The annual charity auction of a steak lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, which raised a record $2.11 million last year, is off to a slow start. The high bid was just $70,100 as of Tuesday in the 10th annual fund-raiser, which began Sunday on eBay. The auction ends Friday.

It was unclear how the recession will affect this year's bidding. In previous auctions, a flurry of activity typically drove the winning bid higher in the last couple of hours.

The winner and up to seven friends may dine with the world's second-richest person at New York's Smith & Wollensky steakhouse. The auction benefits San Francisco's Glide Foundation, which offers housing, job training, health and child care, and meals for the poor.

Zhao Danyang, the hedge fund manager who paid more than $2.11 million to have lunch with Buffett last year, said he owed his firm's 600% return over the past six years to lessons he learned from Buffett and his books.

Birney Vanderboegh wanted to show his appreciation to Southwest Michigan's farmers for growing "the best-tasting fruit in the country." So the St. Joseph man bid a record $15,300 for the season's ceremonial first crate of local strawberries at the Benton Harbor Fruit Market's annual charity auction.

"I just appreciate the good fortune I've had to live in this area and enjoy so much of this great-tasting fruit," said Vanderboegh, who owns Best Energy, a wholesale propane distributor. Vanderboegh said the money he bid will be donated to Grace Christian School and Napier Parkview Baptist Church.

In past years the auction's winning bid has often been a combined effort among several buyers. Vanderboegh was part of a group of 32 people who collectively bid $15,200 for the season's first strawberries at last year's auction.
 

From coffee mugs to caskets, the men of Kiss have never been above selling out. But Gene Simmons has upped his game by auctioning off his kidney stone on eBay for a righteous $15,000. "I passed a kidney stone and I put it on eBay for charity," the Kiss bassist told the Today Show. "I got $15 grand."

Host Kathie Lee Gifford then asked Simmons how much he might get for other parts of his body. To which Simmons -- who was plugging his A&E series Gene Simmons Family Jewels -- jokingly snapped, "Settle down."
 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson's glove is not going once, going twice - or going anywhere.

A scheduled auction of the pop singer's possessions was called off Tuesday after Jackson and Julien's Auction House reached a settlement to their dispute over whether 2,000 items from Neverland Ranch were ever intended for sale.

Specific terms were not disclosed. But in short, Jackson keeps his things, while Julien's keeps its exhibition, which was open to the public and originally meant to promote next week's sale.

"There was so much interest from so many of Jackson's fans that instead of putting the items in the hands of private collectors, Dr. Tohme and Julien's Auction House have made arrangements that will allow the collection to be shared with and enjoyed by Jackson's fans for many years to come," read a joint statement from Jackson spokesman Dr. Tohme R. Tohme and auction organizer Darren Julien.

Jackson's production company, MJJ Productions, sued Julien in early March, seeking to halt the sale by arguing that Jackson hadn't authorized it. Julien maintained that the auction house was contracted by Jackson's production company to take all of the items from Neverland with the intention of selling them all beginning April 22.

A judge blocked one effort by MJJ Productions to cancel it earlier this month, and another was scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday for an injunction.

"I believe both sides are pleased with the resolution," Julien said Tuesday by telephone.

Julien has said he spent $2 million organizing the sale, which another auctioneer estimated could have fetched $12 million. The exhibition in Beverly Hills costs $20 to attend, and auction catalogues - a $50 single volume and $200, five-volume boxed set - were still selling, Julien said.

The statement also said MJJ Productions and Julien's Auction House would be making a "substantial" donation to MusiCares to benefit artists in need.
 

Wax statues are a lot like a Barry Manilow concert.

There’s the cool aspect ... like seeing one of the all-time great singer-songwriters crooning through hits like “I Write the Songs,” “Mandy” and “Weekend in New England” with an energy that belies his 65 years and one or two cosmetic procedures. At the same time, there’s something also very icky about watching soccer moms catfight ladies in moo-moos while “Tryin’ to Get the Feeling.”  

And while Manilow fans will have to remain content waiting to see him on Oprah or at the Las Vegas Hilton, wax fans have the chance to take a little weirdness home with them.

The Hollywood Wax Museum is letting go of nearly 200 representations including Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch, Marilyn Monroe, cast of M.A.S.H., Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice and Batman, President Bill Clinton and even St. Louis Cardinals slugger/juicer Mark McGwire. The first auction in the museum’s 44-year history is set for May 1, 2009. A portion of the profits will support efforts to preserve Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

And while some of the statues are showing their age, what guy is going to let a little chipping on Catwoman’s gloves keep him from wanting to take a body suit wearing Michelle Pfeiffer home?


 

Yoko Ono, the widow of John Lennon, unveiled a mural of clouds in the sky that will be auctioned in 67 puzzle pieces to raise funds and to mark the second annual World Autism Awareness Day.

The 76-year-old Japanese artist and musician created the seven-foot tall "Promise" mural from acrylic materials. Each of the 67 pieces of art will be auctioned with starting bids of $1,000 at charitybuzz.com/yoko.

"When I was first approached to create an artwork for autism awareness I was shocked by the worldwide prevalence of this serious situation, especially among our children," Ono said at the auction launch at the United Nations. "My work, 'Promises,' symbolizes that we all hold a piece of this puzzle and we must work to raise awareness, funds for research and advocate for families who experience autism."

The 67 pieces represent the 67 million people who have autism around the world.

As the Dead prepare for their first tour since 2004, they're determined that an auction of prime seats will raise money for charities as well as put those tickets in the hands of fans, not scalpers.

"We want to keep away from all of that," percussionist Mickey Hart told Billboard.com. "You always keep your fingers crossed that the bad guys don't get in there and turn profits for themselves." Tickets have been turning up on secondary sale sites such as Tickets Now and StubHub, but the Dead has decided not to offer Platinum Tickets through Ticketmaster.

Guitarist Bob Weir (above) said he has long felt that any type of scalping "should be illegal. Nobody benefits but a few people. The band doesn't get any of that money. The people have to pay more money for what they should rightfully be getting for way less. It's immensely frustrating."

Under the auction plan, which is being operated through Charity Folks (charityfolks.com), the Dead is auctioning off the first five rows center for its shows to high bidders. Memorabilia and meet-and-greet opportunities are also up for grabs. The group hopes the auctions will raise $250,000 for the Rex Foundation, an arts charity the group established in 1983, as well as for the Further Foundation, the Unbroken Chain Foundation and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Meryl Streep broke a record this year when she was nominated for a 23rd Golden Globe Award. Her roles as Sister Aloysisu in the film adaption of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt and in Mamma Mia! pushed her past Jack Lemmon who received 22 nominations. One of the few actors to have won all four major screen acting awards (Oscars, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA), Streep donated the Angel Sanchez gown she wore to the 66th Golden Globe Awards to Clothes Off Our Backs. The dress, which started with an opening bid of $1,000, sold for $2,500 on Tuesday.

Due to the legal controversy that has arisen between Julien’s Auctions and Michael Jackson/MJJ Productions, Auction Network is withdrawing as the online bidding service provider unless and until the controversy is resolved between the parties. We apologize for any inconvenience, but this controversy is not a matter that is within our control. Please check back periodically for updates.

For more on this developing story, click here.

The Art by Animals 2 charity auction benefiting AZA is being postponed. Originally slated to take place at Busch Gardens (Tampa, Fla.) on March, 28, the auction is now being moved out to late spring or early summer.

The auction will feature unique art created by animals in zoos from across the United States. The sale of these one-of-a-kind pieces created by chimps, hyenas, penguins and other animals funds animal enrichment programs at zoos and aquariums across America.