Paul Fraser Collectibles acquired a lock of John Lennon's hair at Heritage Auctions on February 20.

It's the largest clump of the Beatle's hair ever offered at auction, with the hammer finally dropping at $35,000 - around three times the estimate.

That's a new world record for a lock of Lennon's hair.

The haircut took place in Hamburg in 1966

The haircut took place in Hamburg in 1966, shortly before Lennon took on a role in Richard Lester's black comedy How I Won the War and around a month after the release of Revolver.

Lennon wore a pair of round-framed glasses for the role, which he continued to wear for the rest of his life.  

Gary Shrum, director of music memorabilia at Heritage, comments: "This is the largest lock of John Lennon's hair ever offered at auction and this world record price is a lasting testament to the world's more than 50-year love affair and fascination with Lennon and the Beatles."

Hair might seem an unusual variety of memorabilia, but it has a long and fascinating history as a collector's item.

It first became popular during the Victorian era, when admirers of notable people would often ask for a lock of their hair rather than a signature.

There has been a marked resurgence of interest in the hobby of late; last year one bidder payed £35,000 ($53,520) for a lock of Mozart's hair, while another acquired a lock from Abraham Lincoln shelled for $25,000.  

The previous record for a lock of Lennon's hair is £24,000 ($33,989), set at Gorringes in 2007.

Click here to take a look at all our Beatles memorabilia for sale, or check out our selection of famous hair.

Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about music memorabilia auctions.