Burial crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner sells for more than £150,000

A burial crypt close to the resting place of Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has been auctioned for 195,000 dollars (£154,443).

The one-space mausoleum crypt at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles was bought by a tech investor from Beverly Hills who said he had “always dreamt of being next to Marilyn Monroe”.

Hefner, who died in 2017 aged 91, had bought the crypt next to the 1950s movie star in 1992.

Anthony Jabin, who bought the crypt located in the Corridor of Memories wall B, space C-3, said: “I’ve always dreamt of being next to Marilyn Monroe for the rest of my life and I bought Hugh Hefner’s round bed and Marilyn Monroe’s bathing suit at Julien’s (Auctions) this weekend.”

The grave marker on Monroe’s crypt, which had been replaced due to minor wear, was also sold at auction and achieved more than 40 times its estimate at 88,900 dollars (£70,410).

Other important items from the actress’s life lit up the auction room over the weekend, including a pink Pucci long-sleeved dress of silk jersey which sold for 325,000 dollars (£257,405) and became the top-selling lot of the event.

Monroe, who died in 1962 aged 36, was known for starring in classic Hollywood films like Some Like It Hot (1959) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953).

She also appeared in The Seven Year Itch (1955) and one of her dresses from the movie, a Mae West-inspired evening gown, which featured in a scene that was cut, was sold for 127,000 dollars (£100,586).

Elsewhere Monroe’s dress from The Misfits cast press conference in 1960, a Jean Louis painted cream silk jersey cocktail dress sold for 65,000 dollars (£51,481) as did her Elizabeth Arden lipstick in a gold-tone case which had an estimated selling price of 7,000 dollars (£5,544).

Other highlights included a lavender satin boned leotard costume which sold for 29,250 dollars (£23,166) and her personal annotated script sides from 1961 western The Misfits, which sold for 22,750 dollars (£18,018).

A large number of fine contemporary artwork that once hung in the Playboy headquarters was sold with Richard Hunt’s Stalk sculpture collecting 127,000 dollars (£100,586).

Hefner’s clothes and furniture from the Playboy Mansion sold throughout the weekend and his famous burgundy smoking jacket, slippers, pyjamas and tobacco pipe ensemble sold for 13,000 dollars (£10,296).

A circular custom-made bed, which served as a backup to his primary bed at his original mansion in Chicago was auctioned for the same price.

The collection Icons: Playboy, Hugh Hefner, And Marilyn Monroe was auctioned between March 28-30 at Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles, California and achieved over four million dollars (£3.16 million) in total.

David Goodman, chief executive of Julien’ Auctions said: “Throughout our twenty years in the business, Julien’s has proudly represented the legacies of Hollywood’s biggest stars yet there is no one bigger and more enduring than Marilyn Monroe.

“Her most glamourous and incandescent items were the top sellers at our three-day auction that sold a stunning and fascinating collection of artifacts from three American icons of the 20th century, Hugh Hefner, Marilyn Monroe and Playboy.”