Think it’s about time you started your own collection of notorious scandals memorabilia? You just might get your chance!  Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers hosted an auction of Bernie Madoff's collection of jewelry, sports memorabilia, furs, and other miscellaneous items last weekend at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in New York City. The US Marshals-sponsored sale raised $3 million dollars for the victims of Madoff’s $65 billion financial scheme thus far, with two or three more auctions lined up sometime in the near future.
 
For those of you who may have missed the highly publicized scandal, 71-year-old Madoff is currently serving a 150-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to his involvement in a Ponzi scheme.  Basically, Madoff operated a fraudulent investment operation that used investment money from new clients to pay off subsequent clients.  All of Madoff’s assets were seized and are now being auctioned off to benefit his victims.
 
Here are some of the items sold in Saturday’s infamous auction:
 
*  A pair of platinum Art Deco Cartier onyx and diamond earrings  - $70,000 (more than 10 times its low estimate)
 
*  Mrs. Madoff's pre-Victorian era diamond dangle earrings - $70,000 (these were only expected to bring in between $14,300 and $21,400)
 
* Madoff's blue-satin Mets jacket -  $14,500 (nearly 30 times its low estimate of $500)
 
*  Three wooden duck decoys, seized from the Madoffs' Montauk beach home -  $11,500 (the ducks were only valued between $53 and $80!)
 
* Madoff's 1960 Hofstra College ring sold for $6000 (25 times its low estimate of $240)
 
*  A wood yard sign marked with Madoff's initials and the number of his Montauk home, along with a street address marker - $2000, (100 + times its low estimate of $18)
 
* A white water rescue ring buoy painted with "Bullship" - $7,500 (more than 50 times its low estimate of $140)
 
*  Madoff's 1969 Rybovich, a restored 55-foot fishing boat, - $700,000 (2x the value)
 
*  Madoff’s  38-foot Shelter Island runabout named "Sitting Bull" - $320,000
 
*  Madoff’s 24-foot Maverick center console "Little Bull" - $21,000
 
But don’t worry, fellow scandal memorabilia enthusiasts!  You haven’t lost your chance to own a little piece of history just yet.  According to Jennifer Crane, with the Marshals' asset forfeiture division, there are about 2,000 more items seized from the homes that remain to be auctioned off.