A massive archive of costumes and props from the iconic U.S talk show Late Night with David Letterman will be offered for sale in New York later this month.
The costumes on offer include those worn by Letterman himself, along with his flamboyant bandleader Paul Shaffer, other cast members, and famous guests such as Bill Murray, Jacquin Phoenix and Martin Short.
The items on offer range from the sublime to the ridiculous, and were worn during thousands of hilarious skits throughout the show’s three-decade run.
"If you include Late Night With David Letterman and The Late Show With David Letterman, about 5,000 shows were produced over the course of 31 years," said Bill Howze of The Renaissance Auction Group.
"Thousands of props, costumes and accessories were used during that period, and they are now being sold at auction."
When the show’s run drew to a close back in 2015, the huge inventory of costumes and props was acquired by New York company Beyond Costumes, Inc.
"I considered incorporating the collection into my general stock, but it occurred to me there are many people out there who would love to own a piece of a show that was watched by so many millions," said owner Ms. Yon Zweibon.
Bidders will have the chance to acquire latex alien masks, Santa Claus suits, giant cockroach costumes, superhero outfits, New York Yankees jerseys, and hats for every occasion including Stetsons, derbies, fedoras, cowboy hats, fishermen’s hats, berets and sombreros.
The sale also features costumes from sketches lampooning Star Wars, Hillary Clinton, Spiderman, Madonna and the Keebler Elf.
The huge sale features more than 3,000 lots, and will take place across five days on September 19 – 23, with each session running for 90 minutes from 7:30 – 9pm Eastern time, just like the show’s original timeslot.
