Andy Rooney: For what it's worth

This commentary was originally broadcast on December 19, 2010

I don't know why this is and I don't understand it, but there's a great demand for odd bits of personal property from well-known people in this country. You know from watching me on "60 Minutes" that I don't throw away anything or sell anything either for that matter; so why would I send you any of my personal property so that you could sell it or just keep it. Although it is not clear to me who'd want any of my stuff anyway!

I've read that things owned by well-known people which is auctioned off is big business in this country.

Not a day goes by that I don't get a request for something of mine, so that it could be auctioned off. Even though I'm only fairly well-known. Everyone has a good reason for their request. They want to earn money for their church or their children's school. Well, I appreciate that you are doing a good deed for your children, but I don't think anything I have will bring you enough money for your good cause or even for a bad cause for that matter.

I don't think of myself as a celebrity, either. I'm a writer who reads what he has written on television.

I heard somewhere recently that one glove that Michael Jackson wore sold at auction for $330,000. Over $300,000 for just one glove? Imagine what the price would have been for the pair of gloves!

So, the next time you want to auction off some odd piece of personal property from a famous person, don't write me. I save everything, including my gloves.