A Taylor Swift guitar that was the focus of a viral video after a buyer at an auction apparently smashed it with a hammer over the singer’s lack of support for Donald Trump is headed to eBay.
The story surrounding the guitar went viral, when a 67-year-old man named Gary Estes was seen on TikTok hitting the guitar with a hammer on Saturday in Waxahachie, Texas, at the Ellis County WildGame dinner.
The damaged musical instrument was listed eBaywith the description: “A man bought this signed Taylor Swift guitar at a charity auction for $4,000 and then proceeded to smash it with a hammer.” The video went viral on multiple platforms worldwide.
“He has donated the guitar to the foundation to sell on eBay, with the proceeds going to local children who need resources to participate in agricultural education programs.”
The description of the item, which had a minimum bid of $100 that rose to $2,600 in bidding late Tuesday, with just under a week to go, noted that “the guitar comes with a certificate of authenticity.”
A Taylor Swift guitar that was the focus of a viral video after a buyer at an auction apparently smashed it with a hammer over the singer’s lack of support for Donald Trump is headed to eBay. Swift, 34, photographed in New York last month at the MTV VMAs.
The story surrounding the guitar went viral, when a 67-year-old man named Gary Estes was seen on TikTok hitting the guitar with a hammer on Saturday in Waxahachie, Texas, at the Ellis County WildGame dinner.
When the guitar was first auctioned, an accompanying certificate of authenticity indicated that “the guitar had been personally signed by Taylor Swift and is guaranteed to be authentic,” TMZ reported, adding that the certificate lacked a seal, which was often seen in these types of documents.
A source from Swift’s marketing organization said the description was inaccurate since the guitar was not signed (there appears to be an autograph in the listing photos) and did not come with a certificate of authenticity.
A Swift marketing source said Variety Tuesday that the guitar seen in the auction video “had not been signed by Swift…and was not an official certified guitar used by the singer.”
In the clip, Estes hits the body of the instrument, adorned with Taylor Swift decoration, as the crowd erupts in cheers.
“Now take that and hang that broken thing up,” auctioneer Craig Meier told Estes before leaving with the guitar.
estes said NBC News Tuesday of the incident.
‘It was just a joke at an auction that we had to raise money for the children, right? And that’s it,” Estes said. ‘There was nothing wrong with it, nothing wrong. It was just a joke they were making up on stage and we continued with a joke.’
Meier told the outlet: ‘It was kind of fun and light-hearted. I know maybe it seemed malicious, but everyone was laughing. There were people there then joking that he’s mad because he doesn’t know how to play guitar.’
Video of the moment showed Estes taking the stage to fetch the prize, only to immediately begin smashing the guitar with a hammer handed to him by the auctioneer.
Meier said the guitar-related incident appeared to have political undertones, just a month after Election Day, after Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president instead of Trump.
“Taylor Swift, it became a political thing, and that was pretty much the gist of it, just a little dig at Taylor for coming out politically and artists who use their influence to influence politics,” Meier said.
Even though the expensive instrument was no longer usable, Estes happily walked away with his prize.
All $4,000 went to charity, with proceeds going to the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner, an event that supports agricultural and rural education for local youth.
A TikTok user who posted the video captioned it: “Guy bought a signed Taylor Swift guitar at a live auction for $4,000, only to destroy it.” #taylorswift #trump2024 #trump #taylornation #swifties #republican #trumpsupporters #trump #texas #feeling22 #trumptrain.
Citing the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner organization, TMZ reports that the guitar was donated to the auction prior to Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris for president.
It was donated by a third party and was not intended to be destroyed, since it was the buyer who decided to destroy it, the media adds.
Auction attendee Rob Bartley said the independent of the guitar destruction moment: ‘A Taylor Swift guitar had been sold at another unrelated event earlier in the year, so it wasn’t an unheard of type of item to auction.
The body of the guitar, adorned with Taylor decoration, was smashed by the tool as the crowd erupted in cheers.
Trump posted ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!’ on her Truth Social just five days after she revealed she was voting for Harris
‘That being said… when the man announced his intention to destroy it, camera phones came out. It was unexpected, but not surprising. This part of Texas is very conservative and the Biden/Harris administration is not held in high regard.
Bartley continued: “A lot of working class people who live around me feel that the administration went from not working for us to working against us.”
Swift endorsed Harris shortly after the 2024 presidential election between the incumbent vice president and Trump.
‘Like many of you, I watched tonight’s debate. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to research the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the issues that matter most to you,” Swift said. ‘As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything what I can about the policies and plans they propose for this country.
‘I recently learned that an “I” AI falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy was posted on your site. It really evoked my fears about AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation.
Swift added: “It led me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter.” The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth,” he added.
He noted that “I’m going to vote for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to defend them.”
Swift said: “I think she is a talented, steady-handed leader and I think we can achieve so much more in this country if we are guided by calm and not chaos.” “I was very encouraged and impressed by your selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
Swift endorsed Harris shortly after the 2024 presidential election between the incumbent vice president and Trump; Pictured performing in London in August.
‘I have done my research and made my decision. The research is all yours and the choice is yours. I also want to say, especially to first-time voters: Remember that to vote you have to be registered!
I also find it much easier to vote early. “I will link where to register and find early voting information and dates in my story,” he wrote.
She finished: “With love and hope, Taylor Swift Childless Cat Lady.”
A few days later, Trump posted on Truth Social: ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!’
