Christie's sale of The Richard Gere Guitar Collection achieved $936,438 and was 96% sold by lot and 91% by value.
The top lot of the sale was a 1960 solid-body Les Paul electric guitar by Gibson Incorporated, Kalamazoo, MI, realising $98,500.
Other highlights included a solid-body Flying V electric guitar once owned by blues master Albert King. Dated to 1958, the guitar brought $74,500.
"I never planned to put together a collection," said Gere, whose film appearances have included Pretty Woman, Chicago and the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There.
"I just bought ones that I liked, the ones that sounded good and played well. Some are very special."
Acoustic guitars also featured among the sale's highlights. A CF Martin and company D-28 styled acoustic guitar from Nazareth, Pasadena, dated to 1931, brought $62,500.
 A 1960 solid-body Les Paul electric guitar by Gibson and a solid-body |
Kerry Keane, Head of Musical Instruments Department, said: "I am thrilled and delighted for Mr. Gere on the prices achieved on his guitar collection.
"With 96% of the lots selling for a total of almost $1 million dollars, the market clearly responded to the appeal of his collection, which represented a wide range of American guitars of significant importance.
"With participation from a global well of bidders, the auction demonstrated Christie's ability to broadly access not only the very important American market but also buyers from Russia, Japan, Austria and all over the world."
The auction's proceeds will go towards humanitarian projects around the world.
