The clip-on bow tie, part of the carefully cultivated appearance that made Sanders one of the world’s most recognisable business figures, fetched $8,000 during the sale in Shelbyville, Kentucky. His 1964 executive planner attracted a winning bid of $30,000 after its handwritten contents renewed speculation about the closely guarded KFC chicken recipe.
The planner contains an unlabelled list of 11 ingredients, complete with measurements. That detail mirrors the famous description of the blend used to season KFC chicken, although the company has previously said the entries do not match its proprietary formula and may have been intended for stuffing.
Neither the identity of the winning bidder nor plans for the planner were immediately disclosed. Auction officials had cautioned that the document could not be authenticated as containing the original recipe, leaving its significance for the buyer to determine.
The two objects were among dozens of personal, culinary and business artefacts offered by the family that acquired Sanders’ Shelbyville home and restaurant operation directly from him and his wife, Claudia, more than five decades ago.
Another prominent item, Sanders’ 1955 honorary Kentucky Colonel commission certificate, sold for $23,000. The title, bestowed by the state, became central to the public persona he developed through his white suits, goatee, glasses and black tie.
The collection also included an engraved pressure cooker, an early cash register, carving knives, cutlery, watches, furniture, photographs, business papers and a bust of Sanders sculpted by his daughter. A patent connected to the pressure-frying process was also placed on the block.
Pressure cooking enabled Sanders to prepare fried chicken more quickly than conventional pan-frying while retaining the texture and flavour he wanted. The method became a central element of the restaurant system that he franchised across the United States and later overseas.
Sanders began serving fried chicken to travellers at a service station in Corbin, Kentucky, during the 1930s. He refined his cooking process and seasoning blend before expanding the concept through franchise agreements, beginning with a restaurant in Utah in 1952.
He sold Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1964 to an investment group led by John Y. Brown Jr and Jack Massey. Sanders nevertheless remained the chain’s public face, travelling extensively, visiting restaurants and appearing in advertising until his death in 1980 at the age of 90.
His bow tie was therefore more than a personal accessory. It formed part of an identity that linked a real entrepreneur to a commercial trademark, helping establish an early model of founder-led branding that remains widely used by restaurant and consumer businesses.
The auction attracted interest from collectors beyond Kentucky because the objects combined corporate history with popular culture. Sanders’ likeness continues to appear on KFC restaurants, packaging and advertising across international markets, giving ordinary possessions associated with him a value beyond their original purpose.
The sale was organised by the Menish Group Auction and Real Estate at the Claudia Sanders Dinner House property in Shelbyville. The memorabilia had been maintained by Tommy and Cherry Settle’s family after the couple bought the estate and business from the Sanderses in the 1970s.
Auctioneers emphasised that the collection had not been assembled from unrelated dealers or collectors. Its provenance rested on the objects remaining with the family that took control of Sanders’ residence and restaurant, strengthening their appeal to buyers seeking traceable ownership histories.
Separate sealed bids were also invited for Blackwood Hall, the Sanders family’s former home, and the adjoining Claudia Sanders Dinner House. The couple moved to Blackwood Hall in 1959 and used the property as a headquarters and training location during KFC’s expansion.
After selling the chicken chain, Sanders and his wife continued operating in the hospitality sector. They opened the dinner house in 1968, serving Southern-style meals outside the KFC system, and transferred the property to the Settle family in 1974.
The residence covers about 5,000 square feet, while the restaurant complex extends across roughly 25,000 square feet and includes dining and event spaces capable of accommodating hundreds of guests. The dinner house remains an operating restaurant known for traditional dishes associated with Claudia Sanders.
Other documents offered during the memorabilia sale included correspondence from political and public figures. A 1972 letter from President Richard Nixon thanked Sanders for his contribution to Nixon’s landslide re-election campaign, reflecting the businessman’s prominence beyond the restaurant industry.
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