the exhibition and sales of items related to him and his work – just like his white gloves, for which auctioneers have been offered US$200,000 to US$300,000 (P9.34 million to P14.01 million) even before the auction for them started.

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FPJ's adopted daughter, Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, speaks at Mowelfund to honor the late actor on what would have been his 69th birthday. (fpjmovement)

Filipinos senti on celebs

Pinoy stars are still best remembered through their films, and their memorabilia have not even touched the tip of the profit-from-it-while-it-lasts mentality some have in the USA. Even for the King of Filipino films, Fernando Poe, Jr., memorabilia comprise a museum collection at the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund) compound in Quezon City, with no prospects for “Panday” action figures in the near future.

Francis M’s large family stands to profit from the sales of the t-shirts with nationalistic designs sold by his clothing company in Quezon City, which has since been filled with fans. Even record bars have continued to replenish stacks of the Pinoy King of Rap’s CDs as buyers have been pouring in.

For us Filipinos, celebrity memorabilia is a way of keeping our idols alive. Likewise, Jim Paredes is also sure that Michael Jackson’s memorabilia will not only produce income but keep his music cool and hip, forever.

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