Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” jacket, worn during tour rehearsals and displayed at the Grammy Museum for 12 years, sold Friday afternoon at Propstore for more than $238,600.
The jacket was first donated by Jackson to entertainment manager Ken Kragen for a USA for Africa Foundation charity auction in the 1990s. Kragen is best known as the organizer behind the legendary 1985 benefit record “We Are the World.”
In 2011, the “Thriller” jacket worn by Jackson in the actual music video was purchased for $1.8 million by a Texas businessman named Milton Verret, who called it "the greatest piece of rock and roll memorabilia in history.”
The iconic red-and-black jacket was designed by Deborah Landis, a costume designer who also worked on films such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Animal House.”
This past April, Gotta Have Rock and Roll listed a “Thriller” jacket said to be owned and worn by Jackson for sale at $100,000. Jackson’s estate sent the auction house a letter casting doubt on the jacket’s authenticity, claiming the description was misleading and the jacket had not been worn by Jackson.
Gotta Have Rock and Roll later changed the description to read "The jacket is similar to the jacket worn in the 'Thriller' video."
Just two jackets were used in the music video, according to the Jackson estate.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.