Backstage Auctions has wrapped up its 2005 live auction schedule with the completion of the KISS My Auction event, which featured personal KISS and KISS-related items from the private collections of more than a dozen original KISS crew and company members from the band’s glorious days of the ‘70s. The fun already started at the very beginning of the auction with bids steadily coming in on a daily basis. The online auction firm set new records for web traffic, and there were also some record setting prices realized. The biggest selling item in this exciting KISS auction was the original album artwork for Rock And Roll Over, which sold for almost $10,000.
The artwork - which was created by artist Michael Doret in 1976 - was one of the most watched and bid-upon items in the auction. Gene Simmons' fire-breathing sword sold for just over $6,000 and Gene’s famous "$" boots went to the highest bidder for even a little more ($6,238). The auction, which ran well into late Sunday night, experienced a heavy round of bidding on several items from the 1979 KISS show at the Detroit Pontiac Silverdome. Gene's bloody towel from that show received over 30 bids and finally sold for $2,024.57. Says Backstage Auctions co-founder Jacques van Gool: "The towel was one of the most interesting items to watch in the end because a few of the bidders fiercely going after the towel had attended that show back in 1979, which for a collector makes the item that much more desirable."
Other highlights from the auction include: Paul Stanley’s Gibson S-1 that he used in the KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park movie (which sold for over $ 6,000), a 1997 Japan Tour concert jacket (almost $ 4,500), 1979/1980 stage design blueprints from the tours in USA/Europe/Australia (almost $ 1,700), a 1975 Waring Abbott photo from the legendary KISS Parade (over $ 1,000), a collection of 140 concert slides from 1978 (almost $ 2,500), a promo copy of KISS’ debut album along with poster and original mailer (almost $ 2,000), a set of 4 christmas cards from 1978-1981 from Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley (over $ 1,700) and a 1976 signed Hilton Inn stationary sheet from the Cobo Hall show (just over $ 1,000). Backstage Auctions co-founder Kelli van Gool sums up the successful KISStorical event: “KISS continues to be one of the most highly collectible bands and this auction proves that regardless if you love the band or not, there is no denying that KISS fans and collectors still want a piece of them and will pay just about anything to get it."
- Hello there!