I came across an interview of Barbra Streisand on the phone to CNN talking about how she will be auctioning off 400 of her personal items accumulated over 67 years. She was almost dismissive about the whole thing, “Why do I need all of this? Let someone else enjoy,” she said in her trademark New York patois.
Then they showed just what you can expect to bid on and that’s when my jaw dropped. And no disrespect to the great Ms. Streisand, but she’s giving away a lot of crap you guys. The camera panned over her collection (think The Price Is Right during Showcase Showdown) and it dripped with items from her movies, amazing art pieces and clothes that are gonna make a comeback at some point. Can you imagine the conversations: “What are you wearing?”
“Oh, it’s a vintage Bob Mackie from Streisand’s closet.” Sure, she has homes in Beverly Hills, Malibu and Manhattan, but Streisand claimed she’s simply “through with extra stuff.” I hear that, sister.
We’re talking ball gowns, rugs, fur coats, paintings, books, a baby grand piano and her yarmulke from “Yentl.” Items start as low as $100 for a group of stuffed animals to $40,000 for a pair of George III mahogany library bookcase cabinets circa 1790 from her New York apartment.
The best part is that die hard fans will get to snatch up the pink robe she wore in the film The Way We Were — and give back. The proceeds from the auction will go to her foundation, the Streisand Foundation, which supports several political, environmental, women’s and children’s causes.
“What good does it do in storage?” the 67-year-old entertainer said. “Let someone else enjoy it. These things, they’re not forever. We pass them on and reap the benefits for something important.”
The lucky funds that will benefit handsomely include City Year — “They bring together a core of diverse young leaders who provide vital resources to youth in local neighborhoods,” she told The Guardian. Also on the roster is the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation, as well as the Climate Change Initiative and the Cedars-Sinai Heart Health Center which supports cardiac research for women.
“I’m a collector, so one collects and collects and collects,” she says, “but now I have enough stuff and I want to concentrate on other things, so it’s a good time to clean the closets.” Bravo!
Photo credit: guardian.co.uk.