Celebrity Worn Clothing

[Chris102]

If a shirt worn by a celebrity is washed after you get it, does it loose it's value? Or is it just as valuable if it was never washed?

[packrat]

Well, first and foremost, it won't be very valuable at all unless you have irrefutable proof it was worn by him or her. I'm sure the manufacturer made more than one.

[musicfan]

Well, first and foremost, it won't be very valuable at all unless you have irrefutable proof it was worn by him or her. I'm sure the manufacturer made more than one.

yeah i agree..there is a HUGE difference bewteen "worn by" and a REPLICA...so you must be very careful because it can be very expensive $$$....hope this helps....

by the way do you have proof that he or she wore it?

[mharm2k6]

Like the others said, you have to have some form of proof to show legitimacy (at least before a serious collector would consider paying top dollar for it). The washing vs. unwashed thing can depend on the type of item and when they were worn. Some items like tshirts or a pair of jeans- washing isn't a big deal. Items like movie wardrobe or something worn during a special event can lose a lot of value if cleaned. High end designer clothing that even if it had no connection to a celebrity would still have value shouldn't be affected by proper cleaning.

Random other information:
:: Authenticity can be difficult to prove without a LOA from a reputable organization (Grammy Auctions for instance, or directly from a non-profit known to work with the celeb.) or the celebrity themselves. Most people (especially on ebay) will just post a picture of the celebrity wearing the item... but this is problematic because 1. half the time it's the wrong item/size (obvious only to dealers, so people end up paying 500% value of something the celebrity never even touched); 2. most celebrities don't constantly wear some one-off designer thing; there are sites dedicated to finding out exactly where you can buy a ____ like the celebrity is wearing in so-and-so picture.

:: Some places rely on wardrobe tags and inventory markings to "prove" that the celebrity wore a specific piece in a specific role. The truth is- it's far too easy to fabricate your own authentic looking and most of the time these don't prove anything. Also every production I have ever dealt with has had numerous pieces of "wardrobe" that were never worn or used by anyone (famous or otherwise) and were just purchased to have options.

:: The more unique the item- the higher the value and ease of proof as a seller. Trying to sell a celebrity owned pair of Oakley's (which anyone can buy) vs. trying to sell custom made concert wardrobe.

:: Rule of thumb- if it's washed, it's washed... but don't wash it yourself. Never wash a one-off piece. Be careful with the handing of custom made pieces from things like TV shows, because many times they aren't made to last a long time (saves on cost). When trying to sell something that otherwise isn't unique or special as UNWASHED... you have the seller's benefit of getting more creepers and obsessed people <some wacky people, but business is business>. That said, don't purposefully mislead the buyers.

:: Essentially it's very easy to misguide the buyer and because of this, it's difficult with buying items.

I know 95% of this may seem irrelevant, but send me a PM if you have any other questions. I've dealt with a lot of specialized memorabilia for charities and things and have also spent a lot of time trying to deal with fraudulent sellers (Ebay is loaded with people who sell hundreds of pieces of clothing purposefully misleading buyers into thinking something they're not... and sadly end up with high ratings, just because buyers don't know).
-M

[musicfan]

honestly for me to buy worn clothing, it would have to be like this and sold by the person themselves as this one was on ebay...it was for charity...go britney!

[musicfan]

like this one..i was be soooo scared to buy this for $400...look and that little "ticket" doesnt help because anyone can make that...right? or no?

[legendwithoutaname]

I own one worn item and it was one of Jeff Hardy's armbands. It was after a match and he was crowd signing and that is how I got his autograph and a pic with him. My girlfriend is a big fan of his and She was just going crazy. After he signed something for my best friend, I asked him if she could have one and he just took it off and gave it to her. It is now behind glass.

And She lost her mind.

[mharm2k6]

I own one worn item and it was one of Jeff Hardy's armbands. It was after a match and he was crowd signing and that is how I got his autograph and a pic with him. My girlfriend is a big fan of his and She was just going crazy. After he signed something for my best friend, I asked him if she could have one and he just took it off and gave it to her. It is now behind glass.

And She lost her mind.

Wrestlers are usually pretty awesome at doing stuff like that. A few years ago I actually convinced Lillian Garcia (now 'retired' I think) to sell me her jacket and sign it [I don't remember how much... or where it went- probably gathering dust in the closet]. I have no idea why she did it, but I thought it was pretty cool... maybe a tad creepy of me- but who cares.

like this one..i was be soooo scared to buy this for $400...look and that little "ticket" doesnt help because anyone can make that...right? or no?

Technically, it could be forged (difficult to tell on items like that with no serial number or actual signature). But many studio/corporate COA's don't have much more than the item's name and maybe an inventory number (which is nearly useless). Depending on the source it probably is genuine... Easiest way to get a rough idea would be to contact the record label and see if it 1. appears to be an authentic COA, and 2. if they have records of selling such an item. I had to do this when I purchased a Hilary Duff worn/owned tshirt- I called the administrator to make sure the COA and signature/item were legitimate. When buying things that come with a COA like that- look at the original seller. Most of the time it will be a more widely known company selling it (sometime studio direct auctions). That's the problem with this type of thing- it's actually easier to deceive people than with autographs and it's far harder to prove authenticity.
-M

EDIT: I decided to consolidate the posts into one, and had to correct a typo.

[legendwithoutaname]

Lillian now sells items on eBay herself. Like a lot of females wrestlers, because they know they can get a lot of cash for them. Just look at the wwe auctions for the diva items and you will see what I mean.

[mharm2k6]

Lillian now sells items on eBay herself. Like a lot of females wrestlers, because they know they can get a lot of cash for them. Just look at the wwe auctions for the diva items and you will see what I mean.

Yep, I know Christy Hemme was one of the first I saw. I personally haven't bought anything from these people (too dang expensive for something that is cool from a memorabilia standpoint, but I'm not a wrestling fan anymore- everyone I liked left and it's gone downhill... but that's irrelevant.) but it's a great way to get an authentic autograph as well. Off the top of my head I know: Lisa Marie Varon (Victoria), Bozo the clown (don't know which person, because he was played by multiple people and at least one passed away), Christy Hemme, Gail Kim, Candice Michelle, Stacy Keibler, Heidenreich (sold his Road warrior spikes) and Lillian (probably others?).
-M