WHEN a cap once worn by Madonna went on sale at an East Lancashire shop, fans clamoured to get their hands on it.

The hat, modelled by the Material Girl on the cover of Italian Vogue in 1992, was sold for £395 within 24 hours of arriving at Pride Records, Rawtenstall.

It was the latest bit of showbiz memorabilia to find its way to the shop, launched in 1998 by Alison Sharples and Janice Percy, who now deal as much in such goods as they do in old vinyl.

For £295 you can pick up a rose gold Goddess of Love necklace with a diamond inset which belonged to Mae West. A pair of Clark Gable's gold cufflinks are available at £350

The shop has recently sold a pair of solid silver cufflinks once worn by Elvis Presley and an autograph by Marylin Monroe.

Alison said: "The woman who designed Madonna's cap sells off-the-peg leather jeans for £1,800 a pair and it would probably have brought more in a Beverley Hills Oxfam than here."

All the items sold include letters of provenance and are guaranteed by the shop as genuine.

Alison said: "The prices are not outrageous. We are in East Lancashire, not London or some other European capital. We buy from specialist dealers mainly in America. The items are harder to buy than to sell." Elvis's cufflinks were sold by his daughter Priscilla and bought by Alison and Janice from a dealer in the US. They were bought by an East Lancashire customer for an undisclosed sum before they ever reached the shop. Monroe's autograph was the most expensive item - it went for £1,500 to another Rossendale collector.

Also on offer are two replica weapons which featured in film tough guy Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator film.

Alison said: "We have some good local customers but also get visitors from all over the country. People see our website and we sell all over the world, including Japan, Germany, Norway and South Africa."

Records still bring in the customers, though: one collector travelled specially from Japan and spent £1,000 on rare Beatles records and 1970s progressive rock albums.