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Christie’s announced that the guitar, which was expected to sell for $300,000 to $500,000, was sold to an unnamed, absentee buyer.
“An auction estimate is always just that: It’s an estimate. It’s not cut in stone,” said Tom Lecky of Christie’s. “Obviously the marketplace realized its importance and competed for it. It’s a great result for a legendary guitar.”
The infamous instrument had been in the possession of a New Jersey family who got the piece of music history after Dylan accidentally left it on a private plane. After some legal wrangling about ownership of the guitar with Dylan himself, the family opted to put it on the block. It’s unclear whether he will get a cut of the profits from the sale.
In addition to the guitar, a set of handwritten lyrics for a Dylan song called “I Wanna Be Your Lover” that were found in its case sold for $20,000.
In 2004, Eric Clapton’s Strat “Blackie” set the previous record for a guitar sold at auction when it was unloaded for $959,000.
Had Dylan never busted out the famous guitar at Newport, it’s possible that he never would have “opened up” President Obama’s world:
[New York Post]