"He didn't dress like that before he was starting to build Kentucky Fried Chicken," Menish said.
"He adopted the colonel: the clothes, the bow tie, the glasses, the goatee."
Auctioneer Jonathan Klunk highlighted the unique history behind the collection, which was preserved at Sanders' former headquarters, Blackwood Hall.
"Not a lot of people know; he did wear clip-ons," Klunk said.
Klunk emphasized that the single chain of ownership enhanced the collection's value.
"While Colonel Sanders is synonymous with Kentucky Fried Chicken, this collection reaches well beyond restaurant memorabilia," Klunk said.
"It sits at the intersection of Americana, entrepreneurship, advertising, Kentucky history, hospitality, and 20th-century business culture."
Sealed bids for Sanders' former 5,000-square-foot residence and the adjacent Claudia Sanders Dinner House remain open through Friday.
