After a Texas man smashed a $4,000 Taylor Swift-themed guitar with a hammer and the video went viral, the destroyed instrument is back on eBay - and it's fetching an even higher price.
- Oct 6, 2024
AceShowbiz - Surprise! The Taylor Swift-themed guitar initially sold at an Ellis County WildGame Dinner and smashed by the highest bidder has become the centerpiece of an auction - again. Gary Estes initially purchased the guitar for $4,000. Upon receiving his prize, he ruined the music instrument with a hammer, much to the amusement of the crowd.
The footage of this moment unexpectedly went viral on TikTok. "We're in an area (Ellis County) where Trump is pretty prevalent," JD Cobb, who captured the video, told USA TODAY. "Especially among country type folk, not a lot of people here like Taylor Swift."
The WildGame Dinner event aims to raise funds for FFA and 4-H, organizations that support agricultural education for students. Held in Waxahachie, Texas, the event included various auction items besides the guitar, such as vacations, hunting guides, guns, and even a $5,000 chocolate pie.
While the guitar was decorated with images from Swift's Eras Tour, she did not sign the instrument itself. Instead, she signed a "Midnights" CD insert that was later attached to the guitar. Estes later clarified, "It was just a joke at an auction that we had to raise money for kids, right? And that's all it was. There was nothing mean about it, nothing bad about it."
Following the incident, Estes donated the destroyed guitar back to the WildGame Dinner to be auctioned off again, this time on eBay. As of Thursday, the highest bid for the guitar had reached $6,550 with nearly 50 bids and 7,000 views on the listing.
Craig Meier, a spokesperson for the event, maintains that the act was a "lighthearted statement" and not intended to be malicious. "The important thing is that 100% of the money raised goes directly to local youth and agricultural education programs," Meier said in a statement. "At the end of the day, the kids win and will benefit from this."
The video of the incident drew mixed reactions on social media, some seeing it as humorous while others criticized it. The incident has even stirred political tensions, with some speculating connections to Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris for president.
The auction for the destroyed guitar continues until 8:30 p.m. ET on October 8, with all proceeds aimed at supporting students in agricultural educational programs.