Would you like to own a cigar box? Okay, maybe you don’t smoke. But would you like to own a cigar box whose previous owner is one of the best punk singers in history? Get in line, buddy. This weekend, the hottest ticket in Los Angeles was an invite to X frontwoman Exene Cervenka’s estate sale. When word exploded all over social media this week that she would be unloading memorabilia, instruments and more, the demand for admission was so intense the venue had to be moved from her home to an Orange County storage facility. The first day switched to appointments only, too.“I never would have thought of all the things I have done—L.A. Punk scenester with X, poetry, books, art, records, shows, protests, wild antics, etc.— that my most notable achievement would be a garage sale,” she said. “My dishes are famous! My dolls have new forever homes! It's kind of overwhelming. I don't really understand. Am I dead? Maybe this is an estate sale!”The lucky ones who received an appointment for the sale, which continues through today, walked into a two-room storage facility that was part rock history and part everyday flea market. The front room was a musician’s dream, with seven guitars—including a 1955 Rickenbacker, Vintage Dreamliner Acoustic and Sixties Danelectro—lined along the wall, along with a Yamaha PSR 170 keyboard, various collections of Cervenka’s poetry, and a X promotional mobile dangling from the ceiling.The most rock and roll piece of memorabilia in the room though was a pair of red bondage pants, Seditionaires, that dated back to punk guru Malcolm MacLaren. The bidding on those began at $900. “The Seditionaries pants were bought by my sister Mirielle in London in 76 or 77. She let me wear them and she wore them of course,” Exene says. “When she died in 1980, I inherited them. I am pretty sure they no longer fit me.”The second, larger room looked much more like a typical estate sale, holding everything from eight cigar boxes of knives to glassware, twenty-dollar aprons, books, albums that were pillaged as soon as the sale opened at 10AM and random baseball memorabilia, including an autographed Mickey Mantle photo priced at $295. There was also an eclectic album and 45s collection, which showed off the influences of her country side project The Knitters. Inside, records from Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, Spike Jones, Simon & Garfunkel and more could be found. Most of the music memorabilia would have been the only clue this wasn’t a normal estate sale to those wandering in off the street.That, and the excited fans. “Is this where Exene is gonna be later?” one woman asked as she rummaged through post cards held at the front counter. Another guy exclaimed proudly to his friend, “You’ll never believe whose hand I just shook, go look.” When the friend blew that request off, the guy bragged, “Let’s just say it was one half of the Cramps.” As a result of the enthusiasm around her periodic appearance, Exene asked that all autograph requests include a $20 donation to the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, a program that instructs young women in the art of music.There was a sign posted in a few different places on the wall that clarified there was no doom and gloom reason for the sale now. “Exene is alive and well, and is downsizing so she can re-locate soon. She is excited and happy to share her treasures with you.” She later reiterated that thought. “I am moving, hopefully, to Austin,” she said. “I have much more mementos and favorite things, I just can't move a lot of stuff again! And, it does make me happy that people who like X or me will carry on with my things. I can't take it with me.”Steve Baltin thinks you should appreciate him not making a line about "leaving Los Angeles". He's on Twitter - @SBaltin
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