Oprah Winfrey has raised $600,000 for charity through a so-called “yard sale” of her personal possessions held Saturday at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in Carpinteria, Calif., the Los Angeles Timesreported.
The media mogul auctioned off a collection of art, antiques, furniture and memorabilia, with proceeds earmarked for her girls leadership academy in South Africa.
The most pricey item was a set of six 18th century Louis XVI armchairs with hand-embroidered details that sold for $60,000. But even the more mundane items fetched top dollar from people who just wanted to own something that belonged to Winfrey: For example, a teapot reportedly worth less than $100 sold for $1,000, while a pair of crystal lamp bases estimated to be worth $200-$400 sold for $2,500. (All buyers also must pay a 20 or 23 percent commission on top of their winning bids.)
Among the memorabilia sold during the event, run by Kaminski Auctions, were two canvas banners of Winfrey in The Color Purple, which sold for $4,100 and $6,000, and a 16-by-20-inch print of a TV Guide cover photo with Winfrey that went for $3,000.
A fan-painted chair sold for $1,000, while two 13-foot-long sofas, upholstered in crushed velvet with roped fringe, sold to one buyer for $4,000 and $4,750.
As of Saturday night, there were still more than 250 lots for sale; also included in the auction were items from Winfrey’s exercise guru Bob Greene.