Roy Rogers Auction

[24T42]

Sadly many of the artifacts from the Roy Rogers Museum will be auctioned off on July 14th & 15th. Included are Trigger (Roy's horse), Nellybelle (WWII CJ-2a Jeep). The auction also will offer another kind of horsepower - Rogers' 1964 Bonneville convertible, adorned with collectible silver dollars. It's estimated at $100,000 to $150,000.

Auction Article

Roy Rogers

Christie's Auction

[Guest 1hooligan]

I wish Roy and Dales own jeep, jessabelle is not included in the sale. In 1963, I along with about a hundred and fifty boy scouts were invited for the weekend to their ranch in apple valley, camping out, bbq's and such. I got to ride in jessabelle, with Roy driving!! What a great couple. I would pay 50K for that jeep. Pat

[Guest broker-bob]

I read on the Rogers web sight that the family was not doing well with the museum ,,, if it were mine ,,,,,,,,,, would try to make a deal with one of the hotels in vegas and have it as an attraction ,,,,,,,, keep the collection together i would keep it in the family ,,,,,,,,,, I read that the jeep was owned by Roy ,,,,was used on his ranch and was introduced to the show to attract the attention of the young boys ,,,,, it worked in my case I think the jeep was nellybel ???????? how times have changed----------------Broker bob

Edited July 10, 2010 by broker-bob (see edit history)

[CarlLaFong]

It's just the way things go, I suppose. All of Ol' Roy's biggest fans are in their 60s now and many have also gone on to their reward. He and Dale have very little fan base any more and the few that remain didn't want to travel all the way to SoCal or Branson to see the collection. I went to the museum about 20 years ago. It was facinating, but somewhat odd. Case after case filled with watches, knives, rings, belt buckles and other personal effects were the highlites of the collection. It was said that he never sold or threw anything away. I was waiting to see his skivvies and fingernail clippings in the next row of cases.

I was a huge fan when I was little, and I told my wife that if Roy showed up (and he often did) I would probably start to cry. I was dead serious.

I read that The Autry Museum in L.A. acquired the Roy Rogers Archives, but it seems that most of the memorabilia from the museum will be sold off. I looked at the auction page, hoping that there would be a small item that Roy actually touched that I could bid on, but it's all too rich for the Po' Boy. Hmmm, maybe a box of fingernail clippings

[R W Burgess]

Really a shame that these Western Collections can't all be housed in Oklahoma City in the Cowboy Museum. A proper place, if ever there were one, for everything that Western related. Sad!

Wayne

[Bhigdog]

Why is it "sad". The guy and his family had a great life, lived the American dream. Now they are gone. The stuff left is just that........stuff...............(No pun intended vis-a-vis Trigger and Bullet)..........Bob.

[rocketraider]

"Roy and Trigger are riding tonight, returning to our silver screens.

Comic book characters never grow old, evergreen heroes whose stories were told.

The great sequined cowboy who sings of the plains,

Of roundups and rustlers and home on the range,

Turn on the TV and shut out the lights, Roy Rogers is riding tonight."

Elton John "Roy Rogers", from "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"

One of the great songs from that album, and there were many.

One of the old car magazines, and I forget which one, had a spread on Roy Rogers' 50s Dodge station wagon a few months back.

Bob, you're right. It's just "stuff". But what a shame modern America doesn't have the values it had when Roy, Dale and Trigger were riding. You just knew the good guys were gonna come out on top, and seems like even the bad guys had more scruples than they have now.

Or maybe that's just the way a rural kid in southern Vajenya saw it.

[R W Burgess]

Why is it "sad". The guy and his family had a great life, lived the American dream. Now they are gone. The stuff left is just that........stuff...............(No pun intended vis-a-vis Trigger and Bullet)..........Bob.

Bob, I visited the Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City, OK a couple years ago. It brought back special memories of my childhood that I had forgotten about. To be able to see the actual guns, chaps, and saddles used by my heros that were seen in the movies and on TV was really neat for an "over the hill" kid like me.

It's sad to see more artifacts disappear into a private collection which keeps it from being shared with everyone else. Since the AACA tries to preserve antique cars, I guess we can all relate to the saving of history.

