The Beatles up for bid

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A Ludwig drum set that was with the Beatles when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show is among the items to be auctioned December 4 and 5 by Ringo Starr and his wife Barbara Bach. Several guitars played by the Fab Four will also go to the highest bidder in the two-day event in Beverly Hills expected to raise millions of dollars, much of it to go to charity. 

Local Beatles collectors are watching closely to see how the event could affect the prices of memorabilia that continues to be in high demand more than 50 years since the group arrived in America.

SHOPPING RINGO

Beatles collector Ken Barker says Ringo  was actually a buyer of Beatles memorabilia in the years after the invasion.

"His secretary used to come to the Los Angeles Beatle Fest and she would shop for Ringo," he explained.

Barker says the band members were in such a whirlwind in the 60's, they didn't know about all the Beatles merchandise being produced.

Some of the rare and unusual items are for sale at DD Collectables at John's Pass. There is Beatles Scotch tape, Beatles talcum powder, and an assortment of metal Beatles lunch boxes.

"This one sells for $895," said Debra Brown one of the owners.

The lunch box and Thermos are in near-perfect condition as if they were sitting on a kitchen counter in 1965 waiting to be carried to school. The talcum powder is priced at $595. They even have a framed collection of autographs from all four Beatles, signed at the same time at an event in the UK. It's priced at a whopping $21,000.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
               
Ringo's Ludwig drum set could sell for a million dollars at the auction in Beverly Hills.

"That's like their image. That's been their trademark forever," offered Barker. 

Sadly, million-dollar items are out of reach for most of us.  But at least we still have their songs.

"You can listen to the music and go back to a happy time," added Barker.