Liz Taylor tops Forbes' dead celebrity earnings list

Liz Taylor has topped Forbes' 2012 list of the world's top earning dead celebrities.

The actress, who died last year, generated an income of $210m between October 2011 and October 2012, thanks to a series of property sales, income from films, her perfume range, and most significantly, auction sales.

Liz Taylor
It has been a superb 12 months for the Liz Taylor collectibles market

The December 2011 auction of her jewellery realised $115.9m, a world record for a jewellery collection.

Other personal items have also been selling well, including a cape she wore in Cleopatra, which almost trebled its estimate when it realised $59,375 in March. You can get in on the action here.

Taylor pushed last year's number one Michael Jackson down to second place in the list, yet he still managed to accrue $145m, as fans continue to adore the singer.

This is great news for investment-minded buyers, who have seen his autograph double in value during the past two years. View our collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia here.

Elvis was in third at $55m, an indication that his legacy endures - borne out by recent auction results, which have included his £59,000 ($94,388) personal bible.

A surprise to some but not to us, Charles Schulz placed well in fourth, realising $37m in the 12 month period.

It is testament to the lasting popularity of the cartoonist, whose works have appeared in 2,200 newspapers across 75 countries.

And his work is set for further exposure, with the 2015 release of a new Peanuts film.

"The Peanuts have been underrepresented in media," Steve Marotta, an analyst at investment bank C.L. King & Associates, told Forbes.

"If it's a good movie it's only going to enhance the brand's image and drive it into other categories."

The small, finite number of original Schulz works is today sought after by a large body of nostalgic collectors. Two hand drawn Peanuts comic strips sold for $85,000 each in 2008.

View our Schulz collection today.

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