As TNA continues their tapings, Fightful wanted to bring you a little something relative to Jeff Jarrett's re-introduction to TNA.
You read that right. 178 Jeff Jarrett laser engraved guitars.
At the beginning of November, I checked out some of the more ... interesting items that remained in the TNA shop. I'm not much on pro wrestling memorabilia outside of formerly collecting DVDs (I probably should have sold them before the Network came around), but occasionally you can find something cool or ironically hilarious. TNA's Shop is no exception.
Robbie E glasses for four dollars. A Dixie Carter t-shirt for ten. Wallets from Aces & Eights, programs from 2010.
Easily the most interesting was the Jeff Jarrett laser engraved guitar. You know the drill. Jeff Jarrett, Tennessee background, former "fake" country music star. Broke a million guitars, yadda yadda. It makes sense to sell these things. But TNA didn't sell all of them.
I remembered seeing a tweet regarding the item, and wanted to learn more.
TNA's shop has 'quantity' meter that won't allow you to exceed the number of items in stock. I sarcastically checked out the possibility of having 200 of these beauties.
"The quantity you requested is not currently in stock." What is this life? What are we doing here? I wasn't disappointed for long, as it didn't take to find the actual number.
197. No. 195. No. 193. Nope. 185.......success?!?!
Could it be!? I adjusted the number, 191 was the final tally I could purchase. That's a whole lot of guitars. Keep in mind, Jeff Jarrett's been gone from TNA for a long ass time. Even before he was gone, he was far from his prime, probably as a merch seller.
TNA sold these things at live events and online, I remember them being pitched. I was able to track down an ad featuring Don West, who claimed it was 'the coolest thing he ever sold.'
"It's so immaculate, it's so beautiful, it's so right for professional wrestling. Here's the thing about this guitar -- it's not been available online for over two years," West said. "Why? It has been come a live event only."
Jimmy Jay, also in the commercial, chimed in.
"We have been told that this is single handedly the best experience that some fans have experienced at TNA shows, and now we're going to offer it," said Jay.
Holy shit. The BEST experience? Unless the event was in Seattle and the ghost of Kurt Cobain popped up in the ring for Nirvana: Unplugged II, I have my doubts about that statement. Either way, they sold the guitars. Get this. $200.
Here's a description of the item.
THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE COOLEST ITEM WE HAVE EVER HAD! IT IS AN OFFICIAL TNA GUITAR WITH TNA FOUNDER AND KING OF THE MOUNTAIN JEFF JARRETT LASER ENGRAVED ON THE GUITAR ITSELF.
IT IS THE MOST LIMITED ITEM EVER OFFERED AN ITEM LIKE THIS COULD GO FOR WHAT? A $1000? NOT ON MY WATCH, BABY!!!!
ONE TIME ONLY PRICE TO THE LUCKY FEW WHO GET THIS.
$199.99
ARE YOU KIDDING?
IN MY MIND THIS IS THE COOLEST AND GREATEST DEAL EVER OFFERED
BAR NONE! GEM MINT 10 BABY
ACT NOW!!!
TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS. AMERICAN.
At a live event, most things come at a high price. But imagine chucking down the two bills, maybe passing up your cell phone payment for the month for this thing. I wonder if any are out there, still. I put a call out on Twitter, but no response. There were a few on eBay, though. Several people bought them, then had members of the TNA roster sign it. Not a bad idea.
In a twist to the story, as I followed up in December to make sure the stocked number were correct.....they were gone. All of them. Had someone bought them? Were they destroyed? Did Jeff Jarrett acquire them during his recent discussions with Anthem? I had sarcastically told a member of the TNA roster that they should negotiate all of them into their next contract. Maybe that happened.
They were knocked down to a measly $50 dollars when I checked in November. That's dirt cheap for any guitar. Were they real? Gimmicked?
I reached out to try to get information about the guitars, but Jarrett himself told me he wasn't granting media interviews at the time. As he was negotiating with Anthem at the time, that make sense. But I didn't walk away empty handed.
"Playable," I was told -- by Jeremy Borash, longtime TNA employee.
I'll be honest, had TNA got Don West back to pitch these things at 50 dollars each, they'd have zero guitars left because he's a fantastic pitchman. Despite the giant number that remained at some part of 2016, they were big ticket items for the company at one point, claims Borash.
"Yeah for a few years they were the top merchant seller - we sold thousands," Borash told me.
Jeremy Borash was the only person I could get to speak on the situation. Not Don West, not Jeff Jarrett, not Dixie Carter, and to be honest I couldn't find anything resembling contact info for Jimmy Jay. Borash! The busiest guy I reached out to, at that. I tried, guys.
However, I have GREAT news. As I put the finishing touches on this, reached out for last-ditch efforts for quotes, the usual, I checked the link again. It worked, as did the ability to order them. There are 178 left....but those TNA scoundrels increased the price to $60.
No deal, TNA. No deal.
What this means is in that the time I've had this piece on the back burner, they've done SOMETHING with 13 of these. Did they sell them? Did they give them back to Jeff? Did Dixie demand to keep like a dozen of them to REALLY stick it to TNA before being ousted from power/ Are they all just hanging out at the warehouse they run their offices out of!? So many questions, I got few answers.
I won't rest until I find out.
Somebody get me one of these guitars.
