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Circa-1950s portrait of Betty White, $43,750

Betty White auction raises more than $4M for environmental, animal welfare charities

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Circa-1950s portrait of Betty White, $43,750
Circa-1950s portrait of Betty White, $43,750

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Property from the Life and Career of Betty White, a sale held by Julien’s Auctions from September 23 through September 25, became a white glove event in which every item was sold. The sale lineup featured more than 1,600 lots of memorabilia, wardrobe, art, jewelry and more from the legendary and beloved pop-culture icon, who died on December 31, 2021, only weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

The centerpiece of this three-day event was formed by a number of items from the hit television show The Golden Girls. A director’s chair used by Betty White during the production of the sitcom sold for $76,800, or 76 times its original estimate of $1,000.

Betty White’s director’s chair from the set of ‘The Golden Girls,’ $76,800
Betty White’s director’s chair from the set of ‘The Golden Girls,’ $76,800

Other lots related to The Golden Girls included a lavender dress with white dots worn by Betty White in 1986 publicity images, which sold for $32,000, 53 times its original estimate of $600; a black wool and leather cast varsity jacket monogrammed “Betty” and “The Golden Girls” earned $11,520; a pair of teleplays for the two-part series finale of The Golden Girls realized $22,400; an ivory knit St. Olafants sweater decorated with elephants attained $12,800; a first draft teleplay of the pilot for The Golden Girls brought $12,800; and a cream-colored woven-look enamel ring and a pair of matching ear clips worn on The Golden Girls sold for $12,800.

Elephant-decorated St. Olafants knit sweater, $12,800
Elephant-decorated St. Olafants knit sweater, $12,800

An assortment of items from her homes, including furniture, artwork, collectibles, decorations and her personal wardrobe, were also among the top sellers. A circa-1950s oil painting of Betty White wearing a red and white dress and opera gloves achieved $43,750; Waiting For His Master, a painting of a King Charles Spaniel by Henry Edwin Landseer realized $22,400; a vintage sapphire and diamond nest ring went for $11,520; and a sapphire and diamond pendant necklace worn on The Mary Tyler Moore Show earned $35,200, 35 times its original estimate.

Sapphire and diamond necklace worn during an episode of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ $35,200
Sapphire and diamond necklace Betty White wore during an episode of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ $35,200

Also on offer was a collection of awards from her distinguished career. A Disney Legends Award presented to her in 2009 brought $19,200; a framed plaque of Betty White’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame realized $16,000; a TV Land Pop Culture Award received by her in 2008 earned $10,240; an American Comedy award for Funniest Female in a Television Series sold for $16,000; and a James Herriot Award presented by the Humane Society in 1988 in the name of Betty White Ludden went for $11,520.

Framed plaque of Betty White’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star, $16,000
Framed plaque of Betty White’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star, $16,000

“You would be hard-pressed to find an individual as iconic and well-loved as Betty White, whose impact is absolutely multi-generational,” said Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions Martin Nolan. “This auction represented a collection unlike anything we have ever seen before, which brought in record-breaking results and thousands of Betty’s most loyal fans from all over the world who participated.”

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