Hundreds of items belonging to late Canadian folk legend Gordon Lightfoot were auctioned off by A.H. Wilkens in Toronto on Wednesday (November 26).
Among the stage clothes, awards, platinum and gold records, vinyl records, S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald memorabilia, and instruments was a 1947 Martin D-18 guitar that was sold to the highest bid of $380,000.
CBC notes that the the iconic acoustic guitar was a favourite he used throughout his 60-plus-year career. The item featured a custom modification he made to the back of the guitar to help limit any noises with his signature belt buckle, and a smiley face decal given to him by his daughter.
The auction took place just weeks after the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, which he famously sang about in his classic 1976 song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," as well as Lightfoot's birthday on November 17. The singer-songwriter passed away in 2023 at the age of 82.
Other items of interest to fetch big money included a vintage Toronto Maple Leafs jersey with the #17 and Lightfoot's name on the back, a vintage tiger rug, his personal record collection, belt buckles, furniture, a collection of vintage hotel keys, and many instruments owned by Lightfoot's long-time guitarist Terry Clements.
See the full collection here.