Everybody wants a piece of Jack. Or, so it seems at an auction of items from actor Jack Palance’s farm. Fans of the legendary star (or people who just like to buy other people’s stuff) are pouring over collectibles from books and artwork to saddles and vintage cars. According to Keystone State Auctioneers, by the time the three-day sale is over more than 3,000 pieces will have new owners.
And by the sounds of it, not all of the items are selling for astronomical prices. For example, one listing showed that an intricately decorated oriental fan and a crystal plate with zodiac signs went for a mere $113. Of course, those smaller items went on the block first. According to auctioneers, today is the day that the priciest treasures, including an art collection Palance acquired while filming spaghetti westerns around the world and an 1879 Steinway grand piano, will be up for bid.
But why is the 87-year-old actor purging his home of all of these personal treasures? Palance’s business manager told local reporters that the actor is evaluating what to do with Holly-Brooke Farm, named for his daughters. What’s more, Palance, who lives on a cattle ranch near Bakersfield, California, hasn’t visited the farm in about five years.
Palance may not have been to the farm in a few years, but residents who live near the old farmhouse have spent the better part of the week pouring over the items they have, until now, only seen from a distance. Neighbors told reporters that while Palance is not a staple in their community, when he does come to visit he is very friendly.
“He was not the gruff person on the movie screen,” said one neighbor, who added that she would run into Palance at the grocery store. Another resident told a local reporter that Palance would show up “at the supermarket, the wine store and high school football games, where parents would restrain their children from hounding him for autographs.”
Palance, who won the best supporting actor Oscar for 1991’s “City Slickers,” was born Vladimir Palaniuk, the son of a California coal miner. He joined the military in World War II, and after leaving the service graduated from Stanford University with a degree in drama in 1949.