The most mundane of personal items can be worth many times more than their face value if they once belonged to a famous person.

Everything from clothing and cutlery to spectacles and even an old front door (no, really) have all sold for small fortunes in recent years, simply because they were once used by someone in the public eye.

From Joan Rivers' dog bowl to Kurt Cobain's cardigan, click or scroll through our gallery to discover some of the jaw-droppingly normal items that have sold for mega-bucks at auction, all because of their famous owners. All dollar amounts in US dollars, unless otherwise stated.

This thoroughly non-descript chair has a secret: J.K. Rowling sat on it while she was writing the first two Harry Potter books.

As such, the magical piece of furniture raked in $394,000 (£315k) when it was sold in a Heritage Auctions sale in New York back in 2016.

The chair is hand-painted and is even signed by Rowling, further bumping up its value.

The battered and chipped front door from Paul McCartney's modest childhood home in Allerton, Liverpool, went on sale in 2013 at Dominic Winter Auctions in Cirencester, England.

The wooden door was snapped up by Tracks, a leading dealer of Beatles memorabilia, for $6,300 (£5.1k).

Underwear belonging to royalty rarely comes up for auction and when it does, it can attract ridiculously high prices.

This pair of the Queen's panties, which her staff accidentally left on a plane in 1968 after a trip to Chile, were auctioned on eBay in 2012 for $18,000 (£14.4k).

This nude demi-cup foundation bra, which once belonged to screen legend Marilyn Monroe, fetched $28,125 (£22k) at Julien's Auctions in California in 2014.

John Lennon owned several pairs of his signature round glasses, including this yellow-tinted pair.

The specs in question are pictured on top of the box that was used to return them to his wife Yoko Ono following a repair in 1980. And it paid to ensure they were in top condition; they sold for $69,000 (£55k) at auction in 2005.

Even more valuable is this pair of spectacles, which once belonged to Abraham Lincoln.

They fetched $179,250 (£143k) via a Heritage Auctions sale in 2008, and were reportedly sold alongside a letter signed by the former US president's daughter-in-law to confirm their authenticity.

JFK's yellowed US Navy-issue wartime undies, which have "Jack Kennedy" stitched into them, went under the hammer for $5,000 (£4k) in 2003.

The grubby boxers were bought by Irish Kennedy fan Paul Allen and briefly put on display in a Dublin shop later that year.

This worn-out pair of sneakers was the most expensive lot at a Whitney Houston memorabilia sale hosted by Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles in 2016.

The 1990 Nike Air Jordans, which were reportedly a game-worn gift from NBA star Michael Jordan himself, are highly sought-after by sneaker collectors.

Amy Winehouse collaborated with Fred Perry on a 17-piece clothing collection in 2010. The tragic Back to Black singer-songwriter wore this striking polo shirt, which she co-designed, in the ad campaign for the range.

It fetched $7,812 (£6.2k) under the hammer at Julien's Auctions in 2012.

These shiny leather boots were worn by Frank Sinatra during a number of stage performances in the last 1970s and early 1980s.

The crooner gifted the boots to his wardrobe assistant, Michael Castellano, who put them up for sale in 2011.

Items that belonged to Michael Jackson can command particularly high prices at auction.

This fedora hat, for example, which the superstar wore on stage in Chicago in October 1984, sold for $10,240 (£8.2k) at Julien's Auctions in 2016.

Pretty much anything that Elvis touched turned to gold – including this fairly ordinary looking striped shirt.

The top, which he wore in the early 1960s, fetched $22,500 (£18k) at a Heritage Auctions sale in 2013.

A classic piece of grungy 90s fashion, Kurt Cobain wore this mohair-mix cardigan sweater for Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance in 1993.

The khaki green cardi, which features a burn hole, was sold for $137,500 (£110k) by Julien's Auctions in 2015.

Another random piece of Elvis memorabilia that performed well at auction was this 1960s travel hairdryer.

