Wanted to point those of you with the big bucks over to an item of interest brought to my attention this week. Nate D. Sanders Auctions of Los Angeles has a major auction closing this week featuring what they refer to as "The Most Important Marilyn Monroe Autographed Item Come to Market." It's certainly impressive or I wouldn't send you over to have a peek.

A single page typed letter dated January 21, 1947 informs her new agents that Monroe has gone ahead and informed her old representation that they have been discharged. Marilyn cc's the Screen Actors Guild on the notice and just above that signs the letter twice, boldly in black, once Norma Jean Daugherty and just under that Marilyn Monroe. The auction listing markets the letter as "Probably the first document that Marilyn signs 'Marilyn Monroe' as she just changed her name."

The item is Lot #212 of 242 high end lots. The current bidding has reached $8,140 but the reserve has yet to have been met.

While the bulk of the auction appears to be Political and Sports signed items, other items of interest to the classic film collector include a 1932 Grosset & Dunlap first edition of the King Kong novelization, autographs in separate lots from the Marx Brothers, Three Stooges, and Laurel and Hardy, and a four page handwritten letter from Lucille Ball to her husband at the time, Gary Morton.

The auction ends Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 5 pm Pacific Standard Time.