1,000 FANS GET THEIR CHANCE TO BUY MEMENTOS OF ROY AND DALE.

Byline: Vince Lovato Staff Writer

APPLE VALLEY - It was one of the area's most expensive yard sales.

A brooch sold for $5,000. A shirt went for $6,000. A hat drew $8,500.

About 1,000 people attended an auction in the front yard of the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans estate here Saturday. The sale continues today and Monday.

``This is bittersweet for the family members, and it's hard to see it go, but the reality is we don't have a place to put it all,'' Roy ``Dusty'' Rogers Jr. said. ``We decided only to take the items we gave as gifts or that were the most meaningful to us. You don't need a house full of stuff to remember your parents.''

Roy Rogers died in 1998 at the age of 86. Evans was 88 when she died Feb. 7.

The two western movie, television and singing stars were married for more than 50 years. Although the couple once lived in the San Fernando Valley, they had been residents of Apple Valley, near Victorville, for more than 40 years.

In addition to the expensive stuff, there were many commonplace items.

``If you look around the house you can see that there's not a lot of fancy stuff,'' Rogers said. ``That's the kind of people they were.''

Rogers said his father's favorite household item may have been a 29-cent plastic coffee mug.

``What he may have valued the most was that cup,'' Rogers said. ``He was fussy about his coffee. He used to say it had to be strong enough to float your pistol.''

Meanwhile, everything from tailored clothing to rifles to Bibles went to the highest bidder. One small wooden table that was signed by Roy and Dale sold for $8,500. Many items were expected to bring five-figure bids.

And then there is the house. Local Realtor Bob Tinsley, a family friend, helped Dusty design the house when Roy and Dale bought it in 1979.

``We designed the house on that pool table on a couple of paper towels,'' Dusty said.

The horseshoe-shaped house encircles a swimming pool and spa and the 1.6-acre lot sprawls onto the Apple Valley Country Club golf course.

Tinsley said a similar estate would list for about $750,000 but would not venture to guess how much the value might jump because the Rogerses owned it.

Tinsley was not shocked by the fact almost everyone attending the auction was from out of town.

``Roy and Dale wanted to be regular people when they were at home so they could enjoy some privacy,'' said Tinsley, who helped dig Evans' grave. ``When they went elsewhere, they were celebrities. The fact is, not a lot of people from around here could afford this.''

Each person attending the auction was charged $50, and admission included a tour of the home.

``We had to charge an admission fee otherwise we'd get too many people here,'' said Dusty's wife, Linda, who was helping at the gate.

With prices for coveted items easily reaching the $1,000 mark, it was not the place to find any bargains.

Antiques and collectibles dealer David Stimson, 44, of Barstow found the pricing a little steep.

``I went on the preview Friday, and it was crowded and chaotic,'' Stimson said. ``I'm trying to get some stuff to sell but after seeing some of these prices, I don't know.''

Despite the prices, the auction was a study in logistics because of the crowd.

Cars and recreation vehicles were parked along side streets and in empty lots for hundreds of yards around the estate. Security guards guided traffic and made sure no one got in for free.