Cobain, Jackie, Secretariat & More: The Jewels of Jim Irsay’s Collection at Auction
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Jim Irsay's incredible collection of sports, music, and pop culture memorabilia is officially up for auction at Christie's. According to estimates, the full collection could fetch roughly $40 million. The 44 most elite pieces will be featured in his "Hall of Fame" collection, which opens for bidding on March 12.
Insane Instruments Collection
More than half of the HOF collection features instruments from music icons, with the guitars perhaps being the most show-stopping. Guitars include Kurt Cobain's Competition Mustang, which was featured in Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit music video. There's David Gilmour's iconic 'Black Strat', Jerry Garcia's legendary 'Tiger', George Harrison's Gibson SG, and Eric Clapton's psychedelic 'The Fool' SG. Rounding out the rock royalty guitar list is John Lennon's Rose-Morris Rickenbacker.
Other incredible instruments include Ringo Starr’s first Ludwig drumkit, Elton John’s Steinway Model D grand piano, John Coltrane's prototype Yamaha Nippon Gakki Alto saxophone, and Miles Davis' custom-made Martin Committee trumpet.
Irsay was extremely proud of his guitar collection. In an interview with Guitar.com, he once said, "I love what I do. I'm blessed. Watching this collection come together over 25 years has been a beautiful thing."
Jackie Robinson's Bat
It wasn't just about music for Irsay. As the former owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts from 1997 until his death in 2025, he also knew a thing or two about collecting incredible sports relics, including Jackie Robinson's bat from his 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers season. The bat shows heavy use including multiple ball marks on the barrel. Incredibly, the original "42" is faded but visible on the knob end in black paint.
The bat was also given a PSA/DNA (GU 9) grade, and Christie's estimates that it will sell for somewhere between $250K and $350K.
Muhammad Ali's Robe
Few artifacts in sports carry the cultural weight of this Muhammad Ali weigh-in robe, worn at the 1965 Ali-Liston rematch. This match was significant not only for the infamous "phantom punch" but also because it marked Ali's first public appearance after he changed his name from Cassius Clay. For collectors and boxing fans alike, this is about as cool as it gets.
Secretariat's 1973 Triple Crown Saddle
The most valuable piece of sports memorabilia in Irsay's collection is the saddle used by legendary racehorse Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte to win the 1973 Triple Crown. Included with the saddle are four removable lead weights inscribed with Ron Turcotte's name on each. The piece is estimated to sell for as much as $3 million.
Secretariat is generally considered the greatest racehorse in history. Not only did he win the 1973 Triple Crown, but he did so with record-breaking times that still hold up today. At Belmont, he won by a remarkable 31 lengths in 2:24. Only nine horses have won a 1 1/2-mile Belmont in less than 2:27, but none faster than Secretariat.
More on the above collectibles, plus the rest of Irsay's stunning collection can be found over on the Christie's website. It's well worth checking out.
Conor is a life long sports card enthusiast who started collecting in the early ’90s, inspired by hometown heroes like Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Tom Brady, and David Ortiz. Like many ’90s hoops fans, he also started building (and continues to build) a modest Michael Jordan collection.