Cher auction fetches double pre-sale estimates

LOS ANGELES - An auction of more than 700 items belonging to singer and actress Cher raised over US$3.5 million ($5.28 million) -- more than double pre-sale estimates -- as celebrity collectors snapped up her possessions.

The top selling costume was a Bob Mackie-designed rock'n'roll outfit that was sold for US$60,000, up to 20 times its estimate of US$2,000 to US$3,000.

The buyer was Brigitte Poublon, wife of US singer and actor Bobby Sherman, who once appeared with Cher on the Sonny and Cher show.

The single most expensive lot was for 60-year-old Cher's black 2005 Bentley, which fetched US$204,000, while the "Gothic Revival" brass bed from her Malibu residence earned US$84,000.

"Today every single lot found a buyer, a true testament to Cher's fan base and longevity as a performer and star," said Darren Julien, president of Julien's Auctions which held the auction with Sotheby's.

The Los Angeles auction that ended last night had been expected to bring in between US$1.4 million-US$1.6 million. Part of the proceeds from the two-day sale will be donated to charity and Cher will use some of the proceeds to redecorate her Malibu mansion.

Cher said she simply wanted to start over again and that many of the items had been kept in storage for years.

- REUTERS