Gustavo Egusquiza knew as soon as he opened the auction catalogue. \u201cI saw them, and I knew I wanted them,\u201d he says of Diane Keaton\u2019s nail clippers. \u201cIt was something that she would have used every day, so it was a tiny piece of Diane\u2019s life. It is objects like this that reveal the intimate parts of a person\u2019s real life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Egusquiza, a travel journalist and consultant from Bilbao, Spain, admits to being a little celebrity obsessed and is building up a collection of memorabilia that includes Whoopi Goldberg\u2019s teapot and statuette from Larry King\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were more attractive things of Diane\u2019s I could have bought. There were fantastic dresses, and hats,\u201d Egusquiza says. \u201cBut for me, I didn\u2019t want the typical glamorous red carpet things. I wanted something more intimate, and I think this is the most intimate thing, it will have her fingerprints on it. That\u2019s why I decided to go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He had been prepared for the nail clippers \u2013 which came in a \u201ccurated box\u201d with dozens of hair pins and safety pins \u2013 to sell for beyond their $200 sale estimate. \u201cEverything was going for far above the auction estimate,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t expect it to get so dear.\u201d<\/p>\n
The online auction at Bonhams in New York, earlier this week, quickly passed the $200 estimate, and past the $600 mark. \u201cThen I had a bit of doubt, I really didn\u2019t expect it to get that high,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I wanted it, and didn\u2019t mind paying.\u201d<\/p>\n