Items that are the bedrock of popular culture will be going up for auction next month and if you have enough money, you could own a piece of history.
Christie’s is hosting The Jim Irsay Collection sale across four auctions next month.
Some of the artifacts include:
- Ringo Starr’s first Ludwig drum kit with The Beatles and expected to get between $1 million and $2 million
- George Harrison’s A Maton “Mastersound” guitar from the 1963 UK tour, expected to fetch $300,000 to $500,000.
- John Lennon’s “Rose-Morris” Rickenbacker 1996 guitar used during The Beatles’ Christmas shows in 1964 and 1965 is expected to go for $800,000 and $1.2 million.
- Paul McCartney’s left-handed Yamaha BB-12 bass used from 1979 to 1984, is expected to go for $200,000 to $400,000.
- Kurt Cobain’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Fender Mustang guitar is expected to fetch $2.5 million to $5 million.
It isn’t just rare musical instruments, however. There is Sylvester Stallone’s handwritten script notebook for Rocky, the “hero prop” Wilson volleyball from “Cast Away,” and a Jackie Robinson bat.
“Jim Irsay had a passion for all things that define the American experience,” musical instrument specialist Kerry Kean, who is consulting on the Christie’s sale, told The Hollywood Reporter.
In all, about 350 items from the deceased Colt’s owner’s collection are going up for auction. Of the items, about 200 are guitars.
Guitar.com called his collection in 2022, “the greatest on earth.”
The auction could bring in about $30 million.
Click here to see what Christie’s is calling the “Hall of Fame” of the collection.
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