A guitar used by Taylor Swift in a 2006 studio session during the same time she completed her debut album has surfaced at auction with a high estimate of $40,000.
According to the auction house, Gotta Have Rock and Roll, the Mitchell Acoustic Guitar was one of multiple instruments available for use when Swift’s father booked time in the recording studio in mid-2006. However, the songs recorded with the guitar did not make the cut for the Swift’s eponymous debut record.
As Swift has emerged as arguably the most famous celebrity in the world, let alone in music, in recent years, demand for her memorabilia has surged. However, hardly any instruments actually used by the artist have sold at auction.
One of the few to reach the market came from a September 2020 performance at the ACM awards, which sold in October 2020 at Christie’s for $40,000.
A signed guitar (unplayed) sold for $120,000 in 2023 at a charity auction. Generally, prices paid at charity auctions can be inflated.
Goldin Auctions has sold dozens of Swift items, with the most expensive being handwritten lyrics of her debut single “Tim McGraw,” which fetched $87,840 in December 2024.
A signed guitar featuring a sketch from Swift (not used) sold for $9,762 at Goldin in July 2024.
Back in October, a Texas man went viral when he bid $4,000 for a Swift guitar and subsequently smashed it with a hammer.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.