Invoice Guardino of Gilroy along with his huge selection of track memorabilia at his house on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Team)
Invoice Guardino stands amid the just about unfathomably massive selection 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 out,” the 69-year-old fan says as he’s about to steer me on a personal excursion of his artifacts, curiosities and undeniably cool stuff.
So, I make the verdict for him and straight away zoom previous the Beatles, Thankful Useless, and many others. and apply my very own musical hobby proper to a stupendous framed show of Black Sabbath’s debut file, signed by means of all 4 of the band participants.
“That’s the album that began all of it,” Guardino says of the 1970 epic that is thought of 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 duplicate of Purple Floyd’s “A Saucerful of Secrets and techniques” album this is signed by means of all 4 authentic band participants — together with the past due Syd Barrett (“I simply can’t imagine that I’ve Syd’s signature on that”).
We pause a second to savor the sight of a bass guitar this is signed by means of none as opposed to the mythical Paul McCartney.
“It may well be certainly one of my favorites,” Guardino says. “However There are too many to selected.”
Paul McCartney’s signed bass is displayed within Invoice Guardino’s area in Gilroy, Calif., on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Team)
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 means of the nice 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 as of late is most definitely 1 p.c.”
In fact — doing the short math — it’s a long way much less. I’ll most effective see a couple of hundred items (no less than up shut) all through this excursion. But, Guardino estimates he has 250,000 pieces, constituting what he believes to be the most important selection of track memorabilia in Northern California.
“It is a six bed room area and each and every room is complete — and the partitions,” feedback Janet Guardino, who in brief joins our casual excursion prior to disappearing off to her place of business.
A signed {photograph} of The Doorways is displayed within Invoice Guardino’s area in Gilroy, Calif., on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Team)
Complete is somewhat of an irony. A few of these rooms are so filled with sweets — together with some non-music, popular culture memorabilia — that it’s onerous to even stroll via them. The entire pieces discussed up to now on this tale have been framed and prominently displayed at the partitions on this two-story area.
But, the Guardinos would want dozens (if no longer loads) of different properties so as to have the wall house important to show all of the profitable memorabilia on this assortment. Many of the treasures are simply stocked up in piles, waiting for for his or her probability to provoke.
That reality is underscored as Guardino thumbs via some extra pieces, ultimately touchdown upon a framed replica of “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” album that isn’t most effective signed by means of the mythical singer-songwriter himself but additionally his then-girlfriend Suze Rotolo (who seems at the album quilt with Dylan).
“This must be displayed,” Guardino feedback of the traditionally important piece. “It’s wonderful it’s no longer placing at the wall.”
Invoice and Janet Guardino discuss amassing track memorabilia all through an interview on Friday, March 29, 2024, at their Gilroy house. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Team)
It’s actually the vintage rock pieces — from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s — that bounce out at you whilst walking via his assortment. But, Guardino has stuff from different a long time and musical genres as smartly.
“I attempt to gather from each and every generation,” he says. “And I’ve.”
As though as an example the purpose, we quickly come pieces from Nirvana, Foo Warring parties and — wait — is that Justin Bieber?
“That’s a backyard sale in finding,” Guardino clarifies.
But, that’s how he’s put in combination a lot of his assortment, garnering one piece at a time from plenty of assets over the process a long time. His hobby for amassing may also be traced again to fundamental college, when he began purchasing up Beatles 45s. It went to the following stage, on the other hand, as soon as he actually started to note all of the cool artwork that embellished rock posters and album covers of the generation.
“The art work is simply actually inspiring to me,” he says. “That’s actually what were given me into amassing.”
And some of the bonuses of this pursuit is that Guardino is undoubtedly by no means at a scarcity for one thing music-related to put on.
“I’ve perhaps 3,000 live performance T-shirts,” he reckons.
But, he’s no longer only a collector. He’s additionally a seller, having reworked his outsized pastime into an aspect process. He sells track memorabilia at Ashford’s Heirlooms on Monterey Side road in Gilroy in addition to on-line via his personal Head Commute Track website online, www.headtripmusic.com.
“Obsession? Possibly,” Guardino says of his assortment. “Pastime? Indubitably?
“Funding? Indubitably.”
Sure, he’s undoubtedly loved some just right returns on his investments through the years. For example, he displays off some uncommon Thankful Useless handbills, with Rick Griffin artwork, for a gig that used to be scheduled to happen in Hawaii, however didn’t finally end up taking place.
“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 actually a cash factor for Guardino. That a lot is made abundantly transparent as you witness the enjoyment on his face and listen to the fervour in his voice as he walks throughout the wonderful assortment that he’s put in combination throughout the a long time. It’s in regards to the love track and the enjoyment of the search — 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 forestall,” he says.
A signed piece of Kiss memorabilia is displayed within Invoice Guardino’s area in Gilroy, Calif., on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Team)
A a lot of selection of The Beatles memorabilia are displayed within Invoice Guardino’s area in Gilroy, Calif., on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Team)
Invoice Guardino displays a signed piece of Nirvana memorabilia on Friday, March 29, 2024, in Gilroy, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Team)
Invoice Guardino displays a 1971 live performance poster for Miles Davis and Elvin Bishop at Fillmore West in San Francisco, on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Team)
Invoice Guardino displays a 1980 live performance poster for The Thankful Useless and different vintage track posters at his area in Gilroy, Calif., on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Team)
