Over 600 items were auctioned off by Julien’s Auctions in Las Vegas, Nevada in December. The auction brought in $2.5 million for Reynolds with the highlight being the 1977 Trans Am used in the film Smokey and the Bandit.
Other items included scripts from movies Reynolds has starred in, costumes, artwork and personal items. Also up for auction were personal items from Reynolds’ estate. The Golden Globe award that Reynolds won for Boogie Nights in 1998 sold for $21,760. The canoe from Deliverance brought in $17,920, and a gold pocket watch that was given to Reynolds by Sally Fields sold for $13,750. Prop buying has become a trending opportunity for investors in recent years, with certain pieces of memorabilia fetching as much as four million dollars at auction.
“Burt Reynolds is a legend who is loved all over the world,” said Darren Julien, President & CEO of Julien’s Auctions in a statement. “His collection, which was full of iconic pieces of career memorabilia and personal items, once again proved to be a solid investment with bidders who attended the auction from every corner of the globe.”
Reynolds filed for bankruptcy in 1998 and put his Jupiter mansion up for sale in 2006. Reynolds’ bank claimed that he had fallen behind on his mortgage payments, leading them to foreclose the property. Reynolds has been fighting the foreclosure since 2011. Reynolds has also suffered from a number of health issues in recent years. He underwent back surgery in 2009 and had a quintuple bypass in 2010.
The $2.5 million brought in by the auction is expected to go towards settling Reynolds’ ongoing financial issues. However, the actor denied that the auction was connected to his current state of finance.
“I have been dealing with a business dispute for many years as well as a divorce settlement. I am simply selling some of my memorabilia that I have enjoyed for so many years but have no use nor room for anymore,” said Reynolds to Entertainment Tonight. “Quite frankly, I am sick of having so many pictures of myself in my own home.”
