Buzz
Auctions are a place where you can find just about anything for sale. Among the bizarre items that have gone under the hammer are human remains. Whether through traditional auction houses or online platforms, body parts—including those belonging to notable individuals—have been sold, sometimes fetching impressive amounts of money.
These anatomical pieces include severed heads, brains, pigtails, hair clippings, teeth, hands, fingers, thumbs, legs, full skeletons, and even penises. It appears that virtually anything can be bought, with someone, somewhere, always willing to make a purchase.
10. Severed Head
On May 29, 2011, the skull of St. Vitalis of Assisi (1295–1370), the patron saint of individuals suffering from genital diseases, was auctioned in County Meath, Ireland. Preserved in a Queen Anne case, this macabre relic was presented for sale by an Anglo-Irish family. The estimated price for the item ranged from €800 to €1,200.
An Italian hermit who led a life of poverty, the monk passed away in 1370. Although his early years were filled with ‘licentiousness and immorality,’ Vitalis later became a saint. Seeking redemption, he embarked on pilgrimages to various sacred sites. The exact journey of his head to Ireland remains unclear, but it is believed that it was acquired by its owners during their 19th-century ‘grand tour’ of Europe.
A Hollywood actor acquired the skull for €3,500, a sum four times the original reserve price. The actor is said to have been drawn to the head for its ‘shock value.’ Despite higher bids, including one of €10,000, they were declined because the bidders intended to take the saint’s head outside of Ireland.
9. Brain
Edouard Giard, honorary president of the French Auctioneers’ Association, revealed that the brain of the renowned French Enlightenment thinker Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet, 1694–1778) was likely sold at auction. After a 'dispute' over his heart and brain between his heirs and the French government, the brain was 'included in a furniture sale and never recovered.' Meanwhile, Voltaire’s heart was presented to the Bibliotheque Nationale.
The blood and brain of the infamous Italian dictator Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) were allegedly briefly put up for sale in an eBay auction. After Mussolini’s death at the close of World War II, his body was autopsied in Milan and then stolen, according to his granddaughter, Alessandra Mussolini. The initial price for the dictator’s remains was €22,290, later reduced to €15,000 before eBay removed the listing, stating that the sale of 'any human organic material' violated its policies.
8. Pigtails
In India, Hindu pilgrims offer their hair to Lord Venkateswara, a manifestation of the god Vishnu, as a spiritual act. After their heads are shaved at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, Patheti Srinivasarao takes the hair, organizes it, and sells it. He manages a thriving operation, processing 900 kilograms (1,984 lbs) of hair daily. The sale generates millions of rupees, supporting the temple’s efforts.
Indian hair, known for its 'thin yet strong' quality, is highly sought after in the production of wigs and hair extensions. Shaving one’s hair is a spiritual ritual in Hinduism, done at least once in a lifetime 'to shed the ego, rid oneself of sin, and make a vow to the gods.' The temple seeks to capitalize on the global demand for Indian hair by selling it both locally and internationally.
Celebrity hair is also in high demand. After the death of country singer Waylon Jennings in 2002, his estate was auctioned on eBay. Among the items was a set of Willie Nelson’s pigtails, which he had cut off as a gesture of support when Jennings overcame his drug addiction. The pigtails fetched an impressive $37,000.
7. Hair
In 2012, a vial containing hair clippings from the legendary rock ‘n’ roll icon Elvis Presley (1935–1977) was sold at the Music Icons and Sports Legends Auction at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, California, for $4,160. The buyer, Homer Gil Gilleland, Presley’s personal hairstylist, had kept pieces of Presley’s hair attached to his business cards as gifts for friends. Additional locks of Presley’s hair have been sold in past auctions for thousands of dollars.
In a 2002 online auction, a lock of Elvis Presley’s hair fetched an incredible $115,000, surpassing the bids for hair from John Lennon of The Beatles ($48,000), composer Ludwig van Beethoven ($7,300), and President John F. Kennedy ($3,000). Presley’s hair even outperformed that of other famous figures previously sold at auction, such as baseball star Mickey Mantle ($6,900). The only hair to go for a higher price was that of revolutionary Che Guevara, whose $119,500 bid included his fingerprints and photos of his deceased body, which were also part of the lot.
6. Teeth
In 2001, actor Corey Haim (1971–2010) attempted to auction off one of his molars after it 'fell out of his head.' To make the offer more appealing, he included 'clumps of his hair' as well.
