In November, an iconic jacket previously worn by music great Michael Jackson will be auctioned in London. The classic jacket, which was featured in a 1984 Pepsi commercial, is part of a collection of over 200 pieces of music memorabilia on the market.
The custom-made black-and-white leather jacket worn by Jackson in the advertisement is believed to cost between £200,000 ($246,000) and £400,000 ($492,000). The jacket was part of the first in a series of advertisements for the soft drink highlighting the superstar.
The 1984 Pepsi ad is renowned because Jackson suffered burn injuries as a result of a pyrotechnic malfunction. According to the BBC, he donned a different jacket for the commercial.
Propstore, a costume and prop vendor, will auction off Jackson’s legendary jacket, as well as George Michael’s La Rocka jacket, which he wore during a 1987 duet with Aretha Franklin. Amy Winehouse’s 2007 music video for “You Know I’m No Good,” which appeared on her final album “Back To Black,” will also be available for purchase.
The upcoming auction will feature memorabilia from music giants such as David Bowie, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles. A Gibson guitar previously held by AC/DC’s Angus Young is expected to fetch up to £120,000 at auction, while a belt buckle once owned by John Lennon is expected to fetch up to £60,000.
Propstore’s director of music and posters, Mark Hochman, anticipates fierce bidding war for these rare objects. He mentioned that several of the unique lots being auctioned are having their public market debuts, which adds to the anticipated interest and competition among possible purchasers.
Jackson memorabilia has a history of fetching high auction prices. A black fedora hat he wore right before unveiling his legendary moonwalk dance in 1983, for example, was recently sold in Paris for $82,280.