PRICES JUMP AT MEMORABILIA AUCTION

The amount raised on Friday dwarfed the auction house's early conservative estimate of £3,600 for the collection.

The estimate was made before Jackson died unexpectedly on Thursday.

Collectors and a few fans gathered at the Planet Hollywood hotel-casino with the hope of walking away with a piece of the late King of Pop.

"I grew up with him," said Larry Edwards, a 55-year-old Tina Turner impersonator from Las Vegas who came to the auction aiming to buy a young Jackson's painting of Mickey Mouse.

Edwards was prepared to spend £750, but was elbowed out by an opening bid of £1,000. The painting sold for £12,000, plus a 25% commission for the celebrity auction house, Julien's Auctions.

The biggest ticket item went to Glenn Johnson, a real estate developer and amateur collector from Houston. After a fast-paced bidding war under the glare of television news cameras, Johnson edged out another bidder to take home a Swarovski crystal-beaded shirt worn by Jackson during his 1984 Victory tour.

The items for sale came from a collection owned by David Gest, the producer and promoter once married to Liza Minnelli. Jackson introduced the couple and was best man at their wedding.

Among the lot were hand-written lyrics of Jackson's hit song Bad, an album cover signed by each member of the Jackson 5 and a hand-written note from Jackson to an unidentified "Greg."

"Thanks for a magic moment in my life, I hope it was the same for you, please come visit me at Neverland," the undated note reads. "Lets hope this is the beginning of a lovy friendship and never lose your boyish spirit its immortal." The note sold for £11,500 to an unidentified bidder on the phone.