A pair of glasses and a tracksuit each sold for 10-times their estimate as the sale of the 800-item personal collection of TV comic Eric Morecambe realised over £500,000 at auction last week.
The sale was moved to Burton Albion’s stadium to accommodate bidders in an auction organised by the late comedian’s family.
Morecambe was a dedicated football fan, and was closely associated with his local club, Luton Town, of which he became a director in the late 1960s.
A supporter’s trust, Hatters Heritage, brought three items in the sale: a Luton Town Admiral tracksuit with Eric’s name on it for £5,500 (against a £300 to £500 estimate). They also bought a cartoon and a “Luton for the cup” placard.
The items will be preserved for fans of the Bedfordshire side.
Eric was closely associated with Luton Town. He moved to Harpenden, close to the town in 1961, as he became a TV star. Image courtesy of Hansons Auctioneers.
The most valuable item in the sale also smashed its estimate. A pair of Morecambe’s trademark glasses sold for £20,000 against a £200 to £400 estimate.
A portrait made £15,000 from a predicted £8,000.
A small statue of Morecambe in his “Bring me Sunshine” pose sold for £11,000 after going into the sale with a £500 to £1,000 estimate.
Three paintings by Morecambe, all predicted to make tens of pounds, each sold for around £4,000.
Charles Hanson, of Hanson Auctioneers, who held the sale told the BBC: “The prices reflect not only the quality and uniqueness of the items but also the deep affection fans continue to hold for him.”
Mr Morecambe’s daughter, Gail Stuart, told the BBC: “[It was] exciting, it was emotional, it was surreal – and it was surprising, because the things you thought might run didn’t and things we hadn’t really did.”
A pair of glasses and a pipe made £20,000. The horn-rimmed specs were an important part of Morecambe’s image. Image courtesy of Hansons Auctioneers.
She added: “The lovely thing with all the fans, people you’ve never met before, they’re bursting to tell you when they met Dad.
“It’s always surprising, always lovely and I haven’t had anyone say he was a bit grumpy that day.”
Eric Morecambe met his comedy partner Ernie Wise in 1941 and performed with him until his death in 1984.
The pair were mainstays of British stage and television for decades – The Beatles appearance on their show was an early highlight for the band – and at the height of their popularity they scored a reported TV audience of as much as 28 million viewers.
Eric’s possessions had been preserved in a single collection by his widow, Joan. She died last year, and the Morecambe family decided to sell the collection.
