Betty White’s Estate Sale Brings in $4 Million at Auction, Surpassing Estimates

Most of the highest-selling items in the three-day auction, which wrapped up Sunday, were from Ms. White’s time on “The Golden Girls.” Fixtures from her longtime Brentwood home, including art that hung on her walls, also went for higher-than-expected prices. 

Martin Nolan,

executive director of Julien’s Auctions, said in a statement thousands of Ms. White’s fans took part in the auction. Before it began, Mr. Nolan told The Wall Street Journal the “BW factor”—or “the Betty White factor”—would play an essential role in how much some of the items would go for. 

There were early signs of interest. Julien’s, which describes itself as the “auction house to the stars,” recorded more than 5,600 bids two days before official bidding began Friday. By the end of the auction Sunday, the auction house saw more than 12,000 bids from between 4,000 to 5,000 bidders, Mr. Nolan said Monday. Some longtime devotees of Ms. White placed bids on items for the first time.

“This was a wholesome, funny lady, genuine person, and that’s who her fanbase is,” Mr. Nolan said. “People went away from this auction really feeling good about it.”

Some of the highest-selling items included:

• Ms. White’s director’s chair from the set of “The Golden Girls” sold for $76,800. The auction house originally estimated it was worth between $1,000 and $2,000.
• Signed copies of teleplay scripts from “The Golden Girls” pilot and final episodes sold for $57,600 and $51,200.
• A 1986 lavender dress Ms. White wore on “The Golden Girls” sold for $32,000, about 53 times higher than estimated, according to the auction house.
• A sapphire-and-diamond ring Ms. White wore on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Golden Girls” also sold for $32,000.
• Her gold-and-diamond wedding band from her marriage to Allen Ludden sold for $25,600.
• Ms. White’s crystal Judith Lieber Labrador minaudière purse, shaped like a Labrador Retriever puppy, sold for $10,240.
• The bright yellow door to her Brentwood home sold for $10,000.

Ms. White died in December just days before she would have turned 100 years old. The actress, known for her sharp comedic timing and winsome wholesomeness, had become a fixture in American homes over her decadeslong career. 

Most of the hundreds of items up for auction were from Ms. White’s longtime Brentwood home. The pieces up for auction ranged from gowns, outfits and jewelry Ms. White wore on various television shows, to animal figurines and brooches, to furniture and art. Needlepoint handmade by Ms. White also drew more than anticipated. A framed needlepoint Ms. White made of a tiger sold for $5,760, far more than the original estimate of between $600 to $800.

The funds raised from the auction will support charities focused on the environment and animal welfare, causes Ms. White focused on throughout her life, according to her estate.

Write to Jennifer Calfas at [email protected]

Most of the highest-selling items in the three-day auction, which wrapped up Sunday, were from Ms. White’s time on “The Golden Girls.” Fixtures from her longtime Brentwood home, including art that hung on her walls, also went for higher-than-expected prices. 

Martin Nolan,

executive director of Julien’s Auctions, said in a statement thousands of Ms. White’s fans took part in the auction. Before it began, Mr. Nolan told The Wall Street Journal the “BW factor”—or “the Betty White factor”—would play an essential role in how much some of the items would go for. 

There were early signs of interest. Julien’s, which describes itself as the “auction house to the stars,” recorded more than 5,600 bids two days before official bidding began Friday. By the end of the auction Sunday, the auction house saw more than 12,000 bids from between 4,000 to 5,000 bidders, Mr. Nolan said Monday. Some longtime devotees of Ms. White placed bids on items for the first time.

“This was a wholesome, funny lady, genuine person, and that’s who her fanbase is,” Mr. Nolan said. “People went away from this auction really feeling good about it.”

Some of the highest-selling items included:

• Ms. White’s director’s chair from the set of “The Golden Girls” sold for $76,800. The auction house originally estimated it was worth between $1,000 and $2,000.
• Signed copies of teleplay scripts from “The Golden Girls” pilot and final episodes sold for $57,600 and $51,200.
• A 1986 lavender dress Ms. White wore on “The Golden Girls” sold for $32,000, about 53 times higher than estimated, according to the auction house.
• A sapphire-and-diamond ring Ms. White wore on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Golden Girls” also sold for $32,000.
• Her gold-and-diamond wedding band from her marriage to Allen Ludden sold for $25,600.
• Ms. White’s crystal Judith Lieber Labrador minaudière purse, shaped like a Labrador Retriever puppy, sold for $10,240.
• The bright yellow door to her Brentwood home sold for $10,000.

Ms. White died in December just days before she would have turned 100 years old. The actress, known for her sharp comedic timing and winsome wholesomeness, had become a fixture in American homes over her decadeslong career. 

Most of the hundreds of items up for auction were from Ms. White’s longtime Brentwood home. The pieces up for auction ranged from gowns, outfits and jewelry Ms. White wore on various television shows, to animal figurines and brooches, to furniture and art. Needlepoint handmade by Ms. White also drew more than anticipated. A framed needlepoint Ms. White made of a tiger sold for $5,760, far more than the original estimate of between $600 to $800.

The funds raised from the auction will support charities focused on the environment and animal welfare, causes Ms. White focused on throughout her life, according to her estate.

Write to Jennifer Calfas at [email protected]