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Rovell: Why I decided to sell Ferris Bueller's vest

Memorable prop from 1986 movie sells for $279,400 at Sotheby's

Cover Image for Rovell: Why I decided to sell Ferris Bueller's vest
Ferris Bueller wore his memorable vest when he ditched school and attended a Cubs game in the movie. (Credit: Sotheby's)

Most collectors take comfort in comps.

They study the market, look up prices and grades, and then settle on the price range for an item they want to acquire.

I'm the opposite.

I'm willing to own less liquid items. Pieces that can't be translated into exact dollar signs immediately because they are true one-of-ones.

On Tuesday, I sold my screen-matched vest from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" at Sotheby's. I actually didn't want to sell it.

Then why did I do it?

Because it fit all my rules of creating arbitrage.

I bought the vest in December 2022 for $143,750. It was wedged in the middle of a long auction and got not a single piece of publicity.

Not only was the Ferris vest an ideal piece of memorabilia for any kid who grew up in the 1980s, it presented a real value opportunity.

Ahead of the auction in late 2022, I sought out Marilyn Vance, the costume designer for the movie and confirmed the vest was the real deal. I lined things up and photo-matched it, and then I later got it professionally photo-matched through SIA.

The legwork and documentation created more value.

And there were additional opportunities to create even more.

Anniversaries give pieces relevance, and the fact Ferris' actual day off lined up to June 5, 1985, made me consider that, if I didn't sell it on the 40th anniversary, I might have to wait until the 50th to create the news buzz.

That strategy worked. The news of the sale was picked up everywhere, including a spot on the "Today Show."

The lot, which includes a lot more than just the vest, sold at Sothebys for $279,400, including buyer's premium, Tuesday.

I'll miss my connection to that memorable day game at Wrigley Field and yelling, "Swiinnnng, Batta!" while ditching school.

But sometimes in the collectible game, you gotta let go of things you love.

Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.