Kelowna

The largest Hollywood memorabilia auction to hit the Okanagan will be held this weekend in Kelowna.

Photo: Contributed

Mike Odenbach with Western Star Auctions says the auction, which features at least 1,000 pieces, will take place Saturday and Sunday beginning at 11 a.m.

The auction is expected to last three to five hours each day and, at that, Odenbach doesn't know if they will be able to get through all the items.

The collection was originally owned by Ed Diamond, a big band leader, booking agent and owner of a Hollywood memorabilia store.

Diamond died 20 years ago and Odenback says his entire collection was willed to a woman in Vernon.

The collection is being sold off this weekend.

"As we've gotten into this thing it's just grown and grown. There's thousands of pieces of memorabilia," says Odenbach.

"I've got things like a lock of Elvis's hair, a signed letter from Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan. I have hundreds and hundreds of signed photographs. We have three original Marilyn Monroe posters when she did her nudes. The list goes on and on."

Odenbach says it's a unique auction, the kind we'll never ever see in the Okanagan again.

"It's worth literally millions. Whether we achieve that locally, I don't know."

Along with live bidders, Odenbach says he has also contacted collectors of memorabilia who will be bidding by phone and on line.

Items up for auction can be viewed two hours prior to the start of the auction.