Karen and David Ensor (middle) pose with friends and patrons of Gypsy Sally’s.

/ David Ensor

With its final night in business behind it, Gypsy Sally’s, a Georgetown music venue that drew in D.C. Deadheads, is auctioning off dozens of items for devoted fans—or aspiring rockers—to claim as their own.

Gypsy Sally’s, nestled under the Whitehurst Freeway on K Street in Georgetown, announced in October that it would be closing its doors, six years after husband-and-wife-duo David and Karen Ensor opened the venue in 2013. The building that housed Gypsy Sally’s was sold and will be turned into condominiums, meaning everything in the space must go, from the Volkswagen van used as seating, to strobe lights, to Grateful Dead memorabilia.

As Washington Business Journal first reported, all of the items are registered for bidding on Rasmus Auctions, with current bids as low as 20 cents for a functioning ATM machine. The vintage 1975 Volkswagen, missing an engine, is currently going for $550. Bidding closes on Jan. 27.

David Ensor purchased the famous van off Craigslist with the original idea of transforming it into a serving station, but after seeing the great condition it was in, decided to place it in the venue as-is (with a bit of “manual labor and heavy lifting,” that is).

“It became a bit of an oddity, a private booth, if you will,” says Ensor. “I’m sure it’s hosted its fair share of drunken conversations.”

Ensor says he and his wife kept some of the photographs, posters, and paintings for memory’s sake, but other mementos are available for purchase, including framed vinyls, a Pabst Blue Ribbon-branded game of cornhole, and a large American flag.

Several D.C. businesses have auctioned items on Rasmus after closing their doors, allowing collectors or superfans to take a piece of history home with them. After the Georgetown Ben and Jerry’s location shut down in August, the large cow-bench that sat on the store’s M Street sidewalk sold for $909. When WTOP relocated to Maryland from its D.C. office last January, the news station listed hundreds of gadgets and pieces of studio equipment on a Rasmus Auction. 

Sentimental items aside, Gypsy Sally’s listed more than 50 pieces of sound and lighting equipment like amps and microphones, with most items currently starting at 10 cents each. Guitar, keyboard, and mic stands are also available, maybe for an up-and-coming band or teenager messing around in their parents’ basement. New restaurant owners might also have a field day, as the venue put several refrigerators, freezers, and sinks up for auction.

Ensor says that while the couple is not opposed to opening another venue in the future, whatever they might open won’t be in D.C. For now, they’re taking time to focus on family and other career goals.

This post has been updated to note Washington Business Journal’s report on the auction.

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