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CNN Live Today
Gurnsey's President Discusses Jerry Garcia Auction
Aired May 08, 2002 - 11:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All you Deadheads take notice: Today is your chance to have a piece of history. Jerry Garcia's handcrafted guitars -- plural -- are going up for auctioned off in New York, and they are expected to fetch some pretty hefty prices. Other memorabilia from Garcia's life is also going up for auction today.
Joining us now with a closer look at some of the guitars and other stuff up there is our Maria Hinojosa, live in New York.
Hey, Maria.
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey.
In Studio 54, of all places, Leon, where they've got the Grateful Dead. Who would have thought? But you know what? They took this stuff very seriously.
This is the auction book. And unless you are a Deadhead, it just says here at auction Wolf and Tiger. And you're probably saying, Wolf and Tiger, what are they talking about? They do take it seriously. They say that to say that as a group, they have more influence and impact on American youths than anyone ever had before them would be a gross understatement of fact. They take this stuff seriously.
We are here with Arlen Ettinger, who is the president of Gurnsey's, which is going to be auctioning all of these items off tonight.
This is one of Jerry Garcia's own paintings.
ARLEN ETTINGER, PRESIDENT, GURNSEY'S: Jerry was a prolific artist, and fans love his work. And this is one of the most famous examples.
HINOJOSA: A lot of these are just the original artwork for the posters?
ETTINGER: Absolutely. Posters, record album covers. Oftentimes, one can find a poster available for a few hundred dollars, but how often do you find the original art? Almost never.
HINOJOSA: These are going to be going, what, $5,000?
ETTINGER: It is an auction. Anything goes. HINOJOSA: Now, over here, this is what people are really going crazy about. These are the two guitars, two of five of Jerry Garcia's guitars. This one is called Wolf. And what's so special about this particular guitar, Arlen?
ETTINGER: This guitar, played by Jerry throughout the 1970s, was hand made by a master guitar maker, Doug Erwin, and Jerry, unlike many musicians, kept and loved his guitars. A lot of rock musicians would have a guitar for a few weeks and toss it out. These were used for year after year, and fans got to know these, clearly by the emblem of the wolf and the tiger in the guitar.
HINOJOSA: This one over here, this is the famous tiger we are talking about. What I like about this one -- and I'm not a Deadhead -- but the fact that he's got his name here, J. Garcia. Oh, my gosh, I just touched it, I can't believe it! There was someone in here, Arlen, who said that they would be willing to bid, tonight, up to $1 million.
ETTINGER: The world record is $450,000 for any guitar ever sold; it was Eric Clapton's Layla guitar. We have been getting comments like the one you just heard. So it is a very exciting situation, arguably the most significant instruments of the 20th century.
HINOJOSA: And they will be going on auction tonight. And if you want to continue to auction, even if you are not here, you can you go through eBay. So that's more information.
We will be here all day, keeping us up to date from Deadhead century.
Back to you -- Leon.
HARRIS: OK.
HARRIS: Watch the hands, Maria. You don't want to touch anything you can't afford to buy.
HINOJOSA: No, no, I can't afford -- nope, no, no, I can't afford it, but we can touch a little.
HARRIS: There you go. Maria Hinojosa, having fun up there in New York.
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