Jim Irsay’s Hall of Fame Memorabilia
From Christie’s Website - The Sale Results of David Gilmour’s “Black Strat”
Last night (March 13, 2026), Christie’s held the first of three auctions from the memorabilia collection of Jim Irsay. It was called the “Hall of Fame” sale. Each item was singular in its category.
An auction of trophies. Netting this sale was only step one. I am sure many auction houses were clamoring to hold the sale. Once Christie’s got it, they had to determine how to sell the best of the best.
It is rare to see 44 major lots in one evening auction. In this case, that was the entire sale. Forty-four lots, many of them record-holder in their category (Pop Culture person, place or thing). Would they be able to break records again? Was the hope that the underbidder from every past sale where Irsay purchased his items, be at that auction? With Paul Allen also past, is there someone left to duel with? Or many individuals? Each with their favorite idol and must have asset.
The auction brings up a number of questions about the memorabilia market and luxury sales. Can memorabilia bring in the same results as fine art? Can the luxury market, of which memorabilia is a sub-set, buoy auction houses. Even as those same auction houses protest that it won’t. And the auction doesn’t exactly answer the question. It is unlikely there will ever be another sale like this one. Irsay was a unique and passionate collector. Will the Freddie Mercury and Jim Irsay sales replace the dusty old masters? Has Timothée Chalamet got it right[1]? That ballet and opera, or for our purposes, Impressionism and the Renaissance artwork are things that people don’t care about anymore. Would you rather have a David Gilmour guitar on your wall or a Picasso? Is one “cooler”?
The lots were priced well given their past results. The low estimate, one assumes, was the reserve. I had been involved in the past sales of some of the property and I was curious to see if they could make new records.
Auction houses hope to not embarrass themselves with estimates. Priced too high and an auction of something wonderful seems like a nothing burger. Priced too low and you may appear to not understand the market. With items that have set records, already seen the sparkle of the public eye, how do you price that item reasonably? Christie’s, being Christie’s, did a remarkable job even if some of the sales left the tiny taste of nothing burger for selling at or amid their estimate. From my time selling memorabilia, the goal was to sell at three-times the estimate. That is a resounding sale. Because with memorabilia it isn’t that you don’t understand the market. You may understand it too well. The hunt and the rush isn’t just to claim the prize, but to claim it for more than the runner up is willing to spend. A rush that Mr. Irsay, I imagine, knew only too well.
Out the gate, the only example of a Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens concert poster from the “Day the Music Died” squeaked past the previous record of $447,000 when it sold in 2022 at Heritage. The final price with the 27% buyer’s premium at Christies brought the final number to $457,200.
That hefty buyer’s premium barely knocked down Julien’s previous record of $2,110,000 for a drum kit with Ringo Starr’s #1 Ludwig kit. Selling at Christie’s for $2,393,000.
This viewer could have sworn that Lot 6, George Harrison’s “Mastersound” guitar did not sell last night but it appears an underbidder purchased it after the sal,e for less than the listed reserve. The posted sale amount showing as $279,400 from a $300-500k estimate.
The biggest breaking record of the night could be heard from David Gilmour’s Black Strat. Evidentially not content to be a one-time record holder (the guitar sold in 2019 for $3,975,000 to Mr. Irsay). Or content to be second to the latest record holder – Kurt Cobain’s MTV Unplugged Martin that sold in 2020 for $6,100,000. The Black Strat sold for $14,550,000 and could not be toppled for the rest of the evening. Not even when Jerry Garcia’s “Tiger” guitar sold for $11,560,000. You have to feel sorry for Tiger that it was lot 27 and not lot 23 so it could have held the title for a few short minutes.
I will be busy the rest of the day updating my “world records” sheet with new record breakers for Bob Dylan handwritten lyrics, Janis Joplin instruments (not memorabilia, her car retains that record), microphone sale record (? Possibly ?), Jack Kerouac manuscript (I assume but must double check) and Miles Davis trumpets.
[1] https://tinyurl.com/mw243jw4