Aretha Franklin's personal items sold

LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) - Some of Aretha Franklin's lavish gowns and beautiful hats went up for sale Saturday.

Aretha Franklin is not the one selling the items, but the sale drew a lot of attention from her fans and collectors.

The clothing and household items that once filled a large commercial storage unit are now being priced and prepared for sale.

Jill Pendergast, who is selling the items, says, "They were Aretha Franklin's clothes from her house in Detroit and she had a flood and they ended up at the dry cleaners, at Venus Dry Cleaners. And evidently, they weren't wanted and they were left abandoned and they got sent over to Frisbie Moving and Storage. And I believe they kept those for approximately seven years and they wanted them gone."

There's a little bit of everything from hats to scarves to shawls, even a cape.

Some of the clothes and personal items have been selling on Ebay since May.

An auction is also being planned for some of the dresses and gowns that were worn in movies or during special performances.

"We have people flying in from as far as L.A. for the sale. People that have bought things from us previously and a lot of people with vintage shops, collectors coming. We've gotten a lot of phone calls. So, they're coming from quite a distance to just to view and purchase [items]. She's huge all over the world. It's not just Detroit. She's an icon," says Pendergast.

For more information, call (248) 909-8801.