Jackson's belongings sell for $1m

An armoire with a note written by the singer sold for $25,750 (AP)

The contents of the home where the singer Michael Jackson lived with his three children just before his death have sold for nearly $1m (£640,000) at auction.

The sale on Saturday, which had a pre-auction estimate of $200,000 -£400,000, featured a kitchen chalkboard where Jackson's children had written "I love daddy", which sold for $5,000, and an armoire, upon which Jackson wrote a message to himself on the mirror, that fetched $25,750. The auction also included furniture, artwork and other items from the rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive, where Jackson lived as he prepared for a series of comeback concerts in London before his death in June 2009.

The headboard from the bed where Jackson died was removed from the auction at the family's request, but the rug that was beneath the bed sold for $15,360. The estimate had been $400-$600.

Julien's Auctions recreated the mansion inside its Beverly Hills showroom and invited fans to fill the space where the bed would have been with a tribute to the late King of Pop. "Michael Jackson has the greatest fans in the world. I can see why he lived for them," said Darren Julien, the auction house's president. "They came out every day this week to bring gifts. It's unlike anything we've ever seen as it relates to a celebrity and their fans."

Julien's Auctions also sold Jackson's "Thriller" jacket for $1.8m earlier this year.

AP