Haim struggled to sell the items at first; eBay banned the auction, as selling human body parts violated its terms. Undeterred, he managed to offload them on another platform for a price that was never disclosed.
5. Hand
In 2007, the I.M. Chait Gallery showcased a collection of items in a New York City showroom on Fifth Avenue as part of its 'natural history' auction. One of the most notable pieces was an Egyptian mummy's hand. The Ripley's Believe It Or Not! organization was expected to acquire the hand, but it was instead purchased by Anders Karlsson, who owns a gallery in Santa Monica, California. He won the bidding with an offer of $4,500, acquiring the eerie relic as a 'family heirloom.'
The hand was not available for purchase on eBay due to the platform's prohibition on selling human body parts. Before Karlsson's acquisition, a New Jersey antiques dealer owned the hand, having obtained it from the British Museum. Previously, the hand had been owned by a New York collector. Since then, Egypt has outlawed the exportation of its cultural heritage.
4. Finger, Thumb, and Tooth
Italian scientist Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) left behind pieces of himself— a finger, a thumb, and a tooth— discovered in 2009 by an art collector. For nearly a century after his death, the Catholic Church refused to permit Galileo’s body to rest in sacred ground due to his conflicting teachings. In 1737, the Church finally gave in. During his long-awaited burial, Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti, a science historian, took some of Galileo’s remains, including the digits and a tooth, along with another finger and a vertebra. Although he was tempted to take Galileo's skull, he refrained from doing so.
The finger, thumb, and tooth changed hands multiple times before disappearing in 1905. When rediscovered, they were sold as 'unidentified artifacts' at an auction. Meanwhile, the other finger and vertebra, removed from Galileo's body in 1737, have been preserved in a mummified state in museums in Florence and Padua. Galileo’s remaining remains lie in the Santa Croce church in Florence, near Michelangelo’s tomb.
3. Penis
Napoleon Bonaparte, contrary to popular belief, wasn't particularly tall, and it appears he wasn't notably endowed either. Following his autopsy, his penis, along with other organs like his heart and stomach, was removed by the attending doctor. Eventually, Napoleon’s penis ended up in the possession of an Italian priest, and later his family sold it to a London bookseller as a 'mummified tendon.' The penis then found its way to a bookshop in Philadelphia, where it was displayed in 1927 at the Museum of French Arts in New York City. Time magazine described the organ as resembling 'a maltreated strip of buckskin shoelace,' while a newspaper compared it to 'a shriveled eel.' Finally, in 1977, it was sold to American urologist John Lattimer at an auction.
Tony Perrottet, author of Napoleon’s Privates: 2,500 Years of History Unzipped, humorously described Napoleon’s penis as resembling 'a bit like beef jerky.' The artifact was offered to the French government for purchase, but not only did they reject it, they also denied its existence. The most recent owner, Lattimer, who served with Nazi prisoners during the Nuremberg trials and was involved in John F. Kennedy’s autopsy, is a collector of the unusual. His collection includes items like Abraham Lincoln’s bloodstained collar, upholstery from JFK’s limousine at the time of his assassination, and Herman Goering’s suicide vial. Lattimer acquired Napoleon’s penis with the intention of removing it from public view and preventing it from becoming 'an object of derision.' The 3.8-centimeter (1.5-inch) organ is now safely stored in a briefcase under Lattimer’s bed, away from public scrutiny.
2. Skeletons
In 2012, two skeletons—one male and one female—were auctioned in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. These bones had originally belonged to a collector of 'curious objects' who had purchased them at a New York City auction. The skeletons were part of a mortician’s collection and were at least 100 years old.
A Lancaster County antiques dealer acquired the male skeleton for $900 and the female skeleton for $950.
1. Leg
In 2006, John Wood was involved in a devastating airplane crash that resulted in the death of his father, who had been seated next to him. The following year, due to the severity of his injuries, Wood had to have one of his legs amputated. In honor of his father, he kept the amputated leg, storing it inside a barbecue smoker. Eventually, the smoker, along with the leg, was sold at auction while Wood resided in Maiden, North Carolina.
After purchasing Wood's mummified leg with plans to display it as a tourist attraction, Shannon Whisnant found himself facing a legal battle when Wood appeared on Judge Mathis, a reality TV court show, to successfully sue for the return of his limb. At one point, Wood kept the leg in his golf bag, but he later moved it to his closet for safekeeping.
