We flagged this one in April, and now it’s here… The first of several auctions of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s ‘splendid things’ began overnight. Since his death in 1991, the singer’s London home has remained intact after he left it to close friend Mary Austin. She has made the difficult decision to sell up, including a collection of private photos, the handwritten lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody, and Mercury’s baby grand piano, which is expected to fetch up to $5.9 million. And if that isn’t enough auction excitement for ya, one of the most valuable collections of Beatles memorabilia is going under the hammer. Items up for grabs include materials from John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1969 bed-in peace protest and a strange birthday card from George Harrison. You can find some excellent Thursday procrastination fodder here and here.