KFC founder Colonel Sanders’ personal items, former home and restaurant up for auction - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reported that personal belongings of KFC founder Harland “Colonel” Sanders were sold at a public auction in Shelbyville, Kentucky, with his former residence and a restaurant he once owned also scheduled for sale later in the week. The items included objects closely tied to Sanders’ public image and business career, such as a black ribbon bow tie, an original cash register, pressure cookers, cutlery and other memorabilia.

According to AP, the highest sale Tuesday night was $30,000 for Sanders’ personal 1964 planner. The planner drew past legal attention from KFC Corp. in the early 2000s because it contained a handwritten list of herbs and spices. AP reported that KFC later withdrew the case after concluding the list did not match the company’s closely guarded 11-herb-and-spice recipe and was likely connected to a stuffing recipe. A clip-on black bow tie associated with Sanders’ familiar look sold for $8,000, while a 1955 honorary Kentucky Colonel certificate sold for $23,000.

The auction was conducted by The Menish Group, whose Bill Menish described broad interest from around the world. Auctioneer Jonathan Klunk was shown presenting items including the bow tie during the sale. The Claudia Sanders Dinner House, a Shelbyville restaurant once owned by Sanders, and his former home were among the real estate assets included in the broader auction.

The sale matters because Sanders remains one of the most recognizable figures in fast-food branding decades after his death in 1980. AP noted that his white suit, goatee, glasses and bow tie helped create the enduring “Colonel” persona that became central to Kentucky Fried Chicken’s global identity.