The Beatles' Ringo Starr to sell off 800 pieces of band's memorabilia

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Beatles drummer is preparing to sell off 800 items at auction in California
Among the highlights is the very first copy ever made of the White Album
He will also sell his iconic Ludwig Oyster black pearl three-piece drum kit
The items go up for sale next month and are expected to generate millions

Published: 19:57 EST, 25 November 2015 | Updated: 11:05 EST, 26 November 2015

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Ringo Starr and his wife are selling 800 personal items and rare pieces of Beatles memorabilia - including the very first copy of the White Album, which is expected to fetch £40,000 at auction.

The one-of-a-kind album is marked with the serial number 0000001 - designating it as the very first copy which until now was thought to have been in the possession of John Lennon's estate.

The unprecedented number of Beatles-owned objects will be offered on December 4 - 5 at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, California.

Starr said he wife Barbara Bach were 'fed up' with all the items they had in storage across the globe, and decided to sell off in order to raise money for their charity.

The one-of-a-kind copy of the White Album (pictured) is marked with the serial number 0000001 and expected to fetch £40,000 at auction

Ringo Starr's 1963 Ludwig Oyster black pearl three-piece drum kit (pictured) is expected to sell for up to £330,000

Starr used the iconic drum kit (pictured) in more than 200 live performances and studio recording sessions

Pre-sale estimates for Starr's pinky ring (pictured right and left on Starr in 1963) reach £35,000

He said: 'Beside the dinner services and glasses, I thought I will make it very special. I'm also putting in "The White Album No. 1" which I had in a bank vault for the last 35 years.'

Bidding on the item was to start at £13,000, but it is expected to reach £40,000. The fifth copy of the album sold for £20,000 seven years ago, The Guardian reported.

Other big ticket items on offer are several guitars, including a Gretsch that was a gift from George Harrison and the Lennon Rickenbacker, he said.

Besides that, furniture, artwork and cups and saucers from their homes in London, Beverly Hills and Monaco were also up for grabs.

'We thought: "What are we going to do with all this stuff?". We're fed up with having the stuff in storage when it could be put to some good use and also give a lot of people joy.'

The couple, who have been married for 34 years, said they decided together what items to auction, an effort that was wrought with emotion and nostalgia.

After deciding to let go of certain items 'we'd take them back,' said Bach, 69, a former model and actress.

'But then we'd say, "where are we going to put it?" and realized it would have to go back in storage, so we said, "OK, let's put it back in the auction".'

Starr's 2000 Mercedes Benz, which he purchased from George Harrison, is expected to sell for £50,000

Other items up for grabs are a baroque mirror from inside one of Starr's homes (left) and his personal copy of the film script for Beatles Two (right)

Starr's Rickenbacker guitar (pictured left) was given to him by John Lennon and is expected to sell for between £400,000 - £530,000. Pictured right is his Gretsch guitar, given to him by George Harrison

RINGO STARR'S AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS - AND THEIR PRE-SALE ESTIMATES

Ringo's first 1963 Ludwig Oyster black pearl three-piece drum kit that he used in over 200 performances and recordings between May 1963 and February 1964, including for hits such as 'Can't Buy Me Love' and 'All My Loving'. Paul McCartney also used the set on his first solo album, 'McCartney.'

Estimated price: £200,000 - £330,000.

Lennon's 1964 Rose-Morris Rickenbacker with a fire-glo sunburst finish that he played during The Beatles' 1964-1965 Christmas shows. He made a gift of the guitar, known as the 'Beatle-Backer,' to Starr in 1968.

Estimated price: £400,000 - £530,000.

A 2000 Mercedes Coupe, first owned by Harrison and acquired by Starr after the Beatles' lead guitarist died in 2001.

Estimated price: £40,000 - £52,000.

A seven-tom drum kit inspired by drummer Hal Blaine and commissioned for Ringo by Harrison in 1968. Only five sets of the custom kits are known to exist.

Estimated price: £6,000 - £13,000.