NEW YORK - Headbangers, get out your checkbooks. Your chance to own a piece of heavy metal history is finally here. An auction of items from the genre's biggest names, including Metallica (news - web sites), Ozzy Osbourne, KISS and Van Halen, is scheduled for Nov. 6 at the Hard Rock Cafe in midtown Manhattan, organizers said Friday.
Online bidding for what's billed as the first metal auction will also occur at
www.julienentertainment.com.
More than 100 lots are up for sale, including the original album cover artwork from Metallica's "Master of Puppets," expected to bring up to $7,000; the 1989 MTV Music Award given to Guns N' Roses for the "Sweet Child O' Mine" video ($3,000-$5,000); and an electric bass played by late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton ($7,000-$9,000).
Many of the Metallica items, including handwritten lyrics by Burton and drummer Lars Ulrich for songs on their debut album "Kill 'Em All," came from the collection of Megaforce Records founder Jon Zazula.
Zazula helped launch the careers of premier metal bands Metallica and Anthrax by signing them to his label. Original album cover art for Anthrax's "State of Euphoria" album, with an estimate pre-sale price of $3,000-$5,000, was also on the auction block.
Among the other big-ticket items: A gray cotton jumpsuit worn by Eddie Van Halen (news) back in 1984 was expected to draw bids of up to $3,000.
Not all the items will require an investment that leaves a hole in your already-torn jeans pocket. A two-piece stage costume worn by KISS's Paul Stanley (news) back in 1980 carries a pre-sale estimate of $300. And an Ozzy Osbourne platinum sales award for his "Blizzard of Ozz" album is estimated to fetch $500 to $700.
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