Man Buys Guitar at Garage Sale for $175, Turns Out It's Worth $800,000

John McCaw is a building contractor from San Diego who struck jackpot way back in 1969 without even knowing it. The story actually began in 1962, when John Lennon and George Harrison of The Beatles got themselves a pair of matching Gibson J-160E guitars. About a year later, John's six-string was stolen after the band's pre-Christmas show in London. A few years later Mr. McCaw's friend had unknowingly bought Lennon’s Gibson in a local music shop. In 1969, that friend sold it to McCaw for about $175, or about $1,100 when inflation-adjusted for 2014. 45 years later, after using the legendary J-160E to teach his sons how to play guitar and strumming on it during many amateur jam sessions throughout the decades, McCaw got a hold of a 2012 issue of Guitar Aficionado. The magazine featured George Harrison wielding a six-string with striking similarities to John's old guitar. After reaching out to international experts, McCaw had the guitar examined and, lo and behold, got a certificate of authenticity based on a string of contributing factors...more