One-of-kind NYC retailer J&R Music World holding auction for all kinds of autographed memorabilia
NEW YORK -- A legendary city music and electronics retailer that has been closed for nearly a decade wants to find a new home for hundreds of its unique items.
CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis has more on how you can get your hands on music history.
From autographed guitars and microphones to baseballs and basketballs, there's endless sports and music memorabilia at the J&R Music World offices.
"Michael Buble, we had Chubby Checker here, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan," J&R co-founder Rachelle Friedman said.
Friedman and her late husband, Joe, founded the electronics and music retail store in 1971, using wedding money. They never expected what it would become.
"We just started it as a part-time endeavor to make some little extra money and it grew into a big conglomerate basically selling music, selling consumer electronics, cameras, computers, and everything techy," Friedman said.
For decades, J&R was an integral part of Lower Manhattan along an entire block of Park Row, situated across the street from City Hall.
"We became the largest retailer down here and then on 9/11, which was a catastrophe for everybody, but it was something really difficult for us. We basically thought we lost our business," Friedman said.
The store shut down, along with the rest of Lower Manhattan.
"We got a call from Mayor Bloomberg. 'You have to reopen. The streets are empty. Nobody's shopping,'" Friedman said.
Six weeks later, the store reopened and continued to make music history with concerts from a wide variety of artists, including Green Day.
"They actually performed 'American Idiot' for the first time at J&R, came across the street, signed autographs," Friedman said.
J&R closed in 2014 for several reasons, including due to what Friedman called the "Amazon effect," and its vendors, like Apple, became competitors.
"What was it like closing up after decades being here?" DeAngelis asked.
"It was heartbreaking. It was our little baby, something that Joe and I built together. We had so many loyal customers, so many loyal employees," Friedman said.
For 43 years, they memories and memorabilia, which Friedman is ready to share with the world.
"Beyonce came. She used to be a regular shopper. This is one of the CDs she signed for us," Friedman said.
Celebrity-signed CDs, foam boards, and a piano played and autographed by Lady Gaga are now up for auction.
"Serena Williams came in and she signed that painting," Friedman said.
About 1,000 autographed items can be found to bid on and buy, online, through Dec. 5., giving people a chance bring a piece of entertainment history home.
"Let other people who love music enjoy it just a much as I do," Friedman said.
Friedman said she will continue to hold auctions, even after the current one, which ends next week.
For more information on the auction, please click here.
