This weeks mandolin that won't get a bid or buyer

[Timbofood]

Hurry, hurry! Step right up!
I'll wait for the bearded lady, I think.

[Charles E.]

This Gibson white face A-3.........

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-BEAU...MMrM-wKqD4hNGw

While in great condition, there is another one that is very close condition wise for less then half the price.

[Jim Garber]

This Gibson white face A-3.........

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-BEAU...MMrM-wKqD4hNGw

While in great condition, there is another one that is very close condition wise for less then half the price.

I had one from 1919 (my father's birth year) that I played for many years decades ago. Yes, overpriced, plus $105.50 Expedited Shipping on top of that!

[Mike Stewart]

This Gibson white face A-3.........

Yeah, that one has been around on the Seattle craigslist for a while (the owner is in Langley, WA). He started out months ago at $3200, which was still too high, didn't get a buyer so he raised (???) the price. On craigslist he wants $3900, iffin' you're looking to save a few bucks.

But as others have pointed out, he's about 100% more than I'm willing to pay. Seriously, if he cut the price in half I'd be on a ferry to buy it tomorrow. Original receipt is nice and all, but it doesn't make it play any better.

[acousticphd]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/30s-Kalamazo...cAAOSw5VFWJBAG

As is, no "whinning".

$300 or so for this one seems about right to me...

[MikeEdgerton]

That one is cheap next to this one. Basically the same mandolin, different year. Right now there are 4 on eBay, all with prices in Hollywood. I'm guessing none will sell at the prices listed.

[scottcw]

I believe this is a return engagement... http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/91961#91961

$25K for a Givens when these usually sell in the $5K range.

[Timbofood]

But, it's in Oklahoma!

[colorado_al]

I believe this is a return engagement... http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/91961#91961

$25K for a Givens when these usually sell in the $5K range.

How many times has it been listed at 5x the going rate?

[scottcw]

How many times has it been listed at 5x the going rate?

I think I saw it mentioned in this thread a while back listed at $32K.

[Canoedad]

I wonder if the BC pick is included.

[George R. Lane]

I believe this is a return engagement... http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/91961#91961

$25K for a Givens when these usually sell in the $5K range.

He probably told his wife "I can't give this thing away".
So I guess he will just have to keep it. Shrewd fellow.

[9lbShellhamer]

Well...it's says, "OBO". Hahahaha. Could offer $2500. If that's the "best offer" think he'll take it?

[MikeEdgerton]

This was posted by the eternal optimist. At 10 times the value plus what it should sell for in shipping I'm pretty sure it's not going anywhere.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Circ...QAAOSwkZhWRl4L

[Jim Garber]

This was posted by the eternal optimist. At 10 times the value plus what it should sell for in shipping I'm pretty sure it's not going anywhere.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Circ...QAAOSwkZhWRl4L

I just walked by that store the other day in NYC/LES. I could have checked it out for you, Mike! Maybe they should forge Brando's signature on it.

[MikeEdgerton]

They better forge somebody's signature on it

There's a Gordon tenor banjo down in Annapolis, MD in an antique shop that I walk by now and then that has been on eBay for years at a super inflated price. I guess once it's up it's up.

[Jeff Mando]

There's a Gordon tenor banjo down in Annapolis, MD in an antique that I walk by now and then that has been on eBay for years at a super inflated price. I guess once it's up it's up.

I have to admit that I am guilty of putting things on eBay under the "good until sold" category, which just keeps relisting it every month. The fee is microscopic, maybe 20 cents a month -- $2.40 a year is pretty good for worldwide exposure -- the final value fee and Paypal fees only come into play when an item sells. (which they would anyway, even if the item sold in a week). I also am guilty of having things on eBay for 5+ years, waiting for the "right" buyer -- well, they don't come by as often as they once did, but they still do. And some things simply do not have a "book" price or can even be found in completed listings, so an educated guess is about all you can do, and I say, "when in doubt, GUESS HIGH!" Potential buyers will make an offer and I often take it. OTOH, having something photographed well and described well can kind of give each of us a little bit of that Sothebys type clout and like I say, it is a worldwide marketplace......and I'm just looking for one buyer! (the guy who pays me, not the guy who talks about how overpriced it is.....)

The Stella is a good example of how eBay has changed. 15 years ago on eBay, you could find them selling for $30, $75, $125, $275, and sometimes even $375 or $475 -- and guess what -- they ALL sold -- just to different people, each of whom had a very different idea of the value and what is fair. Nothing wrong with that, happens all the time. Same pair of Levi's gets sold anywhere from $28 to over $55 every day, depending on the store and location. Unfortunately for sellers of musical instruments, more people are looking for Levi's than $500 Stella's!

I recently had an old 1930's Duncan YoYo that someone had carved a cool design into and these things get marketed on eBay as "folk art" or "tramp art". An old Duncan YoYo is lucky to bring $10 on eBay, even for a pretty nice one, but I thought the carving gave it a little something extra. How to price such a thing? I took the Sothebys attitude and put $450 on it with a Best Offer feature. My pictures showed the work that someone had put into it. Well, to be honest, it took about 9 months and then a guy who collected such things offered $300 and I accepted. Not only that, he went on to say what a nice addition it was to his collection and how he gave it a special display spot in his home. I could have easily put $20 or 30 bucks on it, but why not give 'er a shot? Doesn't cost any more to try.

All I'm trying to say is the reason people put insane prices on stuff is because sometimes things will sell for insane prices. The guy in NYC has a huge overhead compared to a lot of locations. I know of the exact Stella in an Ohio music store with a price of $250 and it has been there for years, because for Ohio, it is overpriced. Plus most people know they can usually find one cheaper on eBay.

Another trick I use to instill customer confidence (and justify charging more than my competitor) is to remind the buyer than I have set up the instrument to play well, put new strings on it, and that I know how to properly and safely pack an instrument. Seems like fluff, but many buyers will pay more for excellent service, even on eBay. Just my two cents.

[Jim Garber]

Yes, there is one seller on eBay who has been re-listing the same overpriced parts for maybe 5 years now. The price has always stayed the same. One is the back plate from some no-name bowlback and the other is the headstock from what he thinks is a Vinaccia mandolin. I suppose there will come a time when some buyer will want exactly what he has.

This cringe-worthy, bashed-in A-4 will sell -- maybe it should not be mentioned in this thread, but what the hay... Gibson A4 Mandolin. So far the Handels are worth more than the current bid. We shall see.

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't think I've ever seen those Stella/Harmony mandolins sell high. I owned a few that I tried to get a little more for and always lost on them and I've been on eBay for years. They were doggies when they were selling them new. I was there.

[DavidKOS]

This cringe-worthy, bashed-in A-4 will sell -- maybe it should not be mentioned in this thread, but what the hay... Gibson A4 Mandolin. So far the Handels are worth more than the current bid. We shall see.

Am I crazy or is that A-4 just begging to be restored?

[brunello97]

Am I crazy or is that A-4 just begging to be restored?

Ha! "Take me home…." It's like going with my wife to the pound. DAS.

Mick

[MikeEdgerton]

Am I crazy or is that A-4 just begging to be restored?

Watch the price on his get stupid towards the end.

[Jeff Mando]

I don't think I've ever seen those Stella/Harmony mandolins sell high. I owned a few that I tried to get a little more for and always lost on them and I've been on eBay for years. They were doggies when they were selling them new. I was there.

Mike you are right, a Stella should never sell for what a Gibson sells for, no matter how nice it is. However, you and I are experienced enough to realize that since we started, a new generation or two have started playing and to a young person, let's say, born in 1987 -- a 60's Stella is an old "vintage" instrument. That, and a coolness factor are things that a retailer can market to.

In my own experience on eBay, I have been able to market similar instruments using basic salesmanship. I had one old Stella that was nothing special, but it was in mint condition and had extremely nice action. I mentioned in my ad, "sure these show up every day on eBay for $100, but when is the last time you found one in like new condition that played great?" I was able to get $399 for an instrument that others having trouble getting $100 for simply because I wrote a better ad. That and the fact that I don't mind shipping worldwide. I find a lot of these "old" Harmonys and Stellas go to the UK, France, Belgium, and Germany.

[plinkey]

Am I crazy or is that A-4 just begging to be restored?

David, yes, you are crazy and so am I.
My initial reaction to that mandolin was "Wow, I could get an A4 dirt cheap here and have it fixed nicely, and ....". Then I gave my head a vigorous shake: in order to fix it "nicely", a very skilled luthier would have to spend a good amount of time on it. Their time tends to be rather expensive, and in the end not only that the mandolin will likely be left with some telltale signs of a major repair, it might also end up costing me as much as buying a very well preserved A4 instead.

However, if I had the skill as well as the time needed to do the repairs myself, then perhaps I`d go for it.

[HonketyHank]

This is a fun thread. Can't help but add this one: eBay Deal of the Century.

Note the continuously variable intonation wawa feature (aka 'wobbly neck').