Used to style the King's locks when he was on the road, the styling accessory sold for $2,560 (£2k) in 2016.

This Everlast terrycloth training robe was worn by Muhammad Ali in 1980, while he was training for his fight against Larry Holmes, which would be the penultimate contest of his career. 

The robe, which featured Ali's name on the back in black leather, fetched $15,000 (£12k) at a Julien's Auctions sale in 2011.

Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi's bowl, fork, and spoons went up for auction in January 2021, via East Bristol Auctions.

The items were used during Gandhi's incarceration at Aga Kahn Palace in Pune, India, as well as at Palm Bun house in Mumbai.

The amount they sold for is unknown, although the auction house anticipated that they would sell for somewhere between £60,000 and £80,000 (£49.5k-$66k).

Hairdressing scissors and a comb that once belonged to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon, are currently up for sale via Paul Fraser Collectibles.

The comb comes complete with 25 strands of Armstrong's hair, which perhaps makes the £35,000 ($42k) price tag that bit more of an out-of-this-world prospect to potential buyers.

A piece of chewing gum that had been discarded by Britney Spears was sold for an astonishing $14,000 (£11.4k) back in 2004.

The Toxic singer spat the gum on to the pavement outside London’s prestigious Sanderson hotel, and the unknown seller spotted a chance to make themselves a fortune on eBay.

The initial listing for the item – which creepily bigged up the presence of the pop princess’ DNA on the gum – was removed by the selling platform. However, once its description had been rewritten, the lot proved popular with Britney fans.

In fact, People reports that the winning bidder was so determined to own the sticky piece of memorabilia that he actually bid against himself to secure it.

A piece of Niall Horan’s discarded toast sold for almost $100,000 (£81.6k) in 2012.

In Australia to promote their debut album, Niall and his One Direction bandmates appeared on TV show Sunrise. During the interview, lucky Niall was given the opportunity to try Vegemite on toast – but the young star was not a fan of the notoriously divisive spread.

The remaining untouched toast swiftly went up for sale on eBay at a modest 99 cents. The sale figure quickly rose, with an anonymous bidder eventually eating it up for an astonishing $99,999. Crumbs...

Happily, all the money raised by the auction was donated to Youngcare, an Australian charity that focuses on improving the lives of young people with disabilities.

She’s globally revered for her cool and quirky style – and even Lady Gaga’s fingernails have their own army of fans.

That was never more evident than back in 2013, when an acrylic nail that the Shallows singer had worn during a concert performance was sold at auction for $12,000 (£9.8k).

The talon-like nail, which featured gold detail against a black background, had been hand-designed by Lady G’s manicurist, Aya Fukuda. It was sold off by a savvy crew member, who found it after it snapped off during the star’s 2012 Born This Way Ball show in Dublin, Ireland.

When Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson innocently blew her nose during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno back in 2008, she couldn't have imagined that her discarded Kleenex would go on to be worth thousands of dollars.

Yet that’s precisely what happened, with the used tissue selling for a snot-unattractive $5,300 (£4.3k) in a silent auction on eBay. Happily, the money raised was donated straight to USA Harvest, an organisation that focuses on tackling hunger. Never before has having a cold been quite so charitable...

When she died suddenly in 2014, a number of items belonging to comedian Joan Rivers went under the hammer. Among them was a sturdy water bowl, which had belonged to her dog Spike, who passed away a decade earlier. 

Before you start wondering if your own pooch’s mealtime accessories could be worth thousands, don’t get your hopes up. Spike’s sparkling bowl was made from silver and crafted by Tiffany & Co., with the late Yorkshire Terrier’s name elegantly engraved on its front.

The bowl was sold by Christie’s as part of its The Private Collection of Joan Rivers auction, and made nearly 30 times more than the modest $500-$800 (£407-£653) that Christie’s had initially estimated it would sell for. Atta boy, Spike.

Now discover some of the most jaw-droppingly expensive auction sales of all time.