TAKING CENTER STAGE ARE MORE THAN 200 STONES ARTIFACTS, INCLUDING BRIAN JONES’ GUITAR AND MICK JAGGER’S STAGE-WORN OUTFIT
By Charles Epting | December 2, 2025
There has never been another band quite like The Rolling Stones. From their beginnings in the smoky basements of early-1960s London to the thunderous arenas of their worldwide tours, The Stones transcended music, becoming a cultural phenomenon and an enduring symbol of rebellion, glamour, and swagger. For more than six decades, they have defined the essence of rock ’n’ roll, turning every riff, lyric, and performance into part of a living legend. This legacy is reflected in the remarkable collection assembled by Ali Zayeri, a lifetime devotee whose discerning eye has resulted in one of the most comprehensive Rolling Stones archives ever assembled. From Brian Jones’ first electric guitar to stage-worn costumes, posters for early gigs, rare recordings, signed contracts, and other material, each artifact captures a fragment of the band’s story and spirit.
“The memory is vivid, as if etched in vinyl grooves,” says Zayeri about discovering The Rolling Stones. “I was 16 when “Paint It Black” first reached my ears, and in that moment, something shifted. The Rolling Stones spoke to a wilder rhythm than The Beatles ever could for me. I began collecting every piece I could at the time – magazines, newspaper clippings, programs. Now, so many years later, their music remains a time machine, carrying me back to that rockin’ young man with dreams as loud as the music he adored.”
The centerpiece of Zayeri’s collection – Jones’ original electric guitar he played as a founding member of The Rolling Stones – is expected to fetch up to $400,000 when it crosses the block during Heritage’s Satisfaction: The Rolling Stones Treasures from the Ali Zayeri Collection Music Memorabilia Signature® Auction. Jones acquired the Harmony Stratotone guitar in 1962 and played it onstage with The Stones in 1962 and ’63, including at the Marquee Club in London. The guitar stands as one of the most important instruments in rock ’n’ roll history. It was the electric guitar Jones played on the band’s earliest demos and at their early club gigs – and the very one heard on the band’s debut single, a cover of Chuck Berry’s Come On, which introduced The Stones to the world.
Perhaps even more importantly, this was the guitar Jones used to teach a young Keith Richards, helping shape the partnership that would define the band’s sound for decades. The guitar has featured extensively in major Rolling Stones exhibitions around the world, including The Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Satisfaction at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland; The Rolling Stones: Exhibitionism at Saatchi Gallery in London; and The Rolling Stones: Unzipped international touring exhibition.
A double-sided concert poster promoting one of the 30 gigs The Rolling Stones played in December 1963. At the time of this show, The Stones were still a month away from the release of their debut EP and were steadily climbing the charts with their second single, ‘I Wanna Be Your Man.’
Other highlights from the auction include an extremely rare and early concert poster promoting The Rolling Stones’ performance in Guildford, Surrey, in the south of England. The Ricky Tick club was notable for hosting some of The Stones’ first shows on their 1963 British tour. Lower down on the bill were The Yardbirds, with one of Eric Clapton’s earliest appearances with that group. The double-sided poster also promotes Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames.
A designer silk jacket owned and worn by Mick Jagger in 1967 is another standout lot. Photographs and magazine spreads from the time show Jagger wearing the jacket, including during The Rolling Stones’ performance of “Let’s Spend the Night Together” on Top of the Pops, Britain’s No. 1 TV chart show. The auction also features a suede jacket with fringe detailing worn by Jones, custom-made for the musician by designer Ossie Clark. Numerous photographs show Jones wearing the elaborate jacket, most notably onstage for what would be his final live performance with The Stones, on May 12, 1968, at the NME Show at the Empire Pool in Wembley, UK. Jones also wore the jacket at the London premiere of the movie Rosemary’s Baby on May 7, 1968, accompanied by Ringo Starr and Mia Farrow.
This jacket owned and worn by Mick Jagger can be seen during a 1967 appearance by The Rolling Stones on the UK show ‘Top of the Pops.’ Jagger can also be seen wearing the jacket on the cover of an August 1967 issue of the Japanese magazine ‘Music Life.’
Brian Jones donned this bespoke fringe jacket in May 1968 during his final live stage performance with The Rolling Stones.
In addition to rare posters, concert programs, awards, autographed LPs, acetates, rare test pressings, and contracts signed by the band, Zayeri’s collection includes treasures such as a 1970s-era notebook belonging to guitarist Ronnie Wood and an unused album cover sleeve of an unreleased Rolling Stones album titled We Love You, after their 1967 single of the same name.
“For much of my life, I have been on a mission to chronicle and collect the legacy of the greatest rock ’n’ roll band the world has ever known,” Zayeri says. “Every ticket stub, every poster, every autograph tells a story. Partnering with Heritage Auctions is the perfect way to share that story and to pass the spirit of The Stones on to a new generation of fans.”
