Colonel Sanders’ legacy memorabilia auction generates $300,000
The historic auction of Colonel Harland Sanders’ personal collection generated just shy of $300,000 in sales, with more than 100 artifacts sold across 74 lots to collectors, historians, entrepreneurs, and fans around the world.
Held July 28 at the Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville, Kentucky, the auction attracted more than 500 bidders, both in person and online. The collection, preserved by the Settle family since their 1974 purchase of Blackwood Hall and the Claudia Sanders Dinner House directly from Colonel and Claudia Sanders, offered rare personal artifacts spanning Sanders’ life, business career, and legacy.
The top-selling item was Colonel Harland Sanders’ Personal Handwritten Datebook and Working Planner, which sold for $30,000.
Far more than a simple appointment book, the planner served as Sanders’ personal working notebook in 1964, documenting observations, expenses, travel details, meals, business notes, and other aspects of his daily activities.
A handwritten page in the planner, listing eleven ingredients and their associated measurements, later attracted significant public attention, becoming the subject of widespread media coverage and legal review. Regardless of interpretation, the page contributed to the planner’s notoriety and historical significance within the broader story of Colonel Sanders and Kentucky Fried Chicken.