There’s A Booming Market For Dead Celebrity Hair

Today in weird shit you didn't know was a thing: Buying and selling the hair of dead celebrities. Mic did a deep dive into the bizarre world of the people who collect and curate the locks of stars who have passed away. And apparently, it's quite the lucrative market — just a few strands can fetch tens of thousands of dollars.

You probably have a few questions. Like, where do they get the hair? Sneaky hairdressers, drains (vomit) and people who were in the right place at the right time. Why do people want the hair? The same reason super-fans pay ridiculous sums of money for any kind of paraphernalia connected to the stars they worship: To enhance their collection. As Mic explains, hair is "one of the most personal things you can have from someone you love, or admire from afar. It's like buying Michael Jackson's white glove... or Prince's coat from Purple Rain, but far more compact, personal and niche." I mean, I guess that's not the craziest thing we've ever heard. Here are a few of the more notable sales in industry history, as reported by Mic: - David Bowie: $18,000 — A value bound to appreciate in years to come.
- Elvis Presley: $115,120 — And a single strand fetched $1,750 in 2009!
- John Lennon: $48,000 — The ultimate expression of Beatlemania.
- Justin Bieber: $44,000 — Okay, this actually does not surprise us.
- John F. Kennedy: $4,160 — Surprisingly low for a beloved president with a healthy head of hair.
- Michael Jackson: $10,871 — It was retrieved from his sink, ugh.
- Che Guevara: $119,000 — Ironically for the Marxist revolutionary, his strands hold the record bid.

So, people, if you've got a super-talented friend that you can totally see becoming famous one day, consider slyly snagging a couple silky strands from their hairbrush or pillow. You never know what it could be worth.