Prince Memorabilia - A Wide Range of Collectibles January 13 2023
Born Prince Rogers Nelson in 1958, the artist known as Prince died unexpectedly of an accidental overdose in 2016 at the age of 57. Within his life, however, the acclaimed musician sold more than 100 million records worldwide, a feat that marks him as one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
[CLICKABLE IMAGE] Gorgeous Studio Photo of Prince, signed by him
He's achieved a plethora of awards and accolades, including the Grammy President's Merit Award and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and was continuing to perform and record up until his untimely death.
Prince was born in Minneapolis. Both of his parents were musicians. They also had a daughter, Prince's younger sister, before divorcing. Prince moved between his parents' homes frequently while growing up, eventually moving in with a friend's family. It was with this friend that Prince began to record music. His father had bought him a guitar and was supportive of his musical interests. By age 19, Prince recorded his first demo tape, which led to interest from major record companies. In a short time, he signed with Warner Bros. and his career took off from there.
In 1979, Prince released his self-titled album Prince, which contained the hit song "I Wanna Be Your Lover." After this, hit song followed hit song. Songs like "Little Red Corvette" and "1999" soared to the top of the music charts.
He next released the album "Purple Rain" and starred in a semi-autobiographical film of the same title, which catapulted the musician/actor to superstardom.
[IMAGE] Prince at a very young age, circa 1970
The artist continued to record songs like "Raspberry Beret" and "Kiss" that would also reach the top of the charts. Celebrated for his songwriting and musicianship alike, Prince wowed crowd after crowd with his performances.
Today, the artist is missed by many, but his impact on the world of entertainment continues. His memorabilia and items related to his life and career are prized by many worldwide collectors. Prince collectibles are highly valued among fans and collectors. The following is an overview of collectibles related to Prince's life and career.
PRINCE RECORDS
Not surprisingly, Prince's recordings remain popular Prince collectibles. The artist's records, tapes, and CDs range considerably in price with rarities fetching higher prices at auctions and online shops for collectibles. It's not uncommon to find major albums like Purple Rain to sell for $10 on ebay with sealed copies fetching considerably more.
[IMAGE] Platinum disc to commemorate the sale of 1 million copies of his album Controversy
Autographed copies may fetch $100 and higher. Rare sealed albums like the self-titled Prince album and limited edition printings often open at auction with a starting bid of $200 and a selling price of $3,000 or higher. Prince record collections, especially those that contain rarities and imports (in mint condition) may fetch prices in the thousands.
An overview of recently sold Prince albums (signed/unsigned as noted) includes:
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Self-Titled Prince Album, signed, sold for $3,000
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Signed Purple Rain, sold for $73,000+
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Prince 1999, sealed, sold for $200
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Prince collection of DVDs, sold for $490
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Prince Slave cassette, sold for $500
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Prince Love-Sexy signed CD, sold for $7,500
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Prince and New Power Generation, band signed, sold for $6,900
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1986 "Camille" advanced pressing CD, sold for $49,000
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Prince and the Revolution Parade, signed, sold for $4,000
CONCERT ITEMS
In addition to Prince records, concert items remain popular with collectors. Concert programs, tour T-shirts, buttons, patches, etc. remain in circulation. Because many of these items aren't rare, their pricing tends to hover between $10 and $100. However, rare items such as an early tour T-shirt might fetch $200 at auction.
Prince LoveSexy concert tour ticket 1988
Backstage passes, generally rarer than other concert memorabilia sold to fans, usually start at auction for around $200. Again, items that are signed by the artist will sell for hundreds if not thousands more than unsigned concert items. Recently sold concert items include:
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1999 tour itineraries
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1980s concert photographs
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Concert posters
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Concert T-shirts/sweatshirts
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1884 concert promo umbrella, sold for $400
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1984 tour photo, sold for $327
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1984 polaroid photo, sold for $600
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Concert promotional materials (i.e. postcards/brochures)
PRINCE PUBLICATIONS
Publications such as magazines where Prince graced the cover remain collectible. Prince cover magazines actually owned by the artist have been popular sellers. Some of the following books and magazines featuring Prince recently sold for:
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2 Prince comic books, $250
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3 Prince-owed Rolling Stone Magazines, $275
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Right On Magazine, 1985, $20
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Ebony Magazine, 2010 $45
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2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame program, $690
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Jazz Magazine, 2016, $25
[IMAGE] Prince Original Parade poster 1986
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Crossbeat, 1995, $38
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The Most Beautiful, signed book, $170
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Prince-owned Hits magazine, $330
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Prince Presents the Sacrifice of Victor, book, $650
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Prince Neo Manifesto, book, $80
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Prince, Life and Times, book, $22
PHOTOS
Signed and unsigned photos of Prince on and off the stage continue to do well at auction. In fact, both older and newer photos of the artist command excellent prices. Here is a sampling of recently sold photos of the artist and accompanying pricing:
Prince contact sheet photographs, $1,200
Prince set of four early 1980s stage photos, $795
Prince signed studio publicity photo, $6,620
[CLICKABLE IMAGE] Prince in performance - gorgeous color photograph signed by him
Purple Rain-era guitar solo photo, $360
Four early candid snapshots, $2,125
Prince and father backstage photo, $1,500
MEMORABILIA AND AUTOGRAPHS
A wide range of Prince memorabilia continues to be collectible. These items might include everything from signed Christmas cards to phone cassettes with the artist's messages.
Signed items and writings by the artist like his song lyrics can fetch thousands at final sale. Here is a sample of recently sold memorabilia and signed memorabilia:
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Prince signature on plain graph paper, $3,021
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Prince hand-written song lyrics for "Face to Face," $18,125
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Prince hand-written lyrics for "Nothing Compares to You," $150,000
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Prince 1986 signed Christmas card, $558
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"Under the Cherry Moon" gala invitations, $360
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Prince signed white album sleeve, $540
[IMAGE] Outfit used by Prince for the film Purple Rain
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9-page Purple Rain handwritten notes, $51,000
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Prince signed 1979 check, $3,700
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Prince hand-written note on yellow paper, $1,399
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Prince UK signed customs card, $4,125
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Under the Cherry Moon script, $75
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1994 David Letterman Show ticket (Prince appearance), $250
OTHER ITEMS
Handwritten notes for his album Purple Rain
While records, publications, photos, and memorabilia sell well, some of the highest-valued articles are items owned by the artist, like clothing and musical instruments. There is a wide range of Prince-related merchandise that is collectible. The following is a sampling of recently sold Prince items and merchandise related to the artist.
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Prince personally worn symbol jewelry, $4,500
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Prince owned "Love-Sexy" era shirt, $3,400
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Prince stage-worn gold suit, $25,000
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Prince-owned sunglasses, $2,300
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Paisley Park chain hat, $1,125
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Prince messages on phone cassette, $3,440
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Personally used coffee mug, $1,700
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Prince studio-played acoustic guitar, $25,000
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Prince personally-owned gloves, $6,300
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Prince personally owned symbol watch, $5,200
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Prince-owned "Diamonds" cufflinks, $1,186
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Prince stage-worn Versace glasses, $15,129
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Prince personally-owned Vox electric guitar, $59,000
Prince Purple Rain T-shirt
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Prince custom wedding guitar pick, $1,669
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Prince-owned custom Cloud Guitar, $132,000
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Prince New Power Generation Tour jacket, $1,600
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Prince 1987 MTV Awards tambourine, $4,886
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Prince stage-worn moon ear cuff, $6,900
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Prince worn striped scarf, $8,400
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Purple Life pin, $75
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Prince's own backstage Rick James tour pass, $60,300
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Prince engraved stainless steel tumbler, $20
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Prince personally owned lamp with fringed shade, $5,200
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Prince's owned Icart print "Venus," $1,300
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Prince-owned black lace midriff top, $8,400
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Prince-owned gold cross necklace, $21,000
Prince collectibles continue to remain popular with fans and entertainment collectors. Naturally, items that can be certified as authentic and are in mint condition tend to fetch the highest prices. Rare items also remain extremely popular with Prince memorabilia collectors worldwide.
SEE ALSO:
- Prince Signed Studio Photograph
- Prince Autograph Photograph in Performance
- Musicians and Bands Autographs & Memorabilia at Tamino Autographs
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- The Beatles: Memorabilia Throughout the Ages and Around the World
- Janis Joplin: An Autograph with a Story
- Autograph Collecting 101: A Beginner’s Guide
- How to Know When an Autograph is Authentic
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