KFC founder Colonel Sanders memorabilia auction draws collectors to Kentucky

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. – More than 70 personal belongings once owned by KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders sold at auction Tuesday in Shelbyville, Kentucky, drawing collectors from across the country and online bidders eager to own a piece of fast-food history.

The collection included items from Sanders’ personal and professional life, from handwritten notes and recipe cards to his signature clip-on bow tie and the 1964 planner that sparked one of the night’s biggest bidding wars.

“They had all of this in basements and closets and everything, and decided it was time to let the world, who loves the man, have an opportunity to buy the memorabilia,” Bill Menish, owner and lead auctioneer with The Menish Group, told Fox News.

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Among the night’s top-selling items was Sanders’ 1964 planner, which sold for $30,000. 

A 1955 Kentucky Colonel certificate fetched about $23,000, while his iconic black clip-on bow tie sold for $8,000.

One collector and former employee of the Colonel said the planner stood out as the most fascinating item in the auction.

“Probably that planner, I would imagine,” the buyer said.

Menish said the planner generated additional buzz because of a handwritten note on the back.

“But then on the back, for some unknown reason, there’s 11 herbs and spices,” he said.

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While collectors came for the memorabilia, many of the items also documented how Sanders built Kentucky Fried Chicken into one of the world’s best-known restaurant brands.

“When he introduced the pressure cooker, which was never intended for fried chicken, he turned it from 30 minutes to 10 minutes,” Menish said. “And that’s what really revolutionized his ability to service the fast food growing industry.”

Colonel Sanders’ family member Elizabeth Pitchford attended the auction to watch pieces of her grandfather’s legacy find new owners.

“I really wanted to see the people who were going to be purchasing my grandpa’s stuff,” Pitchford said. “The items that have been around for so many years, and it’s just been overwhelming.”

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The memorabilia auction may be over, but another part of Sanders’ legacy is still up for grabs.

His former home, Blackwood Hall, and his wife’s restaurant, the Claudia Sanders Dinner House, are being offered through a sealed bid process, with offers due Friday at midnight. 

The restaurant opened after Sanders sold Kentucky Fried Chicken and remains one of the landmarks tied to the family’s history.

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The properties have been owned by the Settle family since 1974.