Guernsey's

Last updated
Guernsey's
Founded1975
FoundersArlan Ettinger, Barbara Mintz
Website www.guernseys.com

Guernsey's is an auction house founded by Arlan Ettinger and Barbara Mintz and based in New York City.

Contents

History

Guernsey's was founded by New York City advertising executives Arlan Ettinger and Barbara Mintz in 1975. [1] [2] [3] [4] It specializes in collecting obscure items. [5]

Notable auctions

Over the decades, Guernsey's has held a series of auctions involving items closely associated with significant cultural figures and moments. In 2011 the company auctioned Elvis Presley's first guitar and Michael Jackson's moonwalking self-portrait. [6] [7] In 2017, it auctioned Jerry Garcia's guitar called "Wolf" for the second time, having auctioned it to the seller in an earlier auction in 2002. [8]

The company has also auctioned Keith Haring's refrigerator in 2021 [9] , and personal artifacts from various influential figures including Madonna, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Patti Astor, and Bob Dylan in 2024. [10] The 2024 auction also featured original fixtures from the Chelsea Hotel, including its iconic neon sign. [11]

In 2024, Guernsey's scheduled an auction of approximately 70 personal effects of Nelson Mandela, including his identity document, hearing aids, and trademark "Madiba" shirts. The auction was co-organized with Mandela’s daughter, Makaziwe Mandela, who stated that proceeds would fund a memorial garden in Qunu. However, the sale became the subject of a high-profile legal and ethical dispute, as South African heritage authorities and segments of the public objected to the export and sale of items they considered national patrimony. Although a South African court ruled in favor of allowing the sale, ongoing appeals and public controversy led Guernsey’s to suspend the auction. [12] [13] [14] [15]

References

  1. ↑ "Guernsey's - About". www.guernseys.com.
  2. ↑ "Inside Guernsey's vintage guitar auction". Fortune. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  3. ↑ Hutchinson, Bill (Jan 11, 1999). "AUCTION HAS A BIG PITCH SCORE ONE FOR GUERNSEY'S". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  4. ↑ "The Twenty Million Dollar Guitar Auction That Wasn't: Guernsey's Aims High With 'Artistry of the Guitar,' Comes Up Very Short". Observer. April 7, 2014. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  5. ↑ "See Inside the Home of the World's Premier Treasure Hunter". Time. November 10, 2015. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  6. ↑ "Guernsey's Auction House presents unprecedented Rock & Roll auction of remarkable items". artdaily.com.
  7. ↑ "Elvis' First Guitar to Go Under the Hammer at UES Auction". DNAinfo New York. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  8. ↑ Messikian, Ed (June 7, 2017). "Guernsey's Auction of Jerry Garcia's Legendary Guitar, 'Wolf'". Fine Art Frameworks. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  9. ↑ Barron, James (2021-05-11). "Keith Haring's Fabulous Friends Left Their Mark on His Fridge Door". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  10. ↑ "Guernsey's New York-Centric Auction Celebrates 60 Years of Downtown". Artlyst. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  11. ↑ Barron, James (2024-09-06). "You Can Buy a Piece of the Famous Hotel Chelsea Sign (Published 2024)". The New York Times . Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  12. ↑ Aradi, Gloria (2024-01-19). "Nelson Mandela auction: South Africa seeks to block sale in row over heritage". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  13. ↑ "An auction of Nelson Mandela's possessions is suspended as South Africa fights to keep them". AP News. 2024-01-30. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  14. ↑ "Nelson Mandela auction suspended after outcry from South Africa heritage agency". 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  15. ↑ "Mandela's Legacy for Sale: Daughters Protest Auction of His Personal Effects". www.satorinews.com. Retrieved 2025-12-02.

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