Sotheby’s held one of those auctions on Thursday, September 12, related to objects from popular culture icons that always bring great profits to the company. A Steinway grand piano that was at Abbey Road Studios, and played by stars such as Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga, sold for 192,000 pounds (227,354 euros, at the current exchange rate); a black leather jacket with studs by Jean-Paul Gaultier, which was worn by Freddie Mercury in 1988 at the Dominion Theatre in London, reached 72,000 pounds at the auction (85,000 euros); and three guitars played by Noel Gallagher, founding member of the group Oasis with his brother Liam, sold for a total price of 216,000 pounds (almost 256,000 euros). One of Gallagher’s guitars reached 156,583 euros at the auction. While the instrument has not surpassed the 5.5 million euros that were paid for Kurt Cobain’s guitar, the late vocalist of Nirvana, at auction in 2020, making it the most expensive guitar in the world, Gallagher’s has reached a price much higher than estimated. One more example of the renewed fascination with Oasis since the duo announced their comeback tour at the end of August.
The guitar Epiphone Les Paul, that Noel Gallagher played at the single Oasis debut Supersonicwas valued by Sotheby’s at £80,000 (€94,800). However, it has reached a final auction price of £132,000 (€156,583). The instrument was also used in the sessions at the Out Of The Blue studio in Manchester, in 1993, and at the Monnow Valley studio in Wales, in 1994. It was also played in several of Oasis’ early live performances at venues such as the Boardwalk in Manchester, Gleneagles in Perth (Scotland) and Water Rats in London. The second guitar, a Epiphone EA-250played on stage by the group around 1972-74, has sold for £48,000 (almost €57,000). And the guitar Gibson Flying Vpreviously owned by Johnny Marr of The Smiths and used by Noel in the recording of the song Cigarettes and Alcohol (1994), sold at auction for 36,000 (42,629 euros).
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The auction of the guitars coincided with the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybeone of Oasis’ best-known songs, and following the announcement of new concerts in 2025 by the Manchester-born group after 15 years apart plagued by accusations and public reproaches between the brothers. “It has been brilliant to offer these important Oasis guitars from the beginning of the British pop era in our inaugural pop culture sale at Sotheby’s. It is a fitting tribute to celebrate not only the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybebut also the recent announcement of the long-awaited reunion of Oasis. It was exciting to see such strong and competitive bidding for these culturally significant guitars, previously used by Noel Gallagher,” said Katherine Schofield, Sotheby’s curator of popular culture objects. Oasis, formed in Manchester in the north-east of England in 1991, are credited with creating the era of britpop —alternative rock subgenre characterized by the delicacy of the sound and the simplicity of the songs— thanks to successful songs like Wonder wall, Don’t Look Back in Anger y Champagne Supernova.
An extensive collection of signed Polaroid photographs of musicians and actors including The Beatles, Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, The Rolling Stones and Julie Andrews taken by photographer Ilpo Musto during the 1970s and 1990s have also exceeded pre-sale estimates. The original asking price was £30,000 (35,493 euros) and they have managed to raise £108,000 (127,776 euros). In addition, a set of four promotional photographs of Queen taken around 1980 and signed by the group have sold for £22,800 (almost 27,000 euros) along with a blue vinyl edition of the single. Bohemian Rhapsody / I’m in love with My Car (1978) whose estimated price was 5,000 pounds (5,915 euros) and which was sold for 18,000 pounds (21,296 euros).
Set of ‘Polaroids’ signed by musicians and actors auctioned by Sotheby’s.
Among the objects that wealthy buyers have acquired from his celebrity Favorite or iconic characters throughout history include the aforementioned Kurt Cobain guitar for 5.5 million dollars, a Marilyn Monroe lipstick that was purchased for 60,000 euros in 2024 or a piece of clothing from the legendary series Sex and the Cityworn by Sarah Jessica Parker when she played Carrie Bradshaw, which sold for 35,000 euros last January. Although, probably one of the most valuable garments to have been auctioned in recent history has been the white dress that Monroe wore in the famous scene Temptation lives above (1955): sold for more than four million euros in 2011.
