LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - The seven microphones used on tour by South Korean boy band BTS that were up for auction were never expected to go for a song. And they have sold for US$83,200 (S$112,000) at a pre-Grammy Awards auction for charity, more than eight times the expected starting price, Julien's Auctions said on Friday (Jan 24).

The autographed microphones were the first items to be sold at auction from the globally popular group, Julien's said. The auction house had previously estimated that the set would sell for between US$10,000 and US$20,000.

BTS, a seven-member boy band with a message of self-confidence, has spearheaded a wave of K-pop beyond Asia and into the United States just six years after its 2013 debut.

In 2019, BTS became the first group since The Beatles to score three No. 1 albums in a year on the Billboard 200 charts.

The microphones sold at auction were used from 2017 to 2019 on the band's Love Yourself tour.

The auction was held to benefit the Recording Academy's charitable arm, MusiCares. Also sold were items from veteran music acts Aerosmith, Stevie Nicks, the late Tom Petty and others.

BTS is among the acts scheduled to perform at Sunday's (Monday Jan 27 morning Singapore time) Grammy Awards.