Colonel Sanders' Personal Planner Sold for $30,000 at Auction

The top-selling item at the auction of Colonel Harland Sanders' personal collection at the Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville, Kentucky was Sanders' personal dandwritten datebook and working planner which sold for $30,000. 

More than a simple appointment book, the planner served as Sanders' personal working notebook in 1964, documenting observations, expenses, travel details, meals, business notes, and other aspects of his daily activities. 

A handwritten page in the planner, listing eleven ingredients and their associated measurements, later attracted significant public attention, becoming the subject of widespread media coverage and legal review. The page contributed to the planner's notoriety and historical significance within the broader story of Colonel Sanders and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
 
Additional highlights included:

• Kentucky Colonel Commission Certificate Awarded to Harland Sanders (1955) (sold for $23,000)
• United States Patent Office publication Process of Producing Fried Chicken Under Pressure ($10,000)
• framed Kentucky Fried Chicken 'Fried Chicken in a Box' advertising sign ($6,500)
• pair of framed White House letters to Colonel Harland Sanders signed by President Richard Nixon ($5,000)

Celebrity chef and television personality Alton Brown who participated in the auction, publicly sharing his experience through his Instagram Stories leading up to the event successfully bought Colonel Harland Sanders' personal carving knife set with named presentation case for $4,510, as well as a collection of original Kentucky Fried Chicken printing blocks for $2,100.
 
"The response exceeded our expectations," said Bill Menish, lead auctioneer for the sale. "Collectors, historians, franchise operators, and Colonel Sanders enthusiasts recognized that this wasn't simply a memorabilia auction, it was an opportunity to acquire artifacts that remained together through an extraordinary chain of ownership."

Following the auction's success, the Menish Group is  preparing an additional online-only auction featuring Colonel Sanders-related historical artifacts later in the year.