Jim Harrington
| Mercury Information
Invoice Guardino stands amid the just about unfathomably huge number of track memorabilia that overwhelms the home he stocks along with his spouse Janet and his canine Zappa in Gilroy
“I don’t know the place to start,” the 69-year-old fan says as he’s about to lead me on a non-public excursion of his artifacts, curiosities and undeniably cool stuff.
So, I make the verdict for him and in an instant zoom previous the Beatles, Thankful Useless, and so forth. and apply my very own musical pastime proper to a ravishing framed show of Black Sabbath’s debut file, signed by way of all 4 of the band participants.
“That’s the album that began all of it,” Guardino says of the 1970 epic that is regarded as to be floor 0 for heavy steel.
From there, Guardino continues to supply observation as we take in such treasures as a signed Doorways image (“That’s an extraordinary piece — to have all 4 signatures on {a photograph} like that”) and a replica of Crimson Floyd’s “A Saucerful of Secrets and techniques” album this is signed by way of all 4 unique band participants — together with the past due Syd Barrett (“I simply can’t consider that I’ve Syd’s signature on that.”)
We pause a second to savor the sight of a bass guitar this is signed by way of none rather than the mythical Paul McCartney.
“It could be one in every of my favorites,” Guardino says. “However There are too many to select.”
That’s made abundantly transparent as we transfer directly to a framed Touring Wilburys show that includes signatures from all 5 participants of without equal rock supergroup — Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. And, oh, wow, that’s a guitar signed by way of the good bluesman Muddy Waters.
“What I’m appearing you is simply the top of the iceberg,” says Guardino, who operates a a hit drywalling industry, Guardino Drywall, Inc, within the South Bay. “What I’m appearing you nowadays is almost certainly 1 %.”
In truth — doing the short math — it’s a long way much less. I’ll handiest see a couple of hundred items (a minimum of up shut) all the way through this excursion. But, Guardino estimates he has 250,000 pieces, constituting what he believes to be the most important number of track memorabilia in Northern California.
“It is a six bed room area and each room is complete — and the partitions,” feedback Janet Guardino, who in short joins our casual excursion sooner than disappearing off to her place of work.
Complete is a bit of of a real understatement. A few of these rooms are so full of chocolates — together with some non-music, popular culture memorabilia — that it’s laborious to even stroll thru them. The entire pieces discussed to this point on this tale have been framed and prominently displayed at the partitions on this two-story area.
But, the Guardinos would want dozens (if now not masses) of different homes with a view to have the wall area important to show the entire profitable memorabilia on this assortment. Many of the treasures are simply stocked up in piles, watching for for his or her likelihood to provoke.
That reality is underscored as Guardino thumbs thru some extra pieces, ultimately touchdown upon a framed reproduction of “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” album that isn’t handiest signed by way of the mythical singer-songwriter himself but in addition his then-girlfriend Suze Rotolo (who seems at the album duvet with Dylan).
“This must be displayed,” Guardino feedback of the traditionally vital piece. “It’s superb it’s now not placing at the wall.”
It’s truly the vintage rock pieces — from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s — that bounce out at you whilst walking thru his assortment. But, Guardino has stuff from different many years and musical genres as neatly.
“I attempt to collect from each generation,” he says. “And I’ve.”
As though for instance the purpose, we quickly come pieces from Nirvana, Foo Warring parties and — wait — is that Justin Bieber?
“That’s a backyard sale to find,” Guardino clarifies.
But, that’s how he’s put in combination a lot of his assortment, garnering one piece at a time from a lot of assets over the process many years. His pastime for amassing will also be traced again to fundamental faculty, when he began purchasing up Beatles 45s. It went to the following degree, alternatively, as soon as he truly started to note the entire cool artwork that embellished rock posters and album covers of the generation.
“The art work is simply truly inspiring to me,” he says. “That’s truly what were given me into amassing.”
And one of the vital bonuses of this pursuit is that Guardino is unquestionably by no means at a scarcity for one thing music-related to put on.
“I’ve possibly 3,000 live performance T-shirts,” he reckons.
But, he’s now not only a collector. He’s additionally a dealer, having reworked his outsized interest into a facet task. He sells track memorabilia at Ashford’s Heirlooms on Monterey Side road in Gilroy in addition to on-line thru his personal Head Commute Tune web site, www.headtripmusic.com.
“Obsession? Possibly,” Guardino says of his assortment. “Interest? Undoubtedly.”
“Funding? Undoubtedly.”
Sure, he’s unquestionably loved some just right returns on his investments through the years. For instance, he presentations off some uncommon Thankful Useless handbills, with Rick Griffin artwork, for a gig that was once scheduled to happen in Hawaii, however didn’t finally end up going down.
“I were given this stuff for $10, $15 a pop and I’ve bought them for $3,000,” he says.
He turns to his vinyl assortment — which he reckons numbers round 100,000 — and showcases a sealed, early quantity, first urgent of the Beatles’ “White Album.”
“I’d must get $12,000 for that,” he feedback.
But, this isn’t truly a cash factor for Guardino. That a lot is made abundantly transparent as you witness the enjoyment on his face and listen to the eagerness in his voice as he walks during the superb assortment that he’s put in combination during the many years. It’s in regards to the love track and the enjoyment of the quest — of discovering that subsequent cool new piece so as to add to the combo — that assists in keeping him amassing.
“I don’t wish to prevent,” he says.
