The Top 5 Most Expensive Beatles Collectibles Ever Sold
Above: John Lennon playing his Gibson J-160E with The Beatles on the British variety show "Thank Your Lucky Stars"
Post Author: Ellis Nolan
Money can’t buy you love, but it can buy you many impressive artifacts from the Fab Four’s career; you’ll just need a lot of it. Here is a countdown of the top 5 most expensive Beatles memorabilia ever sold at auction!
All You Need is Love Lyrics Handwritten by John Lennon - $1.2 Million
Above: Lennon's lyrical reminder - Love is all you need
An unforgettable anthem of the “Summer of Love,” Lennon penned this song for the 1967 BBC television broadcast “Our World,” which featured creatives such as Alexander Calder and Leonard Bernstein in addition to the Beatles. Nervous about performing the song live for the first time, Lennon wrote out the lyrics on this paper to aid his memory. Retrieved from the stage by a BBC employee after the performance, it was auctioned off in 2005, and remains the most expensive handwritten lyric sheet ever sold.
Ringo Starr’s First Ludwig Drum Kit - $2.11 Million
Above: Vintage Ludwig Downbeat Black Oyster kits, even those not played by Ringo Starr, regularly sell for upwards of $5000. This one was his first.
In anticipation for the Beatles’ first tour of Great Britain, Starr and Beatles manager Brian Epstein visited London to purchase a new drum set. Starr was enamored with a new Ludwig kit he saw in the window of the shop, which he and Epstein then purchased from the owner, Ivor Arbiter. Epstein then requested for the Beatles’ name to be painted on the kick drum, for which Arbiter sent to sign painter Eddie Stokes. Unbeknownst to Stokes, the new logo would become iconic, and would grace Starr’s kick drum when the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
Ed Sullivan Show Beatles Drumhead - $2.19 Million
Above: The drum head brought to America by Starr in 1964
In 2015, this single component of Ringo’s drums fetched more at auction than his entire kit! In 1964, as the Beatles embarked on their first American tour, they brought a minimum of equipment, deciding to purchase the rest of what they needed from Manny’s Music in New York City. For Starr, this meant bringing his snare drum, cymbals, and a kick drum head emblazoned with the Beatles’ now legendary logo. Upon the arrival of the full kit from Manny’s, the stock kick drum head was switched for the one he had brought. Interestingly, there must not have been enough time for this switch before rehearsal, since there are photos of the Beatles performing in the Ed Sullivan Show theater where the kick drum appears blank.
John Lennon’s Rolls Royce Phantom V - $2.29 Million
Above: Lennon's unique limousine (The Rolls-Royce company was not pleased with this modification)
Shockingly, this Rolls Royce automobile is not the most expensive item on this list. Purchased by Lennon in 1965, it shuttled the Beatles around Great Britain to their various engagements. In 1967, upon suggestion from Ringo Starr, the Limousine was painted with a colorful psychedelic design. This attracted much attention from the public, particularly when Lennon and wife Yoko Ono moved to New York City. The paint job was done by the Dutch art collective “The Fool,” who also painted Eric Clapton’s guitar of the same name, as well as George Harrison’s cottage, “Kinfauns.”
John Lennon’s Gibson J-160E Guitar - $2.4 Million
Above: Lennon's Gibson that was lost, then found
A fitting close for this list, John Lennon’s beloved Gibson “Jumbo” (hence the J in the model name) electric/acoustic guitar. Purchased in 1962, Lennon penned many Beatles classics using this guitar, including “All My Loving” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” It was also used during the recording of the Beatles’ first LP, “Please Please Me.” The instrument was lost at a Beatles performance in 1963, but resurfaced when American musician John McCaw purchased it in 1967. McCaw played the instrument for over 40 years without knowing its history, but eventually connected with Beatles instrument expert Andy Babiuk, who verified the instrument was Lennon’s. It is the most expensive piece of Beatles memorabilia ever sold to date.
Want to purchase your own piece of Beatles history? Visit out our collection here!
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