If you’re a fan of a little band called The Beatles, then this bit of news might tickle your fancy. Ringo Starr and his wife Barbara Bach are about to auction off tons of Beatles memorabilia from their personal archives, through Julien’s Live. Although every item could be considered something special, perhaps the very first UK mono pressing of The White Album takes the cake. That’s right, this is the most desirable copy that will ever be available: No.0000001.

It’s commonly known among collectors that the foursome were given numbers 1 through 4, but it wasn’t widely known that Starr received number 1 (many thought John Lennon received it). Apparently, Starr kept it locked in a bank vault for over three decades, but now it’s going to make some Beatles fanatic very, very happy. The starting bid for the record was $20,000 and the current high bid is $55,000. We can only guess what insane heights it will reach.

Speaking about the auction, Darren Julien told The LA Times, “What’s really great is that Ringo and Barbara’s collecting is so eclectic. There are 1,300 lots, it’s a massive auction, but, the items are so varied that there’s honestly something for everyone.”

Other Beatles-related gems include Starr’s 1963 Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl three-piece drum kit, and Lennon’s 1964 “Beatle Backer” Rickenbacker guitar, which he gave to Starr in the late 60’s. These instruments are expected to go for several hundred thousand dollars, respectively, because why wouldn’t they.

Are you a Beatles fan or collector? Going to the auction? Reach out to me on Twitter, or make a comment below.

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HT: Boing Boing

IMAGE: Eva Rinaldi, courtesy of Creative Commons/The Beatles/Apple Records