Wayne

[Bhigdog]

You're right about values changing, Glenn. The "old days" do seem better to me. If nothing else, a lot simpler. I just can't get all maudlen about a bunch of junk. Guy lived, guy died, and so it goes..............Bob

[Bhigdog]

I guess in the context of revisiting your early years, there is much to be said for artifacts, Wayne. I myself like to revisit old sites of my youth. I just have trouble equating someone elses life experiances, and the remaining chaff, with my own. Just can't get all worked up about Leonard Sly's stuff. If I only could I'd trade the lot of it for that special "shooter" marble I once had.............Bob

Edited July 10, 2010 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

Here in my study I have an autographed photo of Sunset Carson, star of 50 or so "B" westerns and an amazing trick shot. He was one of my heroes when I was a kid, before I was aware of his incessant womanizing and drinking. Heroes are best remembered as they were at their best.

[trimacar]

Yeah, Bhigdog, I sorta see where you're coming from.. but on the flip side, this is a cowboy icon who influenced a couple of generations of kids, and with his seemingly wonderful relationship with Dale (whom, of course, kept her maiden or "working" name, interesting! Well before the femininist movement), showed literally hundreds of thousand of cowboy and indian boys that, gee, marriage works!

Yes, it's a shame that the old things are getting lost, I agree. It was somewhat odd that they kept and stuffed and displayed such living images as Trigger, but one has to go back to the time and place. They made a good living, and money flowed, but it quit flowing, and then, museum, display, whatever would keep the bucks on the table. We lose sight of that fact, that, in these days with millions spent on movie stars, back in the time, it was the production companies making money, and the stars.....well, comfortable, but not making the absurd bucks they do now.

[Bhigdog]

Well Put, Trimacar.................Bob

[Marty Roth]

VISITED THE ROY ROGERS MUSEUM - VICTORVILLE, CALIFORNIA

On the way to the 1998 Founders Tour in Milpedas, CA (San Jose - Bay Area), I broke off from the group to see a '34 Buick in Redlands, and to visit the original Roy Rogers Museum. The guy at the desk told me that if I waited around until around 11:00 AM, I would probably get to meet Roy and Dale.

I was the only one there, and when they came down, we talked for quite a while - very nice folks - talked about their early movies, the TV series, Trigger and Bullet (then stuffed), NelleyBelle the Jeep, and their many charitable efforts.

The highlight of my day as a musician, and as a fan, was singing "Happy Trails" with them, and getting their personalized autographed picture (unfortunately lost to Hurricane Katrina). I'm sure they did the same with many, many others, but went out of their way to make me feel special.

I have only high praise for them both.

Edited July 11, 2010 by Marty Roth
typo (see edit history)

[Guest broker-bob]

------As others I was in love with the jeep how I remember when Pat Brady had trouble starting nellybelle he would talk to it and beg it to start-------would have been funny if he would wipped out a tool box with points, condenser, cap, rotor and wires and show the kids in TV land how to do a tune up in the california desert-----------------------BR

Edited July 15, 2010 by broker-bob (see edit history)

[24T42]

Roy Rogers' stuffed horse, Trigger, has been sold at auction in New York City for more than $266,000.

Christie's says Rogers' faithful companion was bought by RFD-TV in Omaha, Neb.

[rocketraider]

At least Trigger is in the hands of someone who appreciates the values the Rogers family stood for.

[Shop Rat]

Quite a few years ago I read an interview that was done with Dale. She expressed that she was very upset that Roy had Trigger stuffed when he died. She felt strongly that Trigger had earned a decent burial and not to be on display. She also threatened to have Roy stuffed and put in the saddle. Guess she didn't go quite that far.

[ch1929]

Nellybelle (1946 Willys CJ-2A) sold for $116,500. Estimate was $20,000 to $30,000. Wow! You can check out the results at www.christies.com

[Bhigdog]

Yup, things went for much above estimates. Looks like, to many folks, it was way more than just stuff. I badly underestimated his emotional appeal...............Bob

[Guest broker-bob]

I understand there was a twenty somthing dodge pick up that they used to go from home to california it was in the collection did it go under the hamer also ????????