KFC Founder Colonel Sanders’ Memorabilia and Home Set for Auction

The personal belongings and former residence of Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of KFC, are set to be auctioned. This includes a pressure cooker and the well-known black bow tie, among other items. The auction, scheduled for Tuesday night, will also feature Sanders’ former home and an establishment named Claudia Sanders Dinner House, which Sanders opened after selling his restaurant chain.

Founded in the late 1950s, the Shelbyville property served as the initial headquarters for what would grow into the Kentucky Fried Chicken empire. Colonel Sanders sold this property in 1974 to Tommy and Cherry Settle, who have maintained the restaurant since then.

Auctioneer Jonathan Klunk presented Sanders’ black bow tie in Shelbyville, Ky. Bill Menish, whose firm is hosting the auction, stated, “Colonel Sanders was the original celebrity chef.” Menish noted the worldwide interest and explained the need for an auction that meets this global demand.

The auction combines online pre-bidding with a live, in-person event. Bids for the property, including Sanders’ 5,000-square-foot home named Blackwood Hall, will be accepted until Friday.

Among the memorabilia are Sanders’ personal watches, a vintage cash register, a cutlery set, a bust sculpted by his daughter, and a commercial gas range. On Tuesday morning, the bust had attracted a bid of $4,400, and the cash register stood at $5,000.

Though Sanders sold KFC in 1964, he remained a brand ambassador. Bill Menish credited Sanders’ marketing approach, saying, “He didn’t dress like that before building Kentucky Fried Chicken.” Sanders crafted the iconic image, complete with clothes, bow tie, glasses, and goatee.

A noteworthy item in the auction is a 1964 planner containing a handwritten herbs and spices recipe. Once the subject of a KFC Corp. lawsuit due to secrecy concerns, the recipe was later found not to match Sanders’ famous blend. The planner likely contains a stuffing recipe.

Another significant item is a 1955 certificate naming Sanders an honorary Kentucky Colonel, with the highest bid reaching $7,500 by Tuesday. Bids for one of Sanders’ signature black bow ties surpassed $4,000. Auctioneer Jonathan Klunk shared a lesser-known fact about Sanders’ bow ties, mentioning that “he did wear clip-ons.”