Bon Jovi fans have until Nov. 10 to bid on items that have been listed at Steiner Auctions.
The family of keyboardist David Bryan is selling the items. They include stage outfits, handwritten lyrics, gold records, autographed photos, unreleased cassettes, postcards, posters and many other items.
“These are really one-of-a-kind, never-seen-before pieces,” said Dave Amerman, auction manager at Steiner Sports. “We have historic rock ‘n’ roll outfits and original handwritten music.”
A denim jacket worn by Bryan at several shows features suede and cowhide shoulder patches, brass tips on the collar and leather laces down the sides. The minimum bid is $200. Bidding on Bryan’s “Crush” and “Runaway” tour jackets both start at $200. Other clothing items include a pair of pink leather pants with leather patches and metal studs, green pants with floral artwork, and black and pink leather pants with assorted zippers, studs, beads and fringe.
A sleeveless purple duster coat is one of the most prized items in the auction, according to Amerman. It features blue and purple denim with orange piping and white floral circles and long multicolored fringe with metallic beads attached. Bidding starts at $400.
Each item in the auction comes with a letter of provenance signed by the owner, who in this case is Bryan’s sister, Michelle Rashbaum. A letter of provenance proves that the item is not a forgery, a reproduction, stolen or looted.
Also up for bid is Bon Jovi’s 1984 debut album, signed by all the band members. It contains inscriptions to Bryan’s first wife, April. There is a framed platinum record with a plaque, which was awarded to Bryan’s mother, Florence Rashbaum. A 1991 contract signed by Bryan, handwritten lyrics to several songs, a drumstick used by drummer Tico Torres and original, unreleased cassettes are among the other items in the auction.
“The tapes are really unique,” said Amerman. “They date back to the early- and mid-‘90s. We haven’t heard them, but they could be studio cuts or original recordings that were never released. It could be some valuable merchandise.”
Anyone who was at a Bon Jovi concert at the Count Basie Theatre Dec. 19, 1996 will likely remember Bryan singing “The Hanukkah Song,” which was written by comedian Adam Sandler. The lyrics, written in pencil by Bryan and used during the show, are on the auction block. The lyric sheets also include chord changes and performance notes. The band clearly had fun while performing the song, laughing and jumping up and down during the holiday event.
“There’s no limitations to what we can do,” said Amerman.
The Bon Jovi items are a little more within reach for the average person, and New Jersey residents especially would be interested in owning a piece of memorabilia from the band they are so proud to call their own.
“People who have seen Bon Jovi in their stadium tours might remember seeing them perform their favorite album from high school, or a concert they saw with their sweetheart,” he said. “These things bring back a lot of memories. They’re great gifts too.”
The Bon Jovi auction items can be viewed at the link below.
https://auction.steinersports.com/David_Bryan_Stage_Worn_Lee_Blue_Jean_Jacket_with_S-LOT120280.aspx
This article was first published in the Nov. 8-14, 2018 print edition of The Two River Times.
