KFC founder Colonel Sanders' personal items, former home and restaurant up for auction - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

What the report says

ABC News, citing an Associated Press report by Dylan Lovan, reported that personal belongings tied to KFC founder Harland “Colonel” Sanders, along with his former Shelbyville, Kentucky, property, were being offered at auction this week. The sale includes memorabilia such as Sanders’ pressure cooker, a black bow tie, watches, cutlery, an original cash register and household items from his former residence.

According to the report, Sanders established the Shelbyville site in the late 1950s as an early headquarters for the restaurant business that became Kentucky Fried Chicken. The property includes Blackwood Hall, his former 5,000-square-foot home, and the Claudia Sanders Dinner House, a restaurant he opened after selling KFC. Sanders sold the property in 1974 to Tommy and Cherry Settle, who have operated the dinner house since.

The Menish Group is handling the auction. Online advance bidding for memorabilia was set to end with a live in-person auction Tuesday evening, while sealed bids for the restaurant and home were to remain open until Friday. ABC/AP reported early bids including $7,500 for a 1955 certificate naming Sanders an honorary Kentucky Colonel, $5,000 for the cash register and $4,400 for a bust made by Sanders’ daughter.

The auction matters because Sanders remains one of the most recognizable figures in American fast-food branding. The report noted that one item, a 1964 planner containing a handwritten herbs-and-spices recipe, had previously drawn legal attention from KFC, though the company later said it did not match the chain’s famous 11-herb-and-spice blend.