Wow! Blink and it's gone!

[HonketyHank]

I logged onto eBay this afternoon and this RL Givens listing caught my eye. It had just been listed. Wow. Looks good and it is in Portland, OR. Maybe I can look it over before the bidding ends. I called Portland Music Co, found out their hours, and location and said I probably would see them tomorrow AM.

Logged on again, a bit later, to see if anyone was bidding and it was gone. Poof! Didn't last two hours. Must have had a pretty attractive price tag on it. I hope one of us MC folks got it.

[Bigtuna]

Somebody got wise to what they had.

[MikeEdgerton]

The bidding didn't end, they ended the auction. It didn't sell for $100.00. Maybe they got so many calls they decided to sell it locally. I'd still go down. Of course I haven't lived in Oregon for 40 years and haven't been to Portland Music in 50.

[barney 59]

It's still there or maybe someplace else but I presently have the high bid--- but, I'm chasing a reserve!
Maybe they closed out the first auction to add the reserve.

[MikeEdgerton]

The new link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-R-L-Giv...YAAOSwIgNXo6VW

[LadysSolo]

Looks worth going to see and play....if you live close enough....

[Josh Levine]

I may have to swing by and check that thing out.

[mrmando]

Bummer if it turns out the bridge is glued down. I hate when that happens.

[MikeEdgerton]

Bummer if it turns out the bridge is glued down. I hate when that happens.

But it's in the right place!

I've had to gently remove one or two. One wasn't real pretty. The other one I got lucky on.

[barney 59]

Bidding is up to $1400 and it appears the reserve has been met. I like it when the reserve has been met --at least you know where you are. It's like applying for a job but they don't want to tell you how much they are willing to pay bidding into a reserve auction--are we wasting our time here or not? I won't bid again until the last few seconds if at all.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Put your max bid out there and let it run. The worst thing you can do is to slowly start upping it, you can get get caught up in a bidding war.

[barney 59]

Put your max bid out there and let it run. The worst thing you can do is to slowly start upping it, you can get get caught up in a bidding war.

With proxy bidding your doing just that. If you put your top bid in early some fool will chase it until they are on top! I put in a bid early sometimes --partly to find out if there is a reserve and, I don't know,get in the game? I let the others battle it out. Then I spend the next few days figuring out what it is, if there are any comps available and at what price ?--you know "research". If the bidding at the end of the auction is still inside what I might be willing to pay and if I think I know everything that there is to know about the item in question and if I really want it bad then get in touch with the seller, then at the very end I will jump in but I would never bid more than the price I decide I'm willing to go. I don't think of it as "winning or losing" an auction. That kind of thinking is dangerous, but occasionally I will "buy" something at auction.

[Jeff Mando]

I agree. Bidding at the last 7 or 8 seconds will save you money, if you indeed win it. Otherwise, somebody will pick away at it until they figure what your top bid is. Like ya say, sometimes it will backfire and somebody will get to the seller with an offer and the seller will close the auction early -- and then you're out.

[HonketyHank]

... I put in a bid early sometimes --partly to find out if there is a reserve and, I don't know,get in the game? ...

I'll sometimes put in an early bid to lay down a 'marker' (just like a dog marking his territory) - maybe the same as barney's "get in the game". For me, it's just plain silliness and having fun with the system.

I pretty much ignore the presence or absence of a reserve if I am interested. My main (last minute) bid is going to be the same regardless.

All of barney's post is good stuff.

[Bernie Daniel]

I agree. Bidding at the last 7 or 8 seconds will save you money, if you indeed win it. Otherwise, somebody will pick away at it until they figure what your top bid is. Like ya say, sometimes it will backfire and somebody will get to the seller with an offer and the seller will close the auction early -- and then you're out.

That is what I do. Especially now with the clock showing clearly on the bidding screen -- it is easy to put in a bid up to the last 5 seconds- but never put in more than what you want to pay.

The one down side is of course if your compute hangs for even a second you might miss it.

[Mark Wilson]

I wish the 'buy it now' option could be set to stay after first bid. Usually when I get there someone has always hit it for a dollar and BIN is gone.

[Willie Poole]

Do like I do, Only buy what you can play ahead of time, no auctions for me...Most good deals that are too good to be true are just that, TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE....

[Josh Levine]

I think i am going to go play it and see if it is too good to be true.

[barney 59]

It's at $1800+ now with 3 days to go --where's the "too good to be true" part come in? There could be a lot of people watching it.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Do like I do, Only buy what you can play ahead of time, no auctions for me...Most good deals that are too good to be true are just that, TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE....

To each his own. There ain't no deal to be had here.

[houseworker]

Bummer if it turns out the bridge is glued down. I hate when that happens.

It does look to have a visible glue line in the photos.

[Josh Levine]

So, I played it. It sounds good, plays pretty darn good even though it could use a little set up work. It appears to have had a partial refret to the 7th fret. Not sure who dressed it but there seems to be a little unevenness at the transition between the new and old frets. I'm not a luthier so take that with a grain of salt. Regardless it still plays pretty well up the neck. I was told by a reputable source that it wasn't uncommon for Bob to send out a mando while the varnish was still curing, which could result in the bridge sticking to the finish. If that is the case it would be an easy fix. I didn't notice glue but didn't look to close, again not a luthier. They have a 10 day return policy I was told. I got a soundclip but am out of town. If I can get to a decent internet source I will try to upload it. (Nfi)

[barney 59]

Two guys on ebay seem to be battling it out. It's up to $2700 with a day left to go. What is funny is that I've seen this a lot --a couple of people bumping each other and then more often then not at the very end someone else comes out of left field and snags it! Well we'll see. I was a little surprised at what the dealers are are asking for these--Boyd and The Parlor both have similar mandolins in stock at almost twice the price this one is at so far. So how was the tone? Could you hear it across a field?

[Josh Levine]

It had a nice even tone. I met my buddy there and when I arrived I asked the folks at the store if I could play it, but then I heard him playing it across the store, so not a field but across a music site, yes.

[HonketyHank]

I don't think $2700 is a bad price, but it is out of my range. So I bought the 'Dragon's Breath' Newell they had listed at the same time instead. Not as loud, but a very nice sound for old timey and irishy stuff and even a decent chop. I actually think the Newell has better balance from bass to treble. In any case, my cat loves the case ...