How Much Is the Jim Irsay Collection Worth?

Most people know Jim Irsay, who passed away on May 21, as that legendary NFL team owner and CEO who lived and breathed football. He spent decades trying to improve the Indianapolis Colts, the franchise he inherited from his father, who purchased it over half a century ago. When Irsay wasn’t doing football business, he had another passion that defined him just as much: collecting guitars.

Isray not just collected guitars, but preserved them in pristine condition in his one-of-a-kind collection: The Jim Irsay Collection. A massive fan of rock ‘n’ roll, Isray was trying to keep the spirit of America’s music history alive through his collection.

He never stashed these artifacts away as well, and proudly displayed them for the public, loaned them to museums, and even let members of his Jim Irsay Band play them from time to time. Needless to say, the collection has some historic instruments.

Just to give you an idea of how impressive the collection is, it includes Kurt Cobain’s 1969 Fender Mustang electric guitar, which Irsay bought in 2022 for a whopping $5 million, and a Jackie Robinson home run bat. And now, it looks like much of that legendary collection, along with other memorabilia Irsay gathered over the years, is about to go up for sale.

According to reports, Christie’s will hold the auction starting next March. It’s still unclear which items will hit the block, as the family plans to keep a few special pieces in their possession.

Talking about the highlights, Jerry Garcia’s ‘Tiger’ guitar stands out the most, which Irsay snagged in 2002 for $957,000. Then there’s Bob Dylan’s 1964 Fender Stratocaster, which he purchased for $965,000, the highest price ever paid for a guitar back in 2013.

Of course, Irsay later broke that record himself when he bought David Gilmour’s iconic. ‘The Black Strat’, for nearly $4 million. Add to that Cobain’s Fender Mustang, valued at $4.55 million, and you start to see why this collection is historic.

Eric Clapton’s ‘The Fool’, his 1964 Gibson SG, is also part of the stash, which sold for over $1 million. And there are even guitars once owned by The Beatles. Crazy!