John Lennon’s Tie Sells for More Than $5,600 at Auction
- John Lennon's tie, given to a young fan in 1962 at the Cavern Club, was sold at auction for £3,627.
A tie that once belonged toJohn Lennonsold for £3,627 (around $5,600) at an auction in Liverpool this weekend. The Liverpool Echo reports that Lennon had given the black knitted tie in 1962 to a young fan who regularly attendedthe Beatles' lunchtime sessions at the city's legendary Cavern Club.
"The Beatles were recording some numbers and I was sitting on the edge of the stage holding the microphone stand," said Joyce McWilliams, who was 15 years old at the time. "It was very hot in the club and John asked me to lend him a handkerchief to mop his brow with. He handed it back to me, and loosened his tie when I said: 'I thought you were going to give me your tie,' and he just handed it to me."
More from Rolling Stone
Look Back at an Iconic Q&A: John Lennon's Rolling Stone Interview
McWilliams was devastated to learn that her mother had washed the handkerchief soon afterwards, but she held on to the tie. The now-retired civil servant found the garment again, along with some signed postcards, when she was cleaning out her house and decided to sell the items at the memorabilia auction held annually at Liverpool's Beatles Shop for the past 22 years.
"Every year we think that the quality and number of rare items offered for auction must decrease and we are always proved wrong," said Stephen Bailey, who has managed the shop for 20 years. "It is amazing – people just keep coming into the shop month after month with the most unusual rare items."
Best of Rolling Stone
Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
