Indianapolis, IN
Jim Irsay’s massive collection of guitars, artifacts from John Lennon, others to be sold
Jim Irsay guitar collection: 3 famous guitars collected by Colts owner
Jim Irsay owns more than just the Indianapolis Colts.
Ethan May, IndyStar
INDIANAPOLIS — The family of late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is selling his collection of 199 guitars — dubbed “the greatest guitar collection on Earth” by Guitar World magazine — as well as an eclectic assortment of hundreds of other historic artifacts Irsay amassed from the worlds of pop culture, American history, literature, music and sports.
The Jim Irsay Collection, which experts have valued at more than $1 billion, will be offered at Christie’s New York in a series of auctions starting in March.
“This decision was not made lightly, but with deep reflection and love for the legacy he built,” the Irsay family said in a statement provided by the Colts. A few pieces from the collection will remain with the Irsay family, but “the majority” will be sold.
“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,” the Irsay family said. “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.”
At the center of the Irsay collection, Christie’s said in announcing the sale, are the instruments that were owned and played by some of the greatest artists in music history, including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain, Eddie Van Halen and Eric Clapton.
Items owned by Elton John, Ringo Starr, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Jim Morrison will also be on the auction block.
As Irsay immersed himself in professional football for more than 40 years, first as general manager of the Colts and then as owner, he always had a side gig — collector extraordinaire.
The collection “includes extraordinary sports and movie memorabilia, U.S. presidential artifacts, extremely rare books, documents and manuscripts with a focus on American history, the ‘Beatnik’ movement and much more,” Christie’s said.
There is an Apple II manual signed by Steve Jobs, Hunter S. Thompson’s Red Shark convertible and Jack Kerouac’s original typewritten manuscript of “On The Road.”
“Christie’s is honored to offer this magnificent collection, so lovingly compiled, maintained, and shared bylegendary collector Jim Irsay over decades,” Julien Pradels, president of the Christie’s Americans region, said in a statement announcing the sale.
In recent years, Irsay transformed the collection into a traveling museum and hosted free exhibitions across the U.S. He loaned items to museums, nonprofits and others for display and research, “always with the hope that others would be inspired and united,” the Irsay family said.
Irsay never referred to himself as the owner of the collection but as its steward.
“Now, we believe it’s time for a new life for the collection, and it’s our sincere hope that these artifacts find future stewards who understand and cherish their significance,” the Irsay family said. “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.”
Free public exhibitions will be part of the sales at Christie’s New York, who said “passionate collectors around the globe (will) have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of history, and provide this exquisite collection its next chapter.”
More information on the auction will be available in the coming months as the sale approaches. Sign up for updates
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.
TODAY
Early clouds give way to gradual clearing, and the afternoon turns much nicer than the damp start might suggest. Highs reach the mid 70s, with a west-southwest breeze around 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. Once we get past the morning gray, this looks like a very usable day for outdoor plans, just a bit breezy at times.
TONIGHT
Clouds increase again overnight, and scattered showers with a few thunderstorms may arrive late, mainly after 3 a.m. Lows settle in the mid 50s, with a light breeze becoming northerly late. Most of the evening stays quiet, but by early Sunday morning a few neighborhoods could hear some rain on the roof.
MOTHER’S DAY
Cooler than Saturday, with a mix of clouds and some breaks of sun along with the chance for an isolated shower. Highs top out in the mid 60s, and a north breeze around 5 to 10 mph adds a slightly cooler feel. It is not a washout, but it is also not as nice as Saturday afternoon, especially south of Indianapolis where a stray shower may hang on longer.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Partly cloudy and cooler, with lows in the mid 40s and a north northeast breeze around 5 to 10 mph. The air dries out nicely, and this looks like a quiet, comfortable night across central Indiana.
MONDAY
Bright and seasonably cool with sunshine taking over. Highs reach the mid 60s, with a light north wind around 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. This looks like one of the cleaner forecast days of the stretch, great for errands, practices, or getting outside without weather trouble.
MONDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and chilly again, with lows in the low to mid 40s and light wind fading late. Quiet weather continues, and there are no meaningful travel concerns overnight.
TUESDAY
Another decent start, then clouds begin to increase later with a chance for showers and thunderstorms after mid afternoon. Highs reach the mid 60s, with a light south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph. Most of the day still looks usable, but the late afternoon and evening carry the next better rain signal.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Showers and thunderstorms become more likely for part of the night before activity starts to ease later on. Lows hold in the low to mid 50s, with a south-southwest wind around 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. It does not look like a high-end severe setup right now, but it is enough of a signal to keep an eye on late evening plans.
WEDNESDAY
A leftover shower is possible early, then the trend turns drier with more sun returning through the day. Highs recover into the upper 60s, and a northwest breeze around 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph will make it feel a little brisker at times. The day improves as it goes, and by afternoon it should look much better than the early morning may suggest.
7 DAY FORECAST
After a milder Saturday and a small late Saturday night into Sunday shower window, the broader pattern settles down for Sunday night and Monday with quieter, cooler weather in place. The next more meaningful chance for rain arrives Tuesday into Tuesday night as another system approaches, then drier conditions return Wednesday as that system pulls away. Temperatures run in the 70s Saturday, slip back into the 60s Sunday through Tuesday, then edge a little milder again by midweek. Confidence is best in the quiet Sunday night through Monday stretch, while the exact timing of Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night rain could still wobble a bit.
Editor’s note: This interview is part of our ‘Meet the Candidates’ show. Watch past episodes here.
After working in education for about 15 years, Andrea Hunley won her first bid for political office four years ago in an Indiana Senate district covering the core of Indianapolis.
On May 8, Hunley, 42, officially launched her campaign for an office that she says feels closer to home: Indianapolis mayor.
About a year ahead of the May 2027 mayoral primary, Hunley sat down with IndyStar on May 5 to discuss what she hopes to accomplish as mayor, why her candidacy differs from her challengers, and how she thinks about hot-button issues like education, public safety and data centers.
At this point, Hunley will face longtime Indianapolis City-County Councilor Vop Osili and Department of Public Works administrator David Bride. Both candidates will also be invited for sit-down interviews with IndyStar in the coming weeks.
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
The Indianapolis Colts announced the addition of 12 undrafted free agents for the rookie minicamp beginning Friday:
>> Cam Ball, DT, Arkansas: Appeared in 50 games with 31 starts, making 138 tackles, 12.5 for loss with 3 sacks at 6-4, 310 pounds. Ball was a team captain last season, named to the 2025 AFCA Good Works Team and on the 2024 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.
>> Austin Brown, S, Wisconsin: Received a $272,000 guarantee, a source told IndyStar. The 6-0, 199-pounder played in 50 games with 24 starts), totaling 142 tackles with eight passes defensed. Brown was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten choice (2023-25) and named CSC Academic All-District in 2025.
>> Tahj Chambers, LB, Mississippi: Played in 15 games in one season at Mississippi with 45 tackles and three passes defensed. The 6-2, 231-pounder also played in 43 games at Missouri State with 196 tackles, 17 for loss, 3.0 sacks and eight passes defensed. Chambers made the MVFC honor roll in 2022 and 2024 and was selected to the Missouri State AD’s Honor Roll in Fall 2022 and Fall 2024.
>> Sahmir Hagans, WR, Duke: The 5-11, 188-pounded played in 57 games at Duke with 152 catches for 1,586 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hagans also returned 24 kicks for a 31.5-yard average and two touchdowns and five punts for a 30.6-yard average with a score. He was a second team All-ACC selection as a return specialist in 2025 and named to the 2022 ACC All-Academic Team.
>> E.J. Horton, WR, Purdue: Played in 41 games between Purdue, Florida Atlantic, West Virginia and Marshall in a college career that began in 2020. He made 53 catches for 735 yards and four touchdowns.
>>Mitchell Melton, DE, Virginia: Played at Virginia and Ohio State as a 6-3, 253-pound defensive end with 60 tackles, 16.5 for loss, 8 sacks, 4 passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles. Last season he started 14 games at Virginia and was honor mention All-ACC.
>>Lincoln Pare, RB, Texas State: At 5-8, 190 pounds, Pare played in 38 games with 2,454 yards and 25 touchdowns on 477 carries, plus 78 receptions for 644 yards and 3 scores. Prior to earning second team All-Sun Belt last season, Pare played at Arkansas State. His last name is pronounced Pair-ee.
>>Nolan Rucci, OL, Penn State: At 6-8, 314 pounds, Rucci was a tackle at Penn State and Wisconsin, making 18 starts. He was honor mention All-Big Ten.
>> Raylen Sharpe, WR, Arkansas: At 5-9, 173 pounds, Sharpe was a receiver and ball carrier at Arkansas, Fresno State, Missouri State and Houston with 181 catches for 2,413 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus 12 carries for 122 yards and he threw a touchdown pass. He was honor mention All-Mountain West in 2024 and first team All-MVFC in 2023 while also running track in 2021 at Houston.
>>Geno VanDeMark, C, Alabama: Earned starts at right guard, left guard and center at 6-4, 314 pounds. Also played 18 games, with eight starts at Michigan State.
>>Jordon Vaughn, RB, Abilene Christian: He’s 6-3, 228 pounds and rushed for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns on 179 caries in 30 games. Also played at Wyoming for two seasons.
>>West Weeks, LB, LSU: The 6-2, 230-pound linebacker appeared in 54 games between LSU and Virginia with 164 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 5 sacks.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
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