A rare Roy Acuff fiddle that was placed up for auction to benefit Goodwill has been pulled from bidding and returned to its previous owner.
The fiddle was anonymously donated to a Goodwill store in North Kansas City. Goodwill Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas was in the process of auctioning the fiddle, and planned to use the proceeds to further its mission.
Bids for the fiddle had reached more than $7,000, but Goodwill announced in a news release Friday it had suspended the auction after they were contacted by a person claiming to be the instrument's owner.
"That person, who wishes to remain anonymous, informed Goodwill that the item was a family heirloom mistakenly donated by a family member," the release said. "Upon verification of the instrument's ownership, Goodwill suspended the online bidding process, removed the fiddle from Goodwill's items for sale and returned it to the owner."
The fiddle was handmade by Acuff's uncle, Evart Acuff in 1945.
Roy Acuff, a Maynardville native, was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1962.
In a statement, the CEO of Goodwill Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas apologized "for any inconvenience this might have caused for any of our shoppers."
"Goodwill appreciates how valuable this fiddle is to music lovers," CEO Kevin Bentley said. "It is also a family heirloom that came into our possession by mistake. Because of that, we have honored the request to return the item."