Robin Williams’ personal collection of watches, artwork and Hollywood memorabilia fetched approximately $6.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on October 4, 2018, four years after the actor’s death. Titled Creating a Stage: The Collection of Marsha and Robin Williams, the sale featured more than 300 lots collected by Williams and his former wife, Marsha Garces Williams, during their life together. The collection included personal watches, film-related objects, bicycles, furniture and works by prominent artists. The auction was also organised around a charitable purpose, with proceeds designated to support several organisations, including Juilliard, Wounded Warrior Project, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Sotheby’s reported that the sale generated $6,088,250, exceeding the auction’s high presale estimate of $4.6 million. One of the most striking results was a gold-plated Hamilton wristwatch worn by Williams in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society. It sold for $32,500, far above its presale estimate of $1,000 to $2,000. An original watercolour by director Gus Van Sant, featuring a man in a boat, sold for $90,000. The painting appeared in Good Will Hunting, the 1997 film in which Williams played therapist Sean Maguire opposite Matt Damon as Will Hunting. The painting’s final price substantially exceeded its presale estimate of $1,000 to $1,500.
Because it linked personal possessions with scenes and characters familiar to audiences, the actor’s film memorabilia attracted interest. Williams won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in the film. The auction offered a glimpse into Williams’ life beyond his screen performances. Alongside film memorabilia, it featured artwork, watches and objects reflecting his varied interests. One of the collection’s most notable features was its range, from objects associated with Williams’ film career to works of art and items he had collected privately. The watch, associated with his role as English teacher John Keating, had an inscription on its caseback identifying the actor and the film. The result demonstrated the value collectors placed on objects with a direct connection to Williams’ performances. Artwork connected to Williams’ film career also attracted substantial bids. Van Sant had inscribed the artwork to Williams, making it both a personal possession and an object with a direct connection to the film.
The auction therefore brought together two aspects of his legacy: the performances and personal objects that audiences associated with him, and the charitable support intended to benefit students and communities beyond Hollywood. The scholarship offered a lasting link between the actor’s career and the school where he developed his craft.