Taylor Swift's broken guitar has officially sold for $6.5K on eBay – after the damaged instrument was listed on the e-commerce site earlier this month.
A Texas man named Gary Estes, 67, bought a signed guitar for $4K at a charity auction during the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner late last month — but the video of him taking the hammer to it went viral.
He explained that the move was just a 'joke' and that there was no 'malicious' intention – but it was later revealed that he was not happy about it. Political endorsement of Grammy winner Kamala Harris.
The Taylor Swift-embellished guitar sold for $6,550 at TMZ – after Estes donated the instrument back to the nonprofit foundation.
The listing description reads, 'Man bought this signed Taylor Swift guitar at a charity auction for $4000 and then proceeded to smash it with a hammer. The video went viral on many sites around the world.
Taylor Swift's broken guitar has officially sold for $6,550 on eBay — after the damaged instrument was listed on the e-commerce site earlier this month.
'He has donated the guitar to the charity, which is being sold on eBay, with the proceeds going to local children who need the resources to participate in agricultural education programmes.'
The guitar came with a certificate of authenticity – but lacked the stamp that is usually found on those types of documents.
The guitar is unsigned — although it appears to be autographed in listing photos — and does not come with a certificate of authenticity — a person at Swift's business said the description is inaccurate.
A Swift business source also told Variety that the guitar seen in the auction video was 'not signed by Swift… and is not a certified official guitar used by the singer.'
In the viral clip, Estes hits the body of a Taylor Swift-adorned instrument as the crowd erupts in cheers.
'Now take it and hang that broken thing up,' auctioneer Craig Meyer told Estes before walking off with the guitar.
Carey later spoke to NBC News and explained to the outlet, 'It's a joke that we have to raise money for the kids at the auction, right? That's it.'
'There's no point in it, there's nothing bad about it. What they were doing on stage was just a joke and we followed up with a joke.'
Gary Estes, a 67-year-old Texas man, bought the signed guitar for $4K at a charity auction during the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner late last month — but it went viral when he was filmed taking a hammer to it.
The listing description reads, 'Man bought this signed Taylor Swift guitar at a charity auction for $4000 and then proceeded to smash it with a hammer. The video went viral on many sites around the world.
'It's a fun, lighthearted thing,' Craig Meyer told NBC. I know it probably sounded malicious, but everyone was laughing.
'There were people there who joked that he was crazy because he couldn't play the guitar.'
Meier said the incident involving the guitar came less than a month from Election Day — with political overtones — after Swift supported Kamala Harris for president against Trump.
Taylor Swift, it turned out to be a political thing, and that's the essence of it, a slight dig at Taylor. “Entertainers are using their influence to influence politics,” Meyer said.
Estes told TMZ after the incident, 'It didn't make sense, nothing bad. What they were doing on stage was just a joke and we followed up with a joke.'
Even though the expensive instrument was now unusable, Estes still happily accepted his prize.
All $4,000 went to charity, with winnings benefiting the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner, an event supporting agricultural and rural education for local youth.
Citing the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner organization, TMZ offered the guitar for auction ahead of Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris' presidency.
After Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president over Trump — less than a month from Election Day — Mayer said the incident involving the guitar appeared to have political motives.
It was donated by a third party and was not meant to be destroyed – as the buyer decided to smash it, the outlet adds.
Auctioneer Rob Bartley told The Independent Guitar Smash: 'A Taylor Swift guitar was sold at an unrelated event earlier this year, so the auction item is not unheard of.
'That said… the camera phones came out as the man announced his intention to smash it.'
Bartley added, 'It was unexpected, but not surprising. This part of Texas leans very conservative and the Biden/Harris administration is not held in high regard.
'Most of the working class people around me feel that the administration is not working for us, but working against us.
Taylor has been keeping busy and was recently spotted cheering on boyfriend Travis Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday (seen above).
She wore a plaid miniskirt and matching, strapless corset-style top and black, knee-high boots during the game.
Swift endorsed Harris after the 2024 presidential election between the current vice president and Trump.
Taylor has been busy and was recently spotted cheering on her boyfriend Travis Kelce on Monday as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium.
She wore a plaid miniskirt and matching, strapless corset-style top and black, knee-high boots during the game.
Her blonde locks were pulled back into a ponytail and her bangs were allowed to fall gently across her forehead.
The performer will resume his Eras tour later this month on October 18 in Miami; I saw it in June in London
Swift accessorized her outfit with a sparkly, gold necklace and dainty earrings — and added glitter under her eyes and cheekbones for a finishing touch.
The performer is set to resume his Eras tour later this month on October 18 in Miami.
He will make a three-night stop in New Orleans, then head to Indianapolis in early November.
Taylor's tour will wrap up on December 8 after additional concerts in Toronto and Vancouver.
