Michael Jackson: Sale to go ahead in spite of lawsuit

Michael Jackson: Sale to go ahead in spite of lawsuit

A hotly anticipated auction of Michael Jackson memorabilia will go ahead as per planning. The concerned organizers have taken this vow as they lifted the veil on a treasure trove of items from the pop king’s Neverland Ranch.

The executive director of Julien's Auctions in Hollywood, Martin Nolan, added that in spite of legal action from Jackson's production company in order to prevent halt on the April 22-25 sale, the auction would proceed.

"We're extremely confident that the auction will go ahead and we're very proud of the exhibition that we've set up here to show off these items." Nolan told it to the reporters of a popular news agency at a press preview of the sale.

Earlier this month Michael Jackson lost the first round of a legal challenge when a Los Angeles judge dismissed an attempt to declare the contract of the production with the auction house invalid.

On Wednesday a second court hearing, where the company is seeking an injunction to halt the sale, is to take place.

MJJ Productions claimed that in a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit being filed last month, certain "priceless and irreplaceable" items due to go under the hammer April 22-25 had "extraordinary sentimental value."

According to MJJ Productions, Julien's was asked to take some goods from the house for sale. However these could not be put up for auction till Michael Jackson had given his final consent to the inventory.

In the meantime Nolan added that his company was expecting a flood of interest from members of the public while they make preparation for holding an exhibition of the 1,390 weird and wonderful lots that are to go under the hammer sometime during next week.

Nolan continued, “We're expecting to have a lot of people here,". "We're aware of people flying in from all over the world -- Asia, Russia."

The vast collection, including items like  Jackson's iconic, jewel-encrusted glove and a customised Rolls Royce limousine that features an interior finished in leather, walnut and 24 carat gold, are amongat the Aladdin's Cave of mementos from Neverland which according to Nolan ,could raise between 10 and 20 million dollars.

Jackson has not lived in the ranch, which is set on a secluded and sprawling estate in countryside north of Los Angeles, since his acquittal in the year 2005 on charges of abusing a minor at the property.

Michael Jackson is presently preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London in the month of July. Tickets sold out within hours when they went on sale.

Nolan added that next week's auction represented the end of an era for Jackson.

Nolan told a famous news agency, "What we're doing with this exhibition is celebrating Michael's life and career to date," "The auction of Neverland represents the closing of a particular chapter in his life.

Being spread out across numerous halls on the site of a former department store, the Beverly Hills’ exhibition of Jackson items went under the hammer thereby giving a rare insight into the pop star's former life at Neverland.

Extraordinarily elaborate costumes, lifesize statues of superheroes and Star Wars villains, from Batman to Darth Vader, antique furniture, and a fully equipped computer game arcade.

Nolan added, "It's a very diverse sale -- there's something for everyone in the sale from trains to castles to limousines,"

He continued, "The glove is the most iconic piece, this speaks to Michael Jackson and it's something that everyone knows. It's estimate is between 10 and 15,000 dollars.” "But it could easily sell for something in the region of 100 to 200,000 dollars."

Nolan claimed that entering Neverland for the first time last year to begin appraising items had been like entering "Xanadu", the vast estate featured in Orson Welles classic movie "Citizen Kane."

He also said, "It was amazing to see what was there -- 1.8 miles of train track, two trains, two train stations, a lake, the main house, the office, the game room, guest cottages, it was just a treasure trove." "It was his Xanadu. And he walked away from it all."