New York ( CNN ) -- The Great Recession is over for Eric Clapton fans . During a charity auction on Wednesday , fans bid on some of the guitar legend 's most prized possessions and raised $ 1.77 million for a drug treatment center in Antigua . The auction , held in New York , had 140 lots containing various guitars , amps , citations of achievements , touring case , and even a stage suit designed by Gianni Versace . All the money raised will go to benefit the Crossroads Centre , a nonprofit drug treatment center that Clapton founded on the island in the West Indies in 1998 . `` We feel it 's a tremendous success , '' Kim Martin , a representative for the Crossroads Centre , said . `` We 're excited the auction raised the amount of money it did , and we 're grateful for the organizers and the many bidders who participated . '' The item receiving the highest bid was Clapton 's 1948 Gibson LP5 guitar , which sold for $ 82,960 . According to the auction catalogue , Clapton said the guitar had `` plenty of use . '' Other big sellers were a 2005 Zemaitis guitar that sold for $ 75,640 and a 2008 Martin guitar that fetched $ 70,760 . The lowest-selling item was an Andrea Valentini tote bag , which went for $ 610 .
Most lucrative item was a 1948 Gibson LP5 guitar , which fetched nearly $ 83,000 . Two other guitars sold for more than $ 70,000 . Auction benefits a drug treatment center Clapton founded in Antigua .