Jim Irsay’s historic artifacts, guitar collection to be sold

INDIANAPOLIS — The late Jim Irsay’s collection of hundreds of historic artifacts is set to be sold in a series of auctions at Christie’s in New York beginning in March 2026.

The merchandise will include, “The Greatest Guitar Collection on Earth,” featuring instruments and items owned by some of the most prominent artist in music history.

“Christie’s is honored to offer this magnificent collection, so lovingly compiled, maintained, and shared by legendary collector Jim Irsay over decades,” said Julien Pradels, president of the Christie’s Americans region.

Jim Irsay Collection	Jim Irsay Collection	Jim Irsay Collection
Sir Paul McCartney	Eddie Van Halen	John Coltrane
George Harrison	Eric Clapton	Miles Davis
Jimi Hendrix	Bo Diddley	Jim Morrison
Prince	Janis Joplin	John Lennon
Jerry Garcia	David Gilmour	Ringo Starr
Bob Dylan	Sir Elton John	Kurt Cobain

“These extraordinary objects will be made available to passionate collectors around the globe, who have a once in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of history, and provide this exquisite collection its next chapter,” said Pradels.

The collection also includes sports memorabilia, movie memorabilia, U.S. presidential artifacts, extremely rare books, documents, and manuscripts that focus on American history, according to a press release from the Christie’s New York.

The Irsay family said the following in a statement:

“This coming March, our family will begin the process of selling the majority of our father Jim Irsay’s extraordinary collection of music, American history, and pop culture artifacts and memorabilia. This decision was not made lightly, but with deep reflection and love for the legacy he built.”

“Our dad was a passionate collector, driven not by possession, but by a profound appreciation for the beauty, history, and cultural resonance of the items he curated. From iconic instruments to handwritten lyrics by legends to rare historical artifacts and documents, each piece in the collection tells a story – and he was always so excited to share those stories with the world.

“He transformed the collection into a traveling museum and hosted free exhibitions across the U.S. He also regularly loaned items to museums, nonprofits, and others for display and research, always with the hope that others would be inspired and united. After all, he always referred to himself as a “steward” of the collection, never as its owner.

“Now, we believe it’s time for a new life for the collection, and it’s our sincerest hope that these artifacts find future stewards who understand and cherish their significance.

“In honor of our dad’s lifelong focus on giving, a portion of the proceeds from the sale will go toward philanthropy close to his heart. Giving back was always central to his vision, and this next chapter honors that commitment.”

Learn more about the auction here.