George Harrison’s guitar sold off by Borders liquidators

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The liquidators for bookseller Borders Group Inc., which went out of business this year, has sold off a signed guitar that was a gift to the company from the late Beatles member George Harrison, a report says.

Former employees said that the Fender Stratocaster guitar was signed and presented to the Ann Arbor, Mich., headquarters of Borders by Harrison more than a decade ago, AnnArbor.com reported. The guitar was the musician’s gesture of thanks for the chain’s support of one of his reissued records, and until recently it sat in a glass case in the headquarter’s lobby, the report said.

Although several former Borders headquarter employees tried to raise money to buy the guitar before liquidators sold it off, the report said, it was not to be -- the instrument was listed on EBay in October at a starting bid of $500.

‘This guitar was a gift to Borders Books from George Harrison and comes with a custom, lighted 2-door lockable cabinet,’ a cached version of the listing read. ‘The guitar was displayed in the Borders corporate office lobby for many years, but due to the bankruptcy, it is now offered up for auction.’

And someone has already snapped it up.

Jim Shaw, a consultant for the Gordon Brothers Group which is handling the liquidation of property left at the Borders headquarters, confirmed to AnnArbor.com that the guitar has been sold but declined to disclose the winning bid.

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-- Shan Li