Over 3,000 people attended the two-day estate sale at Shining star Shelley Duvall’s home in Blanco. The sale was run by Texas-based auction house, Vogt Auction who will be hosting The Shelley Duvall Collection auction on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at their galleries located at 7233 Blanco Rd. in San Antonio, showcasing over 200 items from her home. Although the estate sale hosted much of the actress’s personal items from clothes to books, her unique movie and acting/singing career memorabilia was reserved for the auction.
“Unquestionably, the item that gave me chills to see was Duvall’s original shooting script from The Shining. That is such an iconic movie with so many famous scenes and lines, and she is so incredible in it, that to hold that in my hand felt like I was touching a piece of genius,” Vogt President and Lead Auctioneer Rob Vogt said.
Shelley was born in Fort Worth and raised in Houston, solidifying her as a true Texas treasure. She accidentally became an A-list celebrity when hosting a party for her partner she got discovered by filmmaker Robert Altman who was impressed by her upbeat personality, casting her in Brewster McCloud and eventually the 1975 cult classic Nashville. Fans adore her for her roles as Wendy Torrance in The Shining and Olive Oyl in the 1980 Popeye film.
I had discovered Shelley lived in Central Texas when visiting my favorite Thai restaurant, Prik Nam Pla off Wonder World Dr. in San Marcos and seeing a signed photo of Shelley as Olive Oyl on the wall, given to the store by Shelley herself who frequented the restaurant. I had been a fan of the actress since being struck by her performance in The Shining when I was much too young to view the Stanley Kubrick masterpiece. She functioned as a muse for me throughout my formative years, I was constantly inspired by her fashion, her passion, and her air of gentleness. Our paths never crossed, only from afar when I gave the clerk at Prik Nam Pla a sticker I had drawn of Shelley from The Shining, holding a cigarette with an inch long butt. The clerk was able to get the sticker to Shelley where she told him that during the scene depicted in my sticker that Kubrick made her do so many takes that she couldn’t enjoy peanut butter sandwiches again after having to eat dozens of them during the shoot. Although a sad story in many ways, highlighting the intense and unfair approach Kubrick had when directing Shelley, I thought this peek into her world was fascinating. Shelley’s spirit never felt too far away.
I had been following the Shelley Duvall Archive Instagram account for years, run by fan and Shelley historian Sarah Lukowski. With almost 70,000 followers, Sarah has grown the account into a vital resource for Shelley fans, unearthing never-before-seen photos, discussing Shelley’s many unique projects and sharing insights into Shelley’s world. Located in Texas as well, Sarah had the opportunity to meet Shelley three years ago on Sept. 27. From that meeting they formed a kinship, meeting throughout the years to share stories over long meals. Even after Shelley passed in the summer of 2024, Sarah frequently posted new and interesting discoveries about the award-winning star.
Sarah had posted about the estate sale a week before the event and was flooded with questions from fans excited about the chance to own a part of Shelley. In exchange for helping advertise the sale, Sarah was given the opportunity to have a private experience the day before the official start of the sale. The experience was poignant as Sarah saw glimpses of Shelley while going through her stuff.
“Even if it was an emotional experience, I got to know so much more about Shelley,” Sarah said.
She was focused mainly on the photo albums, securing Shelley’s wedding album from her first marriage to Bernard Sampson who she had thrown the party for that led to her getting discovered.
“I felt guided by her. I think she would really appreciate all of her items being cherished and like getting a new life,” Sarah said.
The estate sale exploded in attendance, with estimates of around 500 people in line before officially opening on day one. Cars had to park a mile down the road as fans marched determined to find a piece of Shelley to take home with them.
“People seemed so excited, and even touched, to be able to share a bit of the legacy of someone who they have strong and positive memories of. I was really blown away by all the love for Shelley,” Vogt said.
Wanting to fend off the morning crowd I arrived around noon on Saturday to hundreds of people leaving the sale with their treasures. Instead of crazy crowds I weaved my way through a very manageable amount of people and found myself spending over four hours looking through every book and cassette I could find. I was not just looking for items, but pieces of Shelley that connected to me, that I could take home to honor and cherish. 58 cassettes and 30 books later I found myself closing down the estate sale. The Vogt staff was generous, helpful, playful and upbeat, making the shopping experience a breeze. As I went through Shelley’s things I held constant conversations with other fans about their connection to her and why they adored her.
Although Shelley wasn’t physically there, her spirit was, flowing through her cherished keepsakes and into her fans.
Shelley Duvall devotees will have a final chance to bid on her unique memorabilia at The Shelley Duvall Collection auction at Vogt Auction house at the end of October. For more information and a catalog of items visit their website at https://vogtauction.com/auctions/shelley-duvall-collection.
