Colonel Sanders memorabilia auction

The public auction of KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders’s personal items took place in Shelbyville, Kentucky on 28 July. Building on the earlier notice, the sale featured his black bow tie, pressure cooker, watches, original cash register, cutlery set, a 1966 pressure‑frying patent, a bust sculpted by his daughter, the former 5,000‑square‑foot home Blackwood Hall and the Claudia Sanders Dinner House. The Menish Group, represented by Bill Menish, managed the event; online pre‑bidding concluded before a live, in‑person auction, and sealed bids for the property were accepted through the following Friday. The most valuable lot, a 1964 leather‑bound planner listing the famed 11 herbs and spices, fetched $30,000. The iconic black bow tie sold for $8,000, with a second bow tie fetching just over $2,000. Auctioneer Jonathan Klunk noted the bow tie’s clip‑on design, a little‑known detail about Sanders’s attire. Bidders from around the world participated, reflecting the lasting legacy of the Colonel’s brand.