More than 100 items from the beloved sitcom will be up for grabs in two weeks, in a collaborative sale between producers Warner Brothers and Julien’s Auctions, with pre-bids already being taken.
And Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s, confirmed there are bidders from Ireland among the 30-odd countries the auction has had interest from so far.
Mr. Nolan from Kiltoom on the Roscommon side of Athlone said the "fun" auction was "not about generating a massive amount of money".
"Probably on the day we’ll do $100,000 (€90,000) in the sale, so it’s not about money here.
"This is about a celebration of an incredible, successful TV show that people all over the world can relate to."
The lots include costumes and props used in the series, as well as studio-made reproductions of famous items from the show.
And Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s, confirmed there are bidders from Ireland among the 30-odd countries the auction has had interest from so far.
Perhaps surprisingly, it is an item from the latter group – a perfect reproduction of the orange Central Perk couch, also seen in the opening credits – that has attracted the highest bid so far and is expected to fetch the most on the final day.
The highest bid for it was $7,000 (€6,300) yesterday, compared to an estimate of $2,000-$3,000.
Many of the items on sale have already far exceeded their estimates and the bids are likely to keep climbing in the two weeks until the auction.
A grey mohair sweater worn by Jennifer Aniston as Rachel is the second-most coveted lot so far, with bids now at $4,000 (€3,600) compared to an estimate of $1,000-$1,500. The garment appears in the Season 7 episode "The One With The Truth About London", in which Rachel teaches Ross’s son Ben pranks – bids for Ben’s bicycle are currently at the $600 (€540) mark.
Other items of clothing that were worn by the main cast include a teal cashmere sweater worn by Chandler (the late Matthew Perry), a blue embroidered coat worn by Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), a brown and tan knit top worn by Monica (Courteney Cox) a striped shirt worn by Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and a blue top worn by Ross (David Schwimmer).
Perhaps surprisingly, it is an item from the latter group – a perfect reproduction of the orange Central Perk couch, also seen in the opening credits – that has attracted the highest bid so far and is expected to fetch the most on the final day.
And superfans can also get their hands on garments worn by more peripheral characters, such as a shirt and tie combo worn by Gunther (the late James Michael Tyler), and guest stars such as Bruce Willis and Christina Applegate.
Other show-used props garnering plenty of interest include a selection of items from Ross’s apartment, including a ceramic phrenology head (current bid $2,250) a Moroccan-style ottoman footstool (current bid $2,000) and a mahogany chest of drawers (current bid $2,000).
Bidders will have to settle for reproductions of some other iconic props, such as the Central Perk sign or the Geller Cup trophy – which Monica and Ross squabbled over in the Thanksgiving episode, "The One With The Football."
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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