New York, New York - New Yorkers were among the first in the world to lay eyes on the never-before-seen items of rock legend Freddie Mercury and the band Queen, and TAG24 got an inside peek at the exclusive gems.

If you've ever found yourself belting out We Are The Champions or Bohemian Rhapsody, you're among millions who know every word by heart. The two are some of the most popular songs ever written, and now, fans are getting insight into their creation.

Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own landed at Sotheby's auction house in New York this week, displaying 20 highlights from Mercury's personal items that have never been seen by the public. They remained largely untouched at his London home Garden House since the star's death in 1991.

Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's Senior VP and Global Head of Science and Pop Culture, told TAG24 NEWS the exhibition is "a treasure trove of material that we are now discovering."

The rare collection will stay in New York for one week before traveling to Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and London for the month of August, where it will join the other 1,500 of Mercury's prized possessions up for grabs.

Then, the games begin when Sotheby's begins a six-part auction for the coveted pieces in September.

The bidding for an early draft of Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics is perhaps the collection's crown jewel. It is estimated to be sold for around $1 million. It contains 15 pages of Mercury's working lyrics on stationary as he created the song in 1974, with an alternative title written and then scratched out: Mongolian Rhapsody.

"What I love about the lyrics are the different colors it's written in. They were very organized and structured," Hatton said. "The ideas were bubbling out."

"It reminds me of papers we've seen from Nobel Prize-winning physicists," she added. "There's a similar feel where these really genius people just grab whatever piece of paper's closest to get this idea out. It doesn't have to be perfect."

The collection also includes handwritten lyrics and chord progressions of Queen's biggest hits like We Are The Champions, Don't Stop Me Now, Somebody To Love, and Killer Queen, and give a glimpse into Mercury's musical mind while writing.

"It is the embodiment of his soul and how he wanted to project his image and his voice to the world," Hatton said. "To see the first splash of that on paper is an amazing thing."

As seen in New York, the collection contains Mercury's staple costume pieces like a pair of Adidas high top sneakers, the iconic crown he wore during his final stage performance, and a leather jacket he donned in 1982 for the band's last US appearance and only stint on Saturday Night Live – bringing the exhibition's Big Apple connection full circle.

The items were passed to Sotheby's by Mercury's closest friend and one-time fiancé Mary Austin, who confirmed some of the items' proceeds will go to charities like the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

"He thought of Mary as his common law wife. Everything was left to her," Hutton said. "She preserved the contents of the home kind of like a shrine."

On display is also Mercury's private guest book where he laid out opulent dinner parties he hosted, Japanese art from his world travels, aviator sunglasses he became known for, and a tiny silver Tiffany & Co mustache comb. You'll also find Queen's Grammy nomination plaque, gold and platinum disc awards, and the band's Moonman – their one and only MTV Video Music Award won in 1992 for Best Video from a Film for Wayne's World.

The inclusion of Bohemian Rhapsody in the movie opened the band up to a new generation of fans after Mercury's death, who are listening to and streaming his music now as much as ever. Just last week, Queen made headlines for being rumored to sell their music catalog for an unprecedented $1 billion, which would make for the largest music sale in history. (A spokesperson from Disney Music Group denied the claim.)

It shows the incredible staying power and relevancy of a band and its frontman who rose to fame 50 years ago, yet remain one of the most well-known acts of all time. That fans have eagerly shown up for the once-in-a-lifetime Sotheby's collection proves the point. Exhibition coordinator Zoe Malliaros said about 1,600 spectators had already come through the New York exhibition in its first few days, many "who care so deeply" about Mercury and his enduring legacy.

"It's exciting to see," she said, "and really heartwarming."

Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own is free and open to the public at Sotheby's in New York from June 1-8 and in Los Angeles from June 14–18, and goes to virtual and live auctions in September.