Most people have something — a photograph, old watch or jewelry — that can never be replaced. But for Gray, his most valued possessions weren't something he misses every now and again. He's played his mandolins nearly every day for the last 33 years.

"I'm totally devastated. It's unbelievable. It's my worst nightmare," he said. "It's not the same as having a loved one die, but it sort of feels like that … they were my most treasured possessions, and no amount of money can replace them."

On Oct. 14, Gray's home east of Tijeras was broken into. He said there were pry marks on the front door, but the thieves gained entrance through an upstairs deck, and stole Gray's two mandolins, which he said are very unique.

One of them, a Monteleone Grand Artist No. 63, was built by internationally respected instrument maker John Monteleone. The varnish on the instrument is worn from being played, down to bare wood, along the top scroll and in other areas.

Gray said it's an exceptional instrument and it was the one he had the longest, but it's not his favorite of the two.

"People would fall all over themselves," he said. "Most people think that the biggest travesty is the Monteleone, but the Sullivan was the most special … it will never be replaced."

Gray had the instrument custom built for him by John Sullivan of Portland Ore., who never had the notoriety of Monteleone. Sullivan died of cancer not long after building Gray's instrument in 2005, which Gray has said may have been the last instrument Sullivan ever made.

Gray is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of the instruments. He has posted notice at 17 pawn shops and music stores in Albuquerque, e-mailed it to several major music stores around the country and posted his story on Mandolin Cafe, www.mandolincafe.com, he said.

After he posted comments online, people began to offer to keep a watch for the instruments. Within two days Gray was even loaned another mandolin to play until his were recovered.

"The one kind of positive thing that came out of this is that there are all these people out there who are contacting me," he said. "Eventually some musician is going to recognize these mandolins."

Scott Tichenor, who owns the Mandolin Cafe site, said he has had quite a few people post notices about stolen mandolins and has seen a lot of the instruments recovered.

"(They) really can't be sold anywhere," he said. "This is not like a guitar."

He said there is a mandolin community and it's small enough that the stolen instruments are likely to be found when they resurface.

"If somebody showed up with that at a festival, they'd be spotted in a heartbeat," Tichenor said.

Anyone with information about the mandolins can contact Gray at 505-379-1732.