Bourdain’s belongings fetch high prices at auction

A few months ago we reported that many of Anthony Bourdain’s belongings were headed to auction as a fundraiser to benefit his daughter. The auction ended in late October, and bids on most of the items far exceeded their initial estimates. You can see how much each item sold for on the iGavel website.

The most expensive item was Bourdain’s custom Bob Kramer chef’s knife, hand crafted out of steel and meteorite, which commanded a hefty bid of $185,000 USD, far outpacing the estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. Including the buyer’s premium, the knife sold for $231,250. A signed Ralph Steadman giclee print of “Rats in the Kitchen” went for $52,500.

Several collections of drafts and notes for Bourdain’s early writings also blew past their pre-auction estimates, with bids over $7,000 for each. More mundane items like bookshelves and collections of bestselling books (not Bourdain’s) went for more reasonable amounts yet still surpassed the estimates. The website doesn’t list the names of the bidders, nor does it provide a bid history for the items without an account. I wonder if it was it fans or friends who bid on these mementos.