Grunge Report flagged this auction that popped up on eBay, offering Layne Staley’s sunglasses, a copy of his TV Guide, and a listing for the sale of his condo after his death.
The address on the TV Guide is the address for Layne’s condo in the U District where he lived the final years of his life. I found the same issue on Amazon, which has the date as March 30 – April 5, 2002. Based on the address on the issue and the date, this was probably may have been the last TV Guide he ever read.
Based on the partial details I could read about the condo, some of the details do match with what I’ve read about the property from public records.
The seller has posted what he/she says are Layne’s sunglasses, and as proof posted scans of three photos of what he/she says are “HIS PERFORMING WITH SECOND COMING ARE THE LAST PHOTOS OF HIM PERFORMING.” I’m still checking on the sunglasses and the live photos. Will update this post if I find anything.
Update: First, I forgot to mention in the original post yesterday that the eBay auction has already ended. The entire set sold for $1,800.
Second, Grunge Report has published a photo of Layne at what appears to be a Halloween Party some time in the late 1990s. Check it out here.
Update II: Layne’s mom, Nancy Layne McCallum, wrote the following in the comments section of this post:
This is ghoulish. Layne’s things still belong to him, and should be returned to his estate, where his belongings are lovingly cared for by his family in “his room”.
The items can be returned to PO 63, Mukilteo, WA 98275, no questions asked.
Icepicks and Nukes 
This is ghoulish. Layne’s things still belong to him, and should be returned to his estate, where his belongings are lovingly cared for by his family in “his room”.
The items can be returned to PO 63, Mukilteo, WA 98275, no questions asked.
ha ragione nancy ha tutta la mia solidarieta …
DEAR NANCY THIS IS SANDRA CANTRELL I NEED TO GET AHOLD OF YOU.
I WANT TO COME UP FOR A VISIT WITH YOU SOME TIME IN JUNE IF THAT IS OK WITH YOU?
I AM REALLY SORRY ABOUT LAYNE AND HEARING YOUR THOUGHTS ON HIM
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HIS GRAVE AGAING AFTER 12 YEARS I THOUGHT THERE WAS NO OTHER MAN FOR ME BESIDES LAYNE I AM REALLY GREATFUL I GOT TO BE WITH HIM, US LIVING TOGETHER IN 96 HE DREAMS WAS TO MARRY ME AND CHAING ALL THE KIDS NAMES TO HIS LAST NAME BUT I WAS SCEARED THAT HE WAS STILL INTO DRUGS AGAIN I HAD NO IDEA WERE HE WAS I FOUND JERRY ,HE TOLD ME WERE I NEEDED TO LOOK SO I FOUND MIKE AND ME AND MIKE WENT TO SEE HIM THAT IS WHEN I TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM TO COME HOME LIKE I TOLD MY DADHER TOLD ME TO GO AND GET HIM
I TRIED TO FIND HIM AND ZSTAYED AT HIS HOUSE FOR AWHILE THAT IS WHEN YOU SEEN US TOGETHER WE CME TO YOU HOUSE .WE WENT EVERY WHERE TOGETHER I REMMBER STANDING ON THE FRONT PORCH ONE DAY WHILE HIM AND MIIKE LEFT THEY HAD BEEN GONE 3 HOURSAND FINNALLY GOT BACK MIKE LEFT US ALONE FOR WHIL AND HE CAME BACK THE NEXTDAY I WAS UP THERE FOR ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THINGS WENT SOUR FOR HIM
I KNEW THERY WERE GOING TO DO DRUGS AND I CID IT TO I NEEED TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH ABOUT ITWE HAD SEX ON THE COUCH AND MIKE CAME IN HE HAD BROUGHT SME PILLS FOR ME I WANTED THEM TO TAKE I HAD ONLY TOOK 2 OF THEM ,WHILE MIKE LEFT AGAIN I WENT BACK TO THE MOTEL ROOM CAUSE I DIDNT WANT TO DO ANY MORE DRUGSAT ALL ,I HAD TOGET MY SELF SOBER AND SLEEPING WOULD CURE IT UP MIKE CAME OVER TO THE ROOM DAY LATER TELLING ME LAYNE HAD PASSED AWAY I AM NOT FOR SUE BUT WE ARGUED THE DAY BEFORE ABOUT ME KICKING HIM OUT OF THE HOUSE IN TENN AND WAS CRYNG BUT HE ALSO WAS HURTTING WASNT TLKING HIMS NORMAL SELFI HAVE LOVING MEMROIES OF WHO MY MATE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN MY LOIFE WHO I WANTED TO HAVE MY CHILDREN BY IN MY LIFE I KNEW FOR FACT HE LOVED ME NO MY NAME HAS NEVER BEEN ONE THE INTERNET NOR A PICTURE OF ME BECAUSE WE HAD A PRIVETE LIFE WASNT A DOULT IN MY MIND AFTER 28 YEARS
IN GUOME WAS THE FIRST TIME HE TOLD ME HE LOVED ME AND HE NEVER TOLD AY ONE IS FEELINGS UNTIL THEN I KNOW HIM NANCY I REMMBER THE TIME IN90 IN JI SAID I WAS HURTING THE LOVE OF MY LIFE HAS JUST PASSED AWAYUNE HE AND THE BAND WERE IN NSHVILLE THEY SPENT THE NIGHT AT MY HOUSE THAT I HAD GOT PREGANT THEN
PLEASE CLL ME 731-441-9138 IS WERE YOU CANGET AHOL OF ME AFTR LAYNE DIED I WENT CRAZY I STAYED AT MIKES HOUSE AND HE GOT KICKED OUT OF HIS HOUSE
WE WENT AND FOUND HIS OWN PLACE HE WANTED ME TO STAY AND I DID FOR AWHILE HE PUT MY NAME ON THE HOUSE WAS NOT EXPECTED OF THAT
I HAVW SO MUCH TO TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY N LAYNE RELATIONSHIP PLESE CALL
[…] sold for $1,800. Layne’s Mom Nancy McCallum posted this comment on David de Sola’s blog. For the record David verified to me that Nancy did indeed leave the […]
I really hope these things could return in “Layne’s room”.
Hmm. I thought this was dated ‘FEB 03’ for the year. Obviously not, must be date of delivery.
If this is stolen, im a bit shocked that a mans possessions can end up like this. Though the seller ‘Autographs99’ is a vile creature. He buys signed items and adds a photo of him with Layne as ‘proof’ of signing in order to sell on at a higher price.
Layne is a man idolised by others for his music, so its understandable why people would want to own his belongings. But they should be with the family.
I hope this is resovled.
Ricki – don’t know about the Feb ’03 date on the TV Guide… So many questions about that, that’s why I changed the sentence from “was probably” to “may have been.” Like I said, the address is correct, down to the apartment number, as well as some of the info I could read in the sales brochure for the property.
Was there a police report filed for these so called stolen sunglasses after Laynes death? Did anyone even notice them missing until now that they have sold? Maybe she should offer the buyer their money back as they have no duty to return these glasses to her. And is it just me or is the timing of all this (Laynes name back in the media) perfectly in time for the rumors of a new Alice in chains album to be released? Just sayin…
On another note, the BUYER of these items obviously cares for Layne and the music he gave us fans. He paid $1800 for these items so for Laynes mom to state that they should be returned “no questions asked” and so they could be “lovingly cared for” shocks me! What would give any indication that these items would not be lovingly cared for? If i purchased something for that kind of money I would lovingly care for them. We were/are Laynes fans who helped him become very famous. I personally have a Layne portrait on my shoulder and am very proud of that. Or at least offer this buyer his money back, he should not be out his money if the seller stole them. The seller claimed they were given to him by a close friend of Laynes, maybe some of these items are coming from Mike Starr’s estate? i would imagine he had a lot of items that pertained to Layne. nancy should understand however, that as fans these types of items and Laynes music are all we will ever have. She was lucky enough to have him for a son.
I think you don’t get it that they are making money out of Layne. profitting from him. if it were stuff truely cared about they wouldn’t sell them in first place. It would annoy to anyone that some assholes makes MONEY from their dead loved ones. specially stuff that belonged to him personally that is not the same as stuff adquired like autographs, etc. and most of this stuff were stoled from him not given from him. and after all most of this things sometimes they aren’t originals but fakes to fool idiots obssesed fans. and the seller claims that a Layne’s friend give him the glases so where that friend got the sunglasses?!?!
Nancy’s problem is people making money out of her son. I would be blooded piss off too. and is a brokenheart mother writting not a fan. understand that. geez
I get it but the seller should be held responsible, not the buyer. The buyer obviously cared enough for Layne to pay good money for a piece of him. I don’t think the buyer should be out his money and the items because he is a fan of Layne. Alice in Chains sells new albums, concert tickets, etc. Should no one buy these because some of the songs they sing live were written by Layne? Because that would be someone profiting off of Layne. Anyway I am done with this, I find it crazy that I can never express an opinion or ask questions without being told how wrong I am. Last I checked we do still have freedom of speech and blogs with options for comments are just that…a place for comments. I have a portrait tattoo of Layne on my shoulder, shall I cut it off and send it to the p.o. box no questions asked? BTW I take “lovingly care” of my tattoo…..
i agree I think it’s fine someone buys/sells laynes glasses. who cares if someone made money off them? the stuff was in their possession so they can do what they want. how do we know layne didn’t give the glasses away before he died? we don’t know therefore no one can say having his glasses is wrong. I wish layne gave me his stuff! I wouldn’t return it either! sorry but I don’t get why anyone should have to give his things up. if they got the stuff after layne died then it sounds like they didn’t lock his things up and that’s not responsible.
Thank you all for your comments. Some news to report: My Alice in Chains biography is D O N E! Read the details and release date here… https://icepicksandnukes.com/2015/01/12/alice-in-chains-book-update/
No! She was a truly unhappy mother , having someone like him for a son. He dissapointed a lot a people leaving them empty and finally he destroyed himself as a result
When is the next tribute to Layne? How can I find these events for the future?
Something I need to say. Nancy is his mom. She was there from the day he was conceived. She loved him unconditionally, fame or no fame. As a mom I cant imagine what headache she felt every minute of everyday after he started using. She has every right to want his possessions. Second, god, I love his music his emotion, his voice but does anyone understand addiction? Fame only made his use worse!! He had all the money he needed to sray high and madk his pain. His and demris love for each other faded as heroin took over. They were toxic for each other. Seattle was toxic for Layne and he didnt know it. Rip Layne Thomas. I hope your soul is smiling.