In a first-of-its-kind event, Muppets are hitting the auction block.

Whatever you might think of the idea of the precious history of the Muppets being auctioned off to the highest bidder, this is already a real thing, and it’s happening on November 25 via Julien’s Auctions. The auction is commemorative of the 70th anniversary of the Muppets, and the item listings are full of actual Muppets, most with a starting bid of $15,000.

There are a surprising number of pieces for sale, many of them posters or promotional items, but there are also a staggering number of set pieces, props and costumes from various shows, most notably from the recent Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The remarkable design and imagination that went into the creation of this cinematic world is in evidence in this collection, all heavily influenced by Brian and Wendy Froud.

Over the course of its 70-year history, The Jim Henson Company has brought some of the most memorable characters and worlds to life with films and television shows such as The Muppet Movie, Fraggle Rock, Labyrinth, Farscape, The Hoobs, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and so much more. This auction marks the first time ever that The Jim Henson Company has ever made officially authenticated items from their vast catalogue of titles available to the public, including over 80 hand-made puppets. If you’ve ever wanted to get your hands (or paws or claws or webbed, felt fingers) on official Henson props, costumes, set pieces, memorabilia, or a puppet of your own, the time has finally come.

Also featured in this auction are selections of original artwork by the late Caroll Spinney, best known as the puppeteer behind beloved Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Spinney originated these iconic characters on the first season of the long-running children’s program in 1969 and performed them for 49 years through 2018. In addition to puppeteering, Spinney also was an accomplished artist who illustrated books, sketched portraits, and designed training aids for the Air Force. Presented here are nine original artworks by Spinney featuring Sesame Street characters, such as Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert & Ernie, Elmo, and more. These pieces are amazing artistic realizations of some of the most generationally recognizable television characters as seen through the eyes of the performer who brought some of them to life.

Featuring over 400 lots of rare items that have never come to the market before, it’s time to play the music and it’s time to light the lights with The Jim Henson Company 70th Anniversary Auction!

Pre-order the limited-edition, hardbound catalogue now at in our online Catalogue Store. This collectible catalogue features an exclusive article by The Jim Henson Company’s Archives Director, Karen Falk.

The auction will be held at Henson Studios. You must register for the auction prior to the day of the sale in order to attend the live auction in-person.

Henson Studios
1416 N. La Brea Ave
Hollywood, CA 90028