Joan Rivers’ Old Wig Sells for Over $5000 at Auction

Lauren Novak October 13, 12:55 pm

JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK, Joan Rivers, 2010 — IFC Films/Everett Collection

What To Know

Joan Rivers’ estate auctioned over 300 personal items, including wigs that sold for $5,760 and $2,880, through Julien’s Auctions on October 9.
Melissa Rivers stated she was finally emotionally ready to part with her mother’s belongings, prompting the auction a decade after Joan Rivers’ passing.
Several auctioned items highlighted Rivers’ deep bond with her dog Spike, such as X-rays and memorabilia, reflecting the pet’s importance in her life.

More than a decade after the star’s 2014 death, Joan Rivers‘ estate has auctioned off some very unique items that belonged to the late star. On October 9, Julien’s Auctions hosted the collection which featured over 300 pieces of memorabilia once owned by Rivers, including her wigs, X-rays of her dog, and keepsakes related to the royal family. Many of the items fetched for a high price — including two of Rivers’s wigs, which sold for $5,760 and $2,880, respectively.

Joan Rivers’ daughter Melissa Rivers explained why the items were auctioned off happened now, rather than any earlier. She told PEOPLE, “The timing felt right. I’m finally emotionally ready to let go.”

THE JOAN RIVERS SHOW, Joan Rivers & her dog, Spike. (1989-1994)

Everett Collection

In addition to her famous wigs, several of the items showcased Rivers’ love for her dog, Spike. Two X-rays of her Yorkshire Terrier Spike’s thorax sold for $576, while a framed photo of Spike wearing a crown along with his collar, ID tags, a OnePass Elite ’92 credit card with the name “Spike Rivers,” a button that says “I Like Spike” and a copy of the May 26, 1986, issue of PEOPLE with Rivers and Spike on the cover, sold for $1,920.

Rivers was often seen with Spike, a Yorkie, especially after the death of her husband in 1987. She told The Daily Beast that when she struggled and considered ending her own life, “What saved me was my dog jumped into my lap. I thought, ‘No one will take care of him.’ It wasn’t a friendly dog — only to me. I adored this dog … [I] was sitting in this big empty house in Bel Air, with a phone with five extensions, which we no longer needed. I had the gun in my lap, and the dog sat on the gun.” Spike passed away in 2001, at the age of 18.