Articles — collector guides

 Handwritten lyrics of the Beatles iconic 1968 track "Hey Jude" handwritten by Paul McCartney sold on April 10, 2020 for an incredible $910,000. Auction house Julien's had expected the item to net a large sum and had estimated the value at $170-190,000 but were no doubt shocked with the end result. Likely the item's owner was more shocked! Written in black felt tip pen, the description indicated they had been used during the recording sessions for the song at Trident Studios in London.The auction was held on the date in commemoration of the Beatles breakup and featured over 250 Beatles...

Here is a fascinating video that shows the best selling artists from 1969-2019 in moving graphic form. You can see the evidence here of superstars you know and love but you may be interested to see their complete domination of the music sales landscape during their respective heydays. There are also some surprises, although many were short-lived. (Video courtesy Data Is Beautiful):

There have been some record-setting sales prices set by guitars from famous axe slingers over the years, and the latest involves a black Fender Stratocaster played by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. The Strat, used by Gilmour to record such Floyd classics as "The Dark Side of the Moon” (1973), “Wish You Were Here” (1975), “Animals” (1977) and “The Wall” (1979), sold for a staggering $3,875,000 at an auction held by Christie's in New York City earlier this year. Reportedly it was Jim Irsay, owner of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, who purchased the instrument, adding to what is apparently a very impressive collection. ...

Over this past weekend, the pale green sweater worn by Kurt Cobain at Nirvana's legendary MTV "Unplugged" taping in 1993 sold for $334,000 at an auction staged by Julien's in New York City. The sale makes it the most expensive sweater ever sold at auction. Cobain tragically took his own life at the age of 27 in Spring of 1994 not long after the famous televised gig. The record-setting memorabilia sale reflects the growing market for collector's items that capture a piece of music history. Interestingly, it was the second time the unwashed, stained sweater had been auctioned. Its previous sale was...