AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JANUARY 26: Slash performs on stage during the Slash ft Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators Living The Dream Tour at Spark Arena on January 26, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Dave Simpson/WireImage).
A guitar bearing the signature of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash was among 85 autographed instruments that were seized over the weekend. The reason: the autographs — including Slash’s — were counterfeit.
That’s according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, who seized the shipment of guitars at Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. They say the guitars — which include models by Martin, Fender, Gibson and Taylor — have a retail value of $258,707. However, with the bogus autographs, they’re worth much more to unsuspecting buyers, agents say. The Slash guitar alone would likely fetch $8,000, the agency reports.
The guitars, which agents believe came from China, were headed to 31 different states before they were intercepted, according to a statement released by the CBP.
How do you know if an autographed item is authentic?