NEW YORK, NY.- Christie's will offer hundreds of incredible objects from The Jim Irsay Collection in a series of sales in 2026, beginning with almost 400 items tracing the 20th Century's pivotal moments in music, film, sports, and pop culture over four auctions from March 3 to March 17. The objects will also be on view in a free, public exhibition at Christie's at 20 Rockefeller Plaza from March 6 until March 12.

The Jim Irsay Collection is one of the greatest troves of memorabilia ever assembled, meticulously compiled over decades by the late philanthropist, passionate music lover, and owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts. A portion of the proceeds of these sales will be donated to philanthropic causes supported by Jim Irsay during his lifetime.

The sale schedule is as follows: The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame – Live March 12; The Jim Irsay Collection: Icons of Popular Culture – Live March 13; The Jim Irsay Collection: Icons of Music – Live March 14; The Jim Irsay Collection: Online – March 3-17.

Additional objects from American history will also be offered in a dedicated auction on July 1 and on view in a free public exhibition at 20 Rockefeller Plaza from June 25-30. More information will be shared on that sale—The Jim Irsay Collection: Icons of History—later this year.

“Jim Irsay was an incredible collector with an eye for rare treasures tied to the most important moments in our collective history,” said Julien Pradels, President, Christie's Americas. “It is a privilege to offer this renowned collection at Christie's, giving collectors and visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view, be inspired by, and bid on these objects.”

Before the collection is offered and exhibited at Christie's in New York, selected highlights will go on a world tour, giving the public the opportunity to view these extraordinary objects. The tour stops include:

Highlights Exhibition at Christie's London: January 16-22
8 King St. London SW1Y 6QT, United Kingdom

Highlights Exhibition at The Super Bowl Experience, San Francisco: February 3-7
The Moscone Center, 747 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Highlights Exhibition at Christie's Los Angeles: February 4-6
336 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills CA 90210

Highlights Exhibition in Las Vegas: February 20-22
Contact the press office for more information pressamericas@christies.com

HIGHLIGHT REEL – THE JIM IRSAY COLLECTION

The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame

Thursday, March 12

This live sale will feature around 50 lots, including the rarest, most sought-after treasures in The Jim Irsay Collection. Many of the pieces at the center of what Guitar World magazine called “The Greatest Guitar Collection on Earth” will be offered in this sale. Highlights include:

• Kurt Cobain's 1966 Fender Mustang guitar, used during the recording of Nirvana's albums Nevermind and In Utero and featured in the music video for their generational anthem 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' (estimate: $2.5M - 5M)

• David Gilmour's "Black Strat” – key to the development of the Pink Floyd sound and instrumental in the recording of their landmark albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). It was notably used by Gilmour on the songs 'Money', 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' and for his legendary solo on 'Comfortably Numb' (estimate: $2M - $4M)

• Jerry Garcia's guitar “Tiger” – custom made by the luthier, Doug Irwin. Garcia's main stage guitar from 1979–1989 and notably used for his last performance with the Grateful Dead at Chicago's Soldier Field on July 9, 1995 (estimate: $1M - $2M)

• Ringo Starr's first-ever Ludwig drum kit used for hundreds of live performances and studio recordings from May 1963 to February 1964 (estimate: $1M - $2M); the logo drum head (estimate: $1M - $2M) from the Beatles' historic debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. Additionally, the collection includes Starr's trademark 9ct gold and sapphire pinky ring worn throughout his career with the Beatles (estimate: $60,000 to $100,000)

• John Lennon's 1963 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 guitar, used during the Beatles' recording sessions of 'Paperback Writer' and 'Rain' (estimate: $600,000 - $800,000)

• George Harrison's stage-played Gibson SG Standard guitar, used extensively in the studio between 1966 and 1969 and in promotional films for 'Paperback Writer' and 'Rain' (estimate: $800,000 - $1.2M)

• Paul McCartney - Handwritten lyrics for 'Hey Jude' (estimate: $600,000 - $1M)

• Affidavit filed by Paul McCartney in 1970 to break up The Beatles, with handwritten annotations by John Lennon (estimate: $100,000 - $150,000)

• Eric Clapton's C.F. Martin & Co. 000-42, 1939, played during his iconic MTV Unplugged performance (estimate: $800,000 - $1.2M) and his psychedelic 1964 Gibson SG known as “The Fool” used on stage and in the studio in the late 1960s with the rock supergroup Cream (estimate: $800,000-$1.2M)

• Jack Kerouac's original typescript scroll of On The Road, the definitive Beat Generation novel (estimate: $2.5M - $4M)

• Wayne Gretzky's jersey from 1986-87, worn when he scored his 500th NHL goal and during game 7 of the 1987 Stanley Cup finals, when the Oilers defeated the Flyers (estimate: $300,000 - $500,000)

• Muhammad Ali's WBC Heavyweight Championship Belt, won following his victory over George Foreman in the famed “Rumble in the Jungle” October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (estimate: $2.5M - $4M)

• Muhammad Ali's boots, used in the “Thrilla in Manila” fight against Joe Frazier, held on October 1, 1975 in the Philippines (estimate: $200,000 - $300,000)

• Secretariat's saddle from the famed horse's United States Triple Crown win in 1973 (comprising the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes) from the collection of the winning jockey, Ron Turcotte (estimate: $1.5M - $2M)

• Sylvester Stallone's handwritten script notebook for the 1976 Academy-Award-winning film Rocky (estimate: $200,000 - $400,000)

• Bob Dylan's handwritten lyrics to the song “The Times They Are A-Changin'” (estimate: $500,000 - $800,000)

• Prince's Andy Beech custom Yellow Cloud guitar (estimate: $100,000 - $150,000)

• Johnny Cash's C.F. Martin & Co. D-21, 1956, (estimate: $200,000 - $400,000)

• John Coltrane's Yamaha Nippon Gakki Alto Saxophone, played by Coltrane during his Japan appearances in 1966 (estimate: $40,000 - $60,000)

• Miles Davis's Martin Committee Trumpet, used during his 1984 Montreux Jazz Festival performance (estimate: $100,000 - $150,000)

• Elton John's Steinway Model D Grand Piano, used on tour from the mid-1970s and in concerts worldwide. This piano was once loaned to Freddie Mercury of Queen for the band's 1977 Day at the Races tour, was played by Paul McCartney at Live Aid's Wembley Stadium show in 1985 (estimate: $600,000 - $1M)

• Jim Morrison's journal with over 100 pages of handwritten notes, compositions, poems and sketches (estimate: $100,000 - $200,000)

• An incredibly rare promotional poster for the Winter Dance Party concert at Moorhead Armory, Moorhead, MN on February 3, 1959, scheduled to feature Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens who were killed in a plane crash on their way to the show, an event later dubbed “The Day The Music Died” in the Don McLean song “American Pie” (estimate: $300,000 - $500,000)

• “Wilson” volleyball featured in the 2000 film Castaway starring Tom Hanks (estimate: $60,000 - $80,000)

• James Brown's stage-worn sequined cape (estimate: $30,000 - $50,000)

• Hunter S. Thompson's 1973 Chevy Caprice convertible “The Red Shark,” featured in the 1998 movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro (estimate: $150,000 - $250,000)

• Jackie Robinson's game-used 1953 Hillerich & Bradsby professional model O16 bat (estimate: $250,000 - $350,000)

• Steve Jobs – a rare handwritten letter to Tim Brown, questioning whether Jobs wanted to stop working (estimate: $250,000 - $500,000) and an Apple II Manual, inscribed and signed by Jobs (estimate: $300,000 - $800,000)

The Jim Irsay Collection: Icons of Popular Culture

Friday, March 13

This sale of nearly 150 lots includes further objects of popular culture and memorabilia. Highlights include:

• Neal Schon's Gibson Les Paul Pro Deluxe, used to record Journey's 1981 hit single 'Don't Stop Believin'' (estimate: $150,000 - $250,000)

• Bob Dylan's Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar played during the 1993 inaugural concert for President-Elect Bill Clinton (estimate: $60,000 - $100,000)

• Janis Joplin's Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar, on which she first learned 'Me and Bobby McGee' and played it for the first time in concert in 1969 (estimate: $60,000 - $100,000)

• Dusty Hill's Dean Original fur bass, used in ZZ Top's music video for the song 'Legs' (estimate: $100,000 - $300,000)

• Höfner “Beatles” bass with pickguard signed by Paul McCartney (estimate: $8,000 - $12,000)

• Two guitars belonging to Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong (estimates: $8,000 – $12,000 and $6,000 – $9,000)

• Guitars signed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, The Who, members of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and more (various estimates)

• Ringo Starr's RIAA gold record for The Beatles' song 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', signed by George Harrison as “George” (estimate: $30,000 - $60,000)

• A rare page of working lyrics for the Beatles' song 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer,' written out by Beatles' road manager Mal Evans, with several edits in Paul McCartney's hand (estimate: $20,000 - $30,000)

• Elton John's prescription glasses (estimate: $8,000 - $12,000)

• Jim Morrison's stage-used Electro-Voice EV-676G microphone (estimate: $20,000 - $40,000)

• Umpire's locker used by The Beatles during their performance at Shea Stadium in 1965 (estimate: $3,000 - $5,000)

• Liverpool airport poster signed by all four Beatles in 1964 (estimate: $30,000 - $50,000)

• The Godfather production script, a second draft in the original black studio wrappers belonging to character actor Randy Jurgensen who played “Sonny's Killer #1” (estimate $4,000 - $6,000)

• A pair of blue Santoni boots worn by Sylvester Stallone when he was training for the movie Rocky Balboa (estimate $4,000 - $6,000)

• Golden ticket from the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (estimate: $60,000 - $120,000)

• Al Pacino's annotated script to the movie Scarface, with several markings in Pacino's handwriting helping him pronounce words in a Cuban accent (estimate: $30,000 - $50,000)

• Glasses worn by Mike Myers in the movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (estimate: $8,000 - $12,000)

• Several Babe Ruth autographs, including a ball signed by both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig circa 1927-1931 (estimate: $25,000 - $50,000)

• Original and only typescript scroll of Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums (estimate: $300,000 - $500,000)

• Hunter S. Thompson's personal first edition copy of Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums (estimate: $2,000 - $3,000)

The Jim Irsay Collection: Icons of Music

Saturday, March 14

This auction of around 80 lots includes incredible vintage guitars and custom-built examples, celebrating the best of American guitar design and craftsmanship. Highlights include:

• 1958 Gibson Les Paul Model, Sunburst (estimate: $250,000 - $450,000)

• 1960 Gibson Les Paul Model, Sunburst (estimate: $200,000 - $300,000)

•1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard,Bigsby Burst (estimate: $200,000 - $300,000)

• 1939 C.F. Martin & Co. D-45 Acoustic (estimate: $250,000 - $350,000)

• 1938 C.F. Martin & Co. D-18 Acoustic (estimate: $40,000 - $60,000) 1957 Fender Stratocaster, Sunburst (estimate: $35,000 - $55,000)

• Gibson Custom Order Flying V, Circa 1971 (estimate: $50,000 - $80,000)

• 1963 Gibson Everly Brothers Acoustic (estimate: $12,000 - $18,000)

The Jim Irsay Collection: Online

Tuesday, March 3 to Tuesday, March 17

Around 125 lots, this auction includes guitars (vintage and signature models), autographs, rare photos, and memorabilia, with many lots starting with a low estimate under $5,000 (and some for under $1,000; for example, a Joe Walsh guitar slide and a signed pamphlet by Muhammad Ali both have low estimates of $100).