Entertainment

Richard Gere's guitar collection brings in nearly $1 million

October 12, 2011 / 11:12 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Vintage guitars are on display as part of US actor Richard Gere guitar collection during a press preview in New York on Oct. 6, 2011. The Richard Gere guitar collection went on sale at Christie's auction house on Oct. 10, 2011. EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

(CBS/AP) An auction featuring 110 lots of actor Richard Gere's guitars and amplifiers fetched nearly $1 million dollars Tuesday at Christie's in New York.

Guitars sold included brands like Gibson, Fender and Gretsch and instruments once owned by blues guitarist Albert King and reggae musician Peter Tosh.

Pictures: Richard Gere's guitars
Pictures: Richard Gere

The top item sold at auction was a 1960 solid-body Les Paul electric guitar by Gibson. It went for $98,500, according to Bloomberg. The winner phoned in the bid.

"Without ever thinking I was putting a collection together, there seems to be one," Gere said in his catalog statement. "I just bought what I liked, what sounded good -- what played well."

Gere says he is using the proceeds from the sale to support global humanitarian causes.