Most expensive auction items Sotheby's auction house announced on September 9th that it will sell some rare tomes by John James Audubon, The Birds of America, and yes expect these to raise around $6.2 million and $9.2 million making it the most expensive book in the world. Only about 119 specimens of the bird book, most of which are also found in museums and libraries. Here's a look at some other very expensive auction itemsLeonardo da Vinci's Codex MartelloAs the last Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci recorded his thoughts, reflections, and sketches in diaries throughout his life. Of the 30 that remain; his most famous is the Codex Hammer, named after the British nobleman who purchased a 72-page diary in 1717. Three years after Bill Gates purchased the historical diary, he published the digitized version for all the world to enjoy. Happy Birthday Marilyn Monroe, Mr. President. Dress When Marilyn Monroe delivered a sultry happy birthday serenade to President John F. Kennedy on May 19 in the year 1962, this blonde bombshell wore a nude-colored, body-hugging, jewel-encrusted, skintight and somewhat sheer dress that, according to legend, Monroe it was sewn onto a dress and even underneath she wore nothing. The one-of-a-kind scabbard was purchased in 1999 by a Manhattan-based collecting company called Gotta Have It! the dress was later auctioned by the widow of Monroe's acting coach, Lee Strasberg. When reporters asked him why he would spend a fortune on a piece of fabric that originally cost around $12,000, the company's president named Robert Schargen claimed he would pay double if we stole it, he boasted. Leonardo da Vinci recorded his thoughts,...... center of paper......eball 10.61 compared to 11.80 Babe Ruth's St. Louis Cardinal was destined for Major League Baseball history. But McGwire's real claim to fame came in 1998, when he beat Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs for the record for most home runs in a single season. ,50019942 Marilyn Monroe's "Happy Birthday Mr. President" dress $1,267,50019993 Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Hammer $30,802,50019944 Guarneri del Gesù violin $3.9 million20075 Elvis Presley's braids $115,00020026 Roman-era statue, Artemis and the deer $ 28.6 million 200 771957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa $12.2 million 20098 Badminton Cabinet $36 million 20049 Wittelsbach Diamond $23.4 million 200810 Baseball Mark McGwire's 70th home run $3 million 1999