Cyndi Lauper Puts a Career’s Worth of Memorabilia Up for Auction

Hundreds of items from Cyndi Lauper’s personal collection are going up for auction at Bonhams in New York, in a sale titled “Suitcase of Memories.” The first part of the auction is scheduled for October 22, 2026, with a second, larger part ending from October 23, and the lots trace decades of the singer’s career.

The collection ranges from costumes and stage props to awards and personal belongings, giving fans and collectors a chance to acquire objects tied to some of the most recognizable moments in pop music. Bonhams has listed more than 300 lots across the two parts, with viewings held at its New York galleries in the days before the sale.

Iconic video and stage pieces

Among the headline lots are the leopard-print pajamas Lauper wore in the 1983 music video for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” a garment closely associated with the song’s playful visual style. The same sale includes a framed RIAA award commemorating one million sales of the single, presented to Lauper in 1984 and estimated at $1,000 to $2,000.

Other lots include the bra and jewelry worn in the “True Colors” music video and a related magazine photoshoot from 1986, two Billboard Video Music Awards from 1984, and jewelry worn to the American Music Awards in 1985. There is also a tour-used disco ball housed in a stenciled road case, stage-used wooden stools, and a tour-used Fender amplifier in a painted case.

Fashion and personal items

The sale reflects Lauper’s longstanding interest in fashion. It includes a Vivienne Westwood green fringe ensemble from the designer’s “Mini-Crini” collection, worn by Lauper in 1986, and a Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren “Witches” knit shirt and skirt from the early 1980s, estimated at $3,000 to $5,000. Also on offer are vintage handbags, dresses, blazers and stage-worn accessories.

The second part of the auction is more eclectic, drawing on personal collections that range from cardigans and sheer blouses to a vinyl record collection, subway benches, pastel table decorations and a wrought-iron hall mirror. The breadth reflects a life spent collecting as well as performing, and Bonhams has grouped the items to tell a story about Lauper’s tastes beyond the stage.

Broadway and beyond

Lauper’s career stretches well past her 1980s hits. She wrote the score for the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, which brought her a Tony Award nomination, and the auction includes a certificate marking the 67th Annual Tony Awards nomination. That lot, like several others, shows how the collection crosses between pop, fashion and theater.

Auctions of this kind serve two audiences at once: collectors looking for rare objects and fans who want a tangible connection to an artist’s history. By consigning so much of her own archive, Lauper is effectively opening a personal museum to the highest bidders, while keeping the record of her career in circulation. Estimates across the sale vary widely, from a few hundred dollars for smaller items to several thousand for standout pieces, so the range of what’s attainable is as broad as the collection itself.

Sources

Bonhams, “Cyndi Lauper: Suitcase of Memories, Part I” and “Part II” (October 2026).