It was Beatle mania in the auction world last week. An electric guitar played by George Harrison on British television before the band’s U.S. “invasion” sold for a whopping $657,000 during a New York auction, surpassing pre-sale estimates.
Originally, Julien’s Auctions had valued the black-and-white 1962 Rickenbacker 425 electric guitar, which Harrison played when the Beatles recorded “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “This Boy” in 1963, between $400,000 and $600,000.
The auction also featured a handwritten placard, decorated with doodles and signed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, as well as a Hofner bass rented by Paul McCartney. Though the mementos didn’t sell for nearly as much as Harrison’s guitar, the Beatles collectibles fetched 187,000 and $125,000, respectively.
Other music-themed items from the auction included a white jumpsuit worn by Elvis Presley during a 1971 concert, which sold for $197,000, plus a 1990 red Rolls-Royce Corniche III convertible owned by Lady Gaga, which fetched for $125,000.
