$500,000 gibson a-50

**morristownmando** · Jul-20-2008, 10:06pm

The reserve price on this mandolin is $500,000 This mandolin was supposedly owned by some u.s senator that i have never heard of.And the add says someone else gave $649,000 for it. WHAT GIVES ? # Here it is <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/SHERIDAN-DOWNEYS-A-50-GIBSON-MANDOLIN-SERIAL-423B_W0QQitemZ330254841913QQihZ014QQcategoryZ

10179QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/SHERIDA....iewItem</a>

**morristownmando** · Jul-20-2008, 11:37pm

I must be the only one who thinks this is a little overpriced.

**mandocaster** · Jul-20-2008, 11:41pm

I think he should have free shipping on a $500,000 mandolin.

It is unusual to find something 500 times over valued.

**mrmando** · Jul-20-2008, 11:43pm

Yes, you are. The rest of us think it's astronomically overpriced.

I want to talk to the estate sale folks who sold this mandolin for $649K. I want them to handle MY estate sale when the time comes.

**F5GRun** · Jul-20-2008, 11:45pm

Id say thats a little high

Maybe due to the shipping from the netherlands...just kidding. Im not really sure why the seller would think he could get this for it. I think they may have added an extra zero or two. But well see. IT looks like it is in great shape and has not been played much, even though it "toured" the USA for a few years. I will def be keeping an eye on it to see how igh it goes.

**Joel Spaulding** · Jul-20-2008, 11:48pm

No, I just checked the auction. I was actually having trouble getting on the cafe messageboard...

I came very close to asking the seller the following question:

"Are you high?"

If it had been a Jul 9, 1923 Loar owned by PRESIDENT Calvin Coolidge it still would not likely be worth $500K.....unless someone is willing to pay it.

**Tim Peter** · Jul-20-2008, 11:56pm

As much as I hate to part with it since I just got it and absolutely love it... however, for the Mandolin Cafe community I will offer a fantastic deal. I will let my 1949 A-50 go for the bargain basement price of half of what they are asking for that A-50: $ 250,000. USD price firm, I'm taking a big hit here. Would consider a trade for a Lloyd Loar, a Stradivarius or a late model Ferrari. Serious inquiries only please.

**mrmando** · Jul-21-2008, 12:16am

What politician did your A-50 belong to?

**Tim Peter** · Jul-21-2008, 12:20am

My mandolin was never touched by a politician. Price now: $ 275,000!

**Jordan Ramsey** · Jul-21-2008, 1:26am

[/QUOTE jpeter July 21 2008, 00:56]As much as I hate to part with it since I just got it and absolutely love it... however, for the Mandolin Cafe community I will offer a fantastic deal. I will let my 1949 A-50 go for the bargain basement price of half of what they are asking for that A-50: $ 250,000. USD price firm, I'm taking a big hit here. Would consider a trade for a Lloyd Loar, a Stradivarius or a late model Ferrari. Serious inquiries only please.

Ha Ha.....here's the best part, a quote from the guy who paid 649k....

"One of the finest mandolins you will ever hear, and the pickup is hot!" - Eric Stroeve.

Not a description I would use in trying to sell a vintage instrument.:laugh:

Jordan Ramsey
myspace.com/crosspicker

**mrmando** · Jul-21-2008, 3:19am

Originally Posted by (tpeter @ July 21 2008, 01:20)

My mandolin was never touched by a politician.

Wow, your mandolin might just be the last object in the country that was never ...

Hm. Better not complete that thought.

**Martin Jonas** · Jul-21-2008, 4:06am

Well, the only way I can imagine this to be a genuine mistake is if the seller is using the standard continental European way of denoting the decimal marker by a comma rather than by a dot. After all, the seller is based in the Netherlands, where one would write "$649,00" to indicate "$649.00". However, that explanation fails to account for the third zero in the listing's "$500,000" and "$649,000".

I do wonder about the seller's fees: I've never sold anything with a reserve price, but my understanding is that Ebay charge fees according to the reserve, meaning that he'll have to pay more to Ebay for this listing than the instrument is worth.

Martin

**John Rosett** · Jul-21-2008, 5:27am

And it's not even an A-50, it's an A-1.

**MikeEdgerton** · Jul-21-2008, 7:41am

At this price it has my nomination for the auction that won't get a single bid this week. Now, if it had been Senator Wayne Morse's mandolin I might reconsider it.

**TomTyrrell** · Jul-21-2008, 7:45am

The seller has been an ebay member since May-04-02 in United States , the mandolin is in Lisse, Netherlands. Even if the reserve was $50US I still wouldn't bid on it.

**allenhopkins** · Jul-21-2008, 12:47pm

Ludicrous. Simply ludicrous. Even if you wanted to consider it some sort of "museum piece," it's had the tuners and bridge replaced, the pickguard's missing, and there's a recently-installed pickup. And despite the worthy history of Sen. Downey, he's not exactly a household word other than in the Downey household. I might want to pay that much for Thomas Jefferson's violin, or Harry Truman's piano, but this is, well, ludicrous.

**TeleMark** · Jul-21-2008, 1:33pm

I made the mistake of asking him the source of his pharmaceuticals... #Here is the reply:

The best thing in life, is that you get to share your story.
There will someday, be a book written about this mandolin.
Other than the Wright brothers mandolin that is in the Smithsonian,
there is no mandolin in the United States with more history.

I dunno, I gotta think that there is one or two other mandolins with a bit more history...

**MikeEdgerton** · Jul-21-2008, 1:39pm

Now that's funny.

**F5GRun** · Jul-21-2008, 1:55pm

The Wright brothers played Mandolin? Did they share one or did they each have one? If this guy has the most famous mandolin in american history I wonder if hes a member of the most famous mandolin website in mandolin history? I would love to hear him chime in on this.

Still no bids?!?!?! wha wha what? Be surprise.

**Jim Garber** · Jul-21-2008, 2:17pm

Sheridan Downey bio - not a word about mandolins, tho.

First thing I did think was what Martin said about the decimals vs. commas. OTOH the seller may just be insane.

**ilovemyF9** · Jul-21-2008, 2:31pm

I made an offer for $233.52, CASH Baby! Oh yeah, I told this joker that my offer INCLUDES s/h WITH insurance OK! You got to be tough when doing business folks. I am still waiting for a response- I hope he/she gets back to me soon because I will spend the 52 cents any minute now.........

**sgarrity** · Jul-21-2008, 2:55pm

He surely can't be serious? And if he is, I bet he'd be an awfully interesting fella to meet! LOL

**mandocaster** · Jul-21-2008, 3:21pm

The mandolin would be worth a million dollars if the senator hadn't owned it.

**Zigeuner** · Jul-21-2008, 5:06pm

In the listing on eBay under Comments from other members, someone mentioned that the mandolin couldn't be an A-50 since the A-50's were bound on both top and back. The seller then corrected the listing to reflect that the mandolin is, in fact, an A-40.

That's nice, except it spoils the seller's nice story about the mandolin having been used by the good senator in the 1930's. Since the A-40 was not intruduced until 1948, that doesn't match the story. I mean, you can't play a mandolin that wasn't yet in existence, can you?

I guess the seller needs to bolster his retirement fund. It does seem a little over-priced don't you all think though?

By the way, the listing says that the "item location" is in the Netherlands. OTOH, the seller says that the mandolin would be shipped from California.

I'm frankly thrilled. As a Californian, I'm truly honored to be the home base for such a valuable and interesting piece of....piece of.....ahhhh, historical lore.

**morristownmando** · Jul-21-2008, 5:15pm

This is so outrageous i can't even think of anything to say about it.I guess she is trying to be like the piece of toast with that image of jesus or mary on it.You know the one that sold for something crazy.

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