Invaluable, the world’s largest online live auction marketplace, today announced that it has an extremely rare collection of 265 highly significant vintage acoustic guitars available for auction online through the Invaluable online auction platform.  The collection, up for sale by Guernsey’s in New York City, will be auctioned during a two-day event April 2-3, 2014, dubbed “The Artistry of the Guitar”.  Bidders can view the full collection on Invaluable.com and bid online in real-time during the live auction.

Heading to the auction are various Gibson, Martin, Epiphone, D’Angelico, Larson, Regal and Gretsch models dating back to the 1890’s through the 1950’s, all part of the collection owned by California-based collector Hank Risan.  Several of the guitars available were owned or played by famous musicians including Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Les Paul, Stephen Stills and Hank Garland.  The collection includes archtop, flattop, classical and flamenco guitars, as well as several mandolins and one-of-a-kind prototypes.

“Guernsey’s auction includes some of the finest vintage acoustic guitars in existence, and we’re thrilled to offer Invaluable bidders the opportunity to own these masterpieces,” said Rob Weisberg, Invaluable CEO. “For passionate collectors, we’re pleased to offer the opportunity to view the full catalog and participate in live bidding on this stunning collection through the Invaluable platform.”

One of the most notable lots up for auction on Day One of the sale, scheduled for 7pm EDT on April 2, 2014, is a 1930 Martin OM-45 Deluxe. One of only 14 ever made, this guitar has been called one of the most desirable flattop guitars on the market today, and is estimated to sell for $2-2.5 million at auction.  Another notable lot is a 1934 D’Angelico Excel, which may be one of the earliest – if not the first – Excel models made by John D’Angelico in 1934, estimated to sell for $500,000-$550,000.  A 1935 Gibson Super 400 Flattop Custom is another notable lot, as it is likely the only Super 400-style flattop guitar Gibson ever made, and is estimated to sell for $750,000-800,000.

Day Two of the sale, scheduled for 7pm EDT on April 3, 2014, includes an extremely rate 1862 Antonio de Torres Classical model, which is one of the earliest models in the collection and is estimated to sell for $500,000 - $600,000.   Another notable lot is a 1936 Epiphone Emperor, which is likely one of the first Epiphone guitars to feature the company's trademark Frequensator tailpiece, and is expected to sell for $70,000-80,000.

For more information, or to view the fully illustrated catalogs for the “Artistry of the Guitar” two-day auction on Invaluable, please visit www.invaluable.com.

About Invaluable

Invaluable is the world’s largest online live auction marketplace, featuring a live online bidding platform that allows collectors to bid in real-time in auctions held around the world. As the leading developer of SaaS and ecommerce applications for the auction industry, Invaluable provides auctioneers with marketing and e-commerce solutions across Invaluable and AuctionZip web properties, as well as access to the company’s auction management software. Invaluable’s best-in-class historical price database includes more than 58 million complete auction results, totaling more than $204 billion in value. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Boston, Invaluable also has offices in Pennsylvania and the United Kingdom.  For more information, visit www.Invaluable.com.

About Guernsey’s

Approaching its 40th anniversary, Guernsey’s has built a reputation as an auction house known for the presentation of the most extraordinary properties.  From the largest auction in history (the contents of the ocean liner S.S. United States) to vintage racing cars on to artwork from the Soviet Union, pre-Castro Cuban cigars and the $3 million McGwire baseball, the firm has few rivals when it comes to the presentation of wildly diverse art and artifacts.  Guernsey’s also has brought some of the most famous and intriguing personalities of the 20th Century to auction in events that captivated the world.  The official Elvis Presley Auction featuring items from the Graceland Archives on to treasured items relating to the lives and careers of John F. Kennedy, Princess Diana, Jerry Garcia, John Coltrane, Dick Clair, Mickey Mantle and the Beatles were all Guernsey’s events.

High-quality, high-visibility projects continue to be Guernsey’s forte.  The Auction house is in the midst of its series of events devoted to the legendary, Holocaust-related poster collection of Dr. Hans Sachs and will soon be featuring the finest collection of vintage guitars ever to pass across the auction block.  Record-setting sales of exceptional collections have very much become a Guernsey’s trademark.

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