Bradley Center online auction to begin Monday

Guitar autographed by Prince to be part of sale

A Fender guitar signed by Prince is among the items included in an online auction of BMO Harris Bradley Center memorabilia that starts Monday. The auction will be held at

greatlakesauction.net and includes items from 30 years of concerts and events at the downtown arena. Among the items: signed instruments, microphones, props, costume pieces and framed photographs, the Bradley Center said in a news release.

The Bradley Center held its last major public events in April and is winding down operations in advance of the opening of the new $524 million Milwaukee Bucks arena just to the north.

The last Bradley Center event is the annual meeting of Northwestern Mutual agents in late July. Demolition of the arena, a gift to the community from the late Jane Lloyd Pettit, will begin in the fall.

The online auction does not include minimum bids. It starts at 10 a.m. Monday and will conclude 6 p.m. June 12.

“Anyone interested in purchasing items is asked to go to the website for information; neither the BMO Harris Bradley Center nor Great Lakes Auctions will accept questions via phone,” the Bradley Center said.

Aside from a few photographs and small items, the auction will not include a significant amount of Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette University memorabilia, the Bradley Center said.

The paisley pink Telecaster signed by Prince in 1997 is among the most noteworthy items in the collection. The Minneapolis superstar died in 2016.

Other items include a guitar smashed by a member of the hard rocking group Metallica, a Martin acoustic guitar signed by James Taylor and numerous autographed microphones, including one signed by Cher in 2003 and another signed by Rod Stewart in 1996.

Many of the items were displayed for years in the Bradley Center lobby. Most of the guitars come with cases.

“As we come to the end of a remarkable run, it’s been amazing to look at all the memorabilia we’ve collected and relive 30 years of fantastic event memories,” said Bradley Center President and CEO Steve Costello.

“This auction is a great way to share these memories with the public one last time,” he said. “This is your chance to own a piece of our community’s rich history.”

Built with $250 million in public dollars, the new Bucks arena is scheduled to open in late summer.

MIKE DE SISTI / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL A guitar signed by Prince from his Dec. 17, 1997, “Jam of the Year” tour will be among the items up for auction during the BMO Harris Bradley Center's online sale of memorabilia. The signature included his symbol when he was the Artist Formerly